The following questions might be slightly different depending on the year of your text book's publications but answering them will help you to better your grasp of the topics in each chapter.
Review Questions
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Chapter 1
How are information systems transforming business and what is their relationship to globalization?
a) Describe how information systems have changed the way businesses operate and their products and services.
b) Describe the challenges and opportunities of globalization in a “flattened” world.
Why are information systems so essential for running and managing a business today?
a) List and describe six reasons why information systems are so important for business today.
What exactly is an information system? How does it work? What are its people, organization and technology components?
a) List and describe the organizational, people, and technology dimensions of information systems.
b) Define an information system and describe the activities it performs
c) Distinguish between data and information and between information systems literacy and computer literacy.
d) Explain how the Internet and the World Wide Web are related to the other technology components of information systems.
How will a four-step method for business problem solving help you solve information system-related problems?
a) List and describe each of the four steps for solving business problems.
b) Give some examples of people, organizational, and technology problems found in businesses.
c) Describe the relationship of critical thinking to problem solving.
d) Describe the role of information systems in business problem solving.
How will information systems affect business careers and what information system skills and knowledge are essential?
a) Describe the role of information systems in careers in accounting, finance, marketing, management, and operations management and explain how careers in information systems have been affected by new technologies and outsourcing?
b) List and describe the information system skills and knowledge that are essential for all business careers.
------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 2
1. What major features of a business are important for understanding the role of information systems?
Define a business and describe the major business functions.
Define business processes and describe the role they play in organizations.
Identify and describe the different levels in a business firm and their information needs.
Explain why environments are important for understanding a business.
2. How do systems serve the various levels of management in a business?
Define business intelligence systems.
Describe the characteristics of transaction processing systems (TPS) and the role they play in a business.
Describe the characteristics of management information systems (MIS), decision support systems (DSS), and executive support systems (ESS) and explain how each type of system helps managers make decisions.
3. How do systems that link the enterprise improve organizational performance?
Explain how enterprise applications improve organizational performance.
Explain how intranets and extranets help firms improve business performance.
4. Why are systems for collaboration and teamwork so important and what technologies do they use?
Define collaboration and teamwork and explain why they have become so important in business today.
List and describe the business benefits of collaboration.
Describe a supportive organization culture for collaboration.
List and describe the various types of collaboration and communication systems.
5. What is the role of the information systems function in a business? Describe how the information systems function supports a business. Compare the roles played by programmers, systems analysts, information systems managers, the chief information officer (CIO), chief security officer (CSO), chief knowledge officer (CKO).------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 3
1. How does Porter’s competitive forces model help companies develop competitive strategies using information systems?
Define Porter’s competitive forces model and explain how it works.
List and describe four competitive strategies enabled by information systems that firms can pursue.
Describe how information systems can support each of these competitive strategies and give examples.
Explain why aligning IT with business objectives is essential for strategic use of systems.
2. How do the value chain and value web models help businesses identify opportunities for strategic information system applications?
Define and describe the value chain model.
Explain how the value chain model can be used to identify opportunities for information systems.
Define the value web and show how it is related to the value chain.
Explain how the value web helps businesses identify opportunities for strategic information systems.
Describe how the Internet has changed competitive forces and competitive advantages.
3. How do information systems help businesses use synergies, core competencies, and network-based strategies to achieve competitive advantages?
Explain how information systems promote synergies and core competencies.
Describe how promoting synergies and core competencies enhances competitive advantages.
Explain how businesses benefit by using network economics.
Define and describe a virtual company and the benefits of pursuing a virtual company strategy.
Explain how disruptive technologies create strategic opportunities.
------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 4
1. What are the components of IT infrastructure?
Define information technology (IT) infrastructure and describe each of its components.
2. What are the major computer hardware, data storage, input, and output technologies used in business?
List and describe the various types of computers available to businesses today.
3. Define the client/server model of computing and describe the difference between a two tiered and N-tier client/server architecture.
4. List the most important secondary storage media and the strengths and limitation of each.
5. List and describe the major computer input and output devices.
6. What are the major types of computer software used in business?
Distinguish between application software and system software and explain the role played by the operating system of a computer.
7. List and describe the major PC and server operating systems.
------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 5
1. How does a relational database organize data and how does it differ from an object-oriented database?
Define and explain the significance of entities, attributes, and key fields.
Define a relational database and explain how it organizes and stores information.
Explain the role of entity-relationship diagrams and normalization in database design.
Define an object-oriented database and explain how it differs from a relational database.
2. What are the principles of a database management system?
Define a database management system (DBMS) and describe how it works and explain how it benefits organizations.
Define and compare the logical and a physical view of data.
Define and describe the three operations of a relational database management system.
Name and describe the three major capabilities of a DBMS.
3. What are the principal tools and technologies for accessing information from databases to improve business performance and decision making?
Define a data warehouse and describe how it works.
Define business intelligence and explain how it is related to database technology.
Describe the capabilities of online analytical processing (OLAP).
Define data mining, describe what types of information can be obtained from it, and explain how it differs from OLAP.
Explain how text mining and Web mining differ from conventional data mining.
Explain how users can access information from a company’s internal databases through the Web.
4. What is the role of information policy and data administration in the management of organizational data resources?
Define information policy and data administration and explain how they help organizations manage their data.
5. Why is data quality assurance so important for a business?
List and describe the most common data quality problems.
List and describe the most important tools and techniques for assuring data quality.
Chapter 1
How are information systems transforming business and what is their relationship to globalization?
a) Describe how information systems have changed the way businesses operate and their products and services.
b) Describe the challenges and opportunities of globalization in a “flattened” world.
Why are information systems so essential for running and managing a business today?
a) List and describe six reasons why information systems are so important for business today.
What exactly is an information system? How does it work? What are its people, organization and technology components?
a) List and describe the organizational, people, and technology dimensions of information systems.
b) Define an information system and describe the activities it performs
c) Distinguish between data and information and between information systems literacy and computer literacy.
d) Explain how the Internet and the World Wide Web are related to the other technology components of information systems.
How will a four-step method for business problem solving help you solve information system-related problems?
a) List and describe each of the four steps for solving business problems.
b) Give some examples of people, organizational, and technology problems found in businesses.
c) Describe the relationship of critical thinking to problem solving.
d) Describe the role of information systems in business problem solving.
How will information systems affect business careers and what information system skills and knowledge are essential?
a) Describe the role of information systems in careers in accounting, finance, marketing, management, and operations management and explain how careers in information systems have been affected by new technologies and outsourcing?
b) List and describe the information system skills and knowledge that are essential for all business careers.
------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 2
1. What major features of a business are important for understanding the role of information systems?
Define a business and describe the major business functions.
Define business processes and describe the role they play in organizations.
Identify and describe the different levels in a business firm and their information needs.
Explain why environments are important for understanding a business.
2. How do systems serve the various levels of management in a business?
Define business intelligence systems.
Describe the characteristics of transaction processing systems (TPS) and the role they play in a business.
Describe the characteristics of management information systems (MIS), decision support systems (DSS), and executive support systems (ESS) and explain how each type of system helps managers make decisions.
3. How do systems that link the enterprise improve organizational performance?
Explain how enterprise applications improve organizational performance.
Explain how intranets and extranets help firms improve business performance.
4. Why are systems for collaboration and teamwork so important and what technologies do they use?
Define collaboration and teamwork and explain why they have become so important in business today.
List and describe the business benefits of collaboration.
Describe a supportive organization culture for collaboration.
List and describe the various types of collaboration and communication systems.
5. What is the role of the information systems function in a business? Describe how the information systems function supports a business. Compare the roles played by programmers, systems analysts, information systems managers, the chief information officer (CIO), chief security officer (CSO), chief knowledge officer (CKO).------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 3
1. How does Porter’s competitive forces model help companies develop competitive strategies using information systems?
Define Porter’s competitive forces model and explain how it works.
List and describe four competitive strategies enabled by information systems that firms can pursue.
Describe how information systems can support each of these competitive strategies and give examples.
Explain why aligning IT with business objectives is essential for strategic use of systems.
2. How do the value chain and value web models help businesses identify opportunities for strategic information system applications?
Define and describe the value chain model.
Explain how the value chain model can be used to identify opportunities for information systems.
Define the value web and show how it is related to the value chain.
Explain how the value web helps businesses identify opportunities for strategic information systems.
Describe how the Internet has changed competitive forces and competitive advantages.
3. How do information systems help businesses use synergies, core competencies, and network-based strategies to achieve competitive advantages?
Explain how information systems promote synergies and core competencies.
Describe how promoting synergies and core competencies enhances competitive advantages.
Explain how businesses benefit by using network economics.
Define and describe a virtual company and the benefits of pursuing a virtual company strategy.
Explain how disruptive technologies create strategic opportunities.
------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 4
1. What are the components of IT infrastructure?
Define information technology (IT) infrastructure and describe each of its components.
2. What are the major computer hardware, data storage, input, and output technologies used in business?
List and describe the various types of computers available to businesses today.
3. Define the client/server model of computing and describe the difference between a two tiered and N-tier client/server architecture.
4. List the most important secondary storage media and the strengths and limitation of each.
5. List and describe the major computer input and output devices.
6. What are the major types of computer software used in business?
Distinguish between application software and system software and explain the role played by the operating system of a computer.
7. List and describe the major PC and server operating systems.
------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 5
1. How does a relational database organize data and how does it differ from an object-oriented database?
Define and explain the significance of entities, attributes, and key fields.
Define a relational database and explain how it organizes and stores information.
Explain the role of entity-relationship diagrams and normalization in database design.
Define an object-oriented database and explain how it differs from a relational database.
2. What are the principles of a database management system?
Define a database management system (DBMS) and describe how it works and explain how it benefits organizations.
Define and compare the logical and a physical view of data.
Define and describe the three operations of a relational database management system.
Name and describe the three major capabilities of a DBMS.
3. What are the principal tools and technologies for accessing information from databases to improve business performance and decision making?
Define a data warehouse and describe how it works.
Define business intelligence and explain how it is related to database technology.
Describe the capabilities of online analytical processing (OLAP).
Define data mining, describe what types of information can be obtained from it, and explain how it differs from OLAP.
Explain how text mining and Web mining differ from conventional data mining.
Explain how users can access information from a company’s internal databases through the Web.
4. What is the role of information policy and data administration in the management of organizational data resources?
Define information policy and data administration and explain how they help organizations manage their data.
5. Why is data quality assurance so important for a business?
List and describe the most common data quality problems.
List and describe the most important tools and techniques for assuring data quality.