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D R A F T
MBAD 6252 HC Management of Information Systems CRN 11585Summer
2014
1.5 credit-hoursSeven weeks: May 19July 3, 2014
Instructor: Professor E. J. CherianFunger Hall Room 515M
2201 G Street, NW
Office Phone (202) 994-8969
E-mail [email protected] hours: Available daily;
appointments for the convenience of students if desired
Co-Instructor: Jennifer Golden;[email protected]
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
This course provides an overview of information systems and
applications in a variety oforganizational settings. Specifically
the course provides an introduction in bridging the gap between
top management and technologists in organizations; understanding
both the decision making needs of
managers and the terminology of technical staff in order to have
intelligent communication with bothgroups.
Students will be introduced to information technology and the
use of this technology in modern digitalorganizations: The
transformation of organizations to the digital economy. All
organizations require
information for problem solving and decision-making, and thus
organizations adopt procedures and
develop systems to acquire and organize information. In recent
years computer-based information
technology has progressed to where most organizations understand
the need to focus on the digitaleconomy, and adopt an
organizational information system.
Understanding information technology and the use of information
systems and emerging technologies
will be sought by focusing on specific learning objectives.
Students successfully completing thiscourse should possess:
1. An ability to have an intelligent conversation with both the
technical staff and executivesconcerning the role of information
technology in modern organizations
2. The capacity to be a critical thinker regarding
implementation of various information systemsused in enterprise
management and decision making
3. An understanding of how the Internet and electronic commerce
has changed the nature ofbusiness in organizations
4. Added experience with the case study method
5. The capability to conduct a critical review of information
technology journal articles
6. Improved writing skills in the IT field.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
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REQUIRED TEXT
Principles of Information Systems (2014), Ralph M. Stair and
George W. Reynolds, 11th
edition, E-
Book or paper, Course Technology, Boston, MA
In order to keep pace with advances in information systems
technology, it is necessary to routinely
scan the current literature for articles dealing with relevant
technology topics. Students are encouraged
to seek current articles related to class assignments. Some
suggested sources are:
Journal of MIS
Harvard Business ReviewSloan Management Review
Journal of Systems Management
Management Science
International Journal of Electronic Commerce
The EconomistBusiness Week
FortuneThe Wall Street Journal
The New York Times
CASE STUDY ASSIGNMENTS
There will be three short case study assignments in this course.
Students are required to submit a
written response to each case. Often questions, which accompany
case studies, serve to provokestudent thoughts and to guide one to
issues raised in the case; merely answering the questions
provided
is not a valued response. Your analysis of the issues raised in
the case is what is sought. Studentsshould include reference to at
least one added relevant reading (excluding the textbook) in
addressing
this assignment.
Each written report should be no longer than two pages
(including any attachments and references);
typed, double-spaced, 12 pt font, no cover page. Case study
assignments not submitted on the due day
will be downgraded one letter grade if submitted no later than 7
days late. Assignments submitted laterthan one-week past the due
date will not be accepted.
Proper use of the English language is included in the grading of
these assignments.
A brief guide to case study analysis is included as Teaching
Note 7.2.00, as well as an Assessment
Rubric, teaching Note 5.6.09 appended to this syllabus.
CRITICAL THINKING ASSIGNMENTS
There are twocritical thinking assignments in this course;
critical journal article reviews. For theseassignments the class is
divided into two groups.
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The assignment is to individually write a critical review of a
journal article defending your position for
or against the authors tenets, assertions and conclusions. The
first journal article is, IT DoesntMatter, (ten years later) by
Nicholas Carr. This is a research paper assignment. For this
assignment
Group One will assume a position of support for the authors
tenets, a Pro position, for the journal
article review. Group Two will assume a position contrary to the
authors tenets, a Con position for
the journal article review assignment.
Be sure to review Teaching Note 4.1.14 in this syllabus. Also
review the Assessment Rubric (Teaching
Note 7.7.13) for additional guidance on the grading of this
paper.
The second journal article for review is, Is Google Making Us
Stupid?, also by Nicholas Carr. In
this assignment Groups One will assume a Con position and Group
Two will take a Pro position in thewriting of papers.
In general for critical thinking assignments begin your paper by
noting Pro or Con position next to
your papers title. Your critical review should be 3- 5
pagesTOTAL - in length (typed, double-
spaced, 12 pt font, no cover page), including bibliography and
any attachments. Students are expectedto prepare for this task by
researching the subject, seeking other authors views on the issues,
and by
searching and reviewing other pertinent materials, at least
three research sources other than the articleunder review. Blogs
are usually not good research sources. Please dont use
Wikipedia!
Late papers are automatically downgraded one letter grade if
submitted within one week. Paperssubmitted later than one week are
not accepted. Grammar, composition, spelling, sentence
structure
and proper citations are included in the grading of papers.
If this is your first research/critical review paper or if you
are unsure about handling reference sourcesand quotations, please
refer to the attached Teaching Note 11.4.98 concerning plagiarism,
. If thereare issues of doubt during your writing process, ask your
instructor to be sure. Also if you are unsure
about the appropriate format, citations, references, etc. for a
research paper, please consult anauthoritative source such as:
Gibaldi, J. (2009) The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research
Papers. 7th
Edition, New York: The
Modern Language Association of America.
Turabian, Kate L. (2007)A Manual for Writers of Term Papers,
Theses, and Dissertations, 7th
Edition,Chicago, American Psychological Association.
__________ (2003) The Chicago Manual of Style: The Essential
Guide for Writers, Editors andPublishers, 15
thEdition, Chicago, University of Chicago.
BLACKBOARD COLLABORATE SESSIONS
Blackboard Collaborate sessions have been scheduled for this
course to provide for students to discussissues, assignments, offer
comments, etc with classmates and the Instructor. The sessions
are
scheduled for Tuesdays evenings, 6 - 7PM EDT. Students are
encouraged to participate and discuss
matters of information technology related to current
assignments, as well as raise questions or seekanswers to issues
concerning the course. Students will need a speaker connected to
their computer in
order to listen to the Instructor, and can respond with comments
only by texting.
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Unless otherwise notified, sessions will be held on:
May 27June 3
June 10
June 17
June 24July 1
If there is insufficient interest in these discussions, the
sessions will be cancelled.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Your instructor supports and enforces every aspect of the George
Washington University Code of
Academic Integrity. The following is an extract from the Code of
Academic Integrity:
"Academic dishonesty is defined as cheating of any kind,
including misrepresenting one's own work,taking credit for the work
of others without crediting them and without authorization and
the
fabrication of information.Examples of cheating include;
- Using unauthorized materials, information or study aids in any
exercise.
- Fabrication or falsification of information.- Plagiarism -
intentionally misrepresenting another's work, failure to
paraphrase.
- Forgery of academic documents.
- Facilitating academic dishonesty."
The full code is athttp://www.gwu.edu/~ntegrity/code.htmlt.
BLACKBOARD
A Blackboard account has been established for this course. The
instructors Power Point slides, coursesyllabus, files and
spreadsheet assignment are also posted onblackboard.gwu.edu.
Students areencouraged to download these items for use.
STUDENT ASSESSMENT
There will be one Test, consisting of 60 multiple choice and
True/False questions, 60 minutes long,
which will cover all text assignments and lecture materials
included in the course. In addition toreviewing the PowerPoint
slides students are encouraged to review the
Self-AssessmentandReview
Questionswhich appear in the text at the end of chapters covered
in this course.
A make-up test will not be provided for students who may miss
the test except in very special cases,
and only prior to the scheduled test date.
Student grades (A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C- or F) will
approximately consist of the following elements
as related to learning objectives:
http://www.gwu.edu/~ntegrity/code.htmlthttp://www.gwu.edu/~ntegrity/code.htmlthttp://www.gwu.edu/~ntegrity/code.htmltmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.gwu.edu/~ntegrity/code.htmlt
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Assessment Learning Objectives
Case study assignments - 3 30% 1, 2, 3, 4, 6Critical review of
journal article - 2 30% 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
Test 40% 1, 2, 3
Students are encouraged to work together, cooperatively, in all
assignments and activities, except intaking the test.
Final course grades will be calculated as follows:
93-100 = A
90-92 = A-87-89 = B+
83-86 = B
80-82 = B-
77-79 = C+
73-76 = C70-72 = C-
69 -- = F
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MBAD 6252-HC Course Outline/Schedule Summer 2014
Session Lecture Notes Assignment
Meet Your Professor (video)
Week One Introduction and Course Overview
May 19 1) the Information Society
2) Introduction to Information Systems Ch. 1, 2
Week Two 3) Information Technology Infrastructure Ch. 3, 4May 26
- hardware
- Software
Case Study 1: Gaining the Edge (page 90)
(Due June 1)
Week Three 4) Database Systems & Business Intelligence Ch.
5
June 2 - data warehouses- Data mining
Critical Journal Article Review AssignmentIT Doesnt
Matter (10 years later)
(Due June 8)
Week Four 5) Telecommunications & Enterprise Networks Ch.
6
June 9
Case Study 2: Helping Marines and Sailors. . (Page 245)
(Due June 15)
Week Five 6) the Internet, Intranets, and Extranets Ch. 7
June 16Critical Journal Article Review AssignmentIs Google
Making Us Stupid?
(Due June 22)
Week Six 7) Electronic & Mobile Commerce Ch. 8
June 23 8) Supply Chain Management
Case Study 3: No More Wires in the Dorms. . (Page 295)
(Due June 29)
Week Seven 9) Transaction Processing Systems Ch 9June 30 10)
Enterprise Applications
Test July 2 - 3
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Teaching Note: 7.2.00
Some Notes On The Case Method*
Edward J. Cherian
There is no single approach to case teaching and learning any
more than there is a single answer to a
case study. The case method has proven to be a valuable learning
technique and we use casediscussions to accomplish what cases do
better than other pedagogical methods.
The essence of case discussion is the airing of conflict between
two or more opposing views. The bestdiscussions include opposing
views that are supportable and reasonable.
The case method depends upon the active and effective
participation of all students. Students have theprimary
responsibility for learning, and have to accept and maintain
ownership of the discussion.
Students should be committed to:
-
Preparation; read and analyze the case beforehand- Presence; be
present and prompt in order to participate - Participation; share
your understanding and judgments with the class to advance the
group's
collective skills and knowledge- Plan; have a plan of action for
the protagonist in the case.The instructor is responsible for
preparation of material and for guiding the case discussion when
and
where it is necessary. The instructor is primarily a listener in
the case discussion. The instructor may
make summary and "off-line" comments that review and highlight
the discussion, but such comments
should only consist of a few minutes of lecture.
In writing a response to a case study, try to avoid re-stating
the case. You can/should refer to facts inthe case as you present
your analysis. Do use the facts of the case to support your
analysis, but dont
waste your time describing the case. Take the role of an outside
consultant in presenting how you seethe case; how you would have
handled the situation; what decisions you would make, if any, that
are
different than those made in the case.
Often the authors of case studies include some questions at the
end of the case. Merely answering these
questions is not a satisfactory case study response. The
questions are usually of value in that they
often lead to illuminating issues in the case.
Lastly, learning is sometimes hard work but can also be an
enjoyable experience with a bit of lightness
and humor.
____________________
* Largely from Hints For Case Teaching, Benson P. Shapiro,
Harvard Business School Publishing,
Boston, MA 1984.
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Teaching Note 4.1.14
Writing a Critical Journal Article Review or a Critical Thinking
Paper: A Research Paper
Edward J. Cherian
A critical review of a journal article or a contemporary
information technology issue is a valuable
assignment in the study of information technology. Students are
asked to write a critical review of a
significant article, or IT issue, chosen from the current
scholarly literature in information technology,often of a
contemporary issue or controversy. Students are required to defend
a position for or againstthe authors tenets, assertions and
conclusions.
This critical review assignment should be short (3 - 5 pages in
length, typed, double-spaced, 12 ptfont), and focused only on the
article or issue under review. Students are expected to prepare for
this
task by researching the subject, seeking other authors views on
the issues, and by searching and
reviewing other pertinent materials. This is basically a small
research paperassignment; also be sure
to review the Assessment Rubric for additional guidance and
grading of these papers.
1) General GuidanceThe three most important things in writing a
critical reviewpaper are: 1) it is a research paper not anessay, 2)
reframe from including your own opinions and experiences, and 3)
limit the amount of
material you repeat from the journal article. Extensive
repetition of the article has no value added for
your paper. Assume the reader has read the article; it is your
presentation and analysis of researchreferences that is your way of
developing a critical review.
Print media are the most reliable and reputable sources for your
research. Students are encouraged toseek these research materials
first. If you focus your research on Web sites, try to again stay
with print
media sources; all the reputable ones have Web sites. Top level
domain sites, e.g. .gov and .edu are
the best; .com sites are inappropriate and the least reliable,
but there are some good exceptions. Please
stay away from blogs.
2) FormatBegin with the Title of your paper and your position;
Pro or Con. In a short paper5 pages or lessa
separatetitlepage is unnecessary. The title, students name,
course, date, etc. can all be placed at the
top of the first page of the paper.
A SummaryorAbstractof your paper is required, not both, at the
beginning. Limit the summary to half
a page. It should be written after the rest of the paper is
completed. It should briefly summarize your
paper and include, perhaps, a hypothesis or overall question,
results, and one important finding or
conclusion.
An introduction is not necessary in a short research paper, but
may be included in the beginning of the
body of the paper if you wish.
The main body of the paper can be organized in many ways:
- Describe the problem, issue(s), or hypothesis, the intent of
the paper- Present data and /or findings
- Present the views of experts from research sourcesthe sources
cited in your bibliography,
reference or works cited section
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- Contrast advantages from disadvantages if appropriate
- Discuss research results
Subheadings where appropriate, like:
A.
B.
C.D.
are very useful in that they help to organize your paper and
should lead to where you are
taking the reader.
A Conclusionor Summary of Findings(not both) is required and is
the part of your paper where you
can add your opinion(s) about the research you offer. One-half
page should be sufficient.
Finally aBibliographyorReferencessection includes all the
research sources you used to
construct the paper and are cited in the body of the paper. Be
sure to use one of the
accepted/approved citation methods noted in the syllabusand be
consistent in the form used.
3) Dos and DontsDo not make unsupported assertions. This is the
most common error made in research papers. Do not
write; most CIOs agree, several studies show, it is well known.
Be specific in referring to
research sources. Where possible go directly to the original
sources, dont use secondary sources toget facts since these sources
may interpret incorrectly.
Do not include personal experiences or personal opinions (unless
you are a qualified expert in
the area under study) in the paper until you arrive at the
Conclusion section where it isappropriate to summarize findings and
include your judgment. If you consider yourself an expert
in the area under study, please tell your professor, submit a
resume with publications and otherreferences noting your expertise,
and you may qualify to be one of the five references required
for this paper.
The Conclusionis your analysis/logic of the facts/data/findings
presented above. If conclusion is
too formidable, a Summary of Findingsis also a useful heading
for this section. Do notintroduce any new data or findings in this
section.
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Teaching Note: 11.4.98
PLAGIARISM*
Edward J. CherianPlagiarism can be defined as copying or
imitating the language, ideas, and thoughts of another author
and passing off the same as one's original work. Plagiarism is a
form of cheating; a false assumption
of ownership, or intellectual theft.
During research and writing it is important to guard against the
possibility of inadvertent plagiarism by
keeping notes that distinguish your work and thoughts and the
thoughts and material you gather from
others. You may certainly use other persons' words and thoughts
in your writing, but the borrowedmaterial must not appear to be
your creation.
Suppose for example, that you want to use the material in the
following passage, which appears onpage 625 of an essay by Wendy
Martin in the book Columbia Literary Historyof the United
States.
Some of Dickinson's most powerful poems express her firmly held
conviction that life
cannot be fully comprehended without an understanding of
death.
If you write the following sentence without any documentation
you commit plagiarism.
Emily Dickinson strongly believed that we cannot understand life
fully unless we also
comprehend death.
But you may present the material if you cite your source.
As Wendy Martin has suggested, Emily Dickinson strongly believed
that we cannot
understand life fully unless we also comprehend death (625).
Here the source is indicated, in accordance with the MLA style
guide, by the name of the author and apage reference. The named
author must also appear in the works-cited list or bibliography,
which
appears at the end of the paper.
In writing your paper, then, you must document everything you
borrow - not only direct quotations and
paraphrases but also information and ideas. Of course, common
sense as well as ethics shoulddetermine what one documents. For
example, you rarely need to give sources for familiar proverbs
("You can't judge a book by its cover"), or well-known
quotations ("We shall overcome"), or common
knowledge ("George Washington was the first president of the
United States"). But you must indicatethe source of any
appropriated material that a reader might mistake for your own
work.
If you have any doubts about whether or not you are committing
plagiarism, cite your source(s).
In situations of doubt, ask your instructor if you are uncertain
as to how to acknowledge sources orcontributions.
______________________
Largely from: Gibaldi, J. (1995) The MLA Handbook for Writers of
Research Papers. 4thEdition, New York: The Modern Language
Association of America
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Teaching Note: 7.7.1
Critical Journal Article Review - Assessment Rubric
Student Task Task Assessment
Weighting 5 4 3 2 1
Excellent Good Adequate Poor Unacceptabl
1. Provides support, or contradiction,
for the journal article authors tenets 20%
2. Student supports his/her facts and
conclusions 15%
3. Correct use of grammar, punctuation,
sentence structure, spelling 15%
4. Uses strong and appropriate research
references 15%
5. Uses proper citations and references 10%in paper
6. Has a logical paper organization andStructure 8%
7. Minimum repeat of article details 8%
8. Paper focused on the subject article 5%
9. Paper contains appropriate title,
and notes Pro or Con position 2%
10. Paper appropriate specification length 2%
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Teaching Note 5.6.0
Case Study - Assessment Rubric
Student Task Task Assessment
Weighting 5 4 3 2 1
Excellent Good Adequate Poor Unacceptabl
1. Identifies the case issue(s) 35%
2. Provides support, or contradiction,for the case issue(s)
30%
3. Correct use of grammar, punctuation,sentence structure,
spelling 15%
4 Minimum repetition of case details 12%
5. Uses (at least 1) additional research referenceand provides
appropriate citations 6%
6. Paper appropriate specification length 2%
