Information Systems An Introduction and Overview

CIS465Fall‘99-ISOverviewPage1InformationSystems:AnIntroductionandOverviewor“What’sInAName”CIS465Fall‘99-ISOverviewPage2WhatisanInformationSystem?Let’slookatsomedifferentdefinitionsandthenexplorethecontextofanISintheorganizationalsetting.Thecontrastingdefinitionsshouldprovideavarietyofdifferentperspectives.CIS465Fall‘99-ISOverviewPage3HistoricalBackgroundTheDataProcessingIndustrygrewrapidlyinthe1960’s,however,the“quantity”ofoutput,mostoften,faroutstrippedthe“quality”ofoutput.Thegrowthofthe1960’sand1970’ssawashiftfrom“computer”orientation,to“information”orientation.Theroleof“informationresourcemanager”intheorganizationofferedanopportunitytomigratefromthetechnocraticimageofthepast,andestablishanimageasabusinessmanager,ageneralmanager,aninformationmanager.TodaythisistheroleoftheCIO-ChiefInformationOfficer.CIS465Fall‘99-ISOverviewPage4JohnDiebold(1979)wrote:“Information,whichinessenceistheanalysisandsynthesisofdata,willunquestionablybeoneofthemostvitalcorporateresourcesinthe1980’s.Itwillbestructuredintomodelsforplanninganddecision-making.Itwillbeincorporatedintomeasurementsofperformanceandprofitability.Itwillbeintegratedintoproductdesignandmarketingmethods.Inotherwords,informationwillberecognizedandtreatedasanasset.”CIS465Fall‘99-ISOverviewPage5DavisandOlson:(1985)Amanagementinformationsystemis:•anintegrateduser-machinesystem•forprovidinginformation•tosupporttheoperations,management,analysis,anddecision-makingfunctionsinanorganization.•Thesystemutilizes:–computerhardwareandsoftware–manualprocedures–modelsforanalysis,planning,control,anddecision-making–adatabaseCIS465Fall‘99-ISOverviewPage6IFIP/BCS(1985)Aninformationsystemisasystemwhichassembles,stores,processes,anddeliversinformationrelevanttoanorganization(ortosociety)insuchawaythattheinformationisaccessibleandusefultothosewhowishtouseit,includingmanagers,staff,clients,andcitizens.Aninformationsystemisahumanactivity(social)systemwhichmayormaynotinvolvetheuseofcomputersystems.InternationalFederationforInformationProcessing/BritishComputingSociety1885curriculumforinformationsystems.CIS465Fall‘99-ISOverviewPage7McNurlinandSprague(1989&1999)“Themissionforinformationsystemsinorganizationsistoimprovetheperformanceofpeopleinorganizationsthroughtheuseofinformationtechnology.”Theultimateobjectiveisperformanceimprovement-agoalbasedonoutcomesandresultsratherthana“go-through-the-stepsprocess”goal.Thefocusisthepeoplewhomakeuptheorganization.Improvingorganizationalperformanceisbythepeopleandgroupsthatcomprisetheorganization.Theresourceforthisimprovementisinformationtechnology.CIS465Fall‘99-ISOverviewPage8Turban(1990)Amanagementinformationsystemisaformal,computer-based(butneednotbe)systemintendedtoretrieve,extract,andintegratedatafromvarioussourcesinordertoprovidetimelyinformationnecessaryformanagerialdecision-making.AnMISisabusinessinformationsystemdesignedtoprovidepast,present,andfutureinformationappropriateforplanning,organizing,andcontrollingtheoperationsoftheorganization.CIS465Fall‘99-ISOverviewPage9Alter(1992)Aninformationsystemisacombinationof•workpractices•information•people,and•informationtechnologiesorganizedtoaccomplishgoalsinanorganization.CIS465Fall‘99-ISOverviewPage10Zwass(1992)AManagementInformationSystemisanorganizedportfolioofformalsystemsforobtaining,processing,anddeliveringinformationinsupportofthebusinessoperationsandmanagementofanorganization.CIS465Fall‘99-ISOverviewPage11LaudonandLaudon(1995)Informationsystem-(definition)Interrelatedcomponentsthatcollect,process,store,anddisseminateinformationtosupportdecision-making,control,analysis,andvisualizationinanorganization.CIS465Fall‘99-ISOverviewPage12Turban,McLean,Wetherbe(1996)Aninformationsystemsisacollectionofcomponentsthatcollects,processes,stores,analyzes,anddisseminatesinformationforaspecificpurpose.Themajorcomponentsofacomputer-basedinformationsystem(CBIS)caninclude(1)hardware,(2)software,(3)adatabase(4)anetwork(5)procedures,and(6)people.Thesystemoperatesinasocialcontext,andthesoftwareusuallyincludesapplicationprogramswhichperformspecifictasksforusers.CIS465Fall‘99-ISOverviewPage13Alter(1996)Aninformationsystemisasystemthatusesinformationtechnologytocapture,transmit,store,retrieve,manipulate,ordisplayinformationthatisusedinoneormorebusinessprocesses.Abusinessprocessisarelatedgroupofstepsoractivitiesthatusepeople,information,andotherresourcestocreatevalueforinternalorexternalcustomers.BusinessProcessesconsistofstepsrelatedintimeandplace,haveabeginningandend,andhaveinputsandoutputs.CIS465Fall‘99-ISOverviewPage14Lucas(1997)Informationsystemsmaybedescribedbyfiveoftheirkeycomponents:•Decisions•transactionsandprocessing•informationanditsflow•individualsorfunctionsinvolved•communicationsandcoordinationCIS465Fall‘99-ISOverviewPage15Zwass(1998)InformationSystem-Anorganizedsetofcomponentsforcollecting,transmitting,storing,andprocessingdatainordertodeliverinformationforaction.CIS465Fall‘99-ISOverviewPage16Turban,McLean,Wetherbe(1999)Aninformationsystemisaphysicalprocessthatsupportsanorg