INSS 530 INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN ORGANIZATIONS 
COURSE OUTLINE

Class Times: 1630-1930 T R 26/03-15/05                                   Class Location: RAF Menwith Hill

Lecturer: Joyce M. Rowe, Ph.D.                                                Office Hours:  1400 – 1600 T R

Phone: 7717                                                                                     by appointment
e-mail: jrowe@faculty.ed.umuc.edu                                         Course Credit: 3 semester hours

Pre-requisite: All pre-requisite classes as listed in catalog or permission of the lecturer

TEXTBOOK: The Portable MBA 3rd edition by Robert Bruner et al, John Wiley, 1998 
                    Management Information Systems: Managing Information Technology  in the E-Business Enterprise                                                      by Jame O’Brien:Irwin McGraw-Hill, 2002
 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

General concepts of Management Information Systems are introduced with various functional areas of organizations and their uses of information technology. The scale of information systems ranges from hand-held and individual desktops to work groups, enterprise systems and global networks.  The types of information systems discussed will include financial and operational systems, decision support systems, and strategic planning models.  Other topics will include costing, justification and configuration of an organization's IS, and ways that networks are changing traditional channels of commerce. Supplemental readings will provide a more complete picture of the business practices and  managerial concerns which IS work to support.

GRADING CRITERIA

GRADING SCALE

ASSIGNMENTS

Class Assignments/Participation--Students will be divided into small teams and will analyze typical business problems. Some cases will be discussed in class; others will require written analysis and will be submitted. Participation in class activities and full attendance will be expected

Individual Company Case -- Each student will select a current topic from a list provided.  A 5 – 6 page paper and a short presentation of current facts (10 - 15 min.) will be expected.  Please have topic selection approved before beginning work.  Several suggestions IT structure and organization within an organization; categories of IT usage within different industries; Business Processing Reengineering as utilized in organizations; content management as it relates to web page data collection;  etc. 

Web-Based Business--In this course students establish an intranet for a business.  Students group in teams of 3 to 4.  The final project will include an installation plan for such an intranet, complete with page design; a network topology for communications equipment; a System Users Diagram, and a Data Matrix, identifying the various data elements (fields), where collected, updated, and displayed (screens and/or reports).  Each Friday the Project Leader will be responsible for e-mailing me a status report of the team's accomplishments and plans and assignments for the next week.  At the end of the class, teams make presentations of their study.

Exam --An exam will consist of essay questions related to the goals listed at the beginning of each chapter and the outside readings. This test will take one entire class period (3 hours). This test (worth 100 points) will be graded exactly like the comprehensives: that is: 75% for content, citations, etc.; 25% for English and organization.  Extra points will be given for references made to researchers, authors, businessmen, economists, etc., where appropriate.
 

COURSE POLICIES/EXPECTATIONS

The following policies apply to this class. These policies are generally reflected in the graduate catalog.

 * ATTENDANCE: Regular class attendance is expected, both mornings and afternoons of weekend classes. If you should miss a meeting, it is your responsibility to obtain information concerning the material covered and upcoming assignments from other students. Please note that those students receiving tuition assistance from the Federal Government must not miss three consecutive class meetings without prior approval, or the education Services Officer (ESO) must be notified by the instructor.

*  ACADEMIC HONESTY: Students are expected to do their own work. Cheating on tests, plagiarism on written assignments, or any other form of academic dishonesty will result in a "0" for the assignment. Note that a D or an F usually results in at least 60 or 50 points, where violation of academic honesty results in none. See the European Division Catalog for the UMUC policy on academic dishonesty and plagiarism. 

*  ASSIGNMENT/TEST SCHEDULES: Students are expected to hand in all assignments and complete all tests/cases on the days they are due. If a student fails to complete any assignment or test, the resulting grade will be a "0," rather than an "F."  Major tests to be missed must be taken before the date the test is to be given in class. On the date of case or project presentations, each person must be in attendance for the first presentation to the last presentation Otherwise, the presentation will be deemed late and a 10% reduction made for all presentations missed. 

*  CLASS PREPARATION:  Students are expected to come to class prepared. This means reading materials assigned for that session and preparing any pertinent assignments. Quizzes may be given.

 COURSE OBJECTIVES

Questions on the midterm and final will be directly related to readings and discussion materials.  Students completing class should:
 

Identify and understand the roles that information play in organizations. 
 

Recognize the basic concepts that are the foundation for subsequent MIS courses, including user requirements, information flows and the nature of information systems.
 

Demonstrate knowledge of the basic techniques and fundamental skills needed to describe and specify the structures and applications of information systems. 

Analyze different organizational situations where information technology is involved, and make recommendations for improvements in operations and in management information. 

Analyze the impact of advances in information technology on organizations. 

Demonstrate familiarity with the literature in information systems. 

The activities and assignments for this course are designed to help the student understand the importance of understanding the basic concepts of information systems and their importance in today's business world.  In addition to the academic objectives, students are expected to improve their skills in the following areas: 

Critical Thinking: Students should improve their ability to analyze computer user situations and make appropriate suggestions for resolving business problems through computer systems.  Cases and Projects encourage students to think critically about real-world situations. 

Writing Skills: Students should improve writing skills through development of the Business Plan and Cases. 

Oral Presentation Skills: Students should improve presentation skills through case discussions and business presentations. 

Computer Skills: Students should improve computer skills by using word processing, database, web programming and project management software.  The use of  Internet and e-mail are also encouraged
 

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE 

Topics Discussed

Assignments

Class 1
Mar 26

Introductions; Discuss syllabus; Discuss intranets; Discuss OB Chap. 1  IS in Business; OB 2 Competing with IT

BEFORE Class: Read OB Chapters 1-2, Appendix A, and MBA Chapters 1-3; 13-14;  research intranets and their; Assignment: : Sign onto UMUC library site; look up intranets; Read OB 3-4

Class 2
Mar 28

OB Chap.3 Internetworked E-Business;  OB 4 Electronic Business Systems

Discuss Cases in OB 3-5; Video on Leaders; Assignmentl:  WEB: Budgeting for projects; assignment for "famous people"; Read MBA 13-14

Class 3 
Apr 2

MBA Chap. 13 Strategy: Defining and Developing Competitive Advantage;14; Discuss leadership; gender bias; Theory X, Y, Z;

Select teams; Management meeting for teams; Company assignments; Discussion of installation plans; Assignment: Read MBA 1-3

Class 4
Apr 4

MBA Chap 1 What is Business About; 2 The Future;  MBA 3 Managing People

Discuss cases; Video; Assignment: Read OB 5-6;   Individual paper – continue to prepare paper and presentation, work on team assignment 

Class 5 
Apr 9

OB 5 Electronic Commerce Systems  OB Chap. 6 E-Business Decision Support

Lecture/discussion on intranets within a company; building web pages; Assignment: create a web page; Read OB 7-8

Class 6 
Apr 11

OB Chap. 7 Developing E-business Strategies; OB 8 Developing E-Business Strategies; Discuss BPR and its successes and failures

Lecture and discussion on OB 7-8; Cases; Discussion on establishing a financial plan and budgets for projects; Assignment Read MBA 4-5; OB Chap 9

Class 7

Apr 16

OB Chap. 9 Security and Ethical Challenges of E-Business; MBA Chap. 4 Business Ethics; OB.5 Making Decisions Rigorously 

Management meeting for project; video on Top Performing Companies; Assignment:  Prepare budget for project; Read MBA 9; OB 10

Class 8
Apr 18

MBA Chap. 9 Innovation and Technology Management; OB 10 Enterprise and Global Management 

Lecture/discussion on MBA 9; In-class Cases discussed; Assignment: MBA 7;  Complete individual paper

Class 9

Apr 23

MBA Chap. 7 Marketing Management; OB Chap.10 IS for Business Operations; Paper presentations 

Lecture/discussions on MBA 7; OB 10; Assignment:  Read OB 11 

Class 10
Apr 25

OB Chap. 11 Computer Hardware;

Management Meeting; Lecture/ discussion on OB 11; Assignment:  Read OB 12

Class 11 
Apr 30

OB 12 Computer Software

In-class cases; Video on history; Assignment: OB Chapters 13' MBA 11 

Class 12
May 2

OB Chap. 13 Data Resource Management; MBA 11

Discuss OB 14 and MBA 15; Assignment:  Read OB Chap. 14; MBA 12

Class 13 
May 7

OB Chap 14 Telecommunications and Networks; MBA 12   

Assignment:  Study for exam, OB Chapters 1 – 14; MBA 1 - 12

Class 14
May 9

EXAM

Assignment:  Complete Team Projects 

Class 15
May 14 

Complete discussions on Chaps; Presentation of Intranet Projects

Assignment:  Complete Projects

Class 16
May 16

Presentation of Business Projects

Presentations and discussions