Course Description
This course highlights the design and uses of information technology (IT) within organizations to support managerial problem solving and decision-making.  Topics of the course include IT concepts and architecture; strategic information systems; computer hardware and software; data management and telecommunications, information systems planning, analysis, and design; levels of IT systems (transactional, management, decision support, and intelligent support systems); and the impact of IT on organizations, individuals, and society.

Course Objectives
Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:

• describe the value of information to organizations;
• understand the emerging technological issues facing managers;
• describe the latest concepts, components, and applications of IT;
• utilize IT to design competitive and efficient organizations;
• describe the role of IT for operational, managerial and strategic levels of the organization;
• use a microcomputer system effectively to enhance managerial problem solving, decision making, and productivity;
• distinguish among data processing systems, management information systems, and management support systems;
• utilize various software packages (such as ACCESS, EXCEL, etc) to develop information systems in support of the decision making process;
• describe when and how management support systems may be used to complement more analytic decision making frameworks;
• understand the evolving ethical, legal, and societal implications of IT.

Course Requirements
 

Midterm (June 25th)	30%
Final Exam (July 30th)	30%
Group Project	25%
Lab Assignments	15%

Grading
 

95 - 100%	A	80 - 83%	B-
90  - 94%	A-	77 - 79%	C+
87  - 89%	B+	70 - 76%	C
84  - 86%	B	Below 70%	F

Students are expected to attend class. Because time is allocated each week for student group projects, failure to attend compromises the professional responsibility each student has to their group. When unforeseen events preclude students from attending class, it is the student's responsibility to make arrangements with fellow students to obtain notes or other relevant materials.

Class participation is strongly encouraged and requires the active engagement in questions and answers as well as other contributions of comments in class sessions.

Group projects may consist of two or three students.  Your team is to select one of the following topics for your research project.  If you are interested in a topic that is not listed here, seek my approval before starting your work.

Term Research Project Topics

· Information Systems Planning
· Business Process Reengineering (involving ISs)
· Innovative Business-to-Consumer E-Commerce
· Innovative Business-to-Business E-Commerce
· Electronic Money on the Internet: Challenges and Solutions
· Case Study: Successful Strategic Information Systems
· Case Study: Failed IS Development Project
. Case Study: Decision Support Systems
· User-led IS Development: Pros and Cons
· Group Support Systems
. Geographic Information Systems
. Ethical Issues of Information Technology (consumer privacy, copyright, etc)
· Innovative IS Management Techniques
. Strategic Applications of Intranets or Extranets
· Supply Chain Management and E-Commerce
. Value Chain and E-Commerce
· Virtual Reality in Business (business in general, or in a specific business segment)

Paper Guidelines

A final report, word-processed and double-spaced, is due at the time of the team presentation.  Group reports do not have to be organized in any particular way; however, the research topic must be addressed completely.  Students are often concerned about the length of such papers.  The report will be graded by its quality, not quantity.  However, here is a rough guide: a five-page paper is too short; a thirty-page paper is probably too long.

      Important Elements

Use examples to illustrate ideas.  The better examples are factual, but if you cannot use one, use fictional but realistic examples.  It is highly recommended that you use real-world case studies when reporting success and/or failure of technologies, management methods, or business models.

     References

The term project will require literature research.  The course text will be helpful, but not sufficient to fully meet the expectations of the project.  You should conduct an exhaustive review of the literature and the World-Wide Web on your topic.  When referencing, you may use any acceptable referencing convention, although the APA style is preferred.  If you reference a source from the World Wide Web, the reference should be listed this way: <URL>   (e.g., www.lasalle.edu/~thorpe/mba820), visited on <date>.

Presentation

On July 23rd, project groups will present their research findings.  The purpose of the presentation is to provide the class with the findings of the research project as presented in the term paper.  Each group should anticipate a presentation of about 20 minutes with a question and answer period to follow.  POWERPOINT must be an integral part of the presentation and all members of the team must actively participate in the presentation.  Additional suggestions for the presentation will be provided during the semester.

Group Members

No later than May 28th, each group will submit the names of the team members and the topic of the group research project.

The same grade will be assigned to all team members; accordingly, the team must share responsibility for allocating the work fairly among team members.

Grading

The final grade for the term project will be weighted as follows:

 Presentation       30%
 Paper                  70%

The paper grade will be weighted as follows:

 Comprehensiveness and clarity of the material presented            80%
 Logical development and organization of the content                    10%
 Proper style and language                                                               10%

Throughout the course, various software packages will be used to demonstrate opportunities where IT can support decision making processes.  Lab time has been reserved for most class nights to provide students with the opportunity to use the software packages demonstrated in class.  Additional time, however, will likely be required outside of class time to research and complete lab assignments.

The course web site provides an online version of the course syllabus, including Powerpoint slides for each class meeting and lab assignments.  Students are encouraged to download and/or print the slides and assignments in advance of class meetings. The lecture slides, however, should not be used as a substitute for taking notes during class meetings.

Student Home Pages - Spring 2002