55. An example of a social complementary asset is
A) training programs.
B) technology and service firms in adjacent markets.
C) distributed decision–making rights.
D) all of the above.
56. Disciplines that contribute to the technical approach to information systems are
A) engineering, utilization management, and computer science.
B) operations research, management science, and computer science.
C) computer science, engineering, and networking.
D) management science, computer science, and engineering.
57. The discipline that focuses on mathematical techniques for optimizing parameters of organizations, such as
transportation and inventory control, is
A) MIS.
B) utilization management.
C) management science.
D) operations research.
58. Sociologists study information systems with an eye to understanding
A) the production of digital goods.
B) how systems affect individuals, groups, and organizations.
C) how new information systems change the control and cost structures within the firm.
D) how human decision makers perceive and use formal information.
59. Psychologists study information systems with an eye to understanding
A) how new information systems change the control and cost structures within the firm.
B) the production of digital goods.
C) how systems affect individuals, groups, and organizations.
D) how human decision makers perceive and use formal information.
60. All of the following are advantages, for a firm, of cloud computing except
A) ability to support mobile computing.
B) ability to rely on markets to build value.
C) ability to improve communication.
D) ability to support remote work
61. Which of the following are key corporate assets?
A) production technologies and business processes for sales, marketing, and finance
B) intellectual property, core competencies, and financial and human assets
C) time and knowledge
D) knowledge and the firm’s tangible assets, such as goods or services
62. Which of the following roles in a firm would be least affected by using mobile devices to access firm
information systems?
A) senior executives
B) production workers
C) operational managers
D) sales executives
63. A firm that must invest in new information systems capabilities in order to comply with federal legislation
can be said to be investing to achieve which business objective?
A) improved reporting
B) survival
C) operational excellence
D) customer intimacy
64. Which of the following would not be used as an input for an information system?
A) digital dashboard
B) cell phone
C) barcode scanner
D) handheld computer
65. Which field of study focuses on both a behavioral and technical understanding of information systems?
A) management information systems
B) operations research
C) economics
D) sociology
66. The three principle levels within a business organization hierarchy are
A) senior management, middle management, and service workers.
B) senior management, operational management, and information systems.
C) senior management, middle management, and operational management.
D) senior management, operational management, and service workers.
67. Engineers, scientists, or architects, who design new products or services for a firm, belong to which level of a
business hierarchy?
A) production workers
B) data workers
C) knowledge workers
D) middle management
68. Which main business function is responsible for maintaining employee records?
A) human resources
B) finance and accounting
C) manufacturing and production
D) sales and marketing
69. Which of the following constitutes an organizational element in the UPS tracking system described in the
chapter?
A) promoting the company strategy of low–cost, superior service
B) the use of handheld computers and networks for managing package delivery
C) the specification of procedures for identifying packages with sender and recipient information
D) monitoring service levels
70. A managerial element in the UPS tracking system described in the chapter is
A) the decision to use automation.
B) in–house package tracking software.
C) providing package status reports to customers.
D) taking inventory.
71. ________ is data that has been shaped into a form that is meaningful to human beings.
72. ________ is output returned to appropriate members of the organization to help them evaluate or correct the
input stage.
73. The key elements of an organization are its people, structure, business processes, politics, and ________.
74. ________ makes long–range strategic decisions about the firm’s products and services.
75. Computer ________ consists of the detailed, preprogrammed instructions that control and coordinate the
computer hardware components in an information system.
76. ________ is a global network that uses universal standards to connect millions of different networks around
the world.
77. The ________ is a service provided by the Internet that uses universally accepted standards for storing,
retrieving, formatting, and displaying information in a page format.
78. ________ are private corporate networks extended to authorized users outside the organization.
79. The enormous volume of data generated by Internet activity, such as Web traffic and e–mail, is referred to as
________.
80. In a(n) ________ perspective, the performance of a system is optimized when both the technology and the
organization mutually adjust to one another until a satisfactory fit is obtained.
81. Define operational excellence. How can information systems help achieve it?
82. You work for an auto manufacturer and distributor. How could you use information systems to achieve
greater customer intimacy?
83. What is the difference between information technology and information systems? Describe some of the
functions of information systems.
84. You are a marketing manager for a national movie theater chain. Give an example of data that your
department could use for creating meaningful information. What type of information could that data
produce?
85. Define business process. What might be a business process used at a hospital?
86. You are starting a small bike messenger company. Given your type of services (hand–delivering packages
within a small geographical area), could your firm be a digital firm? If so, what would make this a digital
firm?
87. This chapter discusses how each organization has its own culture and sets of values shared by most of its
members. What kind of shared values might you find at a law firm?
88. You work at the business headquarters for a chain of movie theaters. Describe this firm’s information value
chain.
89. How does a company’s use of information systems affect its corporate strategies? Provide an example.
90. What are the main changes taking place in organizational use of information systems. Which of these do you
think is having the greatest impact on businesses?
