Purose of course

The combination of powerful technology developments and global business opportunities has led to the creation of new organizational forms and new challenges in managing them. We call these new organizational forms, “the digital firm,” to emphasize that every aspect of the firm is touched and potentially transformed by technology and digital processes. This course focuses on understanding the nature of the digital firm and the key issues in organizing and managing it. Managers of digital firms need to identify the challenges facing their firms; understand the technologies that will help them meet these challenges; design business processes to take advantage of the technologies; and create management procedures and policies to implement the required changes. By the end of this course students will understand the issues involved in creating a digital firm and in managing its processes, assets, and workforce and improve the understanding of hardware and especially usage of various software applications.

Objectives of course

The following outlines the main course objectives of this course.

• Why Information Systems Matter
• Information Systems for Competitive Advantage
• Data and Knowledge Management
• The Internet and Security
• Electronic Commerce, Intranets, and Extranets
• Organizational Information Systems
• Enterprise-Wide Information Systems
• Information Systems Ethics and Computer Crime
  

Book Used

Information Systems Today, Jessup L., Valacich J., Prentice Hall, 2006. ISBN 9780132190442.

Assignement of the course

Learning facilitators enable you to add richer and deeper meaning to the course context. They enable you to “own” the content of the course to make it tangible, personally valuable, and useful. Learning facilitators will include, next to lectures, the following:

1. Application Exercises (individual)
Description: Next to the content, at the end of each chapter there are some practical exercises which you need to prepare by using software such as excel and access. These applications exercises provide students the opportunity to solve real-world business problems using spreadsheet and data base applications.

2. Boeing Case (team)
Description: This real-world business case is used throughout the book and follows each chapter in order to enable students to apply lessons from each chapter in the business world. You will have to carefully read the case and answer the questions. The questions are included in the case after each chapter in order to promote critical thinking and class discussion.

3. Website (Individual)

Description: You need to set-up, register, host, design and program your own personal website by understanding and using HTML codes as well as other software facilitating web hosting, designing, and programming. The key is that you have at the end of the course your own personal website including your CV, personal information, contact information and pictures. Here are some excellent examples of student website

Greg Kmetec, Silvia Frandji , Christina Gugler, Farooq Haque, Katie Powell, Julie Johnson,

4. Final Exam (individual)
Description: The final exam assesses the student’s knowledge about the course thought and especially the book. The exam must be taken at the time it is scheduled unless a change is granted by the professor. Should you be seriously ill, participate in college approved activities, or have other reasons you regard as valid, contact me before the exam. Late arrival at the exam or any excuse provided at the day of the exam are not accepted. If you are late for the exam, you get zero for this assignment.