Faculty of Higher Education Lilydale

Unit of Study Outline

CIS23
Management Support Systems
Study Period 2, 2013
Version date 13 May, 2013

© Swinburne University of Technology, 2012

Except as provided in the Copyright Act 1968, this document may not be
reproduced in any form without the written permission of the University.
Unit of Study Outline
Unit of study code CIS23

Unit of study name Management Support Systems

Teaching Term/Semester & Year OUA Study Period 2, 2013

Contact Hours (hrs/wk) or total contact

13 weeks.
hours

Prerequisites It is recommended that you have completed the

units:
CIS11 Information Methods
and
CIS13 Information Systems Fundamentals,
or their equivalents, before attempting this unit.

A sound knowledge of the common business

tools of Information Technology will be highly
advantageous, particularly experience with the
Microsoft Office suite of applications, notably
Word, Excel, and Access. Familiarity with the
Microsoft Windows Operating System is also
expected.

Co-requisites None.

Credit Points This unit carries the standard credit points for an
Open Universities Australia unit of study.

Teaching Staff
Name Role Campus & Phone No. Email Address Consultation
Room No. Times
Dr Matthew Unit Convenor Hawthorn 03 9215 7140 mmitchell@swin.edu.au By
Mitchell EN 607a Appointment

Bill Davis Unit Tutor TBA TBA TBA TBA.

E-mail
All e-mail messages sent to either your tutor or to the Unit convener of this Unit need to be sent
from your Swinburne student e-mail account. This will ensure your e-mail is received in a timely
manner and not automatically sent to the SPAM filter used by Swinburne. Swinburne e-mail
accounts can be forwarded to personal accounts. The Swinburne student email system, Outlook
Live, is located at http://outlook.com. See http://live.swinburne.edu.au/faq.html for more information
on how to use it.

As part of the e-mail message criteria please clearly place in the subject heading the Unit Code
(CIS23) and a brief topic description, also inside your e-mail state your name (first name and last
name) so that your e-mail can be attended to as soon as possible.

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Aims
It is not unusual for graduates throughout their professional careers to be either making business
decisions or to be supporting the decision making of others. These decisions may or may not be
able to be assisted using computer-supported information systems. Graduates working in the area
of information technology or business systems design may also be called upon to contribute to the
design, implementation or maintenance of information systems that can be used to support
organisational decision making.

This Management Support Systems unit is specifically aimed at students taking a major or minor in
business and/or information systems, and who wish to gain an organisational and management
perspective on the application of information technology to support management. The focus of the
unit is on the processes of decision making and on the various sources and uses of information
that can be applied to strategic and tactical business problems. Students are encouraged to
develop a broad view of information and management decision making that encompasses:
organisational behaviour; society; stakeholders; business systems and information systems.

As a student in this unit you will become familiar with the factors affecting decision making, the
various roles associated with decision making and in particular the role of information,
communication and management support systems - which may or may not be computerised. You
will also become familiar with some common limitations of these systems and the tools and
techniques typically associated with them.

Learning Objectives
After successfully completing this unit, you should be able to:

1. Understand concepts surrounding organisational structure, management and decision-

making processes.
2. Comprehend the characteristics and components of information systems.
3. Be aware of the characteristics of various types of computer-based systems.
4. Have the ability to design, construct and implement management support systems.
5. Understand the concepts of data warehousing and data modeling.
6. Appreciate the concepts of knowledge-based organizations, the knowledge society, and the
impact of management support systems.

Resources and Reference Material

The recommended textbook for this Unit is:
Pidd, M. (2009). Tools for Thinking: Modelling in Management Science. 3rd Edition. Wiley.
Please note that due to the broad nature of this unit that no text book covers all its lesson
material. The text should be used to add depth or breadth to your knowledge and also to
allow you to refer back to topics as useful after you complete the unit. Exams will be
based on the lesson materials.
References are also provided to the following book, should students choose to also use it:
Turban, E; Aronson, J; Liang, T-P; and Sharda, R. (2007) Decision Support Systems and
Business Intelligence Systems, Eighth Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall.
Other Useful References for this Unit are:
Alter, S. (2002) Information Systems – The Foundation of E-Business, Fourth Edition,
Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, USA.
Summers, J: and Smith B. (2006) Communications Skills Handbook: How to succeed in
written and oral communication, Second Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Australia

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In addition to these texts a considerable number of others exist. Students will be expected to use
all possible resources including periodicals, newspapers, computer publications and Internet-based
literature.
Lesson and Learning Object materials will be available on the Swinburne Blackboard website at:
http://ilearn.swin.edu.au/
Note that the recommended Web browsers for accessing Blackboard units on-line are:
• Windows users should be able to use Microsoft Internet Explorer Version 7,
• Most Windows users should be able to use Mozilla Firefox 2,
• Mac OS 10.4 and 10.5 users should be able to use Safari version 3 or later or Firefox 2,
• Mac OS 10.3 users should use Firefox 1.5.
Other materials which cannot be provided electronically will be referred to in the Lessons and
Learning Objects and made available on-line or on counter reserve within the SUTL library

Content
Introduction to management support systems
Lesson 1: The Purpose and Role of Management
Lesson 2: Ways of Managing and Making Decisions
Decision Making Processes
Lesson 3: Decision Processes and Support
Lesson 4: The Decision Making Ecology
Case Studies in Decision Making
Lesson 5: Social Decision Making
Lesson 6: Corporate Decision Making
Supporting Decisions
Lesson 7: What Can Be Supported?
Lesson 8: How Support Can Be Provided
Simulation and Modelling
Lesson 9: Spreadsheeting
Lesson 10: Simulation
Implementation
Lesson 11: Development Lifecycles and Engaging Stakeholders
Lesson 12: Evaluation and Continuous Improvement
Review
Lesson 13: Review and Revision

Key Generic Skills for this Unit of Study

Swinburne University aims to produce higher education graduates who are capable in their chosen
profession. We recognise that as a learner you bring to your studies a wealth of experience and
that you will graduate with individual understandings, abilities and attitudes. During your work in
this Unit we will encourage you to place some focus on the development or improvement of the
following Generic Skills**. You will be provided with feedback on your progress in attaining the
following generic skills:
• Analysis Skills will be assessed via the ability to identify the important factors and
influences in relation to the task of management, decision making and desired versus likely
outcomes.
• Problem Solving Skills will be assessed by ability to build on your analysis skills to propose
paths towards achieving decisions in which risks and possible outcomes are identified or to
provide informed, context sensitive advice in relation to aspects of decision making.

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 • Communication Skills will be assessed via the clarity, structure, presentation of ideas and
referencing skills that you demonstrate in the written work you present for assessment
tasks.
** Generic Skills are broadly applicable professional skills that are not specifically related to any one
unit or topic of study.

Learning and Teaching Structure

Note that you will be expected to spend, on average, twelve and a half hours of independent study
time each week working on this unit.

Weekly Schedule – Study Period 2, 2013

# Week LESSON ACTIVITIES ASSESSMENT

Beginning
1 The Purpose and Role of Weekly Reading, Comments
27 May Management on Material, Weekly
Questions
2 Ways of Managing and Weekly Reading, Comments
3 June Making Decisions on Material, Weekly
Questions
3 Decision Processes and Weekly Reading, Comments
10 June Support on Material, Weekly
Questions
17 June Census Date

Task 1 Deliverable 1
4 The Decision Making Weekly Reading, Comments Due Monday 17 at
th

17 June Ecology on Material, Weekly midnight – Original

Questions blog article
5 Social Decision Making Weekly Reading, Comments
24 June on Material, Weekly
Questions
6 Corporate Decision Weekly Reading, Comments
1 July Making on Material, Weekly
Questions
8 July - Last Day to withdraw without academic penalty (WD)
7 What Can Be Supported? Weekly Reading, Comments
8 July on Material, Weekly
Questions
OUA Examination Services Venue Selection Open 8-28 July
Task 2 Deliverable 1
8 How Support Can Be Weekly Reading, Comments Due Monday 15 at
th

Provided on Material, Weekly midnight – First

15 July
Questions Group Meeting
Submission

21 July – Last day to withdraw to receive (WDFP)

Students withdrawing after this date will receive (NLWD)

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9 Weekly Reading, Comments Task 1 Deliverable 2
rd
on Material, Weekly Due Monday 22 at
22 July Spreadsheeting Questions midnight - Blog
comments must be
completed by now.
Weekly Reading, Comments
10 29 July Simulation on Material, Practical Task
Task 1 Deliverable 3
11 Development Lifecycles Due Monday 5 at
th

and Engaging Weekly Reading, Comments

5 August midnight – Updated
Stakeholders on Material, Practical Task
blog article and
comments
12 Evaluation and Weekly Reading, Comments
12 August on Material, Practical Task
Continuous Improvement
Task 2 Deliverable 2
13 Review th
Due Monday 19 at
19 August Sample Exam Questions
midnight – 2nd Group
Meeting Submission
Exam Date and Time Comments
2 hours + 10 minutes preliminary reading.
To be advised by OUA Examination

Blackboard Site for this Unit of Study

Important information concerning this Unit of study is placed on the Swinburne course
management system (Blackboard), accessible via the URL:
http://ilearn.swin.edu.au/
It is your responsibility to access on a regular basis
• the Blackboard site for your unit of study. Type in your ID number and your password. Note
your ID number is your student ID and your password is initially set to your date of birth in the
format DDMMYY
• the Announcements section on Blackboard, and
• any emails sent by the teaching staff to your student email address via Blackboard.

If you access your email through a provider other than Swinburne, it is your responsibility
to ensure that your Swinburne email is forwarded to your private email address. To redirect
your Swinburne email, go to http://live.swinburne.edu.au/redirect.html for information on
how to do this

Please note: Not all internet browsers support Blackboard. The compatible browsers are as
follows:

PC users: Firefox version 3.6 and above, Internet Explorer version 8 and above, Chrome.
Mac users: Firefox version 3.6 and above, Safari version 5, Chrome.
See http://kb.blackboard.com/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=101285989 for more information.

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Student Feedback:
Swinburne seeks student feedback in a number of ways, including through Student Feedback
surveys, as part of the university’s approach to quality assurance and improvement. Possible
improvements based on both student and staff feedback are considered by Unit Convenors, Unit
Panels made up of relevant teaching staff, Program Panels, Faculty Academic Committees, and
the Academic Programs Quality Committee, as appropriate.
Recent updates and improvements that have been made to this Unit of study include:
• Updates to materials and exercises
• Redesigned individual and group assessment tasks
• Provision of new group support tools

Assessment
There are two major assessment tasks in CIS23, all of which contribute to your final score in the
unit. These assessment tasks each have a number of deliverables as follows:
• Assessment Task 1 – Deliverable 1 - Submit original academic article 5%.
• Assessment Task 1 – Deliverable 2 – Comment on other articles 5 %.
• Assessment Task 1 – Deliverable 3 – Update your article and submit 10%.
• Assessment Task 2 – Deliverable 1 – Submit 1st Meeting recorded transcript* 15%.
• Assessment Task 2 - Deliverable 2 – Submit 2nd Meeting recorded transcript* 25%.
* Evidence of participation and preparation in group discussion also contributes to this mark.
These tasks are summarised below and in more detail in the Assessments area of the Unit’s
Blackboard site.
a. Assessment Task Details:

Assessment Task Individual/ Related Learning Weighting Due Date

Group Task Objective(s)
Monday June 17th,
Task 1: Deliverable 1 – Individual task 1, 3, 5 or 6 depending 5%
2013 at midnight.
Original Academic Article on topic choice
nd
Monday July 22
Task 1 – Deliverable 2 Individual task 1, 3, 5 or 6 depending 5%
2013 at midnight.
Comments on Articles on reviewed posts.
th
Task 1 – Deliverable 3 Individual task 1, 3, 5 or 6 depending 10% Monday Aug 5 ,
on topic choice 2013 at midnight
Final Article/Comment
th
Task 2 – Deliverable 1 Group task 2, 3, and 4 15% Monday Jully 15 ,
1st Meeting Outcomes 2013 at midnight.
th
Task 2 – Deliverable 2 Group task 2, 3, and 4 25% Monday Aug 19 ,
nd 2013 at midnight.
2 Meeting Outcomes
Task 3 - Final Individual Task 1–6 40% TBA
Examination

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Assessment Task 1 – Academic Article Assessment Task
This is an individual task.
Marks: 20% of the overall Unit result.

Select one of the topics covered in any of the lessons activities and write an original article
on that topic relating it to the group decision making assignment. Post your article for
public viewing by the unit’s staff and students in the ‘blog’ area available for this purpose.
Comment on two other articles and then update your article to address comments on your
or based on your own reflection. Your comments on other peoples’ articles must be made
before the due date for comments. Explain your updates in a separate comment.
Assessment by staff will only be made after the final article is submitted to Blackboard with
the comments. Assessment details will not be made public. This task has multiple due
dates and deliverables. See the table above and the specification for further details.

Assessment Task 2 – Group Decision Making

This is a group task.
Marks: 40%.

You are to arrange to have two meetings conducted with your group members. These
meetings should be conducted online using any available support tools, although
preferably using Blackboard Collaborate (formerly called Elluminate). Groups must allow
time for the meeting to be rescheduled in case one or more members cannot attend due
to some unforseen circumstance. With the submission, either included in the recording or
attached to it should be, for each meeting, both an agenda and a set of minutes.
Assessment by staff will only be made after the recording, along with the required
documents, is submitted through Blackboard. Assessment will be partly based on
preparation as evident from each group’s discussion forum. Based on this participation
individual assessments may vary within each group. Assessment details will not be made
public outside of the group. This task has multiple deliverables, see the table above and
the specification for more details.

Assessment Task 3 - Final Examination

This is an individual task.
Marks: 40%.
Date: To be announced
Duration: 2 hours writing time, preceded by 10 minutes reading time.
This is a supervised written examination.
Note that you must achieve a score of at least 45 percent on the final examination paper
in order to be eligible to obtain a Pass or higher grade in the unit.
Note that ONLY writing materials (such as pens and highlighters) and a hard (printed)
copy of an ‘other language / English’ or a ‘straight’ English dictionary are permitted in the
exam room. Electronic dictionaries, thesauruses and similar hardware are strictly
forbidden.
b. Participation Requirements
Students are encouraged to make use of all the electronic facilities and resources available: i.e.
live chats, discussion boards, email and telephone. These methods of engaging in the unit are
advised but not mandated.

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You are expected to prioritise your course studies.
c. Minimum Requirements to pass this Unit of Study:
In order to achieve a pass in this unit of study, you must:
• Achieve a score of 45% or greater of the marks allocated for the examination. Note that to be
eligible to pass the Unit you MUST meet this requirement the exam **.
And
• Achieve a minimum aggregate of 50% of all marks (i.e. Examination mark + Assignment marks
> = 50).
A final grade will be assigned based on the aggregate marks in accordance with University policy.
** Note that if you do not achieve the minimum required score for the examination (see above) then
you will have been unsuccessful in the Unit and your maximum possible mark for the Unit will be
40% (forty per cent). All assignment work must be attempted in order to pass the unit.
All assessment items must be attempted and submitted to receive a pass in the unit.
d. Assessment Criteria:
The assessment criteria that will be used for each assessment task will be stated as part of the
task specifications issued for each assessment task. These will be placed in the Assessment area
of the Unit’s Blackboard web site.
e. Submission of Assignments:
The submission requirements and processes that will be used for each assessment task will be
stated as part of the task specifications issued for each assessment task. These will be placed in
the Assessment area of the Unit’s Blackboard web site.
f. Extensions and Late Submissions:
Assessment due dates are published in Unit Outlines at the start of the teaching period and will not
normally be extended except where students had their studies adversely affected by acute illness,
misadventure or other extraordinary cause or circumstance reasonably beyond their control.
Students who need to request an extension of time to the due date for a piece of assessment
(excluding end of teaching period final examinations) should contact their Unit Convenor directly to
discuss their circumstances and submit the extension form located at
http://www.lilydale.swinburne.edu.au/students/current.htm

If approved, the convenor will notify the student of the extended date. For more information refer to
http://policies.swinburne.edu.au/ppdonline/showdoc.aspx?recnum=POL/2007/9
A late submission occurs when an assessment is made after a due date and where an extension
for the submission has not been approved. The grade or score applied to the judgement of a late
submission will suffer a penalty of 10% (ten per cent) of the maximum value of the assessment
task PER DAY (for example an assessment task with a value of 30 marks will be penalised at a
rate of 3 marks per day for late submission).
g. Assessment Results:
The results for submitted assessment tasks will be made available via the Gradebook area of the
Unit’s Blackboard web site. Every effort will be made to place results in this area within fourteen
days after the due submission date. Late submissions will be given lower priority.
Submissions, with relevant feedback, will be returned to students in tutorial sessions or by
arrangements made by negotiation with the convener.
Students must retain all assessed material that contributes to the final result up until such time as
the final unit results are published.

i. Group-work Guidelines:
In any assessment task that involves group work, the following guidelines must be noted and
applied.

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A group task is the collective responsibility of the entire group, and if one member is temporarily
unable to contribute, the group should be able to reallocate responsibilities to keep to schedule. In
the event of longer-term illness or other serious problems involving a member of a work group, it is
the responsibility of the other members to make the project supervisor or their tutor aware of the
situation straight away.
For the group meeting assessment components groups must allow for sickness or other
unexpected events. All members of the group must be present at the group meetings. Absences
of any member for any reason (other than extended absence due to illness or similar) will mean
that the meeting needs to be rescheduled to another time when all can attend. Marks for
individuals may vary from the group mark under some circumstances, particularly if there is a lack
of evidence of participation. More information on such variations is provided in the assignment
specification.
All group members must be satisfied that the requirements have been meet and correctly
submitted. Any penalties for late submission will apply to all group members, not just the person
who submitted.
j. Plagiarism:
Swinburne University of Technology defines Plagiarism as the action or practice of taking and
submitting or presenting the thoughts, writings or other work of someone else as though it is your
own work. Plagiarism includes any of the following, without full and appropriate acknowledgment to
the original source(s):
(i) The use of the whole or part of a computer program written by another person;
(ii) the use, in essays or other assessable work, of the whole or part of a written work from any
source including but not limited to a book, journal, newspaper article, set of lecture notes,
current or past student’s work, any other person’s work, a website or database;
(iii) the paraphrasing of another’s work;
(iv) the use of musical composition, audio, visual, graphic and photographic models,
(v) The use of regalia, that is objects, artefacts, costumes, models and the like.
Plagiarism also includes the preparation or production and submission or presentation of
assignments or other work in conjunction with another person or other people when that work
should be your own independent work. This remains plagiarism whether or not it is with the
knowledge or consent of the other person or people. It should be noted that Swinburne encourages
its students to talk to staff, fellow students and other people who may be able to contribute to a
student’s academic work but that where independent assignment is required, submitted or
presented work must be the student’s own.
Enabling plagiarism contributes to plagiarism and therefore will be treated as a form of plagiarism
by the University. Enabling plagiarism means allowing or otherwise assisting another student to
copy or otherwise plagiarise work by, for example, allowing access to a draft or completed
assignment or other work.
k. Assessment and Appeals Policy and Procedure
The information outlined in the Assessment sections above is covered in more detail in
Swinburne’s Assessment and Appeals Policy and Procedure. Students must be familiar with the
Policy and Procedure, found at:
http://www.swinburne.edu.au/corporate/registrar/ppd/docs/AssessmentandAppealsHigherEducation.pdf
The Policy and Procedure provides details about:
• Assessment issues such as the conduct of examinations, plagiarism policies and details
explaining how to apply for a review of results and other appeals, and
• Student progress issues such as unsatisfactory academic progress and early intervention
procedures, and
• Information for students with disabilities and special needs and procedures for applying for
special consideration.
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Students should make themselves familiar with all aspects of the Policy and Procedure, as failure
to do so is not grounds for appeal.
Students are advised to seek advice from the staff at the Swinburne Student Amenities Association
SSAA (http://www.swinburne.edu.au/ssaa/) if they require assistance with advocacy for Sections 12
(At-Risk and Progress Review) and 13 (Appeals) of the Policy and Procedure.

Safety Standards and Conduct Requirements:

Student misconduct is an action by a student which is in breach of the policies specified by
Swinburne in the student General Misconduct policy. This extends to publishing on websites even
where those sites are not set up or managed by Swinburne. Swinburne accepts no responsibility
for unauthorised material posted in social networking sites (such as Facebook).

If you have any issues resulting from the behaviour of other students, you should immediately
contact the Swinburne Student Amenities Association (SSAA)
http://www.myssaa.com.au/advocacy/academic-advice-and-advocacy
Relevant links:
Student General Misconduct policy
http://policies.swinburne.edu.au/ppdonline/showdoc.aspx?recnum=POL/2007/29
Information Technology (IT) Systems Acceptable Use Policy
http://policies.swinburne.edu.au/ppdonline/showdoc.aspx?recnum=POL/2008/34
All students are expected to respect the rights and sensibilities of their fellow students and
teaching staff. This also applies in respect of the content of video and audio work submitted for
assessment. The University has rigorous anti-discrimination and harassment policies and
procedures, found at:
http://ppd.swinburne.edu.au/humres/AntiDiscrimination.htm

Special Needs
If you have special needs you should advise your Faculty and the Unit of Study Convenor by the
end of the second week of the teaching period. In addition, it is recommended that you notify the
Equity Office if you have not already done so.
See also the “Students with Disabilities and Special Needs” Section of the Assessment and
Appeals Policy & Procedure, found at:
http://www.swinburne.edu.au/corporate/registrar/ppd/docs/StudentswithaDisability.pdf

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Open Universities Australia
Withdraw from a unit
If you need to withdraw from a unit the date of the notification is very important. See below for
further information.
From week 1 - 6
Please advise Open Universities Australia, of your intention to withdraw up until the end of week 6,
the unit(s) will be removed from your record. From weeks 1 – 3 you will, however, incur an
administration fee. Please refer to the OUA website https://www.open.edu.au/public/student-
admin-and-support/changing-your-study/withdrawing for these details. You will not incur a FEE
HELP debt for the unit(s).
Financial penalties are based on the date that Open Universities Australia receives your withdrawal
request.

From weeks 4-6 you will incur your fee help debt.

Weeks 7-13
Please submit a withdrawal form http://www.lilydale.swinburne.edu.au/oua/withdrawal.pdf , to
advise Swinburne University of Technology, Higher Education Lilydale, of your intention to
withdraw from week 7 and no later than eight weeks after the start of the Study Period, the unit(s)
will receive a WDFP – Withdrawn, Fee Payable grade on your academic record. You will retain the
FEE HELP debt for the unit(s).
If the notification of withdrawal is received after Week 8 of the Study Period, the unit(s) will receive
a NLWD – Not Pass, Late Withdrawal grade on your academic record. You will retain the FEE
HELP debt for the unit(s).
If you do not formally withdraw and you have submitted work, it will be assessed and a grade
awarded accordingly. If no work for assessment has been submitted, a “Not Assessed” grade will
be awarded.
Refunds for withdrawal after the Census Date are available under Special Circumstances for
students who have paid their registration fees upfront. Please refer to the Special Circumstances
section of the Refund Guidelines in the Open Universities Australia handbook or the website
www.open.edu.au for further information.

Further Information
For further information on OUA through Swinburne University of Technology a website has been
provided. The address for this site is: http://www.ld.swin.edu.au/oua/

Contacts
Swinburne University of Technology Student Advisers - Open Universities Australia
GPO Box 5387
Learning Pathways Unit (H100)
Level 1, 131 Queen St.,
PO Box 218
Melbourne VIC., Australia 3001
Hawthorn VIC 3122
ouald@swin.edu.au http://www.open.edu.au/contactus
Phone: (+613) 9215 7206 Phone (+61) 1300 36 36 52
Fax: (+613) 9215 7254 Fax (+613) 8628 2955

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