MIS

Learning Objectives
We will try to understand the concept
of MIS.
We will Discuss Various Definitions of
MIS.
We will connect MIS to various
Academic Disciplines.

Historical Background
The Data Processing Industry grew rapidly in the
1960s, however, the quantity of output, most
often, far outstripped the quality of output.
The growth of the 1960s and 1970s saw a shift
from computer orientation, to information
orientation.
The role of information resource manager in
the organization offered an opportunity to
migrate from the technocratic image of the past,
and establish an image as a business manager, a
general manager, an information manager.
Today this is the role of the CIO - Chief
Information Officer.

What is an Information
System?
Lets
look
at
some
different
definitions and then explore the
context of an IS in the organizational
setting.
The contrasting definitions should
provide a variety of different
perspectives.

John Diebold (1979) wrote:

Information, which in essence is the
analysis and synthesis of data, will
unquestionably be one of the most
vital corporate resources in the
1980s.
It will be structured into
models for planning and decisionmaking. It will be incorporated into
measurements of performance and
profitability. It will be integrated into
product
design
and
marketing
methods.
In
other
words,

Davis and Olson: (1985)

A management information system is:

an integrated user-machine system
for providing information
to support the operations, management, analysis,
and decision-making functions in an organization.
The system utilizes:
computer hardware and software
manual procedures
models for analysis, planning, control, and
decision-making
a database

IFIP/BCS (1985)
An information system is a system which
assembles,
stores,
processes,
and
delivers information relevant to an
organization (or to society) in such a way
that the information is accessible and
useful to those who wish to use it,
including managers, staff, clients, and
citizens.
An information system is a
human activity (social) system which
may or may not involve the use of
computer systems.

McNurlin and Sprague

(1989 & 1999)
The
mission
for
information
systems
in
organizations is to improve the performance of
people in organizations through the use of
information technology.
The ultimate objective is performance improvement
- a goal based on outcomes and results rather than
a go-through-the-steps process goal.
The focus is the people who make up the
organization.
Improving
organizational
performance is by the people and groups that
comprise the organization.
The resource for this improvement is information
technology.

Turban (1990)
A management information system is a
formal, computer-based (but need not be)
system intended to retrieve, extract, and
integrate data from various sources in
order to provide timely information
necessary for managerial decision-making.
An MIS is a business information system
designed to provide past, present, and
future
information
appropriate
for
planning, organizing, and controlling the
operations of the organization.

Alter (1992)
An
information
combination of

system

is

work practices
information
people, and
information technologies

organized to accomplish goals in an

organization.

Zwass (1992)
A Management Information System is
an organized portfolio of formal
systems for obtaining, processing,
and delivering information in support
of the business operations and
management of an organization.

Laudon and Laudon (1995)

Information system - (definition)
Interrelated components that collect,
process, store, and disseminate
information to support decisionmaking,
control,
analysis,
and
visualization in an organization.

Turban, McLean, Wetherbe

(1996)
An information systems is a collection of
components that collects, processes, stores,
analyzes, and disseminates information for a
specific purpose.
The major components of a computer-based
information system (CBIS) can include (1)
hardware, (2) software, (3) a database (4) a
network (5 )procedures, and (6) people.
The system operates in a social context, and
the software usually includes application
programs which perform specific tasks for
users.

Alter (1996)
An information system is a system
that uses information technology to
capture, transmit, store, retrieve,
manipulate, or display information
that is used in one or more business
processes.

Lucas (1997)
Information
systems
described by five of
components:

may
their

Decisions
transactions and processing
information and its flow
individuals or functions involved
communications and coordination

be
key

Zwass (1998)
Information System - An organized
set of components for collecting,
transmitting, storing, and processing
data in order to deliver information
for action.

Turban, McLean, Wetherbe

(1999)
An information system is a physical
process
that
supports
an
organizational system by providing
information to achieve organizational
goals.

Information Systems
Today
The early focus on IS was for the support

of
operations, management, analysis and decisionmaking in organizations.
A significant emphasis was on models of planning
and control.
The late 1980s and early 1990s saw IS expand
from the support not only of decision-making, but
but for improved communication support as well.
Social impacts began to be recognized.
The explosion of the Web has added the important
characteristic of providing information access.
Today the emphasis in organizations is on the
support of business processes.

Terminology
In many textbooks and contexts, the terms
Management Information Systems (or MIS) and
Information Systems (IS) are used interchangeably.
However,
in
other
contexts,
Management
Information Systems are considered as a subset of
the more general Information Systems. MIS are
considered to be information systems which
provides information specifically for managing an
organization generally at a tactical or middle
management level. Information Systems would be
a more general term that can include other
systems (e.g. group communication systems). We
will generally follow this convention.

MIS and Other Academic

Disciplines

MIS
MIS
MIS
MIS

and
and
and
and

Accounting
Management Theory
Operations Research
Computer Science

MIS and Accounting

Managerial accounting is concerned with
determining relevant costs and performing
other useful analysis useful for managerial
control and managerial decisions.
It tends to focus on the preparation of
budgets and performance analysis based on
budgets.
The MIS concept includes much of the
contents of managerial accounting.

MIS and OR
OR is important in relation to the MIS
because it has developed procedures
for the analysis and computer based
solutions for many types of decision
problems.
The systematic approach to problem
solving, use of models, and computer
based
solution
algorithms
are
generally
incorporated
in
the
decision support system component

MIS and Organizational

Theory
Since MIS is a support system for
organizational functions, it draws
upon concepts of organization, OB,
management and decision making

MIS and Computer Science

Computer science is important to MIS
because it covers topic such as
algorithms,
soft
wares,
data
structures, computations etc.

THANKS