Information Throughout The Organization Unstructured Decisions example essay topic

Digital firm- organization where nearly all significant business processes and relationships with customers, suppliers, and employees are digitally enabled, and key corporate assets are managed through digital means. Business processes- the unique ways in which organizations coordinate and organize work activities, information's, and knowledge to produce a product or service Information system- interrelated components working together to collect, process, store, and disseminate information to support decision making, coordination, control, analysis, and visualization in an organization Data- streams of raw facts representing events occurring in organizations or the physical environment before they have been organized and arranged into a form that people can understand and use Input- the capture or collection of raw data from within the organization or from its external environment for processing in an information system Processing- the conversion, manipulation, and analysis of raw input into a form that is more meaningful to humans Ouput-the distribution of processed information to the people who will use it or to the activities for which it will be used. Feedback- output that is returned to the appropriate members of the organization to help them evaluate or correct input. Computer based information systems (CB IS) - information systems that rely on computer hardware and software for processing and disseminating information Formal system- system resting on accepted and fixed definitions of data and procedures, operating with predefined rules Information systems literacy- broad-based understanding of information systems that includes behavioral knowledge about organizations and individuals using information systems as well as technical knowledge about computers Computer literacy- knowledge about information technology, focusing on understanding how computer-based technologies work. Business functions- specialized tasks performed in a business organization including manufacturing and production, sales and marketing, finance, accounting and human resources Standard operating procedures- formal rules for accomplishing tasks that have been developed to cope with expected situations Knowledge workers- People such as engineers or architects who design products or services and create knowledge for the organization Data workers- People such as secretaries or bookkeepers who process the organizations paperwork Production or service workers- People who actually produce the products or services of the organization Senior managers- People occupying the topmost hierarchy in an organization who are responsible for making long range decisions Middle managers- people in the middle of the organizational hierarchy who are responsible for carrying out the plans and goals of senior management Operational managers- people who monitor the day-to-day activities of the organization Network- linking of two or more computers to share data or resources, such as a printer Information technology infrastructure- computer hardware, software, data and storage technology, and networks providing a portfolio of shared information technology resources for the organization Management information systems (MIS) - the study of information systems focusing on their use in business and management. Mass customization- the capacity to offer individually tailored products or services on a large scaleInteroganizational systems- information systems that automate the flow of information across organizational boundaries and link a company to its customers, distributors, or suppliers Electronic market- a marketplace that is created by computer and communication technologies that link many buyers and sellers Extranet- Private intranet that is accessible to authorized outsidersElectronis business- the use of internet and other digital technology for organizational communication and coordination and the management of the firm Electronic commerce- the process of buying and selling goods and services electronically involving transactions using the Internet, networks, and other digital technologies Information architecture- the particular design that information technology takes in a specific organization to achieve selected goals or functions.

Chapter 2 Operational level systems- information systems that monitor the elementary activities and transactions of the organizations Knowledge level systems- information systems that support the monitoring controlling decision making and administrative activities of middle managers Strategic level systems- information systems that support the long range planning activities of senior management Transaction processing system (TPS) - computerized systems that perform and record the daily routine transactions necessary to conduct the business they serve the organizations operational level Knowledge work systems (KS) - information systems that aid knowledge workers in the creation and integration of new knowledge in the organization Decision support systems- (DSS) - Info systems at the organizations management level that combine data and sophisticated analytical models or data analysis tools to support non routine decision making Executive support systems-EES- info syst at the organizations strategic level designed to address unstructured decision making through advanced graphics and communications Customer relationship management (CRM) - Business and technology discipline to coordinate all of the business processes for dealing with customers Supply chain management- close linkage and coordination of activities involved in buying, making, and moving a product Supply chain- network of organizations and business processes for procuring materials, transforming raw materials into intermediate and finished products, and distributing the finished products to customers Reverse logistics-the return of items from buyers to sellers in a supply chain Bullwhip effect- Large fluctuations in inventories along the supply chain resulting from small unanticipated fluctuations in demand Collaborative commerce- the use of digital technologies to enable multiple organizations to collaboratively design develop build and manage products through their lifecycles Private industrial networks- web-enabled networks linking systems of multiple firms in an industry for the coordination of business process Enterprise systems- firm wide information systems that integrate key business processes so that information can flow freely between different parts of the firm Forms of global business = domestic exporter- form of business organization characterized by heavy centralization of corporate activities in the home country of org in. Multinational- form of business organization that concentrates financial management and control out of a central home base while decentralizing production sales and marketing operations to units in other countries Franchiser- and transnational Organization- a stable, formal, social structure that takes resources from the environment and processes them to produce outputs Organization (behavioral definition) a collection of rights, privileges, obligations, and responsibilities that are delicately balanced over a period of time through conflict and conflict resolution Bureaucracy- formal organization with a clearcut division of labor, abstract rules and procedures and impartial decision making that uses technical qualifications and as a basis for promoting employees Standard operating procedures (SOPS) -precise rules, procedures, and practices developed by organizations to cope with virtually all expected situations Organizational culture- the set of fundamental assumptions about what products the organization should produce, how and where it should produce them, and for whom they should be produced Information systems department- the formal organizational unit that is responsible for the information systems function in the organization System analysts- specialists who translate business problems and requirements into information requirements and systems, acting as liaisons between the information's systems department and the rest of the organization Information systems managers- leaders of the various specialists in the information systems department Chief information officer (CIO) - senior manager in charge of the information systems function in the firm End users- Representatives of departments outside the information systems group for whom applications are developed Transaction cost theory- Economic theory stating that firms grow larger because they can conduct marketplace transactions internally more cheaply than they can with external firms in the marketplace Virtual organization- organization using networks to link people, assets, and ideas to create and distribute produce and services without being limited to traditional organizational boundaries or physical locations Classical model of management- traditional description of management that focused on it formal functions of planning organizing coordinating deciding and controlling Behavioral models- descriptions of management based on behavioral scientists observations of what managers actually do in their jobs Managerial roles- expectations of the activities that managers should perform in an organization Interpersonal roles- classification for managerial roles where managers act as figureheads and leaders for the organization Informational roles- " " initiate activities, handle disturbances, allocate resources, and negotiate conflicts Strategic decision making- determine the long-term objectives, resources and policies of an organizationManangement control- monitoring how efficiently or effectively resources are use and how well operation a units are performing Operational control- Deciding ho to carry out specific tasks specified by upper and middle management, and establishing criteria for completion and resource allocation Knowledge-level decision making- evaluating new ideas for products, services, ways to communicate new knowledge, and ways to distribute information throughout the organization Unstructured decisions- non routine decisions in which the decision maker must provide judgment, evaluation, and insights into the problem definition, there is no agreed on procedure for making such decisions Structured decisions- decisions that are repetitive routine and have a definite procedure for handling them Stages of Decision making- Intelligence, design, choice, implementation Models of Decision making-Rational model, cognitive style, systematic decision makers, intuitive decision makers, organizational models of decision making Strategic information systems- computer systems at any level of the organization that change goals, operations, products, services, or environmental relationships to help the organization gain a advantage Value chain model- model that highlights the primary or support activities that add a margin of value to a firms products or services where information systems can best be applied to achieve a competitive advantage Primary activities- most directly related to the production and distribution of a firms products or services Support activities- that make the delivery of a firms primary activities possible. Consist of the organizations infrastructure, human resources technology and procurement Product differentiation- Competitive strategy for creating brand loyalty by developing new and unique products and services that are not easily duplicated by competitors Focused differentiation- for new market niches for specialized products or services where a business can compete in the target area better than it competitiorsCompetitive forces model- used to describe the interaction of external influences specifically threats and opportunities that affect an organization strategy and ability to compete Information partnership- cooperative alliance formed between two or more corporations for the purpose of sharing information to gain strategic advantage Strategic transitions- a movement from one level of socio technical system to another. Often required when adopting strategic systems that demand changes in the social and technical elements of an organization.