ISORG IS2136 Lesson 2 Tutorial Homework

1) Define an information system and describe the activities it performs. Suggested Answer: An information is a collection of interrelated components that has been put together to collect, process, store and distribute information. It seeks to transform raw data into useful information that will support decision making, coordination and control in organizations. It performs 3 functions: collect raw input data, process and summarize the data using appropriate business rules and produce output information that supports the operations and functions of an organization.

2) List and describe the organizational, management and technology dimensions of information systems. Suggested Answer: Information Systems (IS) must be designed to meet the needs of the organizational, management and technology elements of a business or organization. In meeting organizational needs, the IS must take cognizance of the organizational hierarchy, business processes and functions, and organizational dynamics in the form of culture and politics. It must support appropriate information flows and include appropriate security features and controls. In meeting management needs, the IS seeks to support the various levels of managers in performing the four functions of planning, organizing, leading and controlling. It must be able to collect relevant data and turn them into useful management information to facilitate business planning and control. The IS itself is built from appropriate pieces of Information Technology that are ideally suited for the particular business organization. These include hardware, software, networking and data management systems. Collectively, these form the technology elements of the system.

3) Distinguish between data and information. Give examples. Suggested Answer: Data is primitive and raw and represents some basic facts. Information is data that has been processed and provides practical and useful meaning. Information is frequently a high level summary of a mass of elemental data. An example of data is the unit price of a certain product. This represents a fact but is hardly useful for business decision making. On the other hand, if all the data pertaining to the quantity

and price of a basket of products which has been sold are collected, they can be processed to create a Sales Report. This Sales Report will then be able to provide useful information such as what is the topselling product, which period has the highest sale, which product requires restocking and so on.

4) Distinguish between systems literacy and computer literacy. Which is ISORG concerned with? Suggested Answer: Literacy is the ability to understand, think and work with some pieces of knowledge. In the case of computer literacy, it means the ability to understand and work with computer hardware and software. It focuses on physical infrastructure. Systems literacy refer more to Information Systems literacy, which involves more than an understanding of computers. Systems literacy must include understanding of organizations, management and technology. ISORG is concerned with information systems literacy.

5) Explain how the Internet and the World Wide Web are related to the other technology components of information systems. Suggested Answer: The technology components of information systems are hardware, software, and networking. The Internet describes one form of networking that requires computers all over the world to be interconnected in such a way as to ensure secure transmission of data. The World Wide Web (www) is a form of software that works with the network to allow users to access remote information using a web browser. In short, the Internet is one type of network. The www is one type of software.

6) What is time-shifting? What is space-shifting. Illustrate with examples. Suggested Answer: Timeshifting means 2 entities (eg people) need not be communicating at the same time simultaneously. When 2 persons talk to each other over a telephone, there is NO timeshifting. However, if one person leaves a voice mail in the morning while the other hears the voice mail in the afternoon, time-shifting has taken place. Space-shifting means 2 entities (eg people) need not be at the same place to communicate. For example, in the classroom, the teacher and the student are at the same place, and so there is no space-shifting. On

the other hand, if the teacher were to conduct a web seminar (webinar) from the school while the student is taking the same seminar from home, then space-shifting has taken place.