Document

Managing in the Digital World Dr. Nooruldeen Nasih Qader

Lecture Objectives  Understand the term information systems (IS)

 Understand IS components:  Technology, people, organizations

 Understand IS career opportunities  Understand IS and organizational success or failure  Understand the future of IS management

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Case: IS at University  Computers are the core component of ISs.  Powerful, relatively inexpensive, and easy-to-use computers has had a major impact on business (Facebook, YouTube, Flickr….etc.)

 Online Administration  Online Course Management  Syllabi  Assignments  Online class discussions  Coursera.com 3

Visible economic, cultural, and technological changes are fueled by globalization

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ISs Combinations of:

hardware, software, and telecommunications networks that people build and use to: collect, create, and distribute useful data in organizations

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Key Elements of ISs

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Telecommunications Networks Telecommunications networks refer to a group of two or more computer systems linked together with communications equipment.

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Knowledge as a Business  Knowledge Worker Resource  A well-educated professional who creates, modifies, or synthesizes knowledge in one’s profession

 Knowledge Society  Also called digital society, new economy  Working with brains instead of hands  The importance of education  Digital divide

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Data an d Information  Data: raw material, unformatted information  Information: Data formatted with dashes or labels is more useful

 Knowledge: understanding relationships between pieces of information

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Technology and ISs  Computer-Based ISs  Technology – any mechanical and/or electrical means to supplement, extend, or replace human activity  Information Technology (IT) – machine technology controlled by or using information

 The goal of IS is to provide useful data to users  IS can be local or global, organizational or enterprisewide

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Technology and Business-1  IS professionals must also be able to understand and manage people and projects, not just the technology

 professional systems analyst who can speak fluently about both business and technology.

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Technology and Business-2  good IS personnel possess valuable, integrated knowledge and skills in three areas—technical, business, and systems  just enough about these areas  IS professional manages or directs those who have deeper, more detailed technical knowledge  there is an increased demand in many companies for people with application development skills, especially in combination with sound business analysis and project management skills

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Systems Competency The core competencies (efficiency) that make IS professionals valuable employees is:

 Understand how to build and integrate systems and how to solve problems will ultimately manage large, complex systems projects as well as manage those in the firm who have only technical knowledge and skills.

 Social skills to understand how to work well with and motivate others.

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Early History: Poor Service and Worse Attitudes  Many of these old- school IS personnel believed that they owned and controlled the computing resources,  that they knew better than users did, and that they should tell users what they could and could not do with the computing resources

 If the IS staff cannot or will not do this for us, then we will build our own systems.

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The Modern IS Organization  The IS personnel believe that, fundamentally, they are there to help the users solve problems and be more productive.

 old-school mentality still exists in some organizations  technology and information are there for the customers, not for the systems personnel. They create:  help desks,  Hotlines,  information centers,  training centers to support customers.

 These service-oriented IS units structure the IS function.

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New Service Mentality  It is simply amazing how unproductive a company can be when the IS personnel and other people within the firm are at odds with one another.

 On the other hand, it is even more amazing how productive and enjoyable work can be when people in the IS function work hand in hand with people through- out the organization.

 Technology is, potentially, the great lever, but it works best when people work together, not against each other, to use it.

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The People Side of IS  Despite economic ups and downs…  Labor shortages predicted  U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics  http://stats.bls.gov/emp/emptab3.htm  Ranked among best jobs available P-55

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Careers in IS         

Systems Analyst Systems Programmer Systems Consultant Database Administrator Webmaster IS Director Chief Information Officer

Professor Government scientist

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The High Value of IS Personnel  Supply and demand  Aggressive recruiting

 High salaries  Broad demand  Large and small companies  Urban and rural

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Integrating Skills and Knowledge  Formal education, training, and work experience in ISs as well as in the functional area that the system supports, such as finance.

 Technology  hardware, software, networking

 Business  business, management, social, communications

 Systems  Integration, development methods, critical thinking, problem solving 20

Hot Skills in IS Workers  Office / E-mail

 Languages  Applications  RDBS Administration

 Development Tools  Internet working

 Operating Systems  Networking 21

The Dual Nature of IS  Systems can dictate success or failure

 companies with bad business models tend to fail regardless of whether they use IT or not.

 companies that have good business models and use IT successfully to carry out those business models tend to be very successful.  Amazon.com, Best Buy, Citigroup, PepsiCo, Herman Miller, Cisco, Progressive Casualty Insurance, Marriott, FedEx, GE, Southwest Airlines, and Starbucks.

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IS for Competitive Advantage  Strategic Systems, competitive or not?

 Competition: doing things faster, better, cheaper  How can systems gain one’s organization a competitive advantage?  Being able to understand both the business needs of the organization and the way in which IS-based solutions can meet these needs will provide you with a competitive advantage in the job market P-76.

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IS Ethics-1 1. Information privacy is concerned with what information an individual should have to reveal to others in the workplace or through other transactions, such as online shopping.

2. Information accuracy concerned with ensuring the authenticity of information as well as with identifying who is responsible for informational errors that harm people.

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IS Ethics-2 3. Information property focuses on who owns information about individuals and how that information can be sold and exchanged.

4. Information accessibility focuses on defining what information a person or organization has the right to obtain about others and how this information can be accessed and used.

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Digital Divide-1  The gap between those individuals in our society who are computer literate and have access to information resources like the Internet and those who do not.

 the gap in America is rapidly shrinking

 the gap gets even wider, and the obstacles get much more difficult to overcome, particularly in the developing countries, One Laptop per Child (OLPC).

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Digital Divide-2  Mobile technology may be a promising way to reduce the digital divide.

 affordable Internet access or efficient electronic payment methods like credit cards.

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Business Career Outlook  increasingly moving away from focusing exclusively on local markets.

 “global skills” for operating in the digital world.  Three strategies for improving your skills include the following: 1. Gain International Experience (e.g., culture). 2. Learn More Than One Language. 3. Sensitize Yourself to Global Cultural and Political Issues.

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Free economics are the Future of the Digital World P-115

To demonstrate how free economics can be applied to a variety of industries beyond Web e-mail or online searches

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Online Banking  Online banking has become the norm, with millions of people logging onto their bank’s Web site to pay bills, transfer money, or review transactions.

 the next wave of technology innovation within the banking industry will be mobile banking.

 increased security through the application of various encryption and authentications capabilities within the advanced 4G communication networks.

 ultimately making the process of paying a bill as easy as sending a text message to a friend.

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