| MAND 440 Management Information Systems for Non-Profit Organizations Information Systems Department Weatherhead School of Management Case Western Reserve University |
Today it is self-evident that information and information technology are fundamental to the practice of general management. This course is designed to improve your understanding of both information and the technology that supports it.
Information technology spans all organizational functions. From their genesis as automated accounting systems, information systems have evolved to become the core of (and sometimes an impediment to) many organizations’ strategies. We will study both the challenges and the opportunities that are the result of this pervasiveness.
The focus of this course is information, the design of systems used to manage it, and the benefits that can be derived from it in an organizational context. Information systems and technologies are responsible for much of the rapid change that is affecting organizations and the professionals that manage them.
We will achieve these broad objectives by developing some specific skills. In the course of the semester you’ll gain concrete experience in:
- Making and using systems maps to think about complex situations
- Applying a systematic approach to project planning and execution
- Using graphics to assist in thinking and communicating about complex situations
- Developing and evaluating principles for the use of information technology
- Evaluating and improving business cases for information systems projects
- Preparing and making presentations
- Developing an historical perspective on technology and organizations
- Using the Internet and other resources for ongoing professional development
Materials
The materials for this course are available from the course website.
Textbooks have gotten quite expensive. I found prices on Amazon of $115.62 through $142.20 for some of the standard books used in the field. Much of the material contained in them is available in more useful forms on the Internet.
Textbooks can be helpful, though, particularly when you are having trouble understanding basic ideas. You can find used copies of many good IS texts on the Internet (including at Amazon), sometimes for as little as $4.00. I have also placed copies of current editions of many on reserve in the library.
Grading
Performance in the course is assessed on the basis of:
- Classroom contributions 30 %
- Preparation of thematic issue 20 %
- Information system assessment 50 %
Contribution
This course will be taught as a seminar. During the first half of the semester, we will go material that is aimed at providing you with ways to look at information and information systems in organizations. During the second half we will examine issues specific to non-profit organizations.
Much of your learning will occur as you prepare for and participate in these class discussions. Most people in organizations are evaluated much more on what they say than on what they write. The classroom gives you the opportunity to hone your discussion and debating skills. I encourage you to work with others to get ready for each session.
Your contribution will not be evaluated on what you know, but rather on what you contribute to the class. Effective participation in a discussion has much more to do with quality than quantity. In other words, using airtime without contributing to the advancement of the discussion is not rewarded. Nor is mere repetition. A great contribution is usually sensitive to the context that has developed to that point. It often takes the analysis to a new level. If you are unfamiliar with this approach to education, a good way to start is by getting involved early in a case discussion, when things are wide open and fairly fluid.
Criteria for credit include attendance, punctuality, level of preparation, and professionalism. I encourage you to engage in critical thinking, to challenge without showing disrespect and to put forward your ideas for consideration.
In addition to classroom participation, everyone in this class is expected to spend at least seven hours during the course of the semester participating in threaded discussions on Blackboard.
The quality of your input is more important than the quantity.
Information System Assessment
Your goal for this project is to critically evaluate an existing system and make suggestions for its improvement. You will need to contact an organization and interview people within it to complete this assignment.
The exact shape and content of your project is left rather open-ended so that you can pursue the most interesting features of your chosen system in the most appropriate way. Your objective is to analyze the system you are studying in search of insights and general lessons about management, organizations, and information systems, as well as specific recommendations for improving the system being studied. This means you will fist analyze the organization (task, technology structure, strategy, etc.) the management process (power, politics, style, culture, etc.) and the environment (competitors, regulation, economics, customers, suppliers, etc.), in order to locate the information system you are studying in its larger (systems) context.
You will also be expected to describe the information system, what is does, what services it provides, how it functions, how it was designed and implemented, etc.
Finally, you should make a critical assessment of the information system. Is it effective and efficient? Does it meet what you see as the critical success factors of the role or functions? Does it play a strategic role for the organization? Are there missed opportunities to add value to the organization? Are there opportunities for re-engineering the function, role or system to improve its human or economic value?
Academic Integrity
All students in this course are expected to adhere to university standards of academic integrity. Cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated in this course. This includes, but is not limited to, consulting with another person during an exam, turning in written work that was prepared by someone other than you, and making minor modifications to the work of someone else and turning it in as your own. Ignorance will not be permitted as an excuse. If you are not sure whether something you plan to submit would be considered either cheating or plagiarism, it is your responsibility to ask for clarification. Either ask me about it or consult credible sources of information on the subject. Two useful internet sites that discuss these matters are Indiana University’s Writing Tutorial Services and UNC at Chapel Hill’s Writing Center. Please remember that you have agreed to Standards Regarding Academic Integrity which outlines your responsibility in greater detail.