Assignment 01

"What Skills Does a CIO Need for the 21st Century?"

Part 1: Read the following background material:

How To Survive As A CIO
Three Skills for Today's Leaders
CIO Dreams & Wishes

Part 2: Briefly describe the major findings of any 2 of the articles in part 1.

Part 3: Search several different Internet sites for additional information on this topic. When you have identified two worthwhile, relevant articles, list the "title" and full URL for each.

Part 4: Briefly describe the major findings of each of the two articles in part 3.

Part 5: Briefly compare and contrast the findings presented in the four articles from parts 1 through 4.

Part 6: Submit your answers via email to BSAD145. Be sure the Subject: heading is Assign#01.

NOTES:
Please number your answers in the body of your email so that it clearly identifies the question number (e.g. 2.1, 2.2, ..., 4.1, 4.2).
Please do NOT submit an inserted or attached Word file in your email.

Assignment 02

"Current Issues in MIS"

Part 1: Read the following background material:

What is a CIO?
Key Issues in IS (1990)
Key Issues in MIS (1994)

Part 2: Briefly compare and contrast the results of the two issues surveys in part 1.

Part 3: Search several different Internet sites for additional information that will allow you to update the findings of the two surveys given in part 1. When you have identified two worthwhile articles, list the "title" and URL for each.

Part 4: Briefly describe the major findings of each of the two articles in part 3.

Part 5: Prepare what you think might be the top 10 issues facing CIOs today. Justify your issues and their order of importance. Please note that this top 10 list should not be limited to U.S. CIOs.

Part 6: Submit your answers via email to BSAD145. Be sure the Subject: heading is Assign#02.

NOTES:
Please number your answers in the body of your email so that it clearly identifies the question number (e.g. 2.1, 2.2, ..., 4.1, 4.2).
Please do NOT submit an inserted or attached Word file in your email.

Assignment 03

"Introduction to Critical Thinking"

Part 1. Read the following short electronic articles on critical thinking:

  Part 2. Answer the following questions:

  1. What is critical thinking in your own words?
  2. What are the twelve questions students need to generate to determine where their thinking goes?
  3. What are the three categories of questions and give your own example of each type?
  4. Which one of the seven universal intellectual standards is considered the gateway standard since the remaining six standards can not be evaluated without it being present?
  5. What is the difference between the precision and depth standards and give your own example which makes the difference clear?
  6. Use the Critical Thinking Glossary to cut and paste the following definitions:
    1. Critical Thinking
    2. Critical Listening
    3. Critical Reading
    4. Critical Writing

Part 3. Two students were asked to write an evaluative essay that "Justified their preference for a particular type of music" (e.g. rock, country, heavy metal, etc.). The following directions were given to each of these two students.

"Write an evaluative essay, which makes judgments about the worth of a book, television program, or type of music. Support your judgments with reasons and evidence. You need to argue convincingly for your preferences and not just offer unsupported opinions."

  1. "You must consider possible criteria on which to base an evaluation,
  2. analyze your subject in light of the criteria, and
  3. select evidence that clearly supports your judgments."

Read both of these essays (sample#01 and sample#02).

Part 4. Evaluate each essay by:

  1. assigning a number from a 0 to 8 scale (0 is very poor evaluative writing while 8 is outstanding evaluative writing) and
  2. in your own words justifying (explaining) your evaluation score with specific examples from the samples.

Part 5. Pick one of the writing samples from the previous question and evaluate it with respect to each of the seven intellectual standards.  In other words, indicate whether the standard has been met or not and "why" is has or has not been met. Overall your answers to this question should demonstrate your understanding of each standard by explaining the difference between standards.

Part 6. Submit your answers via email to BSAD145. Be sure the Subject: heading is Assign#03.

Assignment 04

"More on Critical Thinking"

Part 1. Read the following short electronic articles on critical thinking:

Part 2. Answer the following questions:

  1. In the first on-line reading, identify one of the most important critical thinking skills? Why?
  2. Based on this first on-line reading, fill in the third column (your inference) of the table below:

    1. Situation

    2. Assumption

    3. Your Inference

    A.

    A man is lying in the gutter

    Only bums lie in gutters

     

     

    B.

    A man is lying in the gutter

    Anyone lying in the gutter is in need of help

     

     

  3. Use the second on-line reading to describe each of the three common flaws made when thinking.
  4. From the third on-line reading, list eight guidelines for developing reasoning abilities. Explain the difference between guidelines 5 and 7?
  5. For each intellectual trait in on-line reading 4, identify one person you think personifies that trait and explain why you think they do.

Part 3. Submit your answers via email to BSAD145. Be sure the Subject: heading is Assign#04.

NOTES:
Please number your answers in the body of your email so that it clearly identifies the question number (e.g. 2.1, 2.2, ..., 4.1, 4.2).
Please do NOT submit an inserted or attached Word file in your email.

 

Assignment 05

"Write an Evaluative Essay, Evaluate A Classmate's Essay, &
Identify MIS Magazines to Scan"

NOTE: Complete parts 1 and 2 before 12:00 noon on Friday. Complete the remaining parts by the day before the start of the next class .

Part 1. Question At Issue: What is John Donne saying in his poem "Death Be Not Proud"?

Directions: Carefully read the poem below, trying to figure out what the poet is saying. Write no more than a one-page description of your interpretation and what exactly it is based on. Email your one-page description to BSAD145 before class.
Describe your reasoning carefully. Make sure your interpretation is consistent with (all of) what the poem says.

Death Be Not Proud
(John Donne 1572-1631)

Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for, thou art not soe,
For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill mee.
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,
Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
And better then thy stroake; why swell'st thou then?
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.

I adopted this exercise from an example given by Richard Paul and Linda Elder, Center for Critical Thinking, Sonoma, CA, 1996.

NOTE: No, this isn't an English Literature class assignment that slipped into my computer by mistake and wasn't caught before giving it to you. The purpose of this assignment is to have you interpret writing that uses lots of words without obvious meanings. It's a more obvious and difficult example of critical reading than the typical business writings you might read, which often mix technology and management content.

This assignment is designed to make you a more critical reader of management texts and articles after you have completed the exercise and discussed the evaluations in class. Critical reading can lead to better critical writing and listening as well. "Critical" here means critical as in critical thinking not as in criticizing the writer of the poem.)

Part 2. Post your evaluative essay to BSAD145 with an appropriate Subject heading.

Part 3. Evaluate (from the critical thinking perspective) one of your classmates posted evaluative essays from part 2 above and write up (maximum of 1 page) your evaluation of their essay. Post your evaluation Reply to their evaluative essay to BSAD145 with an appropriate Subject heading.
Please do NOT submit an inserted Word file in any of your postings.

Part 4. Read one issue of each of the two magazines below using the print version located in the MIS Lab (327 Kalkin) and the electronic version referenced by the URL's below. For each of these two magazines compare the online and print versions. Submit your comparison to BSAD145 with the Subject heading of Assign#05.

1. CIO: Chief Information Officer:1st & 15th of every month at: http://www.cio.com/CIO/

2. InformationWeek at: http://www.iweek.com/

Part 5. Chose an additional and unique (no other student in 145 will be scanning the same magazine) online or print magazine with significant "management and MIS" content (content appealing to CIO's rather than nerd jockeys) of your own to scan. Post the title and URL, if applicable, to the conversation thread entitled "BSAD 145 Publication Scan" to BSAD145 with an appropriate Subject heading. NOTE: Make sure that someone has not previously chosen the magazine you are proposing to scan for the semester.

You might find my current favorite metasearch engine useful in your search for a unique magazine to scan: MetaCrawler: http://www.metacrawler.com/

Part 6. Use your email client software to join the daily push news source listed below.

Assignment 06

"Evaluate Three Writing Samples for Critical Thinking"

Part 1. Read the following three samples answers from the Center for Critical Thinking. The writer for each of the samples was attempting to follow the Directions and the Question At Issue below:

  • Question At Issue: What is John Donne saying in his poem "Death Be Not Proud"?
  • Directions: Carefully read the poem below, trying to figure out what the poet is saying. Be careful to explain what your interpretation is and what exactly it is based on. Describe your reasoning carefully. Make sure your interpretation is consistent with (all of) what the poem says.

Sample #1

I don't like this poem. It is boring and confusing. The guy does not spell correctly. He talks a lot about death but he does not say anything. I don't see why he thinks death is mighty or why he thinks it can't kill him. He says a lot of confusing things. At one time he says it gives pleasure and then talks about bones resting, which makes no sense. Then he talks about flowers and sleeping. Finally he says that death shall be no more and that it shall die. I don't get it. Why doesn't he just say what he wants to say? This is a terrible poem. Why do we have to read such stupid stuff?
Sample #2
Mr. Donne says that death should not be proud. It is not mighty or dreadful. He says this because death is like sleep and when you go to sleep you rest. Therefore, because it is restful even the best people sleep, even slaves. And sleeping is better than being poisoned or being sick. Finally, he says that we only sleep a while and then we awake. And then death is gone. In fact, it is dead. He thinks this is good.
Sample #3
It is clear that Donne believes in God or at least in an afterlife. This is implied in the first four lines which I interpret as saying something like this: "Don't think you're so powerful because no one really dies but only appears to die" (People who "die" are really just awaiting their resurrection). This interpretation is supported in the next line which implies that what we call death is really a kind of "sleepe" and is not, therefore, very bad. In fact, as he says sleep often gives us "pleasure". The next lines make a different kind of point but still are a criticism of the view that death is "mighty" and "dreadful". Death, he says, is not able to control "Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men". Furthermore, not only is it not able to control these other forces, it can't even get away from such unpleasant associates as "poyson, warre, and sicknesse". Finally, he reasons, narcotics makes us sleep as well as death does and when everyone is resurrected for final judgment (which I infer is what he means) then death itself will be gone forever, and therefore "shalt die".

Part 2. What type of question is being addressed by these samples; fact, opinion, or reasoned judgement? Explain your answer.

Part 3. For each sample, prepare an analysis of the critical thinking demonstrated. Be sure to include the seven universal intellectual standards in each analysis. Explain why or why not each sample meets each intellectual standard. Your explanations should attempt to demonstrate your understanding of each standard. For example, do you understand the difference between breadth and depth and the difference between accuracy and precision.

Part 4. Post your answers to parts 2 and 3 as a single conversation topic in the Three Samples thread on BSAD145.

Part 5. Find a management type article from the journal you have proposed to monitor. In an email to BSAD145, briefly, explain why you think this article is appropriate for BSAD 145. Also include the article (copy and paste or give the URL) in your email.

Assignment 07

"Critical Thinking Evaluation of Project Executive Summaries
& Chapter 1: History & Importance of IS"

Part 1. Read the on-line material on critical thinking questions and all of Chapter 1 of your textbook. Prepare and post one critical question to BSAD145 by the end of the day before class.

NOTE: I will post a couple of examples of a critical questions for chapter 1 for your reference.

Part 2. Pick up a sample executive project summary from the MIS Lab or if you are in BSAD 144 pick an executive summary up in that class. Choose only one of the samples found in the BSAD 145 box since there is only one per person.

Imagine that you are Michelle Bourque, the President of Greenland Commercial Rentals. Last November you gave approval for a systems development project and are now evaluating the consulting team's most recent project report in order to make a decision about continuing the project or stopping it now. The consulting team has been told that the executive summary will be used as the decision making document because you are too busy to read the whole report. They have also been given guidelines for the report and the executive summary.

What type of question is being addressed by the executive summary; fact, opinion, or reasoned judgement? Explain your answer.

Part 3. Evaluate the sample executive project summary with respect to each of the seven universal intellectual standards. Your explanations should attempt to demonstrate your understanding of each standard. For example, do you understand the difference between breadth and depth and the difference between accuracy and precision. In addition, your evaluation should attempt to follow the standards.

Part 4. As the President of Greenland Commercial Rentals, what project decision would you make (continue to fund the project, stop the project, or some other action) based on the executive summary from the consulting group. Explain your decision.

Part 5. Email your answers to parts 2-4 to BSAD145.

Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails.

 

 

Assignment 08

"Chapter 2: Issues in MIS"

Part 1.

Read the on-line material on critical thinking questions and all of Chapter 2 of your textbook. Prepare one critical question to be posted by the end of the day before class to the Chapter02 thread on BSAD145. An example of a critical question for chapter 1 can be found posted to the Chapter01 thread.

  Part 2

Prepare your assigned End of Chapter Review Question for Chapter 2 and email your answer to BSAD145. Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails.

Assignment 09

Chapter 3: "Strategic Role of IT"

Part 1. Read the on-line material on critical thinking questions and all of Chapter 3 of your textbook.

Prepare one critical question to be posted by the end of the day before class to the Chapter03 thread on BSAD145.

Part 2. Prepare your assigned End of Chapter Review Question for Chapter 3 and email your answer to BSAD145. Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails.

Part 3. Search for an article to supplement and update the material in Chapter 3. Read this article and prepare a journal entry. Be sure to follow the guidelines for current literature scans and journal entries. Post your article to Assign#09Part3JournalEntry thread on BSAD145.

Assignment 10

Chapter 4: "IS Planning"

Part 1. Read the on-line material on critical thinking questions and all of Chapter 4 of your textbook.

Prepare one critical question to be posted by the end of the day before class to the Chapter04 thread on BSAD145.

Part 2. Prepare your assigned End of Chapter Review Question for Chapter 4 and email your answer to BSAD145. Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails.

Part 3. Search for an article to supplement and update the material in Chapter 4. Read this article and prepare a journal entry. Be sure to follow the guidelines for current literature scans and journal entries.

Post your article to Assign#10Part3JournalEntry thread on BSAD145.

Part 4. Write up your individual answer (two page maximum) to the CustUMail management situation case questions and email your answer to BSAD145. Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails.

Assignment 11

Chapter 5: "Distributed Systems Architectures"

Part 1. Read the on-line material on critical thinking questions and all of Chapter 5 of your textbook.

Prepare one critical question to be posted by the end of the day before class to the Chapter05 thread on BSAD145.

Part 2. Prepare your assigned End of Chapter Review Question for Chapter 5 and email your answer to BSAD145. Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails.

Part 3. Prepare a critical thinking evaluation (using each of the seven intellectual standards) of one of the CustUMail management situation case answers listed in the Assign#11Part3CustUMail thread on BSAD145. The case answers for you to evaluate won't be available on the BSAD145 list until ??.

  1. Reserve a case to evaluate. As soon as you have selected your CustUMail answer to evaluate, please post a quick first reply (with Subject: Reserved and no body) to reserve that case answer so that other student in the class do not select it to evaluate.
  2. Prepare your evaluation and post. Please post your complete evaluation (with Subject: Evaluation) as the second reply to your reserved case in the Assign#11Part3CustUMail thread on BSAD145.

 

Assignment 12

Chapter 6: "Telecommunications"

Part 1. Read the on-line material on critical thinking questions and all of Chapter 6 of your textbook.

Prepare one critical question to be posted by the end of the day before class to the Chapter06 thread on BSAD145.

Also, take a look at the critical questions posted by your peers in Chapter06 thread on BSAD145.

Part 2. Prepare your assigned End of Chapter Review Question for Chapter 6 and email your answer to BSAD145. Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails.

Part 3. List two questions that a job interviewer might ask you to answer from this chapter.

NOTE: As an example, the following are several sample questions for chapter 5:

Ideally you should be able to answer each of these questions without referring to the text/notes and without throwing a lot of bs around?

Assignment 13

 

Chapter 7: "Managing Information Resources"

 

Part 1. Read Chapter 7 of your textbook. Prepare answers to questions 1-6 for the Hair Replacement management situtation case initially discussed in class. You written answers should total a maximum of 2 pages single spaced. Please send your email answer to BSAD145 with the Subject heading of "Hair Case". Do not include quotes in Subject heading or attachments.

NOTE: You don't have to prepare a critical thinking question for this chapter.

Part 2. Prepare your assigned End of Chapter Review Question for Chapter 7.

Part 3. List two questions that a job interviewer might ask you to answer from this chapter.

NOTE: As an example, the following are several sample questions for chapter 5:

Ideally you should be able to answer each of these questions without referring to the text/notes and without throwing a lot of bs around?

Part 4. Email your answers to Parts 2 and 3 to BSAD145. Use the Subject heading of Chp07. Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails.

Assignment 14

Chapter 8: "Managing IS Operations"

 

Part 1. Read Chapter 8 of your textbook. Based on this reading and information from Figure 6-6 (yes, it's from chapter 6) of your textbook answer the following management situation case in two pages or less, single spaced. Please send your email answer to BSAD145 with the Subject heading of "UVM Case". Do not include quotes in Subject heading or attachments.

NOTE: You don't have to prepare a critical thinking question for this chapter.

 

UVM Case

The Setting:

The University is facing a variety of financial problems that have the following general form: The University is viewed as a business, which must keep its costs in line with its revenues. At the same time, technology is a rapidly changing the process used to create the educational product. Technology seems to be becoming an integral and expensive component of the educational process. The University's customers desire a modern, high quality educational product that helps prepare them for the 21st century.

The Center for Information and Technology (CIT) at the University provides limited computer support to its on-campus customers. Current off-campus customer support is very limited. CIT believes that its off campus customers need and desire access to its network and the Internet.

The Questions:

  1. What hardware and software would be necessary for UVM to provide this new IS service?
  2. What costs and benefits could be expected? List if you can't estimate a dollar value?
  3. Should UVM provide this off-campus service or should it be outsourced to an Internet Service Provider (ISP)?

 

Part 2. Read the on-line Semester Research Paper for a discussion of what is a potential research paper issue.

List one potential issue topic from this chapter.

NOTE: There is no need to prepare an end of chapter review question for this chapter.

 

Part 3. List two questions that a job interviewer might ask you to answer from this chapter.

NOTE: As an example, the following are several sample questions for chapter 5:

Ideally you should be able to answer each of these questions without referring to the text/notes and without throwing a lot of bs around?

Part 4. Email your answers to Parts 2 and 3 to BSAD145. Use the Subject heading of Chp08. Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails.

Assignment 15

Chapter 9 : "Technologies for Developing Systems"

Part 1. Read Chapter 9 of your textbook. Name and then briefly describe the conditions under which you would recommend each of the technologies presented in this chapter. Use examples to make you descriptions clear.

NOTE: You don't have to prepare a critical thinking question for this chapter.

 

Part 2. Read the on-line Semester Research Paper for a discussion of what is a potential research paper issue.

List one potential issue topic from this chapter.

NOTE: There is no need to prepare an end of chapter review question for this chapter.

Part 3. List two questions that a job interviewer might ask you to answer from this chapter.

Ideally you should be able to answer each of these questions without referring to the text/notes and without throwing a lot of bs around.

Part 4. Email your answers to Parts 1, 2, and 3 to BSAD145. Use the Subject heading of Chp09. Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails.

Assignment 16

Chapter 10 : "Management Issues in

Developing Proceedure-based Systems"

 

Part 1. Read Chapter 10 of your textbook. Name each of the management issues presented in this chapter.

Briefly describe an additional management issue regarding development of procedure-based systems not discussed in the textbook.

NOTE: You don't have to prepare a critical thinking question for this chapter.

Part 2. Email your answers to Part 1 to BSAD145. Use the Subject heading of Chp10. Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails. NOTE: There is no need to prepare an end of chapter review question for this chapter.

Assignment 17

Chapter 11 : "Technologies that Allow End User Systems Development"

 

Part 1. Read Chapter 11 of your textbook. Name each technology presented in this chapter. Briefly describe how each technology affects the development of new systems by end users.

NOTE: You don't have to prepare a critical thinking question for this chapter.

 

Part 2. Email your answers to Part 1 to BSAD145. Use the Subject heading of Chp11. Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails.

NOTE: There is no need to prepare an end of chapter review question for this chapter.

Assignment 18

Chapter 12 : "Issues Facing IS Management When Using New Technolgies

to Support End User Systems Development & Goal-based Work"

 

Part 1. Read Chapter 12 of your textbook. Briefly describe each of the predispositions exhibited by individuals, groups, departments and companies towared new technologies. Briefly describe each of the ways that IS departments can support specific new technology developments. Email your answers to BSAD145. Use the Subject heading of Chp12.

NOTE: You don't have to prepare a critical thinking question nor an end of chapter review question for this chapter.

Part 2. Read the situation case titled "Borum-Strate Inc." (Revised) situation case handout from class. Copies are in the MIS Lab. Answer to the two questions at the end of the case. Limit your analysis to a maximum of two pages single spaced. Email your answer to BSAD145. Use the Subject heading of Borum-Strate.

NOTE: A classmate will be preforming a critical thinking analysis (clarity, precision, depth, breadth, etc.) of your analysis for the next assignment (of course, only after I remove your name from the answer). Try to keep this in mind when creating your answers to the Borum-Strate case questions.

Part 3. Post a suggestion, critical question, etc. to the proposed paper topics for two of your classmates. You will find their issue paper topics in BSAD145 under the conversation topic "Paper Topic".

NOTE: Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails.

 

Assignment 19

Chapter 13 : "Decision & Executive Support Systems for Goal-based Activities"

 

Part 1. Read Chapter 13 of your textbook. Briefly compare decision support and executive support systems along five or more different dimensions (e.g. degree of structure for problems supported, level (e.g. worker, middle manager, executive) of decision maker supported, frequency of use, etc. Email your answers to BSAD145.

Use the Subject heading of Chp13.

NOTE: You don't have to prepare a critical thinking question nor an end of chapter review question for this chapter.

Part 2. Prepare a two page maximum critical thinking analysis (clarity, precision, depth, breadth, etc.) for one of your classmate's case answer to the Borum-Strate situation. Try to make it more than just a superficial analysis. Think of it as providing significant feedback to your classmate.

NOTE: You will find a case answer to evaluate in the the Borum-Strate thread on BSAD145. I will put the case answers for you to evaluate in the Borum-Strate thread after removing the author's name so that you will not know whose case answer you are evaluating. Post your critical thinking analysis to the particular analysis. Please choose a case answer that has not already been evaluated by a classmate.

NOTE: Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails or postings.

 

Assignment 20

Chapter 14 : "Group Support Systems for Goal-based Activities"

Part 1. Read Chapter 14 of your textbook.

  1. Create a 4x4 matrix (e.g. figure 14-1) to represent each of the three GSS frameworks (a.k.a. grouping, chunking, or groupware options). You should have three different 4X4 matrices when finished. Each of the four cells in each matrix should contain a brief example or explanation.
  2. Name and explain each of the guidelines for supporting workgroups with IT.
  3. Email your answers to BSAD145. Use the Subject heading of Chp14.

NOTE: You don't have to prepare a critical thinking question nor an end of chapter review question for this chapter.

Part 2. Rewrite your original Borum-Strate situation case answer taking the reviewers comments into account and paying close attention to the depth, breadth, and precision intellectual standards. Post your updated critical thinking analysis as a reply to any one of the reviewers postings in the Borum-Strate thread.

NOTE: You will find the reviewers comments to your answers in the the Borum-Strate thread on BSAD145.

NOTE: Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails or postings.

 

Assignment 21

Chapter 15 : "Expert Systems"

Part 1. Read Chapter 15 of your textbook.

  1. Briefly describe each of the eight ways that knowledge is represented in expert systems.
  2. Why should IS managers know something about expert systems?
  3. Email your answers to BSAD145. Use the Subject heading of Chp15.

NOTE: You don't have to prepare a critical thinking question nor an end of chapter review question for this chapter.

Part 2. TBD

NOTE: Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails or postings.

Assignment 22

Chapter 16 : "Managing Electronic Documents"

Part 1. Read Chapter 16 of your textbook.

  1. Briefly describe the difference between document, electronic document, compound document.
  2. Briefly describe each of the seven generic categories for electronic document applications.
  3. List the name of each of the infrastructure technologies for electronic document management.
  4. Briefly describe each of the technologies that are aimed directly at handling electronic documents.
  5. Email your answers to BSAD145. Use the Subject heading of Chp16.

NOTE: You don't have to prepare a critical thinking question nor an end of chapter review question for this chapter.

NOTE: Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails or postings.

 

Assignment 23

Chapter 17 : "What Do IS Managers & Others Need to Know

About Technology?"

Part 1. Read Chapter 17 of your textbook.

  1. Briefly describe parable of the Chinese emperor and the inventor of cheese. How is this parable related to the use of IT in Europe?
  2. Briefly describe each of the senior executive IT roles.
  3. Briefly describe each of the two areas that line managers must understand to be effective middle level managers.
  4. Decscribe the difference between skills, knowledge, and attitude?
  5. Email your answers to BSAD145. Use the Subject heading of Chp17.

NOTE: You don't have to prepare a critical thinking question nor an end of chapter review question for this chapter.

Part 2. Prepare a maximum two page analysis of the Oriental Imports situation case.

NOTE: Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails or postings.

 

Assignment 24

Chapter 18 : "The New Enviornment for Work"

Part 1. Read Chapter 18 of your textbook.

  1. Name the goals of the new work environment.
  2. Briefly describe each of the senior executive IT roles.
  3. Briefly describe each of the six principles for organizing work in the new environment.
  4. Why would an IS manager use a job diagnostic survey?
  5. Briefly describe each of the five steps to job design proposed by the proponents of the sociotechnical systems approach.
  6. Email your answers to BSAD145. Use the Subject heading of Chp18.

NOTE: You don't have to prepare a critical thinking question nor an end of chapter review question for this chapter.

NOTE: Please do NOT use any file attachments in your emails or postings.

BSAD 145 Semester Research Paper

(Post proposed issue & comments/reactions & print final paper.)

Each student must write a research paper on an issue facing IS managers.

IS management Issues: See this hot-linked list of potential issue topics.

Submissions Activities:

  1. Topic Due: The issue you propose to address in your paper needs to be posted to the BSAD145 list for class review by the "paper topic due" deadline indicated in the class schedule below. Each student is required to post their own unique issue.
  2. Comment Due: A brief electronic discussion of the topic with the instructor and each class member will follow. Each student must post comment and/or reactions (within one week of the topic due date) on each of the issues posted by all other students in the class.
  3. Instructor Approval: The instructor must approve the issue you have selected.
  4. Outline Due: A one-page outline of the instructor-approved issue must be posted to BSAD145 by the "paper outline due" date listed in the class schedule. This outline should be as detailed as possible.
  5. Paper Due: Your final research paper must be submitted in printed (NOT electronic form) to the instructor by the "final paper due" date.

NOTES:

Your paper needs to integrate multiple references to both paper and electronic journal articles and/or other published material. Do NOT rely on one source for the principal material behind your issue paper. Although there is no length requirement, a thoughtful, concise, well-organized paper of 2000-4000 words is a reasonable expectation (use the word-count tool if unsure of length).

WARNINGS: