MIS 688: Information Systems in Organizations
Section: 1 Schedule No: 22003 Units: 3.0
Fall 2013
Instructor:
Phone:
E-mail:
Dr. Theo Addo
(619) 594-3013
taddo@mail.sdsu.edu
Office Hours:
Wed, Thurs: 2:00pm-3:30pm
Office:
SS-3109
Class Meeting: Tues: 4:00pm-6:40pm (GMCS 329)
Required Text
Pearlson, K. and Saunders, C., Managing and Using Information Systems: A Strategic Approach (5th ed),
John Wiley, 2013.
Supplementary Reading
The student is expected to keep abreast of current organizational information systems and technology
issues by reading extensively from the current journals. Active classroom discussion of these issues is
strongly encouraged. IT journals generally fall into two main categories: practitioner-oriented and
academic/research-oriented. It is advisable to read from both categories for comprehensive coverage
and understanding of the critical issues. The following are some examples of these journals:
Practitioner-oriented journals: CIO, InfoWorld, Information Week, PC World, Computer World, etc.
Academic/research-oriented journals: MIS Quarterly, Information Systems Research Journal,
Communications of the ACM, Journal of MIS, Information and Management, Journal of Information
Technology, Journal of Strategic Information Systems, Information Resources Management Journal,
etc.
MBA and MSIS Program Goals
This course is part of the MBA and MSIS degree programs. MBA students will graduate with: a) a solid
foundation in theoretical concepts and managerial skills needed to lead business organizations; b) the
ability to analyze environments in which managers make and implement business decisions; and c) the
skills to formulate, communicate, and coordinate strategies to solve business problems and pursue
opportunities.
MSIS students will graduate with the ability to: a) analyze organizational data, information, and
knowledge requirements for the design and implementation of information systems; b) understand
business implications of enterprise information systems infrastructure and architecture in a global
environment; c) align information systems strategies with organizational business strategies; and d)
understand threats, challenges, and trends of information systems in the global environment and
develop adequate solutions.
MIS 688 contributes to the above sets of goals through its specific objectives and student learning
outcomes.
Course Objectives
Students will be exposed to ways in which modern organizations utilize information technology (IT)
strategically to enhance their competitive positions in an increasingly complex and global business
environment. Technological as well as organizational and behavioral issues confronting today’s IT
executive are explored, and analytical approaches to addressing these issues are developed.
Student Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
 describe and explain the evolving business and IT environments
 describe and explain the need for alignment between business strategies and IT strategies
 describe strategic information systems planning and decision making in the new networked global
economy
 apply theoretical business and information systems models to management and problem-solving
situations
 explain the concept of business process reengineering (BPR)
 describe ways of measuring organizational IT performance
 describe IT governance and the management of change
 describe the ethical responsibilities of today’s IT professional
Course Policies
1. All written assignments must be turned in at the beginning of class on the day they are due. In
general, there are no make-ups for any missed assignments. Late assignments will not be
accepted without a valid and verifiable excuse, such as a doctor’s note (on an official letterhead).
All students will be expected to participate actively in classroom discussions of assignments and
other relevant topics.
2. Assignments may involve individual or group participation. Some may also involve formal oral
presentations to the class; these presentations will be critically evaluated.
3. All announcements made in class or via e-mail or Blackboard are binding. Students are
encouraged to check their e-mail and Blackboard regularly, and to also inform me in advance of
any inability to attend class on a particular day.
4. Dishonest academic behavior (plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration on assignments, cheating on
tests, etc.) will be grounds for failure (grade of ‘F’) or dismissal from the course. Any incident of
academic dishonesty, regardless of how it is resolved, will be reported to the university—this is
university policy. SDSU defines plagiarism as follows:
“…the act of incorporating ideas, words, or specific substance of another, whether purchased,
borrowed, or otherwise obtained, and submitting same to the university as one’s own work to
fulfill academic requirements without giving credit to the appropriate source. Plagiarism shall
include but not be limited to (a) submitting work, either in part or in whole, completed by another;
(b) omitting footnotes for ideas, statements, facts, or conclusions that belong to another; (c)
omitting quotation marks when quoting directly from another, whether it be a paragraph,
sentence, or part thereof; (d) close and lengthy paraphrasing of the writings of another; (e)
submitting another person’s artistic works, such as musical compositions, photographs, paintings,
drawings, or sculptures; and (f) submitting as one’s own work papers purchased from research
companies. This definition may be found in section 2.2 (page 18) of the SDSU policy file, available
at http://newscenter.sdsu.edu/universitysenate/images/2010pffinal.pdf.
To discourage plagiarism, some assignments may be checked for originality using online
verification and validation resources such as TurnItIn.com.
5. University policies on Adds, Drops, Withdrawals, and Incompletes are strictly enforced. Be sure to
familiarize yourself with these policies and procedures, noting deadlines and other relevant
information.
Grading Scheme
Individual projects /assignments (incl. in-class exercises):
Midterm Test:
Final (group) project & presentation:
Class participation:
25%
30%
35%
10%
100%
====
Scale: A (90-100%), B (80-89%), C (70-79%), D (60-69%), F (< 60%)
Letter grades with pluses and minuses are also awarded.
Assignment and Project Specifications
Detailed requirements and specifications for each assignment and project (including oral
presentations) will be provided in class or via Blackboard. Grading of these projects will be in strict
accordance with the specifications.
Class Participation
Class participation points will be awarded based on the overall quality of participation throughout the
semester. Please note that class attendance does not necessarily equate to class participation. The
criteria used in assessing class participation include, but are not limited to, the following: consistency
and constructiveness of contributions to class discussions; willingness to voluntarily contribute ideas
and opinions; quality and insightfulness of responses when asked questions; and regularity of
attendance in class.
MIS 688: Tentative Course Schedule
Week
Date
Topic
Reading Assignment
1
Aug 27
Intro to course
Overview of IT Mgmt issues & challenges
2
Sep 3
A changing business / IT environment
Intro; Ch 4; Ch 7(206-209)
3
Sep 10
Models of information management
Ch 1; Ch 2
Intro
4
Sep 17
IT strategic planning and IT Project Management
Ch 1; Ch 3(85-89); Ch 10
5
Sep 24
Business Process Reengineering
Ch 5
6
Oct 1
Individual IT paper & presentations
7
Oct 8
Individual IT paper & presentations
8
Oct 15
Organizational / IT transformations
Ch 3(74-84); Ch 6; Ch 9
9
Oct 22
IT and Change Management
Ch 4(128-130)
10
Oct 29
IT Governance
Ch 8
11
Nov 5
Midterm Test
12
Nov 12
International dimensions of IT
Ch 3(89-95); Ch 7(203-204)
13
Nov 19
IT valuation and measurement
Ch 7
14
Nov 26
Ethics and the IT professional
Ch 12
15
Dec 3
Final (group) project & presentations
16
Dec 10
Final (group) project & presentations
17
Dec 17
Final exam (scheduled for 4:00 pm) – no final exam