IS 4410 EXAM 1 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What is MIS? - Answer -Management and Use, Information Systems, and Strategies
Goal: Managing IS to achieve business strategies!
Five Component Model - Answer -Hardware, Software, Data, Procedures, People
Most important component is YOU!
All IS components must work together
Difference between IT and IS - Answer -IT: products, methods, inventions, and
standards used for the purpose of producing information
IS: an assembly of hardware, software, data, procedures, and people that produces
information
You can buy IT but you cannot buy IS
What is information? - Answer -Is knowledge derived from data (recorded facts/figures)
Characteristics of data - Answer -Accurate, Timely, Relevant, Barely Sufficient, and
Worth its cost
What are the differences between routine and non-routine skills? - Answer -non-routine
skills are those that don't happen every day. Not a common skill.
What is collaboration? - Answer -Two or more people working together to achieve a
common goal
Feedback and iteration
what are the key characteristics and successful criteria of collaboration? - Answer -
Successful outcome, growth in team capability over time, and meaningful and satisfying
experience
What are the different types of decisions - Answer -Operational-day to day activities
Managerial-Allocation and utilization of resources
Strategic- support broad-scope, organization issues
What are the different phases of projects? - Answer -Starting, Planning, Doing,
Finalizing
, Collaboration and team communication - Answer -Synchronous- Shared calendars -
Word, conference calls, screen sharing
Asynchronous- email, discussion forums, and team surveys
What Five forces determine industry structure? - Answer -Industry rivalry, threat of
entry, threat of substitutes, bargaining power of suppliers, and bargaining power of
buyers
How industry structure determine competitive strategy? - Answer -cost leader or
product differentiation, or across industry or focus industry segment
Competitive structure and value chain - Answer -Cost and industry-wide = lowest
across the industry (Wal-Mart)
Differentiation and Industry-wide = better product/service across the industry (Neiman
Marcus)
Cost and focus = lowest cost within an industry segment (Payless Shoes)
Differentiation and focus = better product/service within an industry segment (Tiffany &
Co.)
How do business processes generate value? - Answer -A business that select a cost-
leader strategy would structure around low cost processes
A business that select a differentiation strategy would structure around costly processes
that add higher value
Understand Value chain in detail - Answer -A network of value-creating activities
(consists of primary and support activities)
How do IS provide competitive advantages? - Answer -Primary- activities to do with
creating, marketing, and delivering products to customers
Support-activities that allow primary activities to occur
difference between value and cost = margin
linkages are interactions across value activities
Know hardware components - Answer -CPU and RAM (main memory)
Storage (e.g. flash drives, hard disks)
Volatile vs. non-volatile
What is MIS? - Answer -Management and Use, Information Systems, and Strategies
Goal: Managing IS to achieve business strategies!
Five Component Model - Answer -Hardware, Software, Data, Procedures, People
Most important component is YOU!
All IS components must work together
Difference between IT and IS - Answer -IT: products, methods, inventions, and
standards used for the purpose of producing information
IS: an assembly of hardware, software, data, procedures, and people that produces
information
You can buy IT but you cannot buy IS
What is information? - Answer -Is knowledge derived from data (recorded facts/figures)
Characteristics of data - Answer -Accurate, Timely, Relevant, Barely Sufficient, and
Worth its cost
What are the differences between routine and non-routine skills? - Answer -non-routine
skills are those that don't happen every day. Not a common skill.
What is collaboration? - Answer -Two or more people working together to achieve a
common goal
Feedback and iteration
what are the key characteristics and successful criteria of collaboration? - Answer -
Successful outcome, growth in team capability over time, and meaningful and satisfying
experience
What are the different types of decisions - Answer -Operational-day to day activities
Managerial-Allocation and utilization of resources
Strategic- support broad-scope, organization issues
What are the different phases of projects? - Answer -Starting, Planning, Doing,
Finalizing
, Collaboration and team communication - Answer -Synchronous- Shared calendars -
Word, conference calls, screen sharing
Asynchronous- email, discussion forums, and team surveys
What Five forces determine industry structure? - Answer -Industry rivalry, threat of
entry, threat of substitutes, bargaining power of suppliers, and bargaining power of
buyers
How industry structure determine competitive strategy? - Answer -cost leader or
product differentiation, or across industry or focus industry segment
Competitive structure and value chain - Answer -Cost and industry-wide = lowest
across the industry (Wal-Mart)
Differentiation and Industry-wide = better product/service across the industry (Neiman
Marcus)
Cost and focus = lowest cost within an industry segment (Payless Shoes)
Differentiation and focus = better product/service within an industry segment (Tiffany &
Co.)
How do business processes generate value? - Answer -A business that select a cost-
leader strategy would structure around low cost processes
A business that select a differentiation strategy would structure around costly processes
that add higher value
Understand Value chain in detail - Answer -A network of value-creating activities
(consists of primary and support activities)
How do IS provide competitive advantages? - Answer -Primary- activities to do with
creating, marketing, and delivering products to customers
Support-activities that allow primary activities to occur
difference between value and cost = margin
linkages are interactions across value activities
Know hardware components - Answer -CPU and RAM (main memory)
Storage (e.g. flash drives, hard disks)
Volatile vs. non-volatile
