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Read more about Information Systems: A Manager's Guide to Harnessing Technology

Information Systems: A Manager's Guide to Harnessing Technology

(7 reviews)

Copyright Year: 2015

ISBN 13: 9781946135124

Publisher: University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of Use

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CC BY-NC-SA

Reviews

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

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,... read more

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

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

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

ok read more

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

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... read more

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

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... read more

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

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. read more

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

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... read more

Table of Contents

  • Chapter 1: Setting the Stage: Technology and the Modern Enterprise
  • Chapter 2: Strategy and Technology: Concepts and Frameworks for Understanding What Separates Winners from Losers
  • Chapter 3: Zara: Fast Fashion from Savvy Systems
  • Chapter 4: Netflix: The Making of an E-commerce Giant and the Uncertain Future of Atoms to Bits
  • Chapter 5: Moore's Law: Fast, Cheap Computing and What It Means for the Manager
  • Chapter 6: Understanding Network Effects
  • Chapter 7: Peer Production, Social Media, and Web 2.0
  • Chapter 8: Facebook: Building a Business from the Social Graph
  • Chapter 9: Understanding Software: A Primer for Managers
  • Chapter 10: Software in Flux: Partly Cloudy and Sometimes Free
  • Chapter 11: The Data Asset: Databases, Business Intelligence, and Competitive Advantage
  • Chapter 12: A Manager's Guide to the Internet and Telecommunications
  • Chapter 13: Information Security: Barbarians at the Gateway (and Just About Everywhere Else)
  • Chapter 14: Google: Search, Online Advertising, and Beyond

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About the Book

Information Systems: A Manager's Guide to Harnessing Technology is intended for use in undergraduate and/or graduate courses in Management Information Systems and Information Technology.

The teaching approach in Information Systems: A Manager's Guide to Harnessing Technology can change this. The text offers a proven approach that has garnered student praise, increased IS enrollment, and engaged students to think deeper and more practically about the space where business and technology meet. Every topic is related to specific business examples, so students gain an immediate appreciation of its importance. Rather than lead with technical topics, the book starts with strategic thinking, focusing on big-picture issues that have confounded experts but will engage students. And while chapters introduce concepts, cases on approachable, exciting firms across industries further challenge students to apply what they've learned, asking questions like:

Why was Netflix able to repel Blockbuster and WalMart? How did Harrah's Casino's become twice as profitable as comparably-sized Caesar's, enabling the former to acquire the latter? How does Spain's fashion giant Zara, a firm that shuns the sort of offshore manufacturing used by every other popular clothing chain, offer cheap fashions that fly off the shelves, all while achieving growth rates and profit margins that put Gap to shame? Why do technology markets often evolve into winner-take-all or winner take-most scenarios? And how can managers compete when these dynamics are present? Why is Google more profitable than Disney? How much is Facebook really worth?

The teaching approach in this text encourages students to think deeper and more practically about the space where business and technology meet. Every topic is related to specific business examples, so students gain an immediate appreciation of its importance. Rather than starting with technical topics, the book starts with strategic thinking, focusing on big-picture issues that interest students.

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