Exam Review for MBUS626
Fall 2009 Dr. Chen
PART I. Multiple-Choice Questions
1. 10-15 Multiple Choice Questions (from Main text) (10-15 points)
2. 10 Multiple Choice Questions (Based on IT Seminar) (20 points)
PART II. Essays
2-3 Essays (65-70points)
1. SDLC (What and Why?)
2. Virtual organization: definitions, characteristics and others
3. IS Triangle Strategy
4. Business Model, Porter’s Model, and D-Aveni’s disruption model
5. Value-Chain and Value Systems
6. Organizational Design: its challenge and role of IT
7. Review all cases
8. Extra lecture(s) (e.g., Strategic IT Resources, Four Action Framework – Blue
Ocean Strategy) with a business example using one of models listed above
9. Strategic Advantage and Potential Risks of using IS/IT
i. Advantages of Information Resources – What General Managers want
ii. What tools are available to help shape their strategic use?
10. Analyze a mini case using one of the model/strategy learned from the class
In general, you should study and prepare for accomplishing the following tasks:
A.
Identify issues of business strategy, organizational design, and information
technology strategy present in the case.
B.
Identify appropriate framework/model to assess the case.
C.
Identify issues related to fundamental elements of IS/IT projects.
D.
Estimate the risk/complexity level of an IS/IT project.
Evaluate effectiveness of techniques and tools used by the subject company.
Potential Risks
There are many potential risks that a firm faces when attempting to use IT to outpace their
competition.
1. Awakening a sleeping giant – a large competitor with deeper pockets may be nudged into
implementing IS with even better features
2. Demonstrating bad timing – sometimes customers are not ready to use the technology
designed to gain strategic advantage
3. Implementing IS poorly – information systems that fail because they are poorly
implemented
4. Failing to deliver what users want – systems that don’t meet the firm’s target market
likely to fail
5. Web-based alternative removes advantages – consider risk of losing any advantage
obtained by an information resource that later becomes available as a service on the web
6. Running afoul of the law – Using IS strategically may promote litigation