Question 1

High-quality information is:
A) accurate and reliable.
B) normative and open ended.
C) simple and easy to use.
D) subjective and unique.

Accepted Answer

High-quality information must be accurate and reliable to be trustworthy and useful. Normative and open-ended are subjective and do not necessarily ensure the quality of the information. Simple and easy to use are desirable qualities, but they do not guarantee accuracy or reliability. Subjective and unique information may not be applicable to everyone and may not be proven to be accurate.

Question 2

A firm would use data mining if it wanted to:
A) store copies of crucial data in several different locations to protect against its loss during disasters such as earthquakes, floods, or terrorist attacks.
B) protect its data from unauthorized outsiders.
C) increase the rate at which information flows through a firm's intranet.
D) discover hidden relationships among the data it accumulates.

Accepted Answer

Data mining involves the use of statistical techniques to discover hidden relationships or patterns among large amounts of data. Therefore, a firm would use data mining if it wanted to discover hidden relationships among the data it accumulates. The other options are not related to data mining.

Question 3

Two of the characteristics of useful information are:
A) relevance and timeliness.
B) redundancy and simplicity.
C) clarity and confidentiality.
D) flexibility and durability.

Accepted Answer

Relevant information is applicable and helpful to the decision-making process, while timely information is received in a timely manner to be useful. Redundancy can be helpful, but it does not necessarily make information more useful. Similarly, simplicity can be useful, but not always necessary. Clarity is important, but not the only characteristic of useful information. Confidentiality may be important in some contexts, but not always necessary. Similarly, flexibility and durability may be beneficial, but not necessary characteristics of useful information.

Question 4

Gregory Bowman is a manager who wants to be well informed. Like many managers, however, he is often overwhelmed by information overload. Which of the following would probably be the most useful first step for Gregory to take in order to deal with this problem?
A) Hire an assistant to summarize all of the information for him
B) Identify four or five key goals and eliminate information that is not relevant to those goals
C) Purchase hardware and software that will process the information more efficiently
D) Establish a "time budget" with a specified time period set aside each day for reading reports, studies and other sources of information

Accepted Answer

By identifying key goals and eliminating irrelevant information, Gregory can focus his attention on the most important information that will help him achieve those goals. This will help him manage his time more effectively and reduce information overload. Hiring an assistant or purchasing hardware and software may be helpful, but they are not necessarily the most practical or immediate solutions. Establishing a time budget may also be useful, but without first identifying key goals, there may still be too much information to effectively manage within the designated time period.

Question 5

Perry Black has convinced top management at his company that they can use data-mining techniques to develop new marketing strategies. One of the keys to the success of Perry's suggestion is:
A) obtaining a powerful mainframe computer that can perform sophisticated statistical analysis on huge amounts of data.
B) converting all data into a quantitative format so that it can be easily manipulated.
C) outsourcing all IT functions to an outside expert that can look at the data with "fresh eyes."
D) finding a way to access and integrate information from all of the different departments and divisions within the organization.

Accepted Answer

The key to success for Perry's suggestion is finding a way to access and integrate information from all of the different departments and divisions within the organization. This is because data mining requires a large amount of data, and integrating information from different sources is necessary for accurate analysis. While the other options may be helpful, they are not as crucial as being able to access and integrate information from across the organization.

Question 6

Joan Carlson is a marketing manager for a chain of clothing stores. She recently received a newsletter that contained some timely and reliable information about trends in men's clothing for next season. Unfortunately, Joan's store sells only women's clothes. The information in the newsletter was not useful to Joan because it lacked:
A) redundancy.
B) accuracy.
C) relevance.
D) selectivity.

Accepted Answer

The information in the newsletter was not useful to Joan because it lacked relevance - it was not applicable or related to her job as a marketing manager for a chain of women's clothing stores.

Question 7

The HR department at Backstreet Books, Inc., wants to reduce the cost of benefits it offers its employees. A department specialist suggested that the company consider _____________ its HR system. By sorting and analyzing the demographics and lifestyle characteristics of its employees, Backstreet Books hopes to determine which benefits are most important, and possibly which can be eliminated. Marketers utilize the same technology to keep pace with sales trends.
A) pre-programming
B) post-programming
C) data mining
D) data storing

Accepted Answer

Data mining involves analyzing large sets of data to find patterns and relationships that can be used to make informed decisions. In this scenario, Backstreet Books can use data mining to analyze the characteristics of its employees and determine which benefits are most important. Pre-programming and post-programming do not relate to this situation, and while data storing is necessary for data mining, it does not involve the analysis itself.

Question 8

A company can use a(n) __________ to prevent unauthorized outsiders from accessing information on its intranet.
A) firewall
B) disconnector
C) entry sentry
D) tripwire

Accepted Answer

A firewall is a security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. It can prevent unauthorized access to an intranet by blocking traffic from unapproved sources.

Question 9

Many businesses choose to open their intranets to other selected organizations through the use of:
A) crossnets.
B) alternets.
C) outernets.
D) extranets.

Accepted Answer

Extranets allow businesses to share information and collaborate with select partners, suppliers, and customers through a secure network, without giving them full access to their intranet. This can improve communication and streamline processes between organizations, while maintaining security and control over sensitive information.

Question 10

A(n) _________ is a semiprivate network that uses Internet technology to enable more than one company to access the same information or to allow people on different servers to collaborate.
A) crossnet
B) extranet
C) outernet
D) alternet

Accepted Answer

An extranet is a semiprivate network that uses internet technology to allow multiple companies to access the same information or collaborate with people on different servers. A crossnet, outernet, and alternet are not commonly used terms in the context of computer networking.

Question 11

Transaction data gathered at the point of sale is known as:
A) physical-world observations.
B) business process information.
C) public data.
D) personal preference data.

Accepted Answer

Transaction data gathered at the point of sale is a type of business process information, as it is information collected during the sale of a product or service and is integral to the operations of a business. The other options (physical-world observations, public data, personal preference data) do not accurately describe this type of information.

Question 12

Jonathon is a sales rep with a large technology company. He is celebrating today because he just closed a large deal, which means a very large commission. Even the finance department is thrilled because Jonathon used __________ to review the credit history of this customer to be sure the deal would be a profitable one for the company.
A) knowledge transfer
B) business intelligence
C) data processing
D) business process information

Accepted Answer

Business intelligence refers to the use of data analysis tools and techniques to make informed business decisions. In this case, Jonathon used business intelligence to review the credit history of the customer and determine if it was a profitable deal for the company.

Question 13

A major problem with the rapid expansion in the amount of information available to managers is that:
A) managers can become overwhelmed with too much information.
B) information costs are skyrocketing.
C) the capacities of computer hard drives and other storage media are no longer sufficient to store the huge volume of information being generated.
D) the need to gather this information has resulted in greater levels of bureaucracy.

Accepted Answer

With the increase in the amount of information available to managers, there is a risk of information overload. Managers may struggle to process, analyze, and make decisions based on the vast amounts of data available to them. This can lead to decision paralysis and ineffective decision-making.

Question 14

___________ looks for hidden patterns and unknown relationships among the data a firm has accumulated.
A) Tracking software
B) Econometric analysis
C) Data mining
D) Data parsing

Accepted Answer

Data mining is the process of analyzing large datasets to discover patterns and relationships that are not readily apparent using traditional analysis techniques. It involves using statistical and mathematical algorithms to search for correlations and trends that can provide insights into customer behavior, marketing effectiveness, and other critical aspects of business performance.

Question 15

Data from RFID devices, miniature cameras, and wireless access used to understand where people or items are located is called:
A) physical-world observations.
B) biological data.
C) public data.
D) business process information.

Accepted Answer

These tools allow for real-time tracking and monitoring of physical objects or people in a given space, providing valuable physical-world observations.

Question 16

The amount of information managers receive each day:
A) is never enough; when it comes to managerial decision making, there is no such thing as too much information.
B) has been managed much more efficiently in recent years, largely due to the development of spreadsheets.
C) has remained remarkably stable over the years, just as Minsky's Law predicted.
D) has become so great that it now threatens to bury many decision makers in infoglut.

Accepted Answer

The statement mentions that the amount of information managers receive each day has become so great that it threatens to bury many decision makers in infoglut, hence indicating that option D is the correct answer. Option A is incorrect as it mentions that there is no such thing as too much information, which contradicts the statement. Option B is incorrect as it talks about the development of spreadsheets, which is not related to the amount of information managers receive. Option C is also incorrect as it suggests that the amount of information remains stable, which again contradicts the statement.

Question 17

Data mining would be most helpful to a manager that wants to:
A) find the most efficient way to reduce the amount of data collected.
B) restrict access to the company's data to a few key analysts.
C) store data in a more secure location.
D) discover unexpected relationships among the data stored by his or her organization.

Accepted Answer

Data mining involves analyzing large sets of data to discover patterns or relationships that may not be immediately apparent. Therefore, it would be most helpful to a manager that is looking to uncover unexpected relationships among the data stored by their organization.

Question 18

The first step a manager should take to cope with information overload is to:
A) obtain a good database management system and use it to organize information more efficiently.
B) hire a qualified information systems analyst.
C) identify four or five key goals, and eliminate information that is not related to those goals.
D) purchase more sophisticated hardware that can process and store information more efficiently.

Accepted Answer

The best way for a manager to cope with information overload is to identify four or five key goals and eliminate information that is not related to those goals. This will help the manager prioritize the information they receive and focus on what is most important for achieving their objectives. Simply getting better tools or more technology doesn't solve the problem if it's not clear which information is relevant and which is not. Hiring an analyst may be helpful, but it's not the first step in coping with information overload.

Question 19

A(n) ________ is a companywide network that is based on Internet-like technology, but is closed to public access.
A) enternet
B) alter-net
C) intranet
D) inner-net

Accepted Answer

The term describing a companywide network that is based on Internet-like technology, but is closed to public access, is an intranet.

Question 20

Information mainly used for security purposes such as fingerprinting and retinal scans is known as:
A) physical-world observations.
B) biological data.
C) private data.
D) public data.

Accepted Answer

Biometric data, such as fingerprints and retinal scans, are examples of biological data that are primarily used for security purposes.

Quiz 23: Extension: Using Technology to Manage Information

High-quality information is:

A firm would use data mining if it wanted to:

Two of the characteristics of useful information are:

Gregory Bowman is a manager who wants to be well informed. Like many managers, however, he is often overwhelmed by information overload. Which of the following would probably be the most useful first step for Gregory to take in order to deal with this problem?

Perry Black has convinced top management at his company that they can use data-mining techniques to develop new marketing strategies. One of the keys to the success of Perry's suggestion is:

A company can use a(n) __________ to prevent unauthorized outsiders from accessing information on its intranet.

Many businesses choose to open their intranets to other selected organizations through the use of:

A(n) _________ is a semiprivate network that uses Internet technology to enable more than one company to access the same information or to allow people on different servers to collaborate.

Transaction data gathered at the point of sale is known as:

A major problem with the rapid expansion in the amount of information available to managers is that:

___________ looks for hidden patterns and unknown relationships among the data a firm has accumulated.

Data from RFID devices, miniature cameras, and wireless access used to understand where people or items are located is called:

The amount of information managers receive each day:

Data mining would be most helpful to a manager that wants to:

The first step a manager should take to cope with information overload is to:

A(n) ________ is a companywide network that is based on Internet-like technology, but is closed to public access.

Information mainly used for security purposes such as fingerprinting and retinal scans is known as: