BUSI 2400
Introduction to Information Systems
Spring 2006
Qeshm Institute of Higher Education
Carleton University's MBA program

Introduction:
Almost no manager can expect to be effective in administering complex modern organizations without some understanding of information systems and their impact on organizations. Information Systems is a multidisciplinary field and is not equivalent to Computer Science. Contributions to the field come from areas such as computer science, organization theory, organizational behavior, management science, operations research, strategic management, sociology, psychology, and political science. Information systems are social systems as well as technical systems. Their impact on organizations is best understood from a sociotechnical perspective.

Course Description:
This course provides an introduction to the study of information systems in organizations. Topics to be covered will include at least the following: fundamental concepts of information systems; the technical foundations of information systems; and approaches to building, deploying and controlling information systems.

 Course Objectives:
On completing this course you should:

• Be familiar with some of the key issues in information systems design, development, and deployment;
• Have an understanding of the fundamental components of information systems and their interrelationships;
• Be familiar with the basic technologies that underpin organizational information systems;
• Develop an understanding of the requirements for building and deploying effective information systems;
• Have hands-on experience in designing and building small information system applications (web sites, an Access database, using Excel as a Decision Support System and some very fundamental aspects of SAP);
• Have experience presenting reports based on the decision-making needs of managers in various fields as they apply to IS;
• Be familiar with the concepts of Enterprise Resource Planning and enterprise database systems.

 Topics:

• Fundamental Concepts of Information Systems
• Types of Information Systems in the Enterprise
• Information Systems, Organizations, Management, and Strategy
• Electronic Commerce and Electronic Business
• Social, Political, and Ethnical Issues in the Information Age
• Computer Hardware
• Computer Software
• Managing data resources
• Telecommunications and Networks
• The Internet and the New IT Infrastructure
• System Development: Steps, Tools, and Techniques
• Information Systems Quality, Security and Control
• Information as Critical Asset: Information Resource Management
• Decision Making in Digital Age
• Knowledge Based Information Systems

Teaching Style:

Formal class sessions will consist of lectures, group presentations, class discussion and labs.

Evaluation:

Table 1: Students are evaluated according to the following measures:

 * You must pass the final examination (regardless of its weight in the overall grade scheme) in order to gain credit for this course.

Individual Assignments and Tests

With reference to Table 1, the following are individually graded:

1.   Item 6 - Test 1 - In-class test potentially consisting of any or all of Multiple Choice, True/False, Fill-in-the-blanks and short answer questions.  Content of the test will be determined by material from the text book, any additional readings and cases, from in-class discussion and from group presentations.  CALCULATORS AND ELECTRONIC TRANSLATORS WILL NOT BE PERMITTED.

2.   Item 7 - Test 2 - same as Test 1.

3.   Item 8 - Final Exam – Format same as Test 1 – scheduled during Final Exam period Covers entire course, but is weighted towards last 1/3 of the material covered.

Group Assignments

Groups will be ASSIGNED by the SECOND class meeting.  It is YOUR responsibility to ensure that you have been assigned to a group.  Much of your mark in this class is determined by group work.  It is really important that you get to know and begin to work with your group members IMMEDIATELY.  Each group must declare a leader, and the leader must declare him or herself to the instructor by the end of the third class meeting.

• Item 3 – Group Presentation - Select and read an article about information technology / information system. It can be a technology which we have talked about in class or you can identify an emerging new technology that we have not discussed. The article must be selected by the student and approved by the instructor. Presentation dates will be decided on a first come first serve basis, so please try to sign up as soon as you can. Detailed description will be distributed in the class.
• Item 4 - Database Project - Each group will build a database according to a predefined template. Details will be provided on the Assignments page of the course website, in labs and in other documentation (such as class notes). There will be examination questions on the fundamentals of database technology.  You should ensure that you are able to demonstrate reasonable proficiency with Microsoft Access as database fundamentals and tools are required in later courses.

Labs

Labs dealing with Microsoft Access will be conducted. A detailed outline of lab topics will hand in the class.

Class Schedules:

Textbook:

K.C. Laudon and J.P. Laudon, Essentials of Management Information Systems, Managing the Digital Firm, Prentice Hall, Sixth Edition, 2005. ISBN: 0-13-127311-6.

Stephen Haag, Maeve Cummings, Donald McCubbrey, Alain Pinonneault, and Richard Donovan, Management Information Systems for the Information Age, 2nd Canadian Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2004. ISBN: 0-07-091120-7.

E-Materials:

Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
Association for Information Systems (AIS)
Communications of the AIS
International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS)
International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE)
IEEE
IS World
Journal of the AIS
Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication
Journal of Electronic Commerce Research
Journal of MIS
Harvard Business Review
Management Science
MIS Quarterly