BUS 308: Systems in Organizations

Section 01 – CRN 30254: T/R 12:45 - 5:15 pm

Summer 2018 Semester Syllabus

Instructor Muhammad Al-Abdullah

Office Malloy Hall 226

E-mail malabdullah@usfca.edu *

*You must use your USF email to contact with the instructor of the course or to
communicate anything related to the course with the instructor or other students.
DO NOT use your personal email addresses for this course.

Office Hours T/R 11:00 am – 12:45 pm,

or by appointment

TA office hours T/R 5:15 – 6:15pm

Or by appointment

Phone: (415) 422-4925

Textbook & Kroenke, David M. and Boyle, Randall J. (2017 or 2016 c),
materials: Experiencing MIS 7th Edition, Pearson, ISBN-13: 9780134352367

Note: The book covers the topics of: MIS, Supply Chain Management, Quality
Control and Process Improvement, Information Management, and Work Force
Management.
Note: Additional readings will be provided during the course of the class.
Software/system You should download and install following software applications for BUS 308.
requirements They are available for free at USF estore:
• MS project* (Microsoft Project Professional 2013)
• Visio* (Microsoft Visio Professional 2013)
• Database
o DataGrip (Free License with .edu email account)
 *Students who have Mac laptops should install a virtual machine to use MS
project and Visio. No excuse will be accepted regarding the Mac OS
incompatibility with Visio and MS project. ITS can assist you to install and run
virtual machine on your Mac.
Course A study of production systems in organizations. Integration of human, technical,
Description and information systems as parts of the process of the creation and distribution
of goods and services. Supply chain management, process design, project
management, quality control, information and work force management.
Prerequisites - BUS 202
- BUS 204 or BUS 294

The course also requires good knowledge of Microsoft Excel and a strong
desire to learn!

Key Student Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to…
Learning
Objectives • Explain why information technology is valuable for all business students to
know;
• Compare and contrast the various business models;
• Understand and model the business processes, and information and its use in
the organizations;
• Describe technologies and methods employed to manage data, information and
knowledge;
• Understand the concept of supply chain management and how information
systems affect the supply chain performance;
• Understand project management and the technological tools that enhance the
performance of a project manager;
• Identify security issues organizations face when using information systems;
• Systematically identify, analyze and evaluate information-related business
problems and opportunities;
• Understand the concepts of capacity analysis, quality control, and continuous
process improvement.

Understand and Effectively Use Common Business IT Tools

• Appropriately collect the business information and store it in a relational

database.
• Appropriately query business information stored in a relational database to
facilitate business decision making;
• Choose when spreadsheet and database technologies are applicable to solve
various business problems.

Demonstrate Ability to Think Critically about IT Problem Solving in Business

Contexts

• Communicate technical information to a non-technical audience;

• Solve business problems using data, information and information technology;
• Effectively convey solution information appropriate to a specific business
context.
BUS Key One the main teaching goals for BUS 308 is to accommodate a broad spectrum of
Teaching learning styles within the general “framework” of an effective course: 1) thinking
Goals critically, 2) understanding contexts, 3) engaging with other learners, and 4)
reflecting and making informed action.

• The class discussions and activities are seeking to develop the students’
critical thinking skills through reflecting the knowledge learnt on business
cases. The students will study current information systems issues,
understand the context in which IS decisions are made, and investigate IS
problems, processes, and goals to develop technology-based solutions.
• The class lectures are designed in such a way to create coherent, connected,
and consistent topics so that students understand the context of the issues in
the course. This course will focus on the application of technology to solve
business problems and improve productivity.
• The course will include group project, presentations, and in-class activities
as opportunities for engaging with other learners.
• Finally, to foster reflection and purposeful acting, this course emphasizes
identification and investigation of problems and solutions while building
analytical skills.

Expectations The expectations of this course are very high! The course is designed around an
inquiry-based pedagogy, which absolutely requires your outside preparation for
class. To be successful in the class, you should plan to spend 2-3 hours outside
of class for each hour in class preparing for class exercises, discussions and
activities. You should engage in class discussions and activities to learn and apply
the topics we cover in the class.

Grading In accordance with the school’s grading system and policy each student will receive
a grade from A+ [4.0] to F [0.0]. These grades will be determined based on the
following:

Topic Points Percent of Total

Midterm Exam 25 25%
Quizzes (x7) 5 30 30%
Attendance and Participation 5 5%
In-Class Assignments (x4) 10 40 40%
Total 100 100%

Letter Grade:

Each student will be assigned the grade s/he earns based on the following scale:

A+ 97-100 A 93-96.99 A- 90-92.99

B+ 87-89.99 B 83-86.99 B- 80-82.99

C+ 77-79.99 C 73-76.99 C- 70-72.99

D+ 67-69.99 D 63-66.99 D- 60-62.99

F Below 60

Exams and Quizzes

Exams must be taken on the announced dates (only University approved excuses
will be accepted and only by previous arrangement with me).

All exams are in-class, closed book, and closed notes. They are combination of
multiple choices and problem-solving questions. You are responsible to bring your
own laptop. Therefore, sharing books, materials, computers and electronic
devices is not allowed.

During the exams and quizzes, you are not allowed to use any electronic
communication tools such as email, cell phones, or any digital gadget.

Students will be allowed to drop one quiz to account for absences or lack of
preparation. That being said, students will not be allowed to make up missed
quizzes.

Attendance and Participation

You are expected to come to class prepared EVERY DAY. Expect some form of
evaluation of your level of preparation every time you are assigned outside learning.
Most of the evaluations will be done in the form of quizzes and/or in-class
assignments (ICA) and discussions.

In general, you should prepare answers to the Study Questions in each chapter
or reading (not necessarily to be turned in unless you are told to do so). You
should always try to identify the strategic, managerial, organizational,
technological, and social issues of the reading. In addition, please note what you
feel is the most important point(s). In some instances, you may be asked to prepare
a discussion question for a reading so that we can have a starting point for in-class
discussions.

You must be in class to participate. You are expected to be an active member

of the class. Being in class and contributing meaningfully to class discussions and
group activities will result in receiving high participation grades. Simply showing
up for class is NOT enough to garner a solid participation grade. Frequent
absences, tardiness, or disruptive behavior can result in a 0% for participation.

Much class time will be spent in unstructured discussion of the readings and cases.
You are encouraged to ask questions and provide feedback and thoughts to create
an interactive environment in the class room.

The best contributions are those that serve the learning of the class as a whole. If
you are lost or confused, and say so, that is almost always a valuable contribution—
often other people in the class feel the same way but do not speak up. Don’t feel
that you have to know the “right” answer, because sometimes there is no right
answer. If you feel uncomfortable speaking in class, please contact class instructor.
Instructor will help you develop a plan that will enable you to quickly start
contributing to class discussions.

In-Class Assignments (ICA)

There will be 4 in-class assignments (ICAs). ICAs are due at the end of the class
time unless otherwise is announced. No assignments will be accepted after the due
date and time. The ICAs fall in 4 categories:

1. ICA #1: Business Process Modeling and Process Design;

2. ICA #2: Generate a relational database that holds the created data and
SQL;
3. ICA #3: Making Decisions from the built above databases (SQL Select
Statements).
4. ICA #4: Project Management;

When submitting the assignment, name your file so that it includes your last and
first name followed by your section number followed by the ICA number
(LastnameFirstname_sectionX_ICAX). Repeat that same information in the header
or the top part of your assignment. Instructor reserves the right to refuse to accept
any submission not adhering to these requirements.

Missing class for ICAs will seriously impact your final grade. If you miss an
ICA with a valid reason (only University approved excuses will be accepted and
only by previous arrangement with instructor), you will be given an opportunity,
(ONCE), to do a similar exercise.

Class Cancelation

If class is canceled due to any reason, tests and ICAs will be rescheduled for the
next class meeting, including anything planned for that next meeting. Canceled
classes may require adjustments to the course schedule. In the instances that
instructor travels to attend conferences or conduct research, another faculty will
teach the class unless otherwise is announced.
 As a Jesuit institution committed to cura personalis- the care and education of the
whole person- USF has an obligation to embody and foster the values of honesty
Academic and integrity. USF upholds the standards of honesty and integrity from all members
Integrity of the academic community. All students are expected to know and adhere to the
University’s Honor Code. You can find the full text of the code online at
https://myusf.usfca.edu/academic-integrity

The policy covers:

• Plagiarism—intentionally or unintentionally representing the words or ideas of

another person as your own; failure to properly cite references; manufacturing
references.

• Working with another person when independent work is required.

• Submission of the same paper in more than one course without the specific
permission of each instructor.

• Submitting a paper written by another person or obtained from the internet.

The penalties for violation of the policy may include a failing grade on the
assignment, a failing grade in the course, and/or a referral to the Academic
Integrity Committee.

Student The University of San Francisco provides an accommodation to qualified

Disability individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual and if you require an
Services accommodation or an academic adjustment, please arrange a meeting with me by
the end of the second week of class and present a letter stating the accommodation
required from the Student Disability Services office.

For details of the USF student disability services please refer to the website
https://www.usfca.edu/student-disability-services

Class Rules Please silence cellular phones and electronic devices (if cell phones or PDAs
receive a call or message during an exam you will be asked to turn in your exam
and leave).

No profanity. True business professionals do not use profanity. Pease try to arrive
on time – tardiness will adversely affect your grade. Please treat everyone with due
respect.

Disclaimer The instructor has the right to change any of the policies in this outline.

Notes The course is a “work in progress,” and new topics and materials may be
offered in the class as we progress through the semester. Consistent with the
move to inquiry based learning, many of the activities and assignments will be
designed to that goal. Handouts with the details and grading criteria for the
Assignments and Activities will be distributed in the class.
 Weekly Schedule

Listed below are the topics planned for the class. The coverage of chapters in this schedule is VERY
tentative. Instructor reserves the right to adjust the course as necessary. Topics covered during a given
week may change. However, changes will not affect the assigned exam dates. To stay abreast of any
changes in course topics, rely on the announcements page on the course site!!! Assigned readings
throughout the semester may change to keep materials current.

The weekly schedule is divided into 2 halfs, 1st session from 12-2.20PM - break(15mins) - 2.40-5.00PM

Tentative Schedule and Assignments (you must read the assigned material BEFORE class)

Readings and
Week Day Date Class topics and Tasks Assignments
/Major Deadlines

Introduction
Syllabus
Syllabus
Tue Chapter 1: Introduction
The Importance of MIS
5/22 Chapter Extension 1
Overview Visio, SQL, Ms. Project

Collaborations and Collaboration tools

Chapter 3: Organizational strategy, IS & Competitive (Quiz 1-Syllabus Quiz)

advantage
Thu 5/24 Chapter 2 Business Processes, Information, & IS
 Readings and
Week Day Date Class topics and Tasks Assignments
/Major Deadlines

Business Processes, Information, & IS

2
BP modeling and orgs - the case of Best Bikes Quiz 2: Chapter 3 and
Tue 5/29
Chapter extension 1

Using Visio for business process

ICA 1: Due by the end of
Thu 5/31
ICA #1: Business process analysis and improvement the class

Database Processing – Chapter 5

Tue 6/5 Quiz 3 Chapter 2
Database Processing

Quiz 4 Chapter 5

Thu 6/7 Using SQL for Database Design

External material will be
provided

ICA2 Preparation Quiz 5 using SQL for

database design
ICA #2: Database design
4 Tue 6/12 Preparation assignment

Due by the end of the

class
 Readings and
Week Day Date Class topics and Tasks Assignments
/Major Deadlines

Midterm review

Thu 6/14 Mid Term Exam

Tue 6/19 Using SQL for data query Read SQL Tutorial Part2

ICA#3: preparation (Using SQL for data query)

ICA is due the end of
Thu 6/21
class.
ICA#3: Using SQL for Data query

IS Management – Chapter 11,

Quiz 6 using SQL for data

Project Management and planning
Tue 6/26 query
Using MS Project for planning

ICA#4 Preparation Quiz 7 – Chapter 11

Thu 6/28
ICA#4: Project plan Preparation assignment

Final Exam
Thu 6/28