Deck 1: Business Information Systems in Your Career

Question 1

The enormous volume of data generated by Internet activity, such as web traffic, email, and social media is referred to as:

A) IoT.
B) big data.
C) the mobile digital platform.
D) cloud computing.
E) business intelligence.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

What percent of U.S. businesses have some form of remote work program?

A) 15 percent
B) 25 percent
C) 35 percent
D) 55 percent
E) 75 percent

Answer 2

D

Question 3

An example of a business using information systems for supplier intimacy is:

A) Apple's creation of the iPad.
B) JCPenney's information system that allows its contract manufacturers to see what garments have been sold and need to be replaced.
C) Citibank's ATM system.
D) Verizon's web-based digital dashboard providing real-time company information for managers.
E) the Mandarin Oriental's use of computers to keep track of guests' preferences.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

A firm that must invest in a new information system in order to comply with federal legislation is investing to achieve which of the following business objectives?

A) Customer intimacy
B) Operational excellence
C) New products.
D) Improved decision making
E) Survival

Question 5

What percent of the Fortune 500 companies uses Twitter to communicate with their customers?

A) 20 percent
B) 40 percent
C) 50 percent
D) 60 percent
E) 80 percent

Question 6

Which business objective were competitors seeking when they rushed to provide ATMs as well after Citibank introduced the first ATMs in New York?

A) Improved efficiency
B) Customer and supplier intimacy
C) Survival
D) Competitive advantage
E) Improved decision making

Question 7

Telepresence is an example of which of the following?

A) Business intelligence
B) Social business
C) IoT
D) Mobile digital platform
E) Virtual meeting

Question 8

Which of the following is an example of a business using information systems to create new products and services?

A) Apple's creation of the iPad
B) JC Penney's information system that allows its contract manufacturers to see what garments have been sold and need to be replaced
C) The Mandarin Oriental's use of computers to keep track of guests' preferences
D) Verizon's web-based digital dashboard providing real-time company information for managers
E) Walmart's Retail Link's system

Question 9

In 2015, what percent of Internet users will access the web through mobile devices?

A) Less than 15 percent
B) Around 25 percent
C) 50 percent
D) More than 60 percent
E) More than 75 percent

Question 10

To make sure they stock clothes that their customers will purchase, a department store implements a new application that analyzes spending levels at their stores and cross-references this data to popular clothing styles. Which of the following business objectives is this information intended to support?

A) New products
B) Survival
C) Customer intimacy
D) Improved decision making
E) Operational excellence

Question 11

The six important business objectives of information system investment include all of the following except:

A) competitive advantage.
B) employee morale.
C) improved decision making.
D) survival.
E) new products.

Question 12

As discussed in the chapter opening case, the San Francisco Giants are taking advantage of wireless technology to do which of the following?

A) Improve decision making
B) Achieve operational excellence
C) Implement dynamic ticket pricing
D) Perform data analysis
E) Enhance fan experience

Question 13

All of the following are new technology-related trends in MIS except:

A) cloud computing.
B) big data.
C) IoT.
D) the mobile digital platform.
E) co-creation of business value.

Question 14

Which of the following statements is not true?

A) In 2015, American businesses will invest nearly $600 billion in information systems hardware, software, and telecommunications equipment.
B) In 2015, American businesses will spend $400 billion on business and management consulting and information technology services,
C) In 2015, about 25 percent of all capital investment in the United States will be for information systems hardware, software, and telecommunications equipment.
D) Expenditures in the United States for information systems are growing at a faster rate than the U.S. economy as a whole.
E) Worldwide expenditures for information were around $1 trillion.

Question 15

Walmart exemplifies the power of information systems coupled with excellent business practices and supportive management to achieve which of the following?

A) New business models
B) Operational efficiency
C) Customer intimacy
D) Competitive advantage
E) Survival

Question 16

A firm that invests in an information system because it is a necessity of doing business does so because it is seeking to achieve which of the following business objectives?

A) Survival
B) Improved decision making
C) Competitive advantage
D) Operational excellence
E) Customer intimacy

Question 17

Verizon's implementation of a web-based digital dashboard to provide managers with real-time information, such as customer complaints, is an example of:

A) improved flexibility.
B) improved decision making.
C) competitive advantage.
D) supplier intimacy.
E) a new product.

Question 18

Journalist Thomas Friedman's description of the world as "flat" refers to:

A) the flattening of economic and cultural advantages of developed countries.
B) the use of the Internet and technology for instantaneous communication.
C) the reduction in travel times and the ubiquity of global exchange and travel.
D) the growth of globalization.
E) the increased use of global currencies.

Question 19

All of the following describe the effects of globalization except:

A) significant decreases in operating costs.
B) reduction of labor costs through outsourcing.
C) ability to find low-cost suppliers.
D) increases in transaction costs.
E) replication of business models in multiple countries.

Question 20

Approximately how many adult Americans are online?

A) 118 million
B) 170 million
C) 205 million
D) 220 million
E) 227 million

Question 21

As described in the chapter case, which of the following constitutes a managerial element of the UPS tracking system?

A) The web-based Post Sales Order Management System
B) The ability to provide package status reports to customers
C) The decision to use automation
D) The implementation of in-house package tracking software
E) The ability to embed UPS functions in external sites

Question 22

Which of the following is the best definition of an information system?

A) A set of interrelated components that collect (or retrieve), process, store, and distribute information to support decision making and control in an organization
B) Computers, keyboards, printers, and telecommunications devices
C) A set of detailed programmed instructions that transform raw data into information
D) Physical devices and software that can be connected to share voice, data, images, sound, and video
E) A global network that uses universal standards

Question 23

Data management technology consists of:

A) the physical hardware and media used by an organization for storing data.
B) the detailed, preprogrammed instructions that control and coordinate the computer hardware components in an information system.
C) the software governing the organization of data on physical storage media.
D) the hardware and software used to transfer data.
E) the universally accepted standards for storing data.

Question 24

Output:

A) is feedback that has been processed to create meaningful information.
B) is information that is returned to appropriate members of the organization to help them evaluate the input stage.
C) transfers raw data to the people who will use it or to the activities for which it will be used.
D) transfers processed information to the people who will use it or to the activities for which it will be used.
E) is a stream of raw facts representing events occurring in organizations or the physical environment.

Question 25

All of the following can be considered managerial responsibilities except:

A) making action plans to solve organizational problems.
B) creating new products and services.
C) designing new information systems.
D) allocating human resources to coordinate the work to be done.
E) setting strategy for responding to business challenges in the environment.

Question 26

Federal law requires many businesses to keep email messages for five years.

Question 27

As described in the chapter case, which of the following constitutes an organizational element in the UPS tracking system?

A) The specification of procedures for identifying packages with sender and recipient information
B) Monitoring service levels
C) Promoting the company strategy of low-cost, superior service
D) The use of handheld computers and networks for managing package delivery
E) Routing software that creates the most efficient delivery route for each driver

Question 28

The average number of baseball tickets sold at a particular price is an example of:

A) input.
B) raw data.
C) meaningful information.
D) output.
E) feedback.

Question 29

Purchase of information systems hardware, software, and telecommunications equipment will constitute more than half of all capital investment in the United States in 2015.

Question 30

Intranets:

A) are based on mainframe technology.
B) are multiple networks joined together.
C) are typically used to communicate with the business's trusted vendors.
D) use Internet technology for a private company network.
E) provide the platform on which a firm builds its information systems.

Question 31

The fundamental set of assumptions, values, and ways of doing things that has been accepted by most of a company's members is called its:

A) business process.
B) environment.
C) atmosphere.
D) values.
E) culture.

Question 32

The three activities in an information system that produce the information organizations use to control operations are:

A) information, research, and analysis.
B) input, output, and feedback.
C) input, processing, and output.
D) data analysis, processing, and feedback.
E) information, data, and processing.

Question 33

An example of raw data from an automobile manufacturer would be:

A) an average of 130 Subarus sold daily in New York in 2015.
B) 1,300 Subaru Outbacks sold during the first quarter 2015 in New York.
C) 1 Subaru Outback sold January 7, 2015 in Mount Kisco, New York for $25,000.
D) annual sales of Subaru Outbacks increased 4.5 percent.
E) an average sale price of $26,000 for all Subaru Outbacks sold during January 2015 in Mount Kisco, New York.

Question 34

In a hierarchical organization, the upper levels consist of:

A) managerial, professional and knowledge workers.
B) managerial, professional, and technical workers.
C) professional and operational workers.
D) managerial, professional, and operational workers.
E) knowledge, technical and operational workers.

Question 35

Which of the following fields deals with behavioral issues, as well as technical issues surrounding the development, use, and impact of information systems used by managers and employees in the firm?

A) Information systems literacy
B) Information systems architecture
C) Management information systems
D) Information technology infrastructure
E) Computer information systems

Question 36

A business model describes how a company produces, delivers, and sells a product or service to create wealth.

Question 37

Converting raw data into a more meaningful form is called:

A) capturing.
B) processing.
C) organizing.
D) feedback.
E) inputting.

Question 38

All of the following are examples of environmental actors in an information system except:

A) customers.
B) stockholders.
C) feedback.
D) competitors.
E) regulatory agencies.

Question 39

You work for an auto manufacturer and distributor. How could you use information systems to achieve greater customer intimacy?

Question 40

Define operational excellence. How can information systems help achieve it?

Question 41

An extranet is a private intranet extended to authorized users outside the organization.

Question 42

________ consists of detailed, preprogrammed instructions that control and coordinate the computer hardware components in an information system.

A) Software
B) Programming
C) Enterprise applications
D) Business intelligence
E) Data management technology

Question 43

What important managerial function is impaired by not having access to timely and accurate information? What is the effect of this lack of data?

Question 44

Data is information that has been shaped into a form that is meaningful to human beings.

Question 45

According to the chapter case, UPS's use of web-based tools that allow customers to embed UPS functions, such as tracking and cost calculations, into their own websites, was an information systems solution used to achieve customer intimacy.

Question 46

Consider an information system in a moving company that analyzes travel patterns and decides which routes are the most efficient for every van. The need for employees to follow procedures to update this system with arrival and departure times would be considered a(n) ________ dimension of the system.

A) organizational
B) managerial
C) people
D) technology
E) cultural

Question 47

Information systems literacy describes the behavioral approach to information systems, while computer literacy describes the technical approach.

Question 48

The culture of UPS places service to the customer among the company's highest business objectives, which is reflected in their use of information systems to enable customer tracking of their packages. Based on your reading of Chapter 1, why is "culture" an important factor to consider when building information system solutions to business problems?

A) Culture is one element that can be radically changed, not always for the better, by new information systems.
B) Culture affects how information system solutions are implemented and used.
C) Culture is a cauldron of employee perspectives and conflicts, which can be used to improve business processes.
D) Culture is the driving force behind decision making and innovation.
E) Culture is the basis for organizational politics.

Question 49

People, organizations, and information technology are all dimensions of information systems.

Question 50

A network requires at least three computers and a shared resource.

Question 51

Employee attitudes about their jobs, employers, or technology can have a powerful effect on their abilities to use information systems productively.

Question 52

Intranets are private corporate networks extended to authorized users outside the organization.

Question 53

In order to understand how a specific business firm uses information systems, you need to know something about the history and culture of the company.

Question 54

Developing a new product, fulfilling an order, and hiring a new employee are all examples of business processes.

Question 55

Information systems consist of all the hardware and software that a firm needs to use in order to achieve its business objectives.

Question 56

A firm's IT infrastructure provides the platform on which the firm can build its information systems.

Question 57

________ is a service provided by the Internet that uses universally accepted standards for storing, retrieving, formatting, and displaying information in a page format.

A) FTP
B) Email
C) The World Wide Web
D) HTML
E) An extranet

Question 58

Which of the following is a global network that uses universal standards to connect millions of different networks around the world?

A) An extranet
B) The World Wide Web
C) The Internet
D) An intranet
E) Verizon

Question 59

Business processes are those logically related tasks for accomplishing tasks that have been formally encoded by an organization.

Question 60

Feedback is output returned to appropriate members of the organization to help them evaluate or correct the input stage.

Question 61

Perhaps the most frequent error in problem solving is:

A) rushing to judgment about the nature of a problem.
B) not being aware of personal limitations.
C) being too doubtful.
D) following a rote pattern of decision making.
E) failing to consider all dimensions of a problem.

Question 62

The owners of Speed-EZ, a new bike messenger service, are concerned about how they will manage their messengers once the messengers have left the office. This is a business problem that falls into the:

A) management dimension.
B) people dimension.
C) organizational dimension.
D) technology dimension.
E) cultural dimension.

Question 63

The first step in the model of business problem solving discussed in the chapter is:

A) interviewing the people involved in the problem.
B) identifying the problem.
C) outlining the problem's causes.
D) assigning the problem to a problem solver.
E) evaluating possible solutions to the problem.

Question 64

Flapjack Flats, a new pancake chain, is having difficulty finding pancake chefs. This is a business problem that falls into the:

A) management dimension.
B) people dimension.
C) organizational dimension.
D) technical dimension.
E) cultural dimension.

Question 65

Describe the people dimension of information systems and give an example. Is this dimension as vital as the technology dimension when considering a technology-based solution to a business problem?

Question 66

Legal compliance is an example of the ________ dimension of business problems.

A) management
B) organizational
C) people
D) technology
E) cultural

Question 67

The final step in the four-step model of business problem solving is:

A) outcome.
B) implementation.
C) change management.
D) feedback.
E) employee re-training.

Question 68

Which of the following would not be considered part of the implementation phase of problem solving?

A) Change management
B) Purchasing hardware for an information systems solution
C) Training an employee on new systems software
D) Evaluating a selection of software packages for implementing a new business process
E) Determining the attitude of employees about the solution.

Question 69

A database into which employees manually input customer names and addresses is riddled with errors and you have been charged with rectifying the situation. In considering the organizational dimensions of this problem, you should consider:

A) the skill levels of the employees inputting the data.
B) the training given to the employees inputting the data.
C) the business processes in place governing the manual input of the data.
D) the types of automatic error checking provided by the input software.
E) the storage capacity of the database.

Question 70

You are a new manager at a plumbing supply manufacturer where there are an unusually high number of returns for a new aerator used in the production of high-end faucets. In examining the problem you determine that the primary cause is the improperly designed die cast for the aerator. Which dimension of a business problem does this reflect?

A) People
B) Technology
C) Management
D) Organizational
E) Cultural

Question 71

The failure of NASA's initial solution to preventing the space shuttle shedding foam illustrates:

A) the importance of training employees on new business processes.
B) the need to prepare for measuring outcomes of a business solution.
C) the continuous nature of problem solving.
D) the need to quickly adapt to new technological innovations.
E) the importance of organizational change in problem solving.

Question 72

In choosing the best solution for a business problem, all of the following are important considerations except:

A) the cost of the solution.
B) the feasibility of the solution given existing resources and skills.
C) the length of time to implement the solution.
D) the attitudes of employees.
E) the ability to forget about the problem once it has been solved.

Question 73

Define business process. What might be a business process used at a hospital?

Question 74

Assume you work for a package delivery service in a major metropolitan area and that the business has been losing customers for several years. You have been asked to find a solution to this problem. What is the correct way to proceed?

A) Look for solutions, evaluate the solutions, identify the problem more clearly, and then implement the solution.
B) Think about what solutions can be implemented, look for solution designs, evaluate the designs, and then implement the solution.
C) Identify the problem, design alternative solutions, choose the best solution, and then implement the solution.
D) Design solutions, evaluate and identify the problems, choose the best solution, and then implement the solution.
E) Identify relevant information technologies, interview employees, choose a technology, and implement the technology.

Question 75

This chapter discusses how each organization has its own culture and sets of values shared by most of its members. What kind of shared values might you find at a law firm?

Question 76

Why is the building of a house an appropriate analogy for the building of an information system?

Question 77

What is the difference between information technology and information systems?

Question 78

Poor business processes are an example of the ________ dimension of business problems.

A) management
B) organizational
C) people
D) infrastructure
E) cultural

Question 79

Inadequate database capacity is an example of the ________ dimension of business problems.

A) technology
B) organizational
C) people
D) management
E) cultural

Question 80

You are a marketing manager for a national movie theater chain. Give an example of data that your department could use for creating meaningful information. What type of information could that data produce?