Introduction to Management Information Systems

MIS 220

Buena Vista University

Spring 2007

Course Description

MIS 220: Introduction to Management Information Systems (3 hours)

This course is an introduction to information systems and information technology for

students who are or who will soon become business professionals in the fast changing
business world of today. The focus is helping students learn how to use and manage
information technologies to revitalize business processes, improve business decision
making, and gain competitive advantage. There is a major emphasis on the essential role
of Internet technologies in providing a platform for business, commerce, and
collaboration processes among all business stakeholders in today’s networked enterprises
and global markets. There is also an emphasis on ethical and security issues and
challenges.

Objectives:
On completion of this course, students should be able to:

• Analyze how the business applications of information systems and information technologies
can support a firm’s business processes, managerial decision making, and strategies fro
competitive advantage. This would include determining the IS/IT needs of the organization.
• Identify and give examples of the components, resources, and activities of an information
system. This would include hardware, software, data, network, and people resources; as well
as input, processing, output, storage, feedback and control components and activities.
Students will also be able to identify trends (past, present, and future) regarding components,
resources, and activities.
• Identify cross-functional enterprise systems, and give examples of how they can provide
significant business value to a company. This includes examples of how Internet and other
information technologies support business processes within the functional areas of business
(accounting, finance, human resource management, marketing, and production and
operations management).
• Identify the major categories and trends of e-commerce applications. Compare and contrast
e-commerce sites with regard to the 9 essential e-Commerce processes and the 7 Factors of
Success
• Use the systems development life cycle as a problem-solving framework to help propose
information systems solutions to simple business problems. This would include describing
evaluation factors in the acquisition of hardware, software, and IS services, and identifying
change management solutions for end user resistance.
• Identify several ethical issues in how the use of information technologies in business affects
employment, individuality, working conditions, privacy, crime, health, and solutions to
societal problems.
• Identify several types of security management strategies and defenses, and explain how they
can be used to ensure the security of business applications of information technology.
• Explain how failures in IT management can be reduced.
• Identify several cultural, political, and geoeconomic challenges that confront managers in the
management of global information technologies. This would include explaining the effect on
global business/IT strategy by international business organizations.

Instructor: Denise Beebe

Office: Harold Walter Siebens School of Business

Office Hrs: M-W-F 8:30 – 9:00; 2:00 – 3:00; or by appointment

Phone: 749-2476 (Office)

732-9181 (Home)

E-mail: beebed@bvu.edu

Text: Introduction to Information Systems: O’Brien, Marakas; 13th Edition

Due to the fact that information technology changes so rapidly, there will be
topics covered in class that are not discussed/covered in the required textbook.

Class Schedule: Monday/Wednesday/Friday 1:00 – 1:50

Attendance Policy:

Attendance is mandatory - regular attendance is vital to your learning this material and,
therefore, to your grade. If you cannot come to a lecture, it is your responsibility to get any
notes, handouts, special instructions, or assignments from a classmate. You must be present for
exams – missed exams are a major problem unless (1) you have notified me about it beforehand,
or (if that’s not possible) as soon as possible afterwards AND (2) your reason for missing the
exam was determined by me to be valid and appropriate. Make-up exams will be vastly different
from the original exam given.

Exams/Team Project:

There will be four exams, and a team project we will be working on throughout the semester.
Exams will test your understanding of the concepts of the course, through multiple choice, fill-
in-the-blank, true and false, and essay types of questions. The project will let you apply the
principles and concepts that you learn each week.

Accommodations:

According to ADA Law, Buena Vista University provides reasonable appropriate

accommodations through an organized process. Students are responsible to advocate for
themselves and to provide adequate documentation. Students requesting accommodations must
follow this process. Contact Donna Musel, Director of the Center for Academic Excellence
(CAE) and go to
http://www.bvu.edu/departments/academicaffairs/cae/studentaccommodations_sl.asp to
download appropriate forms.
Assignments:

• It is essential in this course to read the assigned chapters before they are presented in class.
Each person is expected to review these reading assignments and be ready to participate in
class discussions.
• If you find news articles, magazine stories, web sites that pertain to the topic to be discussed
in class that week, please bring them in to share! (That’s what will make this course
interesting!)
• Any and all papers must be done using a word processor, with minimum typing and/or
grammatical errors. It should also include references and/or footnotes if applicable.
• No late assignments will be accepted.

Connected Learning:

Course information, assignments, and grades will be posted in Connected Learning. A few
assignments may not be posted in Connected Learning – they may be assigned in class, and
students will not be able to make up these in-class assignments.

Honesty Policy:

Students are expected to uphold the BVU standard of conduct relating to academic honesty
(presented in the BVU Student Handbook and the 2005-2006 BVU Undergraduate Academic
Catalog). Students assume full responsibility for the content and integrity of the academic work
they submit. The guiding principle of academic integrity shall be that a student's submitted work,
examinations, reports, and projects must be that student's own work.

Grading:

90 – 100 % A Pass: 70 – 100%

80 – 89 % B
70 - 79% C Fail: 0 – 69%
60 – 69% D
0 – 59% F

• Graded by total points! (Assignments/tests – equally weighted)

Course Outline: *Subject to change!*

Week 1 January 29 - Introduction ….. Getting started

February 2
Foundations of Information Systems in Business Start Chapter 1

Week 2 February 5-9 Finish Chapter 1 Chapter 1

Competing With Information Technology Start Chapter 2

Week 3 February 12-16 Finish Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Exam 1: Chapters 1, 2 Start Chapter 3
Computer Hardware

Week 4 February 19-23 Finish Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Week 5 February 26 - Computer Software

March 2 Chapter 4
Week 6 March 5-9 Data Resource Management
Chapter 5

Week 7 March 12-16 Telecommunications & Networks Chapter 6

** SPRING BREAK** - MARCH 19-23

Week 8 March 26-30 Review – catch up
Exam 2: Chapters 3, 4, 5, and 6
Start Electronic Business Systems Chapter 7

Week 9 April 2 -6 Finish Electronic Business Systems

No class on Friday

Week 10 April 9-13 No class on Monday Chapter 8

Electronic Commerce Systems

Week 11 April 16-20 Decision Support Systems Chapter 9

Week 12 April 23-27 Exam 3: Chapters 7, 8, 9

Developing Business/IT Solutions Chapter 10

Week 13 April 30 – May 4 Finish Developing Business/IT Solutions

Security and Ethical Challenges Chapter 11

Week 14 May 7-11 Finish Chapter 11 Chapter 11

Start Chapter 12

Week 15 May 14-18 Finish Chapter 12 Chapter 12

Review for final

Week 16 May 21-24 Final Exam - Chapters 10, 11, 12

Finals Week Monday, May 21 – 10:15 am