Information Systems - A Manager's Guide to Harnessing Technology

Reviewed by Mostafa Mesgari, Assistant Professor, Loyola Marymount University on 2/7/23

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The book provides a comprehensive overview of information systems, including topics such as data management, network systems, and business intelligence. However, I wish it expanded on enterprise application implementation and some of its nuances, like process management and user resistance. More recent topics like AI and data-driven business transformation also deserve a chapter/case when and if the authors decide to update their text.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content and the cases are accurate and to the point.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The book stays relevant because it talks about many foundations of business IT that do not change that fast. However, It can use an update to expand on some of the more recent developments in AI and data-driven business product development and transformation.

Clarity rating: 5

The writing style is straightforward and easy to understand, making it accessible to a wide range of readers, including those with limited technical backgrounds. The authors do an excellent job of balancing technical detail with practical applications, making it a valuable resource for both novice and experienced managers.

Consistency rating: 5

The authors have taken care to define and explain key concepts and terms, and they use a consistent structure and approach throughout the book to ensure that information is presented clearly and coherently.

Modularity rating: 4

Mostly, it is easy to use chapters and sections separate from others. Some of the cases could actually break down into smaller pieces and put in the relevant chapter to reinforce learning of the concepts and examples together.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3

This is the one aspect of the book that I would change most. I think the chapters and sections could reorganize to tell a more coherent story. For instance, section 2.2 would be better read after section 2.4 and all the discussion on IT strategy at the industry level. The link between chapters has to be smoother and more natural. Zara and Netflix cases probably could be broken into smaller cases and included in relevant chapters. Also, chapter 5 might be better read earlier in the book.

Interface rating: 5

I like the interface in both HTML and digital PDF versions that allow easy navigation. The interface uses appropriate images to make it more visually appealing.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical error was detected.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

No cultural biases were found in the test or any of the cases.

Comments

The book is useful for managers and business leaders looking to understand how technology can be leveraged to improve their operations and achieve their organizational goals. It is also valuable for students looking to develop their knowledge and skills in information systems and technology management.

Reviewed by Shouhong Wang, Professor, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth on 5/27/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

Basics of computer hardware could be included in Chapter 5 before the discussion of Moore’s Law.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The contents are accurate.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 2

Given the fast pace of development of information technologies in business, a textbook of Information Systems should be updated every 3 to 5 years. The current version of this textbook is about 5 years old. Many data should be updated. Some cases are still relevant, but needs updated. Others may no longer be significant today. Updating this textbook of Information Systems demands significant time and effort.

Clarity rating: 4

Overall, the text is easy to follow. Chapter titles could be plain without jargons for all types of students, including international students.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework.

Modularity rating: 5

The textbook is divided into 14 chapters, and can be re-organized to meet the different needs of courses.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 2

The overall organization and the presentation flow could be improved significantly. The following several suggested changes could be considered. (1) Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 could be a part of cases for Chapter 2. (2) Chapter 5 could include basics of computer hardware. (3) Chapter 9 Understanding Software could be moved forward after Chapter 5. (4) Chapter 12 Internet and Telecommunication could be discussed before Chapter 6 Network Effects and Chapter 7 Social Media. (5) Chapter 8 Facebook and Chapter 14 Google might be integrated into other chapters as cases.

Interface rating: 4

Overall, the interface is good. Some images could be made smaller. Page 301 Section 10.1 is misplaced.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The text has no noticeable grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The textbook is free of culturally insensitive or offensive material.

Comments

This textbook has strengths of emphasis of strategic use of information systems and good business cases related to information systems. If the textbook is updated frequently and has a good website to build up a good community (see an example https://opentextbook.site/informationsystems2019/ ), it would attract more users.

Reviewed by dzhu@iastate.edu Dan, Professor, Iowa State University on 10/23/18

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

ok

Content Accuracy rating: 4

good

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

good

Clarity rating: 4

good

Consistency rating: 4

good

Modularity rating: 4

ok

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

good

Interface rating: 5

good

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

good

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

good

Comments

This book covers the most of useful topics on the subjects. But the materials could be updated as the book is almost three years old. Some of the new topics to be added may include topics such as business analytics.

Reviewed by Roger Finnegan, Community Faculty, Metropolitan State University on 2/8/17

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The textbook does cover the basics that other MIS textbooks cover:
• Systems development – plus cloud, opensource and off the shelf
• BI – data warehouses and marts
• Telecommunications
• Security
• E-commerce
• Enterprise applications – CRM, ERP and SCM
• Ethics
I did not find an index or glossary.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

I did not find any issues with the accuracy of the information in the textbook. It does in fact try to go beyond what other textbooks provide. Instead of just stating the facts as most other textbooks do the author provides more of the flavor of how things really are in IT.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The relevance is both a strength and a weakness for this textbook. It is very relevant right now but could become outdated very quickly. While this is true of any IT book this one is particular seems to aim at being as relevant to the current market as possible. For many textbooks you need to add current articles as additional reading to stay up to the minute in discussing IT. This text tries to include the up to the minute info. Again, it is very relevant now but may not have great longevity.

Clarity rating: 5

Clarity is a strength for this textbook. The author states in the forward that “The information systems (IS) course should be the most exciting class within any university. But far too often students resist rather than embrace the study of tech.” The author strives for a clear and engaging style that is similar to periodicals like “Wired and Fortune.” If is not uncommon to discover after the course is over that many of the students did not read the textbook. The engaging style would hopefully encourage more of the students to actually real it.

Consistency rating: 4

The book is very consistent. Each chapter has multiple sections. These sections are written like short self-contained articles with learning objectives, key take always, questions and references.

Modularity rating: 3

The book is very modular. In fact an instructor could choose to assign just certain sections or specific articles in the textbook. Each section is written to stand on its own like a periodical article.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The book does not break subjects up like other MIS textbooks. There is not an ethics chapter or a networking chapter or a systems development chapter. Those subjects are interlaced with other subjects throughout the book. While this is a different structure from other textbooks it is more real world since these ideas do not standalone but are incorporated into situations that the students will find in their careers.

Interface rating: 4

The textbook is very well put together. It is also available in different formats such as PDF, XML, ePUB and Kindle.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

I did not see any grammatical errors in the textbook.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

I did not see anything in the book that was culturally insensitive.

Comments

I found the textbook to be quite good. Students can have difficulty with a textbook that is dryly written. The author does make a very good effort to make the subject engaging. As stated above the author’s forward notes that “information systems (IS) course should be the most exciting class within any university.” I absolutely agree but the students don’t always realize that. This book is a step in the right direction in engaging students and helping them realize how exciting IT can be.

Reviewed by Dr Jose Valdes, Instructor, Colorado State University on 12/5/16

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

It is difficult to create a comprehensive text that addresses substantive the numerous concepts associated with management information systems. This text covered the concepts it addressed in a substantive manner using a non-technical engaging writing style and exemplary structure. I appreciate the chapter objectives, take aways and questions and exercises.

I would be selective in assigning readings from the text, the sequence and supplement it with targeted readings and videos. Supplemental content would include the concepts of business analytics, artificial intelligence and security.

In summary, I would consider the text for an introductory/survey management information system course.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content was accurate and did not demonstrate bias. However, the nature of the content suggests that updates will be systematically required in order to maintain content relevance and accuracy.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The business cases may remain relevant for a period of time. However, it be prudent to update the business cases along with the content to retain relevancy. The fact that the cases may be removed or updated relatively simply, because of the format, is an advantage. Some chapters may require substantive update but the time frame for the updates will vary.

Clarity rating: 5

The text was easy to read and clear. The technical terminology and jargon was explained and kept to a minimum. However, it was verbose, which added to the length of the text. Some readers may find the additional details of value.

Consistency rating: 5

The chapters were formatted in a consistent manner. The consistent format of the chapters added significant value. The terminology was consistent and relevant to the subject matter.

Modularity rating: 5

The modularity of the content was excellent due to the consistent structure of the chapters. The logical, consistent divisions of the chapters facilitated navigation. The occasional self-referencing did not warrant elimination of content.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The overall structure and organization of the text is excellent. Chapters are consistent and informative clearly stating objectives, reinforcing preceding concepts and new concepts clearly introduced. However, the flow of the text is impeded by interspersing technical content chapters with chapters focused on business cases. But, I realize that chapters may be assigned in other than the sequence in the text.

Interface rating: 5

No noticeable navigational issues or ineffective images and charts. The images and charts were relevant and added substance and clarity to the content of the text.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical errors detected.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text was not culturally insensitive or offensive. The national and international business cases reflected the business situation without bias.

Comments

I found the depth of the subjects covered, non-technical style and structure exemplary. However, the text is verbose. My preference is for text that include a comprehensive glossary and index.

Reviewed by Zafer Ozdemir, Professor, Miami University on 8/21/16

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This textbook covers most of the important areas in information systems. Content could be added on business processes, ERP, and systems development/project management. An index at the end could be beneficial.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Content is accurate and up-to-date. This can be tricky for a book on information systems because the field changes quickly. It is nice to see that the author has updated the book every couple of years.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

I would not consider using an edition of this textbook that is more than three years old. This is because of how fast the information system field changes. This edition is only a year old, which is great.

One thing to note is that many of the chapters rely on relevant business cases which will become too old at some point (not yet). I would say that a major revision of the textbook will be necessary within five years.

Clarity rating: 5

The textbook is written in a very reader friendly style. Many introductory information systems textbooks are full of technical jargon and acronyms. This one is not which makes is very easy to read.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is consistent in terms of its use of the terminology across the chapters. I also like the the consistent structure of each chapter, where learning objectives are presented at the beginning, and key takeaways are listed at the end. Examples illustrating the concepts discussed are consistently boxed in.

Modularity rating: 5

I really like the modularity of this textbook. As a matter of fact, the ease by which I could move sections and subsections around was the main reason for my use of this textbook in an e-commerce class (despite the fact that the book is written for an introductory information systems course). Chapters 4, 6,7, 8, 10, 12, and 14 are particularly relevant for such a course.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

I think I would restructure the chapters every time I would use this textbook, either for an introductory information systems or an -e-commerce course. I tend to think that infrastructure and software/hardware topics (chapters 5, 9, 10, 12) could come earlier. So can the chapter on databases (chapter 11).

Interface rating: 5

I reviewed this book on saylordotorg.github.io website and could not access any of the figures. It would probably not be an issue on a hard copy or an online copy that the students would purchase. Other than that I didn't notice an issue.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The grammatical errors in each chapter are minimal if any.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

This is a very US-centric textbook. This is easily understood if we consider the fact that most of the information systems being discussed in textbook have originated in the US. Therefore, I don't see this as a negative. The text is not culturally offensive in any way.

Comments

I would strongly recommend this textbook if you have a non-technical audience. Also a great introductory text for e-commerce if you exclude some of the chapters. The discussions are built around cases and stories that bring the concepts to life. And you are free to arrange the chapters any way you want. Best wishes!

Reviewed by Stacy Zemke, Instructor, University of Oklahoma on 1/12/15

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

Textbook addresses most of the major areas covered in and introductory information technology management course. I would like to see additional content project management, systems planning, and some more on legal and social/organizational issues inherent in information technology systems implementation, but these topics are often not covered in introductory books in this discipline.
There is a very thorough table of contents (see Interface section), the chapters are nicely sub-divided and have a clear visual structure.

There is no index or glossary.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

Content in the text is timely and accurate, error-free and unbiased. Examples are from U.S. based companies, as well as international organizations, which helps to broaden the approaches to information systems. Since the subject of this book is recent information technology and the business world, it is a given that some references will have to be updated and changed, the subject area is just changing very quickly.

The text is intentionally presented in a very reader-friendly style that keeps the content from being bogged down with IT jargon, but still explains the IT concepts very well.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The author does a good job of addressing specifics if IS, that can change very quickly, in a broad way by focusing on the overall management and organizational issues and then illustrating those issues with examples from current events and organizations. Overall these examples are recent and relevant.

Many of the specific company references are in specially formatted content boxes so they would be easy to remove/modify, or are addressed in whole chapters that could be removed/modified.

Organizational references made within the general text are broad enough that they would not have to be removed, but could be updated to reflect recent events.

Clarity rating: 5

Text is well written and easy to read. Very well written objectives for each sub-chapter, and good use of formatting to give additional meaning and structure to the content.
It is well referenced, though often the references are written directly in the flow of the text (instead of foot/end notes), making some sections harder to read as the reference information is a bit distracting.

Consistency rating: 4

The text is clear and consistent, well edited, and written in a single voice. The chapter structure and order are logical and reflective of the discipline.

Modularity rating: 5

Book organized into chapters with short (usually 4 to 6 page) sub chapters that make it very easy to move around, or remove small sections if desired with out making the text difficult to read. Subchapters are nicely organized, each starting with Objectives, then finishing with Key Takeaways and a Question & Exercise section. Clear textual and image cues help to identify the different subchapters and sections of the text.

The text does reference itself some, but not in a way that would make removing certain sections prohibitive.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

Overall the chapter order and organization is logical and structured well. The selection of chapters is appropriate to the discipline. The structure of the chapters is well presented visually and the breakdown of content into subchapters makes the book easy to read, as well as creates a good framework for moving through the content. (NOTE, this review reflects the chapter structure from the versions available at lardbucket, see Interface section)

Interface rating: 4

Some issues with finding the full book, but is more of a repository issue than an issue with the actual book. The link here is to the Saylor.org edition, it contains all of the charts/graphs that are mentioned in the book, but the chapter structures is more compressed (11 chapters), and there is no table of contents or author information.

If you use the versions available at lardbucket (http://2012books.lardbucket.org), some versions have the images (v. 1.2) and some do not (V 2.0), BUT this site has a better (I think) chapter structure (14 chapters), good table of contents and author information.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I found no grammatical error in the text

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive. Many of the companies used in the examples are US based, but not exclusively. International issues in implementing I.S. is addressed, (different standards, social norms, regulations) though not extensively.

Comments

I plan to adapt and adopt this book for my course, and will add some sections from other open textbooks to make a full content solution.