DISC 6341
Sec 24334
Information Systems
Summer 2009 6 Week-1st
MH 130
TuTh 6:00-10:00 PM
Office Hours: Wednesday 5:00-6:00 PM
Carl Scott, Ph.D.
Office: 260B Melcher Hall
E-mail: cscott@uh.edu
Phone: 713-743-4753
Fax:
713-743-4706
Purpose:
This course presents a perspective on the effective design and use of
information systems for strategic advantage and operational performance in
organizations. Information technology (IT) has a significant impact on the productivity of
the firm and its employees. While some firms and individuals make substantial use of IT,
others struggle to find a place for the tools and techniques that comprise these systems of
hardware, software and people. The focus of this course is to study successful users and
uses of IT to gain an understanding of the potential of IT. The course does not focus on
particular information technologies, found in courses such as accounting information
systems. The course is designed to develop leaders who can effectively use the portfolio
of IT tools that are applied and misapplied to various business problems.
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Grading: Grades in this course will be based upon the following distribution:
Percentage
Grade
Ranges
A
100 - 93%
A-
92 - 90%
B+
89 - 87%
B
86 - 84%
B-
83 - 80%
C
79 - 70%
Quizzes
25%
Mid-Term Exam
25%
Written Case Analysis 25%
Technology Briefing:
20%
Peer Evaluations
5%
Quizzes: This semester there are seven multiple-choice quizzes with the highest six used
for the grade. The questions will come from the lectures, case studies, and assigned
readings. Your answers will be recorded using scantron form no. 88483. Grades will be
posted the following day.
Mid-Term Exam: The midterm exam will be multiple choice and last approximately 90
minutes of class and will take place on the indicated day. The questions will come from
the lectures, quizzes, case studies, and assigned readings. Your answers will be recorded
using scantron form no. 88483. Grades will be posted the following day.
Written Case Analysis: Most days a case study is presented by one team. As indicated in
the syllabus, that team will electronically submit a case analysis of the case. Each
analysis should tie in as many aspects of class and other cases as possible. The key to
successful written case analyses is integration with the other cases and the materials of
the course. Each case is scored based upon the success of the integration and on the
presentation of the analysis. Spelling and grammar count!
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Case studies are submitted to the instructor electronically by 1700 one day prior to class.
One letter grade will be subtracted for each day a case is submitted after the due date.
Students will also post their case studies to www.turnitin.com by 1700 one day prior to
class. For www.turnitin.com the class is Information Systems DISC 6341, class ID
number is 2704772 and the password is 56pus&*. TurnItin getting started for students,
instructions
are
available
at
http://www.class.uh.edu/classidt/Tutorials_Help/students/turnitin_student_quickstart.pdf
Grades will be posted the following week.
Technology Briefing: Each team will present a technology briefing at the end of the
semester. This briefing will be a 15 to 20 minute presentation of a particular hardware or
software system, chosen by the group (with some input from the instructor and class).
The briefing should include an overview of the technology category (e.g. groupware),
specifics the particular technology (e.g. costs, features) and real life examples of its use.
Obviously picking a technology in use (or should be in use!) at one of your companies
would be desirable. The day before the briefing the group will submit a short (2 page)
executive summary of their presentation and copies of presentation materials and slides to
the instructor. Tie the presentation to the topics we discuss in class. The more
entertaining the presentation, the better and demos are encouraged! Grades will be
posted the following week.
Peer Evaluation: At the end of the course, each student will provide a peer evaluation on
the other members of the team. Each student will be given 100 points to assign to the
other members of the team. A caveat though is, that the there must be a reasonable
deviation in the ratings. Equal or near equal ratings will result in a penalty for the
evaluator. Grades will be posted the following week.
Resources: The textbook for this course is Management Information Systems 11e by
Ken Laudon and Jane P, Laudon. We will also use cases, and articles to investigate the
topics (Appendix 1).
You will use email to turn in your written case analyses. All assignments should be saved
as Microsoft Word documents (any version) or Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. If you
don’t have these Microsoft products, it is very probable that your systems can save the
files in that format. You then will use Internet-based email to send these files. The file
containing the Case write-up will be labeled with your team name and case associated
with it. For example the Case write-up associated with Dell will be: “Dell Online Team
United.doc.” I will return your case writeups to provide feedback on your work. I may
also make available your case analyses via the Internet so that other teams can benefit
from your work. In addition to electronic mail, many of your case discussions can be
improved by searching the Internet for additional information to support elements of your
analysis. All electronically submitted documents must contain your name. The name on
the email message itself is not sufficient. In other words, your word-processed documents
or spreadsheets must contain your name.
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Blackboard Vista
Blackboard Vista is the new version of WebCT Vista.
 How will I get my Blackboard Vista User Name?
You will NOT get a User Name if your instructors do not use Vista for your
courses.
 For Blackboard Vista, your User Name is your PeopleSoft ID.
 For WebCT Vista, your User Name is your Cougarnet ID.
 Here’s three ways to get your User Name:
Online at http://www.uh.edu/webct - Click “Check User Name” to get
your WebCT User Name.
In person in Room 116 of the PGH building on the main campus,
Monday-Friday, 8 am-8 pm.
By phone at 713-743-1411 - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
 New users: Your User Name will start to work only AFTER the first day
of class.
 If you register late or change sections, allow 1-3 working days AFTER
you register for a class for your User Name to be created and added to the
class.
 Be sure to type your User Name and password exactly as specified.
 What’s my password?
Your initial password is your 6-digit birth date in the format mmddyya! where “a”
is the first initial of your last name in lower case. The exclamation point is part of
the password. For example: April 1, 1983 for Jane Smith would be entered as
040183s! You will be required to change your password the first time you log on
and every 90 days after that.
 Where do I find my WebCT Vista or Blackboard Vista courses?
Once you have your User Name, go to http://www.uh.edu/webct. Click the red
“WebCT Vista” button or the blue “Blackboard Vista” button. Enter your User
Name and password exactly as specified. Use “Check Your Browser” to check
your computer configuration.
 How do I get help using WebCT Vista or Blackboard Vista?
Go to http://www.uh.edu/webct and click on “Student Help” to see a variety of
options. Students can also call 713-743-1411 or send email to support@uh.edu.
Academic Honesty:
The University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy is strictly enforced by the C. T. Bauer
College of Business. No violations of this policy will be tolerated in this course. A
discussion of the policy is included in the University of Houston Student Handbook,
http://www.uh.edu/dos/hdbk/acad/achonpol.html. Students are expected to be familiar with
this policy.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities:
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The C. T. Bauer College of Business would like to help students who have disabilities
achieve their highest potential. To this end, in order to receive academic
accommodations, students must register with the Center for Students with Disabilities
(CSD) (telephone 713-743-5400), and present approved accommodation documentation
to their instructors in a timely manner.
Tentative Schedule
Teams will also meet on Fridays June 5, June 12, and June 19 to
prepare case analyses and technology briefings.
June 2: Introduction: Information systems are everywhere. They touch so many aspects of our work
lives and personal lives. In today’s class we will outline the various elements of information systems
that we will cover in this module. We will look at the role of IT in the organization and implications for
the "new" economy. In today’s class, we will set the stage for the use of information technology in the
organization.
Laudon and Laudon Chapter 1
June 4: Security: A recently conducted a survey of 120 top-level executives showed that only 10%
have or manage a security or privacy curriculum geared toward different information-handling
responsibilities. Attacks on company web sites occur every day. What is the big deal? What can you
do about it? In today’s class, we will look at the different aspects of IT security and what you can do, to
improve your company’s security.
Case: The iPremier Company
Homework: Turn in student profile.
Laudon and Laudon Chapter 8
Quiz 1
June 9: Electronic Commerce: Electronic commerce is certainly the buzzword that has defined the late
1990s and early 2000s. What is the big deal? It is just using a bunch of computers to do what we’ve
been doing for hundreds of years, right? In today’s class we will take a look at how electronic commerce
works and why it is, indeed different, but also the same! Amazon.com is an example of electronic
commerce that focuses on similar aspects of doing business, just on different scales and in different
domains.
Case: Amazon.com: Exploiting the Value of Digital Business Infrastructure
Laudon and Laudon Chapter 10
Quiz 2
June 11: IT for sustained competitive advantage: Business Modeling: " Business Modeling" is a
buzzword that is bandied about talk shows, business trade publications and advertisements. In the vast
majority of Business Modeling cases, information technology plays a significant role in the success of
the effort. Today, we will use take a look at how several companies have re-engineered the processes
that shape their organizations. How can IT be used to help you do your job better as a manager?
Today's topic will look also look at systems designed to support a manager or group of managers to
make better decisions. These systems include Decision Support Systems, Data Mining, Executive
Information Systems.
Case: Lands’ End
The Lands’ End case is available through WebCt
Laudon and Laudon Chapter 3
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Quiz 3
June 11: Five minute presentation by individual teams on their proposed Technology Topic.
Class gives approval.
June 16: Information Technology Infrastructure: The use of IT for competitive advantage has
received a lot of attention. We will use a series of case studies to take a look at this topic. The H.E. Butt
Grocery Co case is the case used to focus on the effect IT can have on a company’s competitive
positions.
Case: H.E. Butt Grocery Co.: A Leader in ECR Implementation
Laudon and Laudon Chapter 5 and 6
Quiz 4
June 18: Enterprise Resource Planning Systems: ERP systems are making significant changes in
the way we do business, and there is more to come. There are successes and failures. What do we have
to think about when putting in an ERP? How do we know if we’ve achieved success? In this case study,
we take a look at how one company did it and the issues surrounding the decision to implement.
Case: Cisco Systems Architecture: ERP and Web-enabled IT
Laudon and Laudon Chapter 9
June 18: Exam over material up to June 16.
June 23: Managing Information Systems Projects: Guest Speaker: Richard A. Albritton, PMP,
PM Shared Service Manager – US IT for Shell - Shell Information Technology International Inc.
Case: Vandelay Industries, Inc.
Laudon and Laudon Chapter 14
Quiz 5
June 25: Personal, Organizational, and Global Connectivity: The focus today is on the use of IT
to help people and organizations communicate. The case will highlight some of the connectivity tools
used in business especially global business.
Case: Li & Fung: Internet Issues (A)
Laudon and Laudon Chapter 14
Quiz 6
June 30:Legal and Ethical Uses of Information Technologies: Information technology can be used
in a variety of circumstances and we have to pay attention to the way we use it because the impact of its
misuse can be devastating. The legal and ethical challenges affecting the use of IT usually generates a
good discussion. We will take a look at all of the ways others can gain information about you and your
company and the importance of system security and ethical guidelines regarding intellectual property
and privacy. You don’t have to write up today’s case.
Case: ChoicePoint (A) Write-up: y
Laudon and Laudon Chapter 4
Quiz 7
June 30: Technology Briefing: We will discuss the future and hear the technology briefings!
6/10
Course Philosophy: There are very few absolutely right or wrong answers to most of the
problems we will discuss in class. Some strategies work well in some organizations or for
some individuals, but fail when applied elsewhere. What we will do is learn from the
experiences of others—from case studies and our own experiences—and try to apply
those experiences in our own environments. All opinions are worthwhile, but not to the
exclusion of others. I encourage you to discuss in class what is happening in the news, in
your company, in others’ companies and at home as these topics relate to information
technology. We have a ton to learn, and particularly in this field, more and more every
day.
How to Write a Case Analysis: When creating your analysis of the cases, it is important
to remember that each set of cases has a theme. It is this theme that should drive your
analysis and provide a platform for the integration. It would be inappropriate, for
example, to discuss the re-engineering implications of the Pharmanet case to the extent
that the reader would not understand that the main intent of this case is actually ethical
issues in IS. While there is no ideal outline for the case study analysis, a few suggestions
can be made. Each write up (Sections 1 through 3) is typically between 5 to 15 pages
typed, double-spaced with reasonable margins and fonts and page numbers. Many
include figures to support discussion points. Often these analyses contain information
gleaned from outside sources (e.g. the Internet), which is included in Section 5. If this
information cannot be electronically included in the document, it may be submitted in
class on the due date.
Title Page
Case Titles, Team members, Team name, Due Date, Primary Author, and Revision
Number if needed
Section 1
Discussion of: Company (case) Background; Theme of the set of cases (i.e. reengineering); Relationship of the case to the theme of the set of cases.
Section 2 (the bulk of the write up)
Integration: Find four to eight points of interest in the case around which the integration
will focus. These points are common elements found in multiple cases. Each of these
common elements should be discussed using examples from the other cases. Be sure to
tell me in reasonable detail how the integration relates. Don’t simply say "This is similar
to the experiences of Proctor & Gamble." Tell us how this is similar to the experiences of
Proctor & Gamble. The better your integration, the better your grade.
Section 3
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Summarize the case situation and make a recommendation. Although most do, some of
the cases won’t really lend themselves to a recommendation. In these cases, the summary
will suffice along with your opinion concerning the success or failure identified in the
case.
Section 4
List the key "take aways" you gleaned from the case. These are the key points that you
would want your listener to remember from the case. Be as specific as possible. Help the
reader understand where the take aways came from.
Section 5
Supporting materials. You may have found supporting materials from outside sources
such as MIS journals. When you include these, be sure to include their source (or
citation.) If found on the Internet, provide the URL.
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Appendix 1
Product #: 9-601-114
Product Title: The iPremier Co.: Denial of Service Attack (A)
Publisher: Harvard Business School Publishing
Product #: 9-800-330
Product Title: Amazon.com: Exploiting the Value of Digital Business Infrastructure
Publisher: Harvard Business School Publishing
Product #: 9-196-061
Product Title: H.E. Butt Grocery Co.: A Leader in ECR Implementation (A) (Abridged)
Publisher: Harvard Business School Publishing
Product #: 9-301-099
Product Title: Cisco Systems Architecture: ERP and Web-enabled IT
Publisher: Harvard Business School Publishing
Product #: 9-306-001
Product Title: ChoicePoint (A)
Publisher: Harvard Business School Publishing
Product #: 9-301-009
Product Title: Li & Fung: Internet Issues (A)
Publisher: Harvard Business School Publishing
Product #: 9-697-037
Product Title: Vandelay Industries
Publisher: Harvard Business School Publishing
Product Title: Lands End
Publisher: CAIS
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Student Profile
Put your
Picture here
Student Name ____________________________
Team Name _____________________________
Your Interests ____________________________
_________________________________
________________________________
This class will &@#$%&*@### if I don’t learn:
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
10/10