Topic 2: Information And Systems

Question 1

Commercial organisation

Examples

Answer 1

Either goods are purchased and then sold for a profit or they supply services to customers

Banks, retailers, wholesalers, insurance companies, solicitors

Question 2

Industrial organisation

Examples

Answer 2

Main function of an industrial organisation is to manufacture products or be involved in construction
Produce a product which can be sold to make a profit

Car manufacturers, house builders, chemical manufacturers

Question 3

Public service organisations

Answer 3

Provides goods and services from public funds. Producing profits is not an aim their main aim is to obtain max benefit for public they provide for

Schools, hospitals, police services, armed services

Question 4

The scale of organisations: small

Answer 4

1-50 employees
Generally informal structures
Usually confined to a single site>making use of LANs

Question 5

The scale of organisations: medium

Answer 5

• 50-500 employees
• uses formal structures
• uses WANs

Question 6

The scale of organisations:’ large

Answer 6

• diverse range of products or service
• can involve many separate companies/orgs
• large number of staff usually in an hierarchical structure
• banks, car manufacturers, large retailers
• can have branches around the world
• relies heavily on WANs but also LANs

Question 7

Nature and management style: autocratic

Answer 7

• Clear authority in this org
• all decisions are made by people at the top and senior managers
• very little decision making is made lower down
• senior staff remote from lower levels of structure

Question 8

Nature and management style: paternalistic

Answer 8

Senior managers have authority but the decisions are made in the employees interests

Question 9

Nature and management style: democraticn

Answer 9

• employees take part in the decision making
• useful for ict projects because people can specialise in what they are skilled at
• decision making process is slowed down

Question 10

Nature and management style: laissez faire

Answer 10

• least formal management style

- staff make decisions/ manage their own areas

Question 11

Organisation

Answer 11

A collection of people with a common goal

Question 12

Organisation structure: hierarchical structure

Problems

Answer 12

• slow movement of information

- senior staff remote from lower levels of staff

Question 13

Organisation structure: the horizontal or flat structure

Problems

Answer 13

-parts of company operate independently
-more responsibility for employees
-poor communication between departments
-

Question 14

Ordering systems function

Answer 14

• collect order details from customer
• check with stock control system that product is in stock
• process payments
• send order details to warehouse so item can be picked and packaged
• organise delivery with delivery company

Question 15

Customer support

Answer 15

Provides a service to customers who have bought products or services e.g dealing with customer complaints

Question 16

Levels in an organisation: strategic
Type of staff
Information needed

Answer 16

• Directions, chief executives, heads and deputy heads in a college
• Tasks are completed by staff at the top of a company/org (tasks include making decisions on the overall direction take by the org)

Question 17

Levels in an organisation: tactical

Type of staff
Type of information

Answer 17

Lower levels of managers, department heads

Tasks are completed by ,managers who look at how to achieve the objectives that the people at the top set

Question 18

Levels in an organisation: operational
Type of staff
Type of information

Answer 18

Teacher, administration officers, sales staff

Info about day to day transactions e.g problem with pay

Question 19

Types of organisations

Answer 19

Commercial
Industrial
Public service organisation