Page 60 - Using MIS

28 Chapter 1 The Importance of MIS

aCtIve revIeW

Use this Active Review to verify that you understand the ideas buy IS. What does that mean to you, as a potential future busi-
and concepts that answer the chapter’s study questions. ness manager?

Q1 Why is Introduction to MIS the most Q5 What is information?
important class in the business school? State four different definitions of information. Identify the

Define Moore’s Law and explain why its consequences are one that is your favorite and explain why. State the difference
important to business professionals today. State how business between data and information. Explain why information can
professionals should relate to emerging information technol- never be written on a piece of paper or shown on a display
ogy. Give the text’s definition of job security and use Reich’s list device.
to explain how this course will help you attain that security.
Summarize IS-related job opportunities. Q6 What are necessary data
characteristics?
Q2 What is MIS?
Create a mnemonic device for remembering the characteris-
Identify the three important phrases in the definition of MIS. tics of good data. Explain how these data characteristics relate
Name the five components of an information system. Explain to information quality.
why end users need to be involved in the management of in-
formation systems. Explain why it is a misconception to say Q7 2025?
that organizations do something.
What trends do you expect to see in 2025? Explain the term
Q3 How can you use the five-component classrooms-in-a-box. Why is your college or university chal-
model? lenged by classrooms-in-a-box? Is it seriously challenged, or
is this just a passing fad? If your school is publicly funded, is it
Name and define each of the five components. Explain the more at risk? Summarize how answering these questions con-
symmetry in the five-component model. Show how automa- tributes to your skill as a nonroutine thinker. State the certainty
tion moves work from one side of the five-component struc- for 2025.
ture to the other. Name the most important component and
state why it is the most important. Use the five-component using Your Knowledge
model to describe the differences between high-tech and low- with allroad parts
tech information systems. Explain how the components are
ordered according to difficulty of change and disruption. Reread the AllRoad Parts vignette at the start of this chap-
ter. Using the knowledge you’ve gained from this chapter,
Q4 Why is the difference between especially that in Q1, identify five mistakes that Jennifer
information technology and information made. For each, explain what you would do differently. Be
specific.
systems important?

Using the five-component model, explain the difference be-
tween IT and IS. Explain why you can buy IT, but you can never