Chapter 1: Information Technology in Business

Learning outcomes:

1. Compare management information systems (MIS) and information technology (IT)
2. Describe the relationship among people, information technology and information
3. Identify four different departments in a typical business and explain how technology helps them to work together
4. Compare the four different types of organizational information cultures and decide which cultures applies to your school.

• Information technology is everywhere in business
• Understanding information technology provides great insight to anyone learning about business

Information Technology Impact On Business Operations

Information Technology Basics

• Information Technology (IT) - a field concerned with the use of technology in managing and processing information
• Information technology is an important enabler of business success and innovation
• Managing Information systems (MIS) - a general name for the business function and academic discipline covering the application of people, technologies and procedure to solve business problems.
• MIS is a business function similar to Accounting, Finance, operations and Human Resources.

When beginning to learn about information technology it is important to understand

Data - raw facts that describe the characteristics of an event

Information - data converted into a meaningful and useful context

Business Intelligence - applications and technologies that are used to support decision making efforts

IT Resources

IT Cultures

Organizational information cultures include :

• Information-functional culture ; Employees use information as a means of exersicing influence or power over others
• Information-sharing culture : Employees across departments trust each other to use information 
• Information-inquiring culture : Employees across department search for information to better understand the future
• Information-discovery culture : Employees across department are open to new insights about crisis