O'Brien, J. A., & Marakas, G. M. (2008). Management information systems (8th ed.). New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

IFSM 300 Information Systems in Organizations (3) Prerequisite: IFSM 201. An overview of information systems and how they provide value in organizations by supporting organizational (or business) objectives. Discussion covers human aspects of computing, types of computer systems, and general theory of systems and their relationship to the overall organization. (Note: students will need to have basic knowledge of and access to office productivity software. Microsoft Office Professional is utilized in this course.)

After completing this course, the student should be able to:

* Define "information systems" and discuss the relationship between technology and the structure on an organization (competence in information technology)
* Analyze and discuss the business and organizational issues involving information systems, including the historical and evolving nature of information systems in society and the convergence of technologies and information/data management (historical perspective)
* Define the role of information system managers and information officers in planning, organizing, and controlling activities of an organization (competence in information technology)
* Demonstrate understanding of the purpose, components, problems, and solutions of using management information systems globally and nationally (international perspective)
* Apply basic techniques for using computers to improve control of, and access to, information in organizations (competence in information technology)
* Apply information systems management techniques, procedures, and methods to practical national and international information technology and business issues (international perspective)
* Evaluate information systems based on their role in the organization (information literacy)
* Analyze issues facing managers using information systems in organizations, including security, ethical, and privacy concerns (civic responsibility)

The knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) associated with information systems are essential for organizations that want to create and sustain a competitive advantage in the so-called New Economy. Dramatic change has taken place in the worlds of commerce and government over the past decade and the forecast for the future is one of continuing change, but at an even faster rate. Happily, most students are aware of the changes underway and are seeking enrollment in academic courses such as this one because they see themselves as an "organization of one" in need of the KSAs necessary to create a competitive advantage in obtaining employment in an increasingly competitive job market.

The New Economy is characterized by terms such as global business, e-business, m-business, business-to-consumer (B2C), and business-to-business (B2B). The phenomenal growth in the use of the Internet has fueled a portion of the dramatic change in the processes of business and government.

The transformations from the old to the new processes are characterized by the infusion  of information technology in the design of the new processes. This infusion of technology as a means to improve productivity is not new; it has been occurring for decades. The substitution of "capital for labor" has been a practiced strategy for management of business and government operations.  Since the early 1960s, the emphasis has been on information technology-based capital. That emphasis has intensified and will continue to grow for the foreseeable future.

To be an active participant of the future, one must have the KSAs associated with the visions, strategies, and processes that managers of business and government organizations are presently applying to their organizations' needs. One must also be prepared for the inevitable change that the future holds for these activities. To those ends, this course will include an in-depth look at the following major areas of concentration:

1.What is the nature of the digital firm? 
  What are its needs? 
  What are its strategies? 
  What are its tasks? 
  What is its information structure?
  What are e-business and m-business? 
  What are the implications for managing a global business?
2.What are the information technology assets and resources of the firm?
How are those assets and resources effectively managed?
In consideration of the rapid advances in the telecommunications industry, how has the communications infrastructure of organizations been affected?
3.What are the methods of process re-engineering?
What is the value of information systems in an organization's value chain?
What are the methods of change management?
4.What is the nature of an organization's information support system?
What are the processes of knowledge management?
What is the nature and role of artificial intelligence?
What are the tools that can improve management decision making?
5.How are the valuable assets of information systems protected?
How is one's privacy in the use of information systems protected?
What are the ethical and social responsibilities for those who use information systems? 
Welcome to the adventurous new economy, and best wishes!

Current Issues Paper 20%
5 Web Activities (each worth 3%) 15%
Class Participation 10%
Midterm 20%
Final examination 35%
TOTAL 100%

Grading Scale: The grading scale is:

90-100% = A
80-89% = B
70-79% = C
60-69% = D
0-59% = F

Any other information the instructor wishes to add. This might include:
* General expectations of students, such as hours per week students should expect to devote to the class
* Turnaround time for faculty to respond to email and return papers
* Unique class procedures or activities (such as cooperative learning exercises, panel presentations, case study methods, class journals or learning logs)
* Supplemental objectives (such as development of skills like teamwork, writing, oral presentation; integration of knowledge on focus topics)
* Optional activities such as study groups

Late Policy: The current issues paper, Web exercises, and discussion participation should be submitted on time. Students have a long lead-time in which to prepare, ask questions, seek help, and submit drafts for review. Therefore, unless a major accident, illness, or work assignment (with supporting documentation) prevents a student from submitting work on time, five points will be docked from each late assignment's grade.

Extra Credit: Extra credit is not normally given.

Attendance: Although attendance is not counted in the grade, participation is.

Writing and Research: Effective writing is critical to the intellectual life of university students and graduates within the workplace. Effective managers are usually effective communicators. Your work in this course must demonstrate your ability to master and effectively communicate course content. Effective writing
* Meets the needs of the reader
* Adequately covers the subject
* Uses expected conventions of format and organizations
* Demonstrates use of credible reasoning and evidence
* Satisfies standards of style and grammatical correctness
* Requires 100% compliance with UMUC's zero-tolerance policy regarding plagiarism.

Cross-curricular initiatives
Activity in this class that fulfills the initiative
Effective Writing
Current issues paper
Competence in Information Technology
All course activities
Historical Perspective
Evolution of computer technology
International Perspective
Recognition of global interaction online
Civic Responsibility
Computer privacy, security, and ethics
Information Literacy
Web exercises and current issues paper

(2 options given - I and II
III are discussion topic suggestions for either face-to-face or online format)

I. The Current Issues Paper (CIP)

The CIP is divided into four sections, each with a different due date throughout the term.

You will complete each section separately and submit it separately to your Assignment Area on or before the due date. The due dates for each section of the CIP will be posted in the Syllabus/Schedule (with reminders in each of the Weekly Conference units). In a traditional classroom, students will submit the CIP assignments directly to the instructor.

The description of the work to be done in each unit is explained below.

The total CIP is 100 points; therefore, each section of the CIP is 25 points. Five of the 25 points for each CIP (CIP-1 through CIP-4) are directly related to organization, grammar, verb tenses, pronoun use, spelling, punctuation, and writing competency and other requirements - including being submitted on time and following directions. Each CIP is worth 5% of the total grade.

CIP-1
In 2003, IT and business professionals are concerned with the following issues (among others) in today's contemporary competitive environment.

1.   The Rise of E-Business
2.   Ethics in the Computer Age
3.   The Global Consumer
4.   The Ubiquitous PC
5.   Security and Privacy on the Internet
6.   Networking Alternatives
7.   SPAM
8.   International Data Exchange
9.   Virtual Teams
10. PDAs and Convenience

Please select one of these leading IT issues to explore for your CIP. In no more than one page of text, explain your reason for selecting it.

Keep in mind that you will be spending the rest of this term researching your selected topic, so make sure you like your topic. Please be specific about the sub-topic on which you will be focusing.

Submit your choice and your reason(s) for your choice to me via your Assignment area under the tab "CIP-1" no later than the end of Week 3.

FOR A F2F COURSE, CIP-1 ASSIGNMENT IS DUE THE FIRST DAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF CLASS.

CIP-2
Determine three critically important questions you would like to address regarding your topic for your CIP.

Submit your three questions as a Microsoft Word attachment to your Assignment area "CIP-2" by the last day of Week 5.

FOR A F2F COURSE, CIP-2 ASSIGNMENT IS DUE THE FIRST DAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF CLASS.

Remember, include a cover page and follow all formatting requirements.

CIP-3
Using the UMUC databases and other sources of information, conduct a literature search on your selected marketing topic.

Submit a list of 10-15 references with clickable links (for me to easily access and review them) to your Assignment area under the tab "CIP-3" no later than Week 7.

FOR A F2F COURSE, CIP-3 ASSIGNMENT IS DUE THE FIRST DAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK OF CLASS.

CIP-3 should follow the formatting requirements in the Project Descriptions. CIP-3 should include a cover page with formatting requirements. The reference page should be titled References. The title References is placed at the left margin of the page. Use APA style formatting.

To make a "clickable link" in Microsoft Word, copy and paste the link from your browser into the Microsoft Word document or type it. If typed, remember to press the Enter key for the link to turn "blue."

In one paragraph, you should explain why you have selected the references you have submitted.

It is best to give the exact source whether it is an article, a book, a newspaper article, or a special Web site.

If a reference is a Web site, you will generally need to give me the exact URL of the information you used.

Hint: Do not give me a search engine as a reference! For example, http://www.google.com is not a reference.

CIP-4
Start reading as much as you can about your topic and expand your thoughts as you read.

Start putting your thoughts in writing. In 4-6 pages, answer the three questions you submitted for CIP-2. Address arguments for and against your topic, if any. If you can think critically, try to now write critically.

Make sure your thoughts are cohesive and your paragraphs are clear by demonstrating one issue/thought/idea at a time and then moving on to the next.

However, since you have had plenty of time to work on your project, please make sure you incorporate all you have learned from this course to date and the skills you have developed throughout the session into your CIP-4 assignment.

When I grade CIP-4, I will look for critical thinking skills, logical and clear arguments, cohesive writing, proper citations and quoting, quality of references, flow of ideas and good transitions between paragraphs, grammatical-correct phrases, and - of course - no spelling errors.

Submit CIP-4 as a Microsoft Word attachment to your Assignment folder on or before the end of Week 9.

FOR A F2F COURSE, CIP-4 ASSIGNMENT IS DUE THE FIRST DAY OF THE SEVENTH WEEK OF CLASS.

REQUIREMENTS FOR EACH CIP

1. WRITING QUALITY

Grammar, Verb Tenses, Pronoun Use, Spelling, Punctuation, and Writing Competency.

Remember: spell-check, then proof read. Better yet, have a friend or colleague read it before submitting it. Read it out loud to yourself.

Remember: there is not their, your is not you're, its is not it's, too is not to or two, site is not cite, and who should be used after an individual, not that. For example, "the person WHO made the speech" not "the person THAT made the speech."

Remember: In a professional paper one does not use contractions (doesn't, don't, etc.) and one does not use the personal you or your. Use the impersonal as I have in the previous sentence. It is more business-professional than saying, "Also in a professional paper you don't use contractions."

Remember: 5 of the 25 points for each CIP (CIP-1 through CIP-4) are directly related to organization, grammar, verb tenses, pronoun use, spelling, punctuation, and writing competency and other requirements.

2. REFERENCES

Use the APA format for your references. The CIP-3 assignment is a Reference List. (Reference List = same as a Bibliography)

In CIP-4 you will not need to re-submit the Reference List from CIP-2. However, you will need to correctly reference your sources within the body of your paper. Here is an example referencing a source within the text of a paper,

Mossman (2001) described the research design more clearly, "When developing a marketing proposal, one should always ........."
or
"Marketing research is a requirement before any new product is introduced to the market." (Gomez and Breegle, 1999)

The references on the Reference List (CIP-2), must be Clickable links. I will check them. To make a link "live" (Clickable) in Microsoft Word, simple press the space bar or the enter key after typing it. If you are using a reference that is not from the Web, obviously you will not have a live link to it.

3. WORD PROCESSOR

Use Microsoft Word. If you do not have Microsoft Word, Save As a Word document.
Use Page Setup in the Printer to configure it.
Use 1" margins top, bottom, left and right sides.
Use Times New Roman, size 12.
Use double spacing.
In all CIPs use appropriate headings and subheadings. Headings and subheadings should be placed at the left margin.
The first word of each new paragraph should be indented 1" from the. 1" on my Page Setup is 1 tab space.
For CIPs that are longer than 1 (one) page, number each page in the bottom right corner. The cover page should never be numbered.

4. ATTACH IT TO YOUR ASSIGNMENT AREA

When you attach each CIP in its designated CIP in your Assignment area or submit it to me directly, I will review it as a formal paper and return it to you with comments.

5. COVER PAGE

Use a cover page for each submission. In the center of the page, in this order, double spaced, put:

Your Name

IFSM 300

Title of the CIP

Nothing else needs to be added to the cover page.

6. COMMENTS

Using the CIP system, following the above requirements, and getting frequent feedback will help you not only in this course, but in your other courses as well.

II. WEB EXERCISES

A Web exercise is a series of questions related to a Web site for a particular business exemplary of the material discussed in the chapter. You must visit the accompanying Web site to answer the questions fully and correctly. When you are assigned a Web exercise:
Directions for Accessing the Textbook Website
This textbook has a companion Website. To register to use the Website, complete the following steps:
1. Go to the companion Web site for the Laudon and Laudon textbook http://myphlip.pearsoncmg.com/cw/mpbookhome.cfm?vbookid=486
2. Click on the "Student Login" button you see on the left-hand side of the screen. At the bottom of the next screen, click on "Register here."
* In the first section, type your name and e-mail address and the school's ZIP code (20783). 
* In the second section, select UMUC. 
* In the third section, choose a login and password, select a question and type the answer (to be used if you forget your password), and accept the license agreement.
* Next, you'll need to click on the "Log in now" button, which will take you to the "My Companion Website" screen.
* At this screen, type in our textbook's title (Management Information Systems) and the authors' name (Laudon).
* At the next screen, choose the 8th edition of the book.
3. You'll now be back at the textbook Website. Select a chapter and then click on the "Go" button.
4. Each chapter contains the following items: Objectives, Study Guide, Student Resources, and Misc. Resources.
 
Directions for Completing Hands-on Software Activities
1. As part of the prerequisites for this course, it's assumed that you have a fundamental working knowledge of word processing, spreadsheets, and databases.
2. It's expected in this course that you are able to design, populate, and query small spreadsheets and databases. You may use any Windows-based software to complete the assignment. The assignment consists of a hands-on activity and a brief explanation of the decisions you made to create the activity or how it will be used. You'll receive detailed instructions in the conferencing section of the course.
3. Faculty may differ on the number of spreadsheets and database activities they require, but typically there will be two assignments.
4. Assignments will be graded on the accuracy of your presentation and the quality of your accompanying description.

III. CLASSROOM OR WebTycho DISCUSSION TOPICS:

Discussion Topics will either come from the Textbook Cases or they will be assigned separately by the instructor and relate to the Chapter topics in a given week.

Directions for Textbook Case Assignments

1. All case studies have a series of questions at the end. The purpose of the questions is to ascertain your understanding of the material presented in the preceding chapters and to give you a "real-world" example of those points. The case and questions give you an opportunity to put the material you've just studied into practice.
2. Respond to the questions given to you by your teacher in a question-and-answer format. Write the question and directly beneath that, respond fully to it. There is no set limit to the response. Your response should provide enough information to answer the question fully and completely. In many cases, the questions elicit your opinion on a particular facet of the case. You are expected to provide supporting details for your response. That support generally comes from the points covered in the readings for the previous chapters.
3. Be sure to consult UMUC's Guide to Writing and Research, which offers valuable information on the appropriate style for citing written references, footnotes, and bibliographies as well as proper procedure for citing online references from the Web.

Projected Course Schedule:

All readings cited below are from O’Brien, Management Information Systems, 6^th ed.  Students are expected to have read the chapter(s) and other assigned readings BEFORE the class period in which they are to be covered.

Session 1: Introduction; Discussion of the roles of information systems in organizations.
Foundations of Information Systems (Ch. 1)

Session 2: Basics – Computer Hardware, Networks
Computer Hardware (Ch. 13)
Telecommunications and Networks(Ch. 4)

Session 3: Basics – Computer Software, Application Software
Computer Software (Ch. 14)

Session 4: Basics – Data Management, Literature Searching
Data Resource Management (Ch. 3)

Session 5 & Session 6: Organizations’ Uses of Information Systems/IT
Introduction to E-business Systems (Ch. 5)
Enterprise E-business Systems (Ch. 6)
Electronic Commerce Systems (Ch. 7)

Session 7: Impact of Advances in IT on the Organization
Developing Business/IT Strategies (Ch. 9)
 
Session 8: Question time; Midterm Exam (comprehensive)

Session 9 & Session 10: Information Systems in Support of Functional Areas
Decision Support Systems (Ch. 8)
Developing Business/IT Solutions (Ch. 10);
Enterprise and Global Management of IT (Ch. 12)

Session 11: Use of IT to gain Competitive Advantage
Competing with IT (Ch. 2)
 
Session 12: Value Added Concept in Evaluation of Info. Systems
Competing with IT (Ch. 2)
Enterprise E-business Systems (Ch. 6)

Session 13: Networks, Issues of Privacy and Security
Security and Ethical Challenges (Ch. 11)

Session 14: Ethical Issues
Security and Ethical Challenges (Ch. 11)

Session 15: Discussions of Case Studies – Bringing it All Together,
Review and Course Wrap-up

Session 16: Final Exam
(Comprehensive, with heavier emphasis on material since the Mid-term)