The Polytechnic

End of Module Examination paper

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Strategic Information Management (SIM)

(MBA706)

Date: March 2022 Time allowed: 3 Hours

Examiners: G. Nyirenda and P. Chikumba

Instructions:

1. This paper contains FOUR questions. Please check.

2. Answer ALL the four questions.
3. Show all your work clearly.
4. Begin each question on a fresh page.

(Do not turn over this question paper until when you are told to do so)
Question One [25 marks]

You are required to select a company or organization that you know best (Malawian
Company) that uses information systems. This could be an organization that you are
working for OR could be Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences.

a) Describe how the organization you have selected manages its information. This
description should cover the whole information cycle from acquisition to
dissemination. (5 marks)

b) Explain the challenges that are faced by your selected company in managing
its information. (5 marks)

c) Suggest the solutions to each of the challenges that are faced by your selected
company in b) above in managing its information. (5 marks)

d) Describe four steps of change management that your organisation can use to
successfully adopt a new information system. (5 marks)

e) Explain four negative effects and four positive effects of IS/IT your
organization can experience on the social aspects of the organisation. As a
manager, how can you mitigate the negative affects you have explained within
your organization. (5 marks)

Question Two [25 marks]

a) Describe the three levels of data modelling that you can use to represent how
your organization is managing its data. (6 marks)

b) The MBA Lilongwe and Blantyre classes have a service provider that brings
food for both students and staff. Produce a logical data model that can be used
to represent the data requirements for this business. Assume this business has
many customers and serves many different types of food that are either
homemade or bought for resale i.e. birthday cakes etc. (14 marks)

c) As a manager, why is it important to understand the database planning models.

(5 marks)
Question Three [25 marks]

a) According to the literature there are at least six components of the information
environment. Choose four components and discuss their importance in the
information management in an organisation. (18 marks)

b) Why are externalisation and internalisation important in the knowledge

management? (7 marks)

Question Four [25 marks]

Somebody says, “Internet technology provides better opportunities for companies to

establish distinctive strategic positionings than did previous generations of
information technology… companies have no choice if they want to stay competitive
… not whether to deploy Internet technology… but how to deploy it …”

Discuss this statement. (25 marks)

End of Question Paper

Good Luck!