Review Questions:

1. Define the term knowledge worker. Who coined the term?

A knowledge worker is typically a professional who are relatively well educated and who
create, modify, and/or synthesize knowledge as a fundamental part of their job. Peter
Drucker coined the term.

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2. Describe and contrast the economic, cultural, and technological changes occurring in the
digital world.
The economic changes have increased in international trade, in development of global
financial systems and currency, and in the outsourcing of labor. The cultural changes have
increased in the availability of multiculturalism through television and movies; the frequency
of international travel and tourism, and immigration; the availability of ethnic foods and
restaurants; and the frequency of worldwide fads and phenomena. The technological
changes have helped in the development of low-cost computing platforms and
communication technologies; the availability of low-cost communication systems; the
ubiquitous nature of a low-cost global telecommunications infrastructure; and the
enforcement of global patent and copyright laws to spur further innovation. All of these are
awesome, but they have made it easier for fraudsters to steal information from victims.
Sometimes the good that they have preformed isnt has a great as all of the bad that can be
cause because of them.

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3. List the 10 factors that led to globalization 3.0.
a. The fall of the Berlin Wall
b. The release of the Netscape Web Browser
c. Work flow software
d. Uploading
e. Outsourcing
f. Offshoring
g. Supply chaining
h. In-sourcing
i. In-forming
j. The steroids

4. Describe work flow software. How did this technology drive the flattening of the world?
Work flow software is a variety of software applications that allow for software-to-software
interaction. This helped computers communicate with other computers making ordering
products easier on the person running the factory. It helped decrease the misunderstanding
of the people on the phone.

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5. Compare outsourcing, offshoring, and offshore outsourcing.
Outsourcing is when the business processes are preformed by another company. Offshoring
is when the business processes are preformed in-house but in a different country. Offshore
outsourcing is when a business process is preformed by another company in a different
country.

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6. Describe in-sourcing and provide examples of how organizations use in-sourcing.
In-sourcing is the delegation of a companys logistics operations to a subcontractor that
specializes in that operation, or to transferring a previously outsourced function to an inhouse department. This can be how companies use to send their call centers to overseas,
but they are now moving them back to places here in the US. Also it can be like how the UPS
is managing the packaging and shipping of some companies

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7. List and describe several reasons why companies are choosing to outsource business
activities.
To need less people at the company. If a company outsources certain parts need by the
company such as the accounting that is less people to have to offer benefits to. It also allows
the company to work in smaller buildings. More people mean that work for a company
means that they have more room and a bigger space compared to outsourcing and only
needing a small building or space. Outsourcing also allows a company the opportunity to
make someone else reliable if things go wrong such as if a situation dealing with shipping in
packaging occur.

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8. List and contrast several challenges of operating in the digital world.

One of the big challenges of operating in the digital world is the political system. Yes it is
good that the government does protect some of the tings that people do not need to access;
however, they do block some of the information that people should have access to dealing
with things that are happening in the world around them. Demographics are another
challenge in operating in the digital world. Yes people around the world much enjoy using
their computers and having access to information, but it is hard for one company to be able
to meet the needs of all people. Another issue is that faces people operating in the digital
world is data sharing. People are able to share almost anything with people that they choose
to share. They government does need to regulate this though.

9. Define the term information systems and explain its data, technology, people, and
organizational components.
Information systems are combinations of hardware, software, and telecommunications
networks that people build and use to collect create, and distribute useful data, typically in
organizational settings. The data component is the words and numbers used to work the
system. Technology is all the components that are used to actually process and key in the
data in the information system. People make the technology, and they key are the ones who
key in the system. Organizational components are the ones who pay and support they
information system.

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10. Define and contrast data, information, and knowledge.

Data is unformatted, but it is the building block of the other two.
Information is formatted data, and it is the building block of the knowledge.
Knowledge is the ability to understand the information. Without one you could not have
any of the others.

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11. Describe three or four types of jobs and career opportunities in information systems
and in related fields.
One job in the information system is a programmer; they are responsible for coding, testing,
debugging, and installing programs. They develop the systems. Another job is a database
administrator is responsible for managing database and database management software
use. They maintain the systems. Another is IS security manager they are responsible for
managing security measures and disaster recovery. They get to manage the system. Finally
there is a university professor; they get to teach undergraduate and graduate students;
study the use of information systems in organizations and society. The do the studying part
of the systems
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12. List and define three technical knowledge and/or skills core competencies.
The hardware is refers to the physical computer equipment. The software refers to a
program or set of programs that tell the computer to preform certain tasks. Networking is
how all of the systems are able to connect to each other.
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13. List and define four business knowledge and/or skills core competencies.
The business integration, industry is where the business processes, functional areas of
business and their integration, industry characteristics take place. They also get to manage
people and projects by planning, organizing, leading, controlling, and managing people and
projects. The next skill is the social skill which helps in the interpersonal, group dynamics,

and political aspects. Finally you have communication skill, which is where the verbal,
written, and technological communication and presentation take place.
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14. List and define four of the systems knowledge and/or skills core competencies.
The systems integration is where connectivity, compatibility, integrating subsystems and
systems take place. The development methodologies is where the steps in systems analysis
and design, systems development life cycle, alternative development methodologies take
place. The critical thinking skill is need to challenge ones and others assumptions and ideas.
The problem solving skill is need to help ones information gathering and synthesis, problem
identification, solution formulation, and comparison.
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15. List and define five types of information systems used in organizations.
Transaction processing systems are used to process day-to-day business event data at the
operational level of the organization. Management information systems are used produce
detailed information to help manage a firm or a part of a firm. The intelligent system
emulates or enhances human capabilities. The customer relationship management system
supports interaction between the firm and its customers. The electronic commerce system
enables customers to buy goods and services from a firms Web site
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16. Describe the evolution of the information systems function within organizations.
In the beginning the early history: poor service and wore attitudes this is when projects
were over budget and were late because it took to long to complete them. The rise and fall
of end-user development is where computers were getting to where the average person
could use them, but they were having problems but the systems were not always
compatible. These all eventually rounded to the modern IS organization where the systems
were most everyone was able to use the systems, and the people had little problems with
the system.

17. How are the digital divide and computer literacy related?
The digital divide is made up of people who are computer literate and have access to the
information and those who do not. If there were not people who were computer literate
and people who were computer illiterate then we would have a digital divide.

18. Compare and contrast information privacy, accuracy, property, and accessibility.
Information privacy is concerned with what information an individual should have to reveal
to others in the workplace or through other transactions, such as online shopping.
Information accuracy is concerned with ensuring the authenticity and fidelity of information
as well as with identifying who is responsible for informational errors that harm people.
Information property focuses on who owns information about individuals and how that
information can be sold and exchanged. Information accessibility focuses on defining what
information a person or organization has the right to obtain about others and how this
information can be accessed and used.

Self-Study Questions:
1. Information systems today are B. continuing to evolve we improvements to the hardware
and software.
2. Whereas data are raw unformatted pieces or lists of words or numbers, information is A.
data that has been organized in a form that is useful.
3. Computer-based information systems are described in this chapter as B. a combination of
hardware, software, and telecommunications networks that people build and use to collect,
create, and distribute data.
4. Other terms that can be used to represent the knowledge society include D. all of the
above (the new economy, the new society, the digital world)
5. Which of the following was not discussed as a common type, or category, of information
system used in organizations? D. Web graphics
6. What stage of globalization started with expansion of trade to India, where the horse and
wind and, in later stages, steam were the primary drivers? C. Globalization 2.0
7. The release of the Netscape Web browser had the following effects on the flattening of
the world except C. providing integrated e-mail
8. Which of the following is not considered an enabler of a flat world by Friedman? D.

customer service software

9. Which of the following is not considered open-source software? A. Microsoft Office
10. Being C. computer literate, or knowing how to use the computer as a device to gather,
store, organize, and process information, can open up myriad sources of information.

Problems and Exercises

1. Match the following terms with the appropriate definitions:
i. Information- B. data that have been formatted in a way that is useful
ii. Downsizing- E. the practice of slashing costs and streamlining operations by laying off
employees
iii. Information systems- F. combinations of hardware, software, and telecommunications
networks that people build and use to collect, create, and distribute useful data, typically in
organizational settings
iv. Information accuracy- J. an area concerned with ensuring the authenticity and fidelity of
information as well as identifying who is responsible for informational errors that harm
people
v. Computer fluency- D. the ability to independently learn new technologies as they emerge
and assess their impact on ones work and life
vi. Globalization 3.0- C. stage of globalization encompassing virtually every nation and
shrinking the world from size small to size tiny
vii. Offshore outsourcing- G. the outsourcing of business processes on a global scale
viii. Digital divide- I. the gap between those individuals in our society who are computer
literate and have access to information resources, such as the Internet, and those who do
not
ix. Information privacy- H. an are concerned with what information an individual should
have to reveal to others through the course of employment and through other transactions,
such as online shopping
x. Computer ethics- A. the issues and standards of conduct as they pertain to the use of
information systems

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