Experiencing MIS 5e David M. Kroenke (Test Bank All Chapters, 100% Original Verified, A+ Grade) Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter 1: The Importance of MIS Multiple Choice 1) "The number of transistors per square inch on an integrated chip doubles every 18 months." This observation is known as ________ Law. A) Murphy's B) Moore's C) Amdahl's D) Metcalfe's Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 2) Which of the following statements states Moore's Law? A) A computer becomes obsolete within 18 months. B) The number of transistors per square inch on an integrated chip doubles every 18 months. C) The total number of transistors produced in the world doubles every 18 months. D) The speed of a computer doubles every 18 months. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 3) As a result of Moore's Law, ________. A) the risk of technology becoming obsolete has decreased B) the price to performance ratio of computers has fallen dramatically C) nonroutine skills can be outsourced D) the cost of data processing has increased considerably Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) Because of Moore's Law, the cost of data processing, communications, and storage ________. A) is essentially zero B) has increased exponentially C) is witnessing an upward trend D) has leveled off Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 5) Because the cost of data processing, storage, and communications is essentially zero, any routine skill can and will be ________. A) considered a nonroutine cognitive skill B) a strong marketable skill C) outsourced to the lowest bidder D) sufficient to attain job security Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 6) Which of the following is an impact of rapid technological change on job security? A) Routine skills are more in demand. B) Nonroutine cognitive skills gain more market value. C) Nonroutine jobs are outsourced, thus reducing the need of an in-house workforce. D) Routine skills are no longer required to complete a task. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the ethical and social issues raised by the use of information systems 7) Which of the following is true of nonroutine cognitive skills? A) They have become less marketable. B) They increase an individual's job security. C) Technological changes have no impact on such skills. D) Organizations usually outsource such skills to the lowest bidder. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the ethical and social issues raised by the use of information systems
2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) ________ is the ability to make and manipulate models. A) Abstract reasoning B) Systems thinking C) Social learning D) Experimentation Answer: A Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 9) ________ is the ability to model the components of a unit, to connect the inputs and outputs among those components into a sensible whole that reflects the structure and dynamics of the phenomenon observed. A) Systems thinking B) Abstract reasoning C) Cognitive reasoning D) Experimentation Answer: A Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 10) ________ is the activity of two or more people working together to achieve a common goal, result, or work product. A) Venturing B) Enterprising C) Collaboration D) Assimilation Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 11) In a job interview, Lillian is asked to be part of a three-member group and design a mock business process based on the strengths and skills of the group's members. In this case, which of the following skills is the interviewer trying to test? A) collaboration B) abstract reasoning C) systems thinking D) ability to experiment Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
12) Patricia is the marketing manager at a manufacturing firm. She plans new marketing strategies with the help of her subordinates, by providing and receiving critical feedback. Here, Patricia is displaying effective ________. A) collaboration B) experimentation C) systems thinking D) abstraction Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 13) Which of the following is necessary for effective collaboration? A) being nice to other individuals B) focusing on individual goals C) working individually on different projects D) giving and receiving critical feedback Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 14) ________ is making a reasoned analysis of an opportunity, envisioning potential solutions, evaluating those possibilities, and developing the most promising ones, consistent with the resources you have. A) Experimentation B) Abstraction C) Systems thinking D) Collaboration Answer: A Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 15) Marketing managers planning to use new social networking technologies to strengthen their market presence are portraying their ________. A) ability to experiment B) systems thinking skills C) abstract reasoning skills D) collaboration skills Answer: A Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
16) In a job interview, Roy is asked to use a product that he has never used before and is not familiar with. Which of the following skills is the interviewer trying to test? A) systems thinking B) abstract reasoning C) collaboration D) ability to experiment Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 17) A group of components that interact to achieve some purpose is referred to as a(n) ________. A) system B) element C) process D) entity Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 18) Which of the following is an example of the hardware component of an information system? A) Web browser B) operating system C) microprocessor D) data file Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 19) The five-component framework of an information system consists of computer hardware, software, data, people, and ________. A) bugs B) procedures C) device drivers D) tools Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
20) In a grocery store, the clerk scans the UPC code on an item, which is transmitted to the computer. The scanner device is an example of the ________ component of an IS. A) hardware B) software C) data D) procedure Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 21) Which of the following is true about the management and use of information systems? A) An employee must be a programmer to manage information systems. B) Information systems must be adapted to changing requirements. C) Information systems need not be maintained after development. D) Organizations with dynamic business environments do not use information systems. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 22) Why is it important for business professionals to take an active role in developing and managing information systems? A) They know how to create a database and configure computers. B) They are the people who know how to build networks. C) They know whether a system is sufficient to meet needs and requirements. D) They are the lone users of information systems. Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
23) Which of the following is a critical responsibility for business professionals in using information systems? A) protecting the security of the system and its data B) reprogramming the system to meet changing needs C) creating and modifying the system's databases D) building and configuring additional networks Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 24) Which of the following is a valid reason for a company to create a new information system? A) to project a modern image B) to avoid falling behind the technology curve C) to help employees achieve the strategies of the business D) to show its social networking presence on the Web Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 25) Which of the following is the most complete and accurate definition of information technology? A) the products, methods, inventions, and standards that are used to produce information B) an assembly of hardware, software, data, procedures, and people that produces information C) systems that are used to process the information that is produced using technology D) the various data models and software that are used to interpret available information Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 26) Which of the following is true about information systems? A) They can be bought off the shelf. B) They are an assembly of information technology. C) They are the same as information technology. D) They are not susceptible to changing needs. Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
27) Which of the following distinguishes information systems from information technology? A) people B) data C) software D) hardware Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 28) Security systems ultimately depend on the behavior of its ________. A) users B) hardware C) software D) data Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 29) Which of the following requirements should a password fulfill in order to be considered strong? A) It should have five characters at the most. B) It should contain a complete dictionary word. C) It should not contain many special characters. D) It should not contain your user name or company name. Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 30) You have created a password that meets all the criteria for a strong password. What is a potential drawback of such a password? A) It will be difficult to remember. B) It will be very short. C) It can be easily guessed. D) It will create IP address conflicts in networks. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security
8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
31) Which of the following characteristics would weaken a password? A) containing a complete dictionary word B) containing both upper- and lowercase letters C) containing the numbers 9 and 3 D) containing three special characters Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 32) Which of the following is the weakest password? A) B33rmu9 B) Qw37^T1bb?as C) 3B47qq<3>5!7bdE D) As60$T1dd?dc Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 33) Which of the following is considered a strong password? A) sword123 B) RileyyeliR C) paranoid4EVER D) BL@k2V1.0.1 Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 34) Which of the following techniques is best suited for creating memorable, strong passwords? A) use at least one dictionary word in the password B) use numbers instead of special characters C) base passwords on the first letter of the words in a phrase D) create a password that is related to your name or company name Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security
9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
35) In order to protect your password, you should never ________. A) use it more than three times in one day B) write it down C) use virtual keyboards to enter it D) create one that contains multiple special characters Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 36) Which of the following statements on password etiquette is true? A) If someone asks for your password, do not just give it out. B) Always back up your password by writing it down. C) Never access an information system from a computer that is connected to the Internet. D) Never use the password more than three times in one day. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 37) In a situation where someone needs to log into your account to solve a problem and asks for your password, ________. A) refuse to provide the password B) enter your password yourself C) say it out loud D) provide the password through an email Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
True or False 1) Moore's Law states that the speed of a computer doubles every 18 months. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 2) Future business professionals need to be able to apply information technology to business. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 3) The number of businesses adopting new technologies has seen a downfall over the years. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 4) The knowledge to manage information systems can lead to greater job security. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the ethical and social issues raised by the use of information systems 5) Increased outsourcing has made nonroutine skills less marketable. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the ethical and social issues raised by the use of information systems 6) A marketable skill has no impact on job security. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 7) Routine skills are outsourced because the cost of data communication is essentially zero. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) Strong nonroutine cognitive skills are more in demand than routine skills. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 9) Abstract reasoning is the ability to make and manipulate models. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 10) Critical feedback undermines collaboration. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 11) Effective collaboration is all about being nice to your team members. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 12) When business was stable, professionals avoided experimenting in fear of failure. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 13) Experimentation only increases the fear of failure. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 14) If you are provided with an unfamiliar program and are asked to use it, you are being tested on your ability to effectively collaborate. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 12 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
15) An information system is a group of components that interact to produce information. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 16) The methods used to start a program and save a file are referred to as procedures. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 17) Building information systems requires many different skills besides those of programmers. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 18) Information systems are restricted to the field of information technology. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 19) Businesses themselves use information systems to achieve their strategies. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 20) Information systems should be developed only if they help achieve business strategies. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
13 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
21) Information systems and information technology are not the same. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 22) Information systems can be bought whereas information technology cannot. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 23) Strong passwords have a maximum of five characters. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 24) Good passwords contain a complete dictionary word. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 25) If your password is complex, it is ideal to write the password on a piece of paper and keep it near your workstation. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 26) Moving away to let another person enter his or her password is common and acceptable. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Ethical Understanding and Reasoning Abilities Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security
14 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
27) If someone asks you for your password, do not share it with them. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security Essay 1) Define Moore's Law and explain how the phenomenon it describes affects the technology business. Answer: Moore's Law states that the number of transistors per square inch on an integrated chip doubles every eighteen months. The more common version of this is expressed as, "The speed of a computer chip doubles every eighteen months," which is incorrect. Due to the impact of Moore's Law, the price/performance ratio of computers has fallen dramatically Moore's Law is the principal reason why data storage and data transmission are essentially free today. New businesses like YouTube and Facebook have taken advantage of the opportunities offered by this development. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 2) What is a marketable skill? Answer: It used to be that one could name particular skills, such as computer programming, tax accounting, or marketing, as examples of marketable skills. But today, because of Moore's Law, because the cost of data processing, storage, and communications is essentially zero, any routine skill can and will be outsourced to the lowest bidder. One has to develop strong nonroutine cognitive skills to be more successful and such skills are called marketable skills. Abstract reasoning, systems thinking, collaboration, and the ability to experiment are marketable skills. Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 3) What is abstract reasoning? Answer: Abstract reasoning is the ability to make and manipulate models. Constructing a model of the five components of an information system is an example of abstract reasoning. Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
15 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) What is meant by systems thinking? Answer: Systems thinking is the ability to model the components of a system, to connect the inputs and outputs among those components into a sensible whole that reflects the structure and dynamics of the phenomenon observed. Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 5) What is collaboration? How can one ensure effective collaboration? Answer: Collaboration is the activity of two or more people working together to achieve a common goal, result, or work product. Effective collaboration isn't about being nice. In fact, surveys indicate the single most important skill for effective collaboration is to give and receive critical feedback. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 6) What is experimentation? Explain its importance. Answer: Experimentation is making a reasoned analysis of an opportunity, envisioning potential solutions, evaluating those possibilities, and developing the most promising ones, consistent with the resources you have. Fear of failure paralyzes many good people and many good ideas. This can be overcome by having the ability to experiment. Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 7) Describe an information system. Answer: A system is a group of components that interact to achieve some purpose. An information system (IS) is a group of components that interact to produce information. An IS is based on the five-component framework of computer hardware, software, data, procedures, and people. These five components are present in every information system–from the most simple to the most complex. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
16 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) Describe the five components of an information system using an example. Answer: The five components of an information system are computer hardware, software, data, procedures, and people. For example, when you use a computer to write a class report, you are using hardware (the computer, storage disk, keyboard, and monitor), software (Word, WordPerfect, or some other word-processing program), data (the words, sentences, and paragraphs in your report), procedures (the methods you use to start the program, enter your report, print it, and save and back up your file), and people (you). Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 9) Define management information systems. What are the key elements of its definition? Answer: Management information system is the management and use of information systems that help businesses achieve their strategies. This definition has three key elements: management and use, information systems, and strategies. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 10) Explain the management and use of information systems. Answer: Information systems must be developed, maintained and, because business is dynamic, they must be adapted to new requirements. To create an information system that meets your needs, you need to take an active role in that system's development. In addition to management tasks, you will also have important roles to play in the use of information systems. For example, when using an information system, you will have responsibilities for protecting the security of the system and its data. You may also have tasks for backing up data. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
17 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
11) What are the points one needs to keep in mind when deciding to implement a management information system (MIS)? Answer: When deciding to implement an MIS, one needs to keep in mind that information systems are not created for exploring technology. They are not created so that the company can be "modern" or so that the company can show it has a social networking presence on the Web. They are not created because the IS department thinks it needs to be created or because the company is "falling behind the technology curve." So, information systems exist to help people who work in a business to achieve the strategies of that business. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 12) Explain the difference and the relationship between information technology (IT) and information systems (IS). Answer: Information technology and information system are two closely related terms, but they are different. Information technology (IT) refers to the products, methods, inventions, and standards that are used for the purpose of producing information. It pertains to the hardware, software, and data components. An information system (IS) is an assembly of hardware, software, data, procedures, and people that produces information. Information technology drives the development of new information systems. You can buy IT; you can buy or lease hardware, you can license programs and databases, and you can even obtain predesigned procedures. Ultimately, however, it is your people who execute those procedures to employ that new IT. For any new system, you will always have training tasks (and costs), you will always have the need to overcome employees' resistance to change, and you will always need to manage the employees as they use the new system. Hence, you can buy IT, but you cannot buy IS. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 13) What is the role of users in information security? Answer: Like all information systems, security systems have the five components, including people. Thus, every security system ultimately depends on the behavior of its users. If the users do not take security seriously, if they do not follow security procedures, then the hardware, software, and data components of the security system are wasted expense. Almost all security systems use user names and passwords. Users of information systems in a business organization will be instructed to create a strong password and to protect it. It is vitally important for users to do so. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security
18 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
14) Explain the characteristics of a strong password. Answer: A strong password: 1. has ten or more characters, twelve is even better. 2. does not contain one's user name, real name, or company name. 3. does not contain a complete dictionary word in any language. 4. is different from previous passwords the user has used. 5. contains both upper- and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters (such as ˜ ! @; # $ % ^; &; * ( ) _ +; — =; { } | [ ] \ : " ; ' <; >;? , . /). Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 15) How can a strong password be made memorable? Answer: One technique for creating memorable, strong passwords is to base them on the first letter of the words in a phrase. The phrase could be the title of a song or the first line of a poem or one based on some fact about your life. For example, you might take the phrase, "I was born in Rome, New York, before 1990." Using the first letters from that phrase and substituting the character for the word "before", you create the password IwbiR,NY<1990. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 16) Explain the necessary password etiquette to be followed by the users of an information system. Answer: Once you have created a strong password, you need to protect it with proper behavior. Proper password etiquette is one of the marks of a business professional. Never write down your password, and do not share it with others. Never ask others for their passwords, and never give your password to someone else. If, in a work-related or emergency situation someone asks for your password, do not give it out. Instead, get up, go over to that person's machine, and enter your password yourself. Stay present while your password is in use, and ensure that your account is logged out at the end of the activity. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security
19 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter 2: Business Processes, Information Systems, and Information Multiple Choice 1) A ________ is a network of activities for accomplishing a business function. A) workgroup B) task force C) business portfolio D) business process Answer: D Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 2) In swimlane format, ________ are specific tasks that need to be accomplished as part of a business process. A) repositories B) resources C) activities D) databases Answer: C Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 3) A ________ is a subset of the activities in a business process that is performed by an actor. A) sequence flow B) resource C) data flow D) role Answer: D Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 4) Activities within a business process are shown in ________. A) circles B) rectangles C) squares D) diamonds Answer: B Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
5) According to the business process modeling notation standard, the start of a business process is symbolized by a ________. A) circle having a thick border B) circle having a narrow border C) square having a thick border D) square having a narrow border Answer: B Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 6) Which of the following statements is true about roles in a business process? A) Activities of a business process are made up of roles. B) An employee can be associated with only one particular role. C) The name of the role is written at the top of the swimlane. D) A given role should be fulfilled by just one person. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 7) Which of the following statements is true of swimlane formats? A) Roles are written at the top of a swim lane as names can be ambiguous. B) Each swimlane shows the activities to be performed by one actor. C) An information system cannot fulfill a role by itself. D) A particular role may be fulfilled by many people. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 8) According to the business process modeling notation, the end of a business process is symbolized by a ________. A) circle having a thick border B) circle having a narrow border C) square having a thick border D) square having a narrow border Answer: A Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
9) A(n) ________ is a collection of data that is stored within business records. A) repository B) role C) activity D) resource Answer: A Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 10) ________ represent the movement of data from one activity to another. A) Data charts B) Data buses C) Data modules D) Data flows Answer: D Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 11) According to the business process modeling notation standard, an activity with a boxed plus sign inside it indicates a ________. A) subprocess B) data flow C) sequence flow D) data repository Answer: A Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 12) Which of the following statements is true about business process modeling notation? A) Sequence flows are indicated by dashed lines. B) Data flows are indicated by solid labeled lines. C) A subprocesss is indicated by a rectangle with a circle inside it. D) The medium of data delivery is unimportant in a BPMN diagram. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
13) ________ is the ratio of benefits to costs. A) Effectiveness B) Efficiency C) Scalability D) Performance rating Answer: B Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 14) Which of the following statements is true of business processes? A) Process effectiveness is determined by the ratio of benefits to costs. B) An effective business process enables an organization to accomplish its strategy. C) If two versions of a business process create the same benefit, then the higher cost one is more efficient. D) Cost of infrastructure is not included under cost of business process. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 15) The outermost components of the IS framework ________. A) can take action B) are the costliest components in the framework C) form a bridge between the human and computer sides D) represent sunk costs Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 16) The software and procedure components of the IS framework are both ________. A) actors B) sets of instructions C) the outermost components D) bridges between the human side and the computer side Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
17) The ________ component of the IS framework provides instructions for people. A) procedure B) software C) information D) data Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 18) In an IS framework, ________ is the bridge between the computer side on the left and the human side on the right. A) hardware B) software C) information technology D) data Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 19) Which of the following pairs consists of the two actors in an information system? A) software and hardware B) procedures and people C) data and software D) hardware and people Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 20) When work that was formerly done by people has been moved to computers, it is said to be ________. A) outsourced B) automated C) documented D) systematized Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
21) Automation of a process activity consists of moving work from the ________ of the symmetrical five-component framework. A) computer side to the human side B) data side to the procedures side C) human side to the computer side D) software side to the hardware side Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 22) Which of the following statements is true of using an information system to improve process quality? A) The quality of performance analysis remains the same with the implementation of an information system. B) Development of information systems should be done solely by technical personnel. C) Information systems can improve process efficiency but not process effectiveness. D) A process that uses a labor saving information system may not be efficient. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 23) ________ is defined as recorded facts or figures. A) Information B) Substance C) Data D) Content Answer: C Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 24) John's height is 6 feet 3 inches. This is an example of ________. A) data B) information C) a record D) content Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
25) The fact that Joe works 9 hours per day is an example of ________. A) a record B) content C) information D) data Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 26) Which of the following refers to information that is based on correct and complete data and has been processed correctly, as expected? A) relevant information B) measurable information C) accurate information D) timely information Answer: C Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 27) A monthly report that arrives 6 weeks late is an example of information that is not ________. A) timely B) relevant C) accurate D) sufficient Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 28) Which of the following is a characteristic of good information? A) It must be freely available. B) It must be more than just barely sufficient. C) It must be based on incomplete data. D) It must be contextually relevant. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
29) Which of the following statements is true about data characteristics of quality information? A) Information systems that produce real time data are less expensive than those that produce data at a later time. B) The timeliness of information can be measured against events. C) Accurate information can be conceived from inaccurate data. D) Data that appears on any Web page is reliable. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 30) As the CEO of a call center, which of the following information is good information for you? A) hourly variance reports of performance parameters in each queue B) daily reports of call abandons due to system downtime C) lists of stationery usage consolidated weekly D) department-level averages of revenue generation figures Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 31) ________ information is information that directly pertains both to the context and to the subject. A) Timely B) Relevant C) Measurable D) Expensive Answer: B Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 32) Which of the following statements is true regarding the characteristics of good information? A) Information needs to be more than just barely sufficient for the purpose for which it is generated. B) Information must hold an appropriate relationship between its cost and its value. C) Accurate information can be based on incomplete data. D) Good information is just recorded facts and figures. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
True or False 1) Members of a team in a company need to understand business processes since they need to evaluate new technologies. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 2) To design an improved process, it is necessary to understand the existing process. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 3) A role is a subset of activities in a business process. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 4) Swimlane format is a graphical arrangement in which all of the activities for a given role are shown in a single vertical lane. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 5) In some business processes, a role can be fulfilled by an information system. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 6) According to the business process modeling notation standard, the start of a business process is symbolized by a circle having a thick border. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
7) According to the business process modeling notation standard, the end of a business process is symbolized by a circle having a narrow border. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 8) According to the business process modeling notation standard, solid lines between activities are called sequence flows. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 9) A collection of files on the Internet is a repository. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 10) Data flows represent the movement of data from one activity to another. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 11) A repository can be printed records stored in a shoebox or a collection of files in the cloud. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 12) Buyers read vendor and product data from the vendor data repository, but they don't write data to it. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 13) Process quality can be measured in two dimensions: process effectiveness and process efficiency. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
14) An effective business process enables an organization to accomplish its strategy. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 15) Effectiveness is the ratio of benefits to costs. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 16) An activity is considered automated when it is characterized by people following procedures. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 17) The outermost components of the symmetrical five-component framework of an IS are data and procedures. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 18) In the five-component framework of an IS, the actors are hardware and people. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 19) In the five-component framework of an IS, data is the bridge between the computer side and the human side. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
20) In an IS framework, data is considered to be a part of the computer side. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 21) In an IS framework, software and procedure components are both sets of instructions. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 22) Procedures act as the bridge between the computer and human sides of the five-component framework of an IS. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 23) Automation is the process in which instructions for humans are transferred to instructions for hardware. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 24) Automation moves work from the software component to the data component. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 25) One of the major benefits of an information system is labor savings. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage
12 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
26) Information systems can improve process efficiency but not process effectiveness. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 27) The major benefit of using an information system is that the data stored in databases and other repositories can readily be processed to produce information. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 28) Data that is summed is called information. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 29) Information is data presented in a meaningful context. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 30) Information is data processed by grouping, comparing, or other similar operations. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 31) Data is knowledge derived from information. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 32) Average wage is knowledge that can be derived from the data of individual wages. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
13 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
33) As long as information is relevant and timely, it need not always be complete. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 34) Data delivered with active graphics need not be cross-checked for accuracy. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 35) Accurate information is information that is based on correct and complete data, and has been processed correctly. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 36) Users develop work-arounds when data from an information system is unreliable. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 37) Timeliness of information can be measured against events. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 38) The quality of thinking determines the quality of the information that is produced. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 39) Just barely sufficient information is information that is sufficient for the purpose for which it is generated. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
14 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
40) Relevant data are those which aptly pertain both to the context and to the subject. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 41) All data about an organization are relevant to the higher management. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Explain how information systems can be used to assist in decision making 42) For data to be worth its cost, an appropriate relationship must exist between the cost of data and its value. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 43) Information systems should not be subject to the same financial analyses to which other assets are subjected. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes Essay 1) What is a business process? Define activities. Answer: A business process is a network of activities for accomplishing a business function. Activities are specific tasks that need to be accomplished as part of the process. Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 2) Briefly describe activities and roles in swimlane format. Answer: Swimlane format is a graphical arrangement in which all of the activities for a given role are shown in a single vertical lane. Each swimlane has activities, which are specific tasks that need to be accomplished as part of the process. A role is a subset of the activities in a business process that is performed by an actor, which is a person, group, department, organization, or information system. The name of the role is written at the top of a swimlane, not people's names. This is because a given role may be fulfilled by many people, or the organization may change the people who are assigned to a given role. Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 15 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
3) Briefly describe a repository. Answer: A repository is a collection of data that is stored within a business process. A repository can be a cardboard box, a notebook, a list, an Excel spreadsheet, a database, or even a collection of databases. For the purpose of documenting a business process, the particular medium in which repository data is stored is unimportant. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 4) Briefly describe data flows. Answer: According to the business process modeling notation (BPMN), the labeled dashed lines are called data flows. They represent the movement of data from one activity to another. The data can be delivered via email, text message, over the phone, by fax, or by some other means. In a BPMN diagram, the medium of the data delivery is also unimportant. Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 5) Describe the process of automation against the background of the five-component framework of an information system. Answer: The five components of an information system are hardware, software, data, procedures, and people. They are arranged symmetrically in the framework. The outermost components, hardware and people, are both actors; they take action. The software and procedure components are both sets of instructions: Software is instructions for hardware, and procedures are instructions for people. Finally, data is the bridge between the computer side on the left and the human side on the right. When an activity in a business process is handled by an automated system, it means that work formerly done by people following procedures has been moved so that computers now do that work by following instructions in software. Thus, the automation of a process activity consists of moving work from the right-hand side of the five-component IS framework to the left. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 6) Describe the benefits of using an information system to store vendor and product-related data. Answer: In order to select a vendor, a buyer has to gather data about vendors and products, make analyses of costs and margins, and store the results of those analyses. If an information system (IS) is not used to store these results, accessing past records and results will require a manual search. An IS makes the process of finding reliable data and reports faster and more reliable, improving the efficiency and quality of the business process. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 16 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
7) Define information. Answer: The most common definition of information is that information is knowledge derived from data. Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 8) Explain data with an example. Answer: Data is defined as recorded facts or figures. The facts that an employee of an organization earns $17.50 per hour and that another employee of the same organization earns $25.00 per hour are examples of data. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 9) Describe accurate information. Why is an information system providing accurate information crucial to an organization? Answer: Good information is accurate information, which is based on correct and complete data, and it has been processed correctly as expected. Accuracy is crucial; business professionals must be able to rely on the results of their information systems. The IS function can develop a bad reputation in an organization if a system is known to produce inaccurate data. In such a case, the information system becomes a waste of time and money as users develop work-arounds to avoid the inaccurate data. Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 10) Explain the importance of timeliness of information in an organization. Answer: Good information requires that data be available in time for its intended use. A monthly report that arrives 6 weeks late is most likely useless. In such a case, the data has arrived long after the decisions that needed that information have been made. An information system that sends a poor customer credit report after the goods have been shipped is unhelpful and frustrating. Notice that timeliness can be measured against a calendar (6 weeks late) or against events (for example, before shipping). Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
17 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
11) In some cases, developing systems that provide data in near real time is much more difficult and expensive than producing data a few hours later. Provide an example that supports this statement. Answer: A person who works in marketing needs to be able to assess the effectiveness of new online ad programs. He wants an information system that will not only deliver ads over the Web, but one that will also enable him to determine how frequently customers click on those ads. In this case, determining click ratios in near real time will be very expensive; saving the data in a batch and processing it some hours later will be much easier and cheaper. If the user can manage with data that is a day or two old, the system will be easier and cheaper to implement. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 12) Describe relevant data. Explain the importance of relevant data in an organizational context. Answer: Relevant data is data that directly pertains to both the context and the subject. Considering context, a CEO needs data that is summarized to an appropriate level for his job. A list of the hourly wage of every employee in the company is unlikely to be useful. More likely, the CEO needs average wage information by department or division. A list of all employee wages is irrelevant in this context. Data should also be relevant to the subject at hand. If data about short-term interest rates is required to find a possible line of credit, then a report that shows 15-year mortgage interest rates is irrelevant. Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 13) Explain the importance of just barely sufficient data in the information age we live in. Answer: Just barely sufficient data is data that is sufficient for the purpose for which it is generated, but just barely so. We live in an information age; one of the critical decisions that each of us has to make each day is what data to ignore. The higher one rises into management, the more data one will be given, and because there is only so much time, the more data one will need to ignore. So data should be sufficient, but just barely. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 14) What are the costs associated with data? When is data considered to be worth its cost? Answer: Data is not free. There are costs for developing an information system, costs of operating and maintaining that system, and costs of time and salary for reading and processing the data the system produces. For data to be worth its cost, an appropriate relationship must exist between the cost of data and its value. Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 18 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter 3: Organizational Strategy, Information Systems, and Competitive Advantage Multiple Choice 1) A competitive strategy followed by an organization is derived from the ________ of its industry. A) function B) structure C) profits D) goals Answer: B Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 2) A competitive strategy of an organization determines its ________. A) industry rivals B) short-term goals C) value chains D) structure Answer: C Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 3) Porter originally developed the five forces model to determine the ________. A) potential profitability of an industry B) nature of competitive industrial environments C) reason why certain industries collapse D) means by which to improve resource utilization Answer: A Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 4) Which of the following statements describes suppliers in a position of strong bargaining power? A) coffee planters during a season of frost that decreases production B) companies negotiating supplier contracts after taxes on raw materials have been reduced C) providers of logistic support when fuel prices have been reduced D) wholesalers declaring end-of-season sales Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
5) Simpson's Lawn Services decides to offer two free mowing services for all customers who booked garden landscaping in the fall. Which of the following forces is Simpson's Lawn Services addressing? A) the control exercised by Acme Corp., who supplies Simpson's with lawn mowers B) the power held by the landlord of the Simpson's office space C) the threat posed by Roger's Landscapes, a new competitor D) the bargaining power of the City Football Club who are Simpson's customers Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 6) Porter's five competitive forces can be grouped into two types: forces related to ________ and forces related to supply chain bargaining power. A) pricing B) labor C) competition D) consumers Answer: C Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 7) Which of the following groups' bargaining power is considered as one of the five competitive forces in Porter's five forces model? A) investors B) competitors C) employees D) customers Answer: D Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 8) In Porter's five factor model, each of the three competitive forces concerns the danger of ________. A) suppliers favoring rival companies B) customers taking their business elsewhere C) investors refusing to back new projects D) employees not working toward organizational goals Answer: B Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage
2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
9) The two strength factors that relate to all three competitive forces are ________ and customer loyalty. A) employee unions B) nature of products C) customer satisfaction D) switching costs Answer: D Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 10) In which of the following cases is the strength of competitive forces low? A) when switching costs are high B) when rival products are priced relatively low C) when customer loyalty to the brand or company is low D) when finding rival products is easy Answer: A Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 11) If customers perceive the benefits of an alternative to be similar to that of a product, then the ________. A) switching cost is high B) price of the product should be increased to retain market share C) threat from the substitute is strong D) customers' bargaining power decreases Answer: C Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 12) Which of the following is true if the threat from substitutes is strong? A) Customers are likely to switch to competitors' products. B) Competitors' products are of a lower quality. C) Competitors are yet to overcome the entry barriers. D) Prices of competitors' products are higher. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage
3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
13) Which of the following is true of new entrants? A) They have strong customer loyalty. B) They will have records on customers' purchase habits. C) They are yet to develop relationships with suppliers. D) They can lock in suppliers to gain a competitive advantage. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 14) The strength of bargaining power depends on the availability of substitutes and ________ compared to the size of suppliers or customers. A) the amount of profit made annually B) the relative size of the firm C) the production capacity D) the size of the employee union Answer: B Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 15) Which of the following statements describes a scenario in which the bargaining power of a supplier is strong? A) Competitors' have decreased demand for raw materials. B) The availability of raw materials is less. C) The supplier has excess inventory. D) There are many suppliers providing the same raw materials for comparable prices. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 16) The bargaining power of a customer is weak if ________. A) the availability of a rival product is limited B) the cost of switching to a substitute is low C) competitors offer products with same benefits at lower prices D) new entrants are offering a product that uses more recent technology Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage
4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
17) An organization responds to the structure of its industry by choosing a ________ strategy. A) competitive B) growth C) leadership D) diversification Answer: A Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 18) Which of the following competitive strategies does a company follow if it produces a uniquely formulated anti-ageing face cream targeted at women above the age of forty? A) industry-wide low cost B) industry-wide differentiation C) focus low cost D) focus differentiation Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 19) A firm introduces a new range of laptops that concentrate on delivering good graphics performance. Which of the following competitive strategies has the firm adopted if these laptops have relatively low prices? A) focus differentiation B) focus low cost C) industry-wide differentiation D) industry-wide low cost Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 20) Which of the following is an example of a competitive strategy employed by a firm? A) increasing the price of its product when raw material prices increase B) laying off staff in order to cut down costs during a recession period C) advertising its products nationwide like its competitor organizations D) launching a unique product targeted at a section of consumers Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage
5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
21) According to Porter, to be effective, the organization's goals and activities must be consistent with the organization's ________. A) structure B) competitors C) strategy D) workforce Answer: C Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 22) Porter defined ________ as the amount of money that a customer is willing to pay for a resource, product, or service. A) margin B) profit C) price D) value Answer: D Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 23) Which of the following is true of a value chain? A) Support activities facilitate the primary activities. B) It consists of only primary activities. C) It is specific to manufacturing industries. D) It nullifies the importance of support activities. Answer: A Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 24) A business that selects a differentiation strategy would ________. A) add cost to an activity provided it has a positive margin B) provide essential functions at lowest costs C) imitate rival companies' strategy and products D) always try to price its products' higher than its competitors' products Answer: A Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
25) The difference between the value that an activity generates and the cost of the activity is called the ________. A) equity B) liability C) overhead D) margin Answer: D Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 26) Which of the following primary activities describes collecting, storing, and physically distributing products to buyers? A) customer service B) sales and marketing C) outbound logistics D) operations/management Answer: C Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 27) Which of the following primary value chain activities induce buyers to purchase a product and provide a means for them to do so? A) inbound logistics B) sales and marketing C) outbound logistics D) operations/management Answer: B Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 28) Which of the following statements describes a customer service activity? A) receiving and storing materials B) transforming inputs into the final product C) inducing buyers to purchase the product D) assisting with the use of the product Answer: D Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
29) Which of the following is true of supporting activities? A) Their contribution toward a product's value is negligible. B) Their contributions to margin can be calculated easily. C) Customer service is considered a supporting activity. D) Negotiation of prices is considered a supporting activity. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 30) Each stage of the value chain not only adds value to the product but also ________. A) improves supplier relationships B) accumulates costs C) devalues the final product D) attracts competitors Answer: B Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 31) Which of the following is a primary activity in the value chain? A) process of finding vendors B) setting up contractual arrangements C) negotiating prices D) delivering products to consumers Answer: D Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 32) ________ includes general management, finance, accounting, legal, and government affairs. A) Human resources B) Research and development C) Firm infrastructure D) Operations management Answer: C Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
33) Porter's model of business activities includes ________, which are interactions across value activities. A) linkages B) evaluations C) iterations D) operations Answer: A Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 34) A manufacturing system uses sales forecasts to plan production. It uses the production plan to determine raw material needs and then uses the material needs to schedule purchases. This ultimately leads to reduced inventory costs. Which of the following is being used to reduce the inventory cost? A) linkages B) margins C) competitive strategy D) support activities Answer: A Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 35) According to Porter, the processes and systems in an organization pursuing differentiation strategy must ________ to avoid negative margins. A) create sufficient value to cover their costs B) provide products at lowest costs to customers C) develop new technologies D) increase procurement Answer: A Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 36) Which of the following statements is true of business processes? A) Value chains are designed to implement business processes. B) Value chain activities differ based on the business processes being used. C) If a value chain's margin is negative, the costs of the value chain should be increased. D) The processes implementing a value chain must create sufficient value to cover their costs. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage
9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
37) Which of the following is a product implementation principle of competitive advantage? A) raise barriers to market entry B) enhance products or services C) establish alliances D) lock in customers and buyers Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 38) Which of the following strategies is also called establishing high switching costs? A) increasing production B) locking in suppliers C) reducing costs D) locking in customers Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 39) Which of the following is a process implementation principle of competitive advantage? A) creating a new product B) enhancing a service C) establishing alliances D) differentiating a service Answer: C Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 40) Which of the following is least likely to be an outcome of organizations forming alliances with each other? A) promotion of product awareness B) development of market size C) establishment of standards D) increase in purchasing costs Answer: D Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
41) Jupiter Shop is an online store. Customers have to create an online account to purchase products. The purchased products are delivered free of cost. The address of delivery is stored, so that customers can choose the same address for future purchases. Jupiter Shop features seasonal discounts and exchange offers. It also accumulates redeemable points for regular shoppers. Which of the following statements describes the use of IS by Jupiter Shop to lock-in customers? A) providing free home delivery B) saving the delivery addresses C) offering seasonal discounts D) collecting feedback online Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage True or False 1) Competitive strategy determines an organization's value chain. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 2) Porter originally developed the five forces model in order to understand organizations' competitive environment. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 3) According to Porter's five forces model, a company is profitable if all the five competitive forces are strong. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 4) The bargaining power of competitors is one of the competitive forces identified by Porter. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage
11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
5) The three competitive forces in Porter's model concern the danger of customers taking their business elsewhere. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 6) If the costs of switching to another vendor are high, then the strength of the competitive forces is low. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 7) The strength of bargaining power forces does not depend on the availability of substitutes. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 8) Typically, as an individual, a customer has substantial bargaining power over a large manufacturing industry. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 9) Availability of substitutes plays a role in determining the bargaining power of suppliers. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 10) Vendor knowledge and vendor relationships serve as a barrier to entry for new competitors. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 11) An organization can choose to either minimize cost or maximize differentiation to gain a competitive advantage. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage
12 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
12) Focus differentiation is a strategy in which a product is unique and is used by a wide range of consumers. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 13) According to Porter, to be effective, an organization's goals and activities must be consistent with the organization's strategy. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 14) Organizations analyze the structure of their industry and use that analysis to formulate a competitive strategy. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 15) A business that selects a differentiation strategy will always structure itself around least-cost activities. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 16) The difference between the value that an activity generates and the cost of the activity is called the margin. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 17) Customer service falls under the category of supporting activities in a value chain. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 18) Procurement falls under the category of primary activities in a value chain. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 13 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
19) Porter's definition of technology is narrow because it only includes research and development. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 20) Support activities are business functions that relate directly to the production of the organization's products or services. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 21) A business with a cost strategy will add cost to an activity only as long as the activity has a positive margin. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 22) Each stage of the generic value chain accumulates costs and subtracts value from the product. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 23) The support activities in the generic value chain facilitate the primary activities and contribute only indirectly to a product's value. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 24) Receiving, storing, and disseminating inputs to a product is an operations function. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 25) A company uses the outbound logistics activity to deliver the finished product to a customer. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 14 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
26) Porter's model of business activities includes linkages, which are interactions across value activities. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 27) Firm infrastructure excludes general management, finance, accounting, legal, and government affairs. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 28) Supporting activities are easier to calculate than primary activities. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 29) Value chain analysis has a direct application to manufacturing businesses. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 30) Manufacturing systems avoid linkages to reduce inventory costs. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 31) Value chains exist in service-oriented companies. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 32) Inbound and outbound logistics are the primary value generators in a service-oriented company. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage
15 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
33) Business processes implement value chains or portions of value chains. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 34) Each value chain is supported by one or more business processes. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 35) No matter what competitive strategy is being used, the value chain activities remain the same. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 36) Two companies with the same value chain activities will have the same business processes. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 37) If a value chain's margin is negative, the company must make some change. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 38) An information system can be part of a product, but it cannot provide support for a product or service. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 39) Raising barriers to market entry is a product implementation principle. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage
16 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
40) Establishing alliances with other organizations promotes product awareness. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 41) Information systems can be a part of products. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes Essay 1) Briefly describe how organizational strategy determines the functions of information systems. Answer: Organizations examine the structure of their industry and, from that, develop a competitive strategy. That strategy determines value chains, which, in turn, determine business processes. The nature of business processes determines the requirements and functions of information systems. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 2) Describe Porter's five forces model. Answer: Organizational strategy begins with an assessment of the fundamental characteristics and structure of an industry. Porter's five forces model is used as a way of understanding organizations' competitive environments. Porter's five competitive forces can be grouped into two types: forces related to competition and forces related to supply chain bargaining power. The competitive forces are: competition from vendors of substitutes, competition from new competitors, and competition from existing rivals. The bargaining power forces include the bargaining power of suppliers and the bargaining power of customers. The intensity of each of the five forces determines the characteristics of the industry, how profitable it is, and how sustainable that profitability will be. Organizations examine these five forces and determine how they intend to respond to them. That examination leads to competitive strategy. Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage
17 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
3) What are the four competitive strategies based on Porter's five forces model? Answer: An organization responds to the structure of its industry by choosing a competitive strategy. Porter defined four fundamental competitive strategies. According to Porter, a firm can engage in one of these four fundamental competitive strategies. An organization can focus on being the cost leader, or it can focus on differentiating its products from those of the competition. Further, an organization can employ the cost or differentiation strategy across an industry, or it can focus its strategy on a particular industry segment. To be effective, the organization's goals, objectives, culture, and activities must be consistent with the organization's strategy. Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 4) How does competitive strategy determine value chain structure? Answer: Porter defined value as the amount of money that a customer is willing to pay for a resource, product, or service. A value chain is a network of value-creating activities. Organizations analyze the structure of their industry, and, using that analysis, they formulate a competitive strategy. They then need to organize and structure the organization to implement that strategy. If, for example, the competitive strategy is to be a cost leader, then business activities need to be developed to provide essential functions at the lowest possible cost. A business that selects a differentiation strategy would not necessarily structure itself around least-cost activities. Instead, such a business might choose to develop more costly systems, but it would do so only if those systems provided benefits that outweighed their risks. Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 5) Distinguish between a primary and a support activity in the value chain. Answer: Primary activities are business functions that relate directly to the production of the organization's products or services. Primary activities include inbound logistics, operations, customer service, and sales and marketing. These activities add value to a product. Support activities are business functions that assist and facilitate the primary activities. Supporting functions add value to a product indirectly. They also have costs and contribute to a margin. It is difficult to calculate their margins because the specific value added is difficult to measure. Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 6) Differentiate between value and margin. Answer: Porter defined value as the amount of money that a customer is willing to pay for a resource, product, or service. The difference between the value that an activity generates and the cost of the activity is called the margin. A business with a differentiation strategy will add cost to an activity only as long as the activity has a positive margin. Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
18 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
7) Describe the primary activities in a value chain using an example. Answer: In a bicycle manufacturing unit, the primary activities of a value chain are followed. The manufacturer acquires raw materials using the inbound logistics activity. This activity concerns the receiving and handling of raw materials and other inputs. The accumulation of those materials adds value in the sense that even a pile of unassembled parts is worth something to some customer. A collection of the parts needed to build a bicycle is worth more than an empty space on a shelf. The value is not only the parts themselves but also the time required to contact vendors for those parts, to maintain business relationships with those vendors, to order the parts, to receive the shipment, and so forth. In the operations activity, the bicycle maker transforms raw materials into a finished bicycle, a process that adds more value. Next, the company uses the outbound logistics activity to deliver the finished bicycle to a customer. Of course, there is no customer to send the bicycle to without the marketing and sales value activity. Finally, the service activity provides customer support to the bicycle users. Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 8) What is a value chain? List the primary activities in a value chain. Answer: A value chain is a network of value-creating activities. The generic value chain developed by Porter consists of five primary activities and four support activities. The primary activities are: a. Inbound logistics–deals with receiving, storing, and disseminating inputs to the product. b. Operations–involves transforming inputs into the final product. c. Outbound logistics–deals with collecting, storing, and physically distributing the product to buyers. d. Marketing and sales–involves inducing buyers to purchase the product and providing a means for them to do so. e. Customer service–involves assisting customer's use of the product and thus maintaining and enhancing the product's value. Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 9) Explain value chain linkages. Answer: Porter's model of business activities includes linkages, which are interactions across value activities. For example, manufacturing systems use linkages to reduce inventory costs. Such a system uses sales forecasts to plan production; it then uses the production plan to determine raw material needs and then uses the material needs to schedule purchases. The end result is just-in-time inventory, which reduces inventory sizes and costs. Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
19 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
10) How did Porter define technology, human resources, and firm infrastructure? Answer: Porter defined technology broadly. It includes research and development, but it also includes other activities within the firm for developing new techniques, methods, and procedures. He defined human resources as recruiting, compensation, evaluation, and training of full-time and part-time employees. Finally, firm infrastructure includes general management, finance, accounting, legal, and government affairs. Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 11) Describe the support activities in a value chain. Answer: The support activities in the generic value chain facilitate the primary activities and contribute only indirectly to the production, sale, and service of the product. They include procurement, which consists of the processes of finding vendors, setting up contractual arrangements, and negotiating prices. Porter defined technology broadly. It includes research and development, but it also includes other activities within the firm for developing new techniques, methods, and procedures. He defined human resources as recruiting, compensation, evaluation, and training of full-time and part-time employees. Finally, firm infrastructure includes general management, finance, accounting, legal, and government affairs. Supporting functions add value, albeit indirectly, and they also have costs. Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 12) What is the criterion on which business processes should run? Answer: According to Porter, whether business processes are low-cost or high-service, these processes and systems used must create sufficient value that they will more than cover their costs. If not, the margin of those systems will be negative. If a value chain's margin is negative, the company must make some change. Either the value must be increased, or the costs of the value chain need to be reduced. Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 13) How can one develop competitive strategies using products? How can information systems help in the process? Answer: Some competitive techniques are created through products and services, while some are created through the development of business processes. There are three principles that concern products and services. Organizations gain a competitive advantage by creating new products or services, by enhancing existing products or services, and by differentiating their products and services from those of their competitors. An information system can be part of a product or it can provide support for a product or service. Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage
20 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
14) Describe some competitive advantage strategies that are based on business processes. Answer: Some of the competitive strategies that are based on business processes include: 1. Locking in customers–organizations can lock in customers by making it difficult or expensive for customers to switch to another product. This strategy is sometimes called establishing high switching costs. 2. Locking in suppliers–organizations can lock in suppliers by making it difficult to switch to another organization, or, stated positively, by making it easy to connect to and work with the organization. 3. Creating entry barriers–competitive advantage can be gained by creating entry barriers that make it difficult and expensive for new competition to enter the market. 4. Establishing alliances–another means to gain competitive advantage is to establish alliances with other organizations. 5. Reducing costs–organizations can gain competitive advantage by creating better business processes at reduced costs. Such reductions enable the organization to reduce prices and/or to increase profitability. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage
21 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter 4: Hardware and Software Multiple Choice 1) Which of the following is considered input hardware? A) keyboards B) printers C) speakers D) screen projectors Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 2) Which of the following is an output hardware device? A) keyboard B) flatbed plotter C) CPU D) magnetic disk Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 3) A computer with a quad-processor has ________ CPUs. A) eight B) four C) two D) sixteen Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) Computers represent data using binary digits, called ________. A) dots B) pixels C) tags D) bits Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 5) The number of bits to represent a single character is referred to as a ________. A) byte B) kilobyte C) terabyte D) megabyte Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 6) One ________ is equivalent to 1,024 kilobytes. A) terabyte B) megabyte C) gigabyte D) bit Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 7) One ________ is equivalent to 1,024 gigabytes. A) petabyte B) terabyte C) megabyte D) kilobyte Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) A ________ is 1,024 bytes. A) kilobyte B) megabyte C) gigabyte D) terabyte Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 9) To run a program, a computer first transfers the program from disk to ________. A) the main memory B) the CPU C) the processor D) the read-only memory Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 10) To execute an instruction, data is moved from the main memory to the CPU via the ________. A) bus B) operating system C) cache D) application Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 11) A(n) ________ is a program that controls a computer's resources. A) cache B) operating system C) CPU D) bus Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
12) When a user needs to load more data into an existing program, which of the following instructions will an operating system direct the CPU to attempt? A) wait for the existing program to be closed B) restart the existing program C) place the new data into unused memory D) replace the memory used by the existing program with the new data Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 13) CPU speed is expressed in cycles called ________. A) hertz B) bytes C) bits D) meters per second Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 14) Which of the following is true of a 32-bit CPU? A) It cannot effectively utilize more than 4GB of main memory. B) It has a higher speed than any other processor. C) It is ideal for creating large, complicated spreadsheets. D) It is more expensive than the 64-bit CPU. Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 15) Memory is said to be ________ if contents are lost when power is off. A) nonvolatile B) volatile C) random D) swapped Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
16) Which of the following is an example of volatile memory? A) magnetic disk B) magnetic tape C) optical disk D) cache Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 17) Which of the following is an example of nonvolatile memory? A) magnetic disk B) cache C) main memory D) buffer Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 18) Which of the following is true about client computers? A) They receive and process multiple service requests per minute. B) They have software that enables them to connect to a network. C) They have limited video displays or no display at all. D) They require a minimum of 4GB main memory to process information. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 19) Which of the following is true of a server? A) It is used to send requests. B) It can be accessed by not more than one user at a time. C) It is typically accessed from another computer via a network. D) It cannot process emails and Web sites. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
20) Which of the following is used to receive and process thousands of requests from a large number of users? A) a data bus B) a stand-alone server C) a server farm D) a client computer Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 21) Which of the following is true about operating systems software? A) Both client and server computers need to run on the same operating system. B) The operating system performs a majority of application-specific tasks. C) Both client and server computers need an operating system. D) A single version operating system can be used for different types of hardware. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 22) Which of the following is an open-source operating system? A) Opera B) Windows C) Linux D) Mac OS Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 23) Which of the following is the most widely used operating system in business? A) Linux B) Windows C) Unix D) Mac OS Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
24) Programs that control a server computer's resources are referred to as ________. A) client operating systems B) client application programs C) server operating systems D) server application programs Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 25) ________ is the process whereby multiple operating systems share the same hardware. A) Machine coding B) Virtualization C) License sharing D) Cloud computing Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 26) An individual buying a computer program ________. A) accrues liability for the usage of the program B) can install the program on multiple computers C) just buys a license to use the product D) can use the same license to activate another program Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 27) Software that provides capabilities common across all organizations and industries is known as ________ software. A) vertical-market application B) market-wide C) horizontal-market application D) generic-application Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
28) McCann Systems, a leading IT firm, develops customized billing software to meet the needs of its individual customers. In this case, the software developed by the firm is referred to as a(n) ________. A) vertical-market application software B) horizontal-market application software C) one-of-a-kind application software D) operating systems software Answer: A Difficulty: Hard AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 29) Which of the following refers to an application that runs on personal computers and does not need to connect to any server to run? A) a thick-client application B) a thin-client application C) a firmware D) a desktop program Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 30) Application programs that run within a browser, without the need to be preinstalled on client computers, are referred to as ________. A) thin-client applications B) firmware C) desktop programs D) thick-client applications Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
31) Which of the following is true of thick-client applications? A) A thick-client application is an application program that need not be preinstalled on the client. B) They generally have more features and functions than thin-client applications. C) A thick-client application does not need a server connection to run. D) Update installation and version management are inexpensive when large numbers of users work on the same version of the application. Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 32) Which of the following is true of in-house custom-developed software? A) They are less expensive than off-the-shelf software. B) An organization can tailor its applications to fit its requirements. C) Developing custom software is easier than using a horizontal application. D) Custom-developed software need not be adapted to changing needs. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 33) ________ is a type of computer software that is installed into devices such as printers, print servers, and various types of communication devices. A) Firmware B) Desktop program C) Operating system D) Browser Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 34) ________ is computer code as written by humans and that is understandable by humans. A) Bytecode B) Machine code C) Source code D) Binary code Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
True or False 1) Hardware consists of electronic components that input, process, output, and store data. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 2) The central processing unit is referred to as the brain of the computer. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 3) The CPU performs arithmetic and logical comparisons and stores results of operations in memory. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 4) The speed and costs of central processing units are the same across multiple hardware vendors. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 5) Some computers have two or more CPUs. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 6) The CPU reads data and instructions from a read-only memory. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
7) Optical disks are the most common storage devices. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 8) USB connectors complicated the connection of peripheral gear to computers for users. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 9) Main memory is also called cache memory. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 10) A bit is represented either as a zero or a one. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 11) A specification that a computing device has 100 million bytes of memory means that the device could hold up to 100 million characters. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 12) A gigabyte is 1,024 terabytes. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
13) An exabyte is 1,024 petabytes. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 14) A terabyte is a larger unit than a petabyte. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 15) A computer is faster if it has a large cache. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 16) The CPU keeps rarely used instructions in the cache. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 17) The CPU loads programs into the memory as chunks. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 18) Constant memory swapping will reduce the speed of a computer. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
12 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
19) Processing many programs at the same time needs lots of main memory. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 20) When you work on a spreadsheet program like Excel, the program is loaded into the cache for processing. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 21) A 64-bit CPU can address more main memory than a 32-bit CPU. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 22) Saving your work frequently is advised to tackle the issue of memory volatility. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 23) A client computer can be part of a public network. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 24) A server farm can process only one service request per minute. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
13 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
25) Computers can function in the absence of operating system software. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 26) Application programs can be processed by both client and server computers. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 27) A host operating system controls the activities of the virtual machines it hosts. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 28) Server computers cannot host virtual machines. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 29) Code needed for the execution of thin-client application is loaded dynamically by a browser. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 30) Modifying existing firmware requires knowledge of special programs and techniques. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
14 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
31) The general public can access and alter a closed source code of a program. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 32) Modifications to the source code of an open source program cannot be added to the product. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies Essay 1) Describe the basic components of a generic computer. Answer: In a generic computer, hardware consists of electronic components and related gadgetry that input, process, output, and store data according to instructions encoded in computer programs or software. Typical input hardware devices are the keyboard, mouse, document scanners, and bar-code scanners. Processing devices include the central processing unit (CPU), which is sometimes called "the brain" of the computer. The CPU works in conjunction with main memory. Main memory is sometimes called RAM, for random access memory. Output hardware consists of video displays, printers, audio speakers, overhead projectors, and other specialpurpose devices. Storage hardware saves data and programs. The magnetic disk is still the most common storage device, although solid state drives may soon replace them. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 2) How does a computer store data, and what are the different specifications of data size? Answer: All computer data are represented by bits. The data can be numbers, characters, currency amounts, photos, recordings, etc. All are simply a string of bits. Bits are grouped into 8-bit chunks called bytes. For character data, such as the letters in a person's name, one character will fit into one byte. Bytes are used to measure sizes of noncharacter data as well. For example, a given picture can be said to be 100,000 bytes in size. This statement means the length of the bit string that represents the picture is 100,000 bytes or 800,000 bits (because there are 8 bits per byte). The specifications for the size of main memory, disk, and other computer devices are expressed in bytes. A kilobyte, abbreviated K, is a collection of 1,024 bytes. A megabyte, or MB, is 1,024 kilobytes. A gigabyte, or GB, is 1,024 megabytes; a terabyte or TB, is 1,024 gigabytes; a petabyte, or PB, is 1,024 terabytes; an exabyte, or EB, is 1,024 petabytes; and a zetabyte, or ZB, is 1,024 exabytes. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 15 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
3) Briefly describe how a computer works. Answer: The CPU (central processing unit) is the major actor in a computer. To run a program or process data, the computer must first transfer the program or data from disk to main memory. Then, to execute an instruction, it moves the instruction from main memory into the CPU via the data channel or bus. The CPU has a small amount of very fast memory called a cache. The CPU keeps frequently used instructions in the cache. The main memory of the computer contains program instructions for application programs and a browser. It also contains instructions for the operating system. Main memory is too small to hold all of the programs and data that a user may want to process. Consequently, the CPU loads programs into memory in chunks. If the user opens another program or needs to load more data, the operating system will direct the CPU to attempt to place the new program or data into unused memory. If there is not enough memory, it will remove something, and then it will place the just-requested program or data into the vacated space. This process is called memory swapping. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 4) Differentiate between client and server computers. Answer: Users employ client computers for word processing, spreadsheets, database access, and so forth. Most client computers also have software that enables them to connect to a network. Servers provide some service. Some servers process email; others process Web sites; others process large, shared databases; and some provide all of these functions or other, similar functions. They usually have multiple CPUs. Servers typically have limited video displays. Many servers have no display at all, because they are only accessed from another computer via a network. For sites with large numbers of users, servers are organized into a collection of servers called a server farm. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 5) What is an operating system? How is it different from an application program? Answer: Every computer has an operating system, which is a program that controls that computer's resources. Some of the functions of an operating system are to read and write data, allocate main memory, perform memory swapping, start and stop programs, respond to error conditions, and facilitate backup and recovery. In addition, the operating system creates and manages the user interface, including the display, keyboard, mouse, and other devices. Although the operating system makes the computer usable, it does little application-specific work. Application programs are software that are processed on the client or server computer. If you want to check the weather or access a database, you need application programs such as an iPad weather application or Oracle's customer relationship management (CRM) software. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 16 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
6) What are the two important software constraints? Explain with suitable examples. Answer: A particular operating system is written for a particular type of hardware. For example, iOS works only on the iPhone and iPad hardware. Mac OS X works only on the Mac. However, in some cases, multiple versions of the operating system are available for different computer types. Second, application programs are written to use a particular operating system. Because applications only run on particular operating systems, it is important to create multiple versions for different types of devices. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 7) Explain the four major nonmobile client operating systems and their functions. Answer: The four major operating systems are Windows, Mac OS, Unix, and Linux. 1. The most popular is Microsoft Windows. Some version of Windows resides on more than 85 percent of the world's desktops, and when considering just business users, the figure is more than 95 percent. The most recent client version of Windows is Windows 8, a major re-write of prior versions. 2. Apple Computer, Inc., developed its own operating system for the Macintosh, Mac OS. The current system is Mac OS X Mountain Lion. Macintosh computers are used primarily by graphic artists and workers in the arts community. 3. Unix is an operating system that was developed at Bell Labs in the 1970s. It has been the workhorse of the scientific and engineering communities since then. 4. Linux is a version of Unix that was developed by the open source community. This community is a loosely coupled group of programmers who mostly volunteer their time to contribute code to develop and maintain Linux. The open source community owns Linux, and there is no fee to use it. Linux can run on client computers, but is by far most popular as a server OS. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 8) What is virtualization? Answer: Virtualization is the process by which one computer hosts the appearance of many computers. One operating system, called the host operating system, runs one or more operating systems as applications. Those hosted operating systems are called virtual machines (vm). Each virtual machine has disk space and other resources allocated to it. The host operating system controls the activities of the virtual machines it hosts to prevent them from interfering with one another. With virtualization, each virtual machine is able to operate exactly the same as it would if it were operating in a stand-alone, nonvirtual environment. For example, with virtualization one server can support two instances of Windows Server, one instance of Linux, and three instances of Windows. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 17 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
9) Explain how computer programs are licensed to individuals and organizations. Answer: When a person buys a computer program, it does not mean actually buying that program. Instead, he is buying a license, which is the right to use the program. Large organizations do not buy a license for each computer user. Instead, they negotiate a site license, which is a flat fee payment for the right to install the product (operating system or application) on all of that company's computers or on all of the computers at a specific site. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 10) What is unique about Linux as an operating system? Answer: Linux is a version of Unix that was developed by the open source community. In case of Linux, no company can sell a license to use it. It is owned by the open source community, which states that Linux has no license fee (with certain reasonable restrictions). Large companies such as IBM, and smaller companies such as RedHat can make money by supporting Linux, but no company makes money selling Linux licenses. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 11) What are the different categories of application programs? Answer: Application software consists of programs that perform a service or a function. Some application programs are general purpose. Other application programs provide specific functions. 1. Horizontal-market application software provides capabilities common across all organizations and industries. Word processors, graphics programs, spreadsheets, and presentation programs are all horizontal-market application software. Examples of such software are Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. 2. Vertical-market application software serves the needs of a specific industry. Examples of such programs are those used by dental offices to schedule appointments and bill patients. Vertical applications usually can be altered or customized. 3. One-of-a-kind application software is developed for a specific, unique need. The IRS develops such software, for example, because it has needs that no other organization has. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
18 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
12) What are the drawbacks of developing custom application software for an organization? Answer: Organizations develop custom application software themselves or hire a development vendor. By developing custom software, an organization can tailor its application to fit its requirements. Custom development is difficult and risky. Staffing and managing teams of software developers is challenging. Managing software projects can be daunting. Many organizations have embarked on application development projects only to find that the projects take twice as long–or longer–to finish than planned. For custom-developed software, the using company must pay all of the adaptation costs itself. Over time, this cost burden is heavy. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 13) What is firmware? Answer: Firmware is computer software that is installed into devices such as printers, print servers, and various types of communication devices. The software is coded just like other software, but it is installed into special, read-only memory of the printer or other device. In this way, the program becomes part of the device's memory; it is as if the program's logic is designed into the device's circuitry. Users do not need to load firmware into the device's memory. Firmware can be changed or upgraded, but this is normally a task for IS professionals. The task is easy, but it requires knowledge of special programs and techniques that most business users choose not to learn. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 14) How does open source work? How is it different from closed source projects? Answer: The term open source means that the source code of the program is available to the public. Source code is computer code as written by humans and that is understandable by humans. Source code is compiled into machine code that is processed by a computer. Machine code is, in general, not understandable by humans and cannot be modified. In a closed source project, say Microsoft Office, the source code is highly protected and only available to trusted employees and carefully vetted contractors. The source code is very well protected. Only those trusted programmers can make changes to a closed source project. With open source, anyone can obtain the source code from the open source project's Web site. Programmers alter or add to this code depending on their interests and goals. In most cases, programmers can incorporate open source code into their own projects. They may be able to resell those projects depending on the type of license agreement the project uses. Open source succeeds because of collaboration. A programmer examines the source code and identifies a need or project that seems interesting. He or she then creates a new feature, redesigns or reprograms an existing feature, or fixes a known problem. That code is then sent to others in the open source project who then evaluate the quality and merits of the work and add it to the product, if appropriate. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 19 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter 5: Database Processing Multiple Choice 1) The purpose of a database is to ________. A) test and troubleshoot newly installed software B) design the source code for computer programs C) describe and build computer architectures D) store lists of data involving multiple themes Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 2) A ________ is a self-describing collection of integrated records. A) datasheet B) spreadmart C) database D) dataspace Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 3) Which of the following best describes a byte in a database? A) It is a character of data. B) It is a group of rows. C) It is a collection of data. D) It is a group of columns. Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) In a database, bytes are grouped into ________. A) tables B) columns C) rows D) records Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 5) In a database, columns are also called ________. A) records B) tables C) files D) fields Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 6) In a database, rows are also called ________. A) records B) fields C) tables D) files Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 7) In a database, the collection of data for all columns is called a ________. A) record B) field C) file D) table Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) In a database, a group of similar rows is called a ________. A) table B) record C) field D) matrix Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 9) In a database, a table, which is a group of similar rows, is also called a ________. A) record B) matrix C) file D) field Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 10) Which of the following best describes the metadata in a database? A) data that cannot be used as an information resource B) special data that describes the structure of a database C) data that describes a Web page D) special data that is unique to a specific user Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 11) In a database, a ________ is a column or group of columns that identifies a unique row in a table. A) field B) record C) file D) key Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
12) In a database, columns that are keys of a different table than the one in which they reside are known as ________ keys. A) foreign B) discrete C) relational D) continuous Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 13) Databases that carry their data in the form of tables and represent relationships using foreign keys are called ________ databases. A) foreign B) continuous C) relational D) discrete Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 14) In a database, a table is formally referred to as a ________. A) matrix B) field C) record D) relation Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 15) Special data that describe the data contained in a database are called ________. A) open matrices B) primary data C) metadata D) closed matrices Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
16) A(n) ________ is a program that is used to create, process, and administer a collection of self-describing integrated records. A) decision support system (DSS) B) knowledge management system (KMS) C) database management system (DBMS) D) enterprise planning system (EPS) Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 17) Which of the following is a DBMS product from Microsoft? A) MySQL B) SQL Server C) DB2 D) Sybase ASE Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 18) ________ is a popular enterprise DBMS product from IBM. A) DB2 B) Access C) SQL Server D) MySQL Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 19) Which of the following is a function of the DBMS? A) analyzing business data to predict future performance B) eliminating bottlenecks in business processes C) automating workflows in companies D) processing a database by inserting or modifying data Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
20) The DBMS provides applications for processing operations such as ________. A) sending and receiving emails B) writing software programs C) inserting or deleting data D) automating business processes Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 21) SQL stands for ________. A) Standard Query Language B) Secondary Query Language C) Structured Query Language D) Simplified Query Language Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 22) ________ is an international standard language that is used for processing a database. A) Hypertext Markup Language B) Dynamic HTML C) Structured Query Language D) Sybase Language Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 23) One of the important functions of a DBMS is to provide the necessary tools for ________. A) encrypting e-mails B) encapsulating data objects C) administering the database D) testing program codes Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
24) Which of the following is considered an administrative function of the DBMS? A) adding structures to improve the performance of database applications B) testing program codes in the system for errors C) creating tables, relationships, and other structures in databases D) using international standard languages for processing database applications Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 25) Monitoring the performance of a database after providing solutions for improving its performance is a(n) ________ of the DBMS. A) creation function B) modification function C) processing operation D) administrative function Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 26) Conducting training to ensure that users and operations personnel know and understand recovery procedures is a(n) ________ of the DBMS. A) processing operation B) administrative function C) creation function D) modification function Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 27) A ________ is a collection of forms, reports, queries, and programs that serves as an intermediary between users and database data. A) database application B) database administrator C) knowledge management system D) dimension table Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
28) Which of the following elements of a database application helps in the insertion of new data and the deletion of existing data? A) reports B) application programs C) queries D) forms Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 29) Which of the following elements of a database application presents data in a structured manner using sorting, grouping, filtering, and other operations? A) queries B) forms C) reports D) application programs Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 30) Which of the following elements of a database application provides security, data consistency, and special-purpose processing? A) query applications B) application programs C) reports D) forms Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 31) Traditional database application programs are written in object-oriented languages like ________. A) Information Systems Base Language B) VisualBasic C) Datalog D) Structured Query Language Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
32) Which of the following is true of browser-based database applications? A) They are written in object-oriented languages like Structured Query Language. B) The application, DBMS, and the database all reside on the user's computer. C) They are thin-client applications that need not be pre-installed on a user's computer. D) They use C++ as the standard language for user-side processing. Answer: C Difficulty: Hard AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 33) Browser-based database applications differ from traditional applications in that they ________. A) have no security requirements B) mostly run within a corporate network that is protected from the Internet C) are usually open to the public D) fail to support graphical queries Answer: C Difficulty: Hard AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 34) Which of the following is a major problem posed by multi-user processing of a database? A) lack of data integrity B) software redundancy C) lost-update problem D) limited access to data Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 35) Which of the following is a drawback of the relational database processing model? A) It utilizes an extensive amount of storage space. B) It requires powerful processors to function. C) It was never a natural fit with business documents. D) It does not enable document piece-making via normalization. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
36) Which of the following is true of the relational database processing model? A) It supports very high transaction rates. B) It can efficiently store files with large collections of bits. C) It helps organizations store new data types such as images, audio, and videos. D) It represents relationships with the help of foreign keys. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 37) One of the reasons for the appearance of new styles of nonrelational database processing is the need for ________. A) storing data types such as images, audio, and videos in organizations B) gaining faster performance by limiting the number of servers used C) breaking up sales orders via normalization D) limiting the use of open-source document-oriented DBMS Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 38) Which of the following is a nonrelational data store developed by Amazon.com? A) Bigtable B) Dynamo C) Cassandra D) MongoDB Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 39) ________ refers to software systems that support very high transaction rates, processing relatively simple data structures, replicated on many servers in the cloud. A) NoSQL DBMS B) MySQL DBMS C) Traditional DBMS D) Relational DBMS Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
40) The conversion of the existing traditional databases in organizations to NoSQL databases is ________. A) highly efficient and is being practiced by many organizations B) highly recommended because any technology-tolerant business professional can use NoSQL C) very cost-effective, but can be enormously disruptive D) unnecessary in cases where relational databases meet the needs of organizations Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases True or False 1) Databases are required to keep track of lists with multiple themes. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 2) A database is a self-describing collection of integrated records. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 3) Bytes, which are characters of data, are grouped into rows in a database. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 4) In a database, columns are also called records. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
5) In a database, the collection of data for all columns is called a file. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 6) In a database, a group of similar rows or records is called a table. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 7) In a database, a key is a column or group of columns that identifies a unique row in a table. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 8) Databases that carry their data in the form of tables and that represent relationships using foreign keys are called discrete databases. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 9) The format of the metadata in a database depends on the software product that is processing the database. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 10) To find out what a database contains, one can look at the metadata inside the database. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
12 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
11) Most organizations develop their own database management systems. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 12) DB2 is a popular DBMS product that is licensed from Microsoft. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 13) A DBMS is also referred to as a database. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 14) Hypertext Markup Language is an international standard language for processing a database. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 15) SQL statements can be issued directly to the DBMS by an application program. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 16) The DBMS can be used to set up a security system involving user accounts, passwords, permissions, and limits for processing the database. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
13 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
17) DBMS administrative functions include adding structures to improve the performance of database applications. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 18) The administrative functions of a DBMS include backing up database data. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 19) A database application serves as an intermediary between users and database data. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 20) Queries in database applications present data in a structured manner using operations such as sorting, grouping, and filtering. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 21) Reports in database applications provide security, data consistency, and special-purpose processing. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 22) All traditional databases require the Internet to transmit traffic between a user's computer and a DBMS server computer. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
14 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
23) In single-user databases, the application, the DBMS, and the database all reside on a user's computer. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 24) Traditional database application programs are written in object-oriented languages such as C++. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 25) Browser database application forms, reports, and queries are displayed and processed using html. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 26) Browser applications are thin-client applications that need not be pre-installed on the users' computers. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 27) Security requirements are more stringent for traditional applications than for browser-based ones. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 28) The lost-update problem caused by multi-user processing in databases can be prevented by avoiding all types of database locking. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 15 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
29) MySQL DBMS refers to software systems that support very high transaction rates, processing relatively simple data structures, replicated on many servers in the cloud. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 30) NoSQL DBMS products are very technical and can be used only by those with a deep background in computer science. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases Essay 1) What are the differences between a spreadsheet and a database? Answer: The purpose of both a spreadsheet and a database is to keep track of things. However, unlike a spreadsheet, a database offers the solution of being able to keep track of more than one type of data. Lists of data involving a single theme can be stored in a spreadsheet. However, lists that involve multiple themes require a database. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 2) Describe the contents of a database. Answer: A database is a self-describing collection of integrated records that is organized based on a hierarchy of data elements. A byte is a character of data. Bytes are grouped into columns. Columns are also called fields. A key is a column or group of columns that identifies a unique row in a table. Columns that are keys of a different table than the one in which they reside are called foreign keys. Columns or fields, in turn, are grouped into rows, which are also called records. Finally, a group of similar rows or records is called a table or a file. A database contains, within itself, a description of its contents called metadata. Metadata are data that describe data. Thus, a database is a collection of tables plus relationships among the rows in those tables, plus special data, called metadata, that describes the structure of the database. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
16 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
3) What are relational databases? What has led to the development of new nonrelational styles of database processing? Answer: Databases that carry their data in the form of tables and that represent relationships using foreign keys are called relational databases. Foreign keys are columns that are keys of a different table than the one in which they reside. The relational model was the single, standard way of processing databases for over thirty years. Recently, however, new styles of database processing have started appearing. Part of the reason is that the major principles of the relational model–fixed-sized tables, representing relationships with foreign keys, and the theory of normalization–came about because of limited storage space and limited processing speeds back in the 1960s and early 1970s. At some point, maybe the mid-1990s, these limitations were removed by improved storage and processing technology and today they do not exist. In other words, the relational model is not needed today. Other reasons for the development of nonrelational databases include the need to gain faster performance using many servers and to store new types of data such as images, audio, and videos. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2, 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 4) Describe the usefulness of metadata. Answer: A database is self-describing in that it contains, within itself, a description of its contents. This is because it contains not only data, but also data about the data in the database. This data is known as metadata. It is the presence of metadata that makes databases much more useful than spreadsheets or data in other lists. Because of metadata, no one needs to guess, remember, or even record what is in a database. To find out what a database contains, we just look at the metadata inside the database. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 5) Explain database management systems (DBMS). Answer: A database management system (DBMS) is a program used to create, process, and administer a database. A DBMS is different from a database in that a DBMS is a software program while a database is a collection of tables, relationships, and metadata. Almost no organization develops its own DBMS. Instead, companies license DBMS products from vendors such as IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, and others. Popular DBMS products are DB2 from IBM, Access and SQL Server from Microsoft, and Oracle Database from the Oracle Corporation. Another popular DBMS is MySQL, an open source DBMS product that is license-free for most applications. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
17 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
6) Describe the functions of a database management system. Answer: A database management system (DBMS) is a program used to create, process, and administer a database. 1. Database developers use the DBMS to create tables, relationships, and other structures in the database. To create a new table, the developer just fills out a new table's metadata into a form. To modify an existing table–for example, to add a new column–the developer opens the metadata form for that table and adds a new row of metadata. 2. The second function of the DBMS is to process the database. The DBMS provides applications for four processing operations: to read, insert, modify, or delete data. These operations are requested in application calls upon the DBMS. From a form, when the user enters new or changed data, a computer program that processes the form calls the DBMS to make the necessary database changes. From a Web application, a program on the client or on the server application program calls the DBMS directly to make the change. 3. A third DBMS function is to provide tools to assist in the administration of the database. Database administration involves a wide variety of activities. For example, the DBMS can be used to set up a security system involving user accounts, passwords, permissions, and limits for processing the database. In addition to security, DBMS administrative functions include backing up database data, adding structures to improve the performance of database applications, removing data that are no longer wanted or needed and similar tasks. Difficulty: Hard AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 7) How does one create a database and its structures? Answer: Database developers use the DBMS to create tables, relationships, and other structures in the database. A form is used to define a new table or to modify an existing one. To create a new table, the developer just fills the new table's metadata into the form. To modify an existing table, a developer opens the metadata form for that table and adds a new row of metadata. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 8) Define SQL. Answer: Structured Query Language (SQL) is an international standard language for processing a database. DBMS products like DB2 from IBM, Access and SQL Server from Microsoft, and Oracle Database from the Oracle Corporation accept and process SQL statements. Another popular DBMS that accepts SQL statements is MySQL, an open source DBMS product that is license-free for most applications. One need not understand or remember SQL language syntax. Instead, one needs to just realize that SQL is an international standard for processing a database. Also, SQL can be used to create databases and database structures. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 18 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
9) What is a database application? Answer: A database application is a collection of forms, reports, queries, and application programs that serves as an intermediary between users and database data. Database applications reformat database table data to make it more informative and more easily updated. Application programs also have features that provide security, maintain data consistency, and handle special cases. The specific purposes of the four elements of a database application are: Forms- View data; insert new, update existing, and delete existing data Reports- Structured presentation of data using sorting, grouping, filtering, and other operations Queries- Search based upon data values provided by the user Application programs- Provide security, data consistency, and special-purpose processing, e.g., handle out-of-stock situations. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 10) What is a NoSQL DBMS? Answer: A few years back, Amazon.com determined that relational database technology wouldn't meet its processing needs, and it developed a nonrelational data store called Dynamo. Google (developed Bigtable) and Facebook (developed Cassandra) also followed suit. Such nonrelational DBMS have come to be called NoSQL DBMS. This term refers to software systems that support very high transaction rates processing relatively simple data structures, replicated on many servers in the cloud. The rise of NoSQL does mean that, for large organizational IS, choosing a relational DBMS is no longer automatic. NoSQL DBMS products are very technical and can be used only by those with a deep background in computer science. Difficulty: Hard AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
19 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter 6: The Cloud Multiple Choice 1) Which of the following statements is true about cloud computing? A) The elastic leasing of pooled computer resources over the Internet is called the cloud. B) A cloud is a peer-to-peer network used to share data between users. C) Cloud-based hosting does not operate over the Internet. D) Any network of servers hosted in-house by an organization for its own requirements is regarded as a cloud. Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 2) Which of the following is a reason for the term elastic being used to define the cloud? A) Computing resources can be increased or decreased dynamically in cloud-based hosting. B) Operations staff manually allots fresh resources when the traffic increases. C) Customers are provided a consistent bandwidth on the cloud. D) Resources available for cloud-hosting are shared among customers. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 3) An organization that hires cloud services ________. A) can accommodate increase in traffic from only one city B) is continually provided with the maximum possible bandwidth C) can limit the response time of its web pages D) hires a fixed number of servers Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) Which of the following is true of Web services? A) They are SOA-designed programs that comply with Web service standards. B) They are programs that comply with IEEE 802.3 protocol standard and cannot be used for cloud processing. C) They are programs that comply with Web service standards and can only run as an independent program. D) They can be used only with other programs from the same vendor. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 5) Which of the following statements is true about cloud services? A) Cloud service vendors tend to avoid virtualization. B) In-house hosting is generally preferable to cloud hosting. C) Cloud services always allow customers to maintain physical control over its data. D) Financial institutions are not likely to hire cloud services from a vendor. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 6) Which of the following statements is true of cloud-based and in-house hosting? A) In-house hosting makes scaling up to meet the demands of increased traffic easier. B) Cloud-based hosting involves the risk of investing in technology that may soon become obsolete. C) In-house hosting leads to loss of physical control of data. D) Cloud-based hosting reduces the visibility of the security being used to protect data. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 7) Which of the following statements is true about the increase in popularity of cloud hosting? A) Data communication is more expensive now than earlier. B) Virtualization allows instantaneous creation of new virtual machines. C) Internet-based standards have led to loss of flexibility in processing capabilities. D) The technology prevalent in the 1960s was more favorable for the construction of enormous data centers. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) Phobas Inc. offers an online service which stores notes made by customers on the cloud. When a customer enters notes on one device, it gets updated in all the devices he/she owns. Which of the following cloud-based offerings is being provided to the customers? A) virtual private cloud B) platform as a service (PaaS) C) software as a service (SaaS) D) infrastructure as a service (IaaS) Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 9) An online service allows users to integrate their phonebook with their social media profiles and stores it on the cloud. The phonebook is updated with pictures of contacts when they are uploaded on social media sites. Which of the following cloud-based offerings is being provided to the users? A) network as a service (NaaS) B) platform as a service (PaaS) C) infrastructure as a service (IaaS) D) software as a service (SaaS) Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 10) The cloud-based service that provides the hardware and allows customers to load an operating system of their choice is known as ________. A) application virtualization B) platform as a service (PaaS) C) infrastructure as a service (IaaS) D) network functions virtualization (NFV) Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
11) A ________ is a system of hardware and software that stores user data in many different geographical locations and makes that data available on demand. A) virtual private network B) content delivery network C) mobile virtual network D) local area network Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 12) Which of the following is a disadvantage of a content delivery network? A) It increases the load time of web pages for users. B) Its vulnerability to denial-of-service (DOS) attacks is high. C) Its reliability is decreased as data is stored on many servers. D) It is better suited to store and deliver content that seldom changes. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 13) Which of the following statements is true of content delivery networks (CDNs)? A) They reduce users' access costs by delivering data faster. B) They distribute data on different servers without any data replication. C) Users receive content from the CDN server that is geographically closest. D) A routing server decides which server should deliver content on an hourly basis. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 14) An internal information system built using Web services ________. A) is called a virtual private network B) is a cloud-based technology if it offers elasticity C) is a subset of a virtual private cloud D) is an example of platform as a service (PaaS) Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
15) Which of the following is a reason why an internal information system (private internet) that uses Web services is not considered a cloud? A) The number of servers is fixed in a private internet and is not made elastic. B) Idle servers in a private internet are dynamically re-allocated. C) It is generally not accessible outside the organization. D) An organization maintains a private internet using its own resources. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 16) Which of the following services provides hardware, an operating system, and a database management system (DBMS) on a cloud-based offering? A) network as a service (NaaS) B) infrastructure as a service (IaaS) C) software as a service (SaaS) D) platform as a service (PaaS) Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 17) Sireus Corp. is availing a cloud-based service. It plans to install a software package that will offer cloud services to its users. If it would like to avoid installing an operating system on the server, which of the following services should it choose? A) network as a service (NaaS) B) infrastructure as a service (IaaS) C) platform as a service (PaaS) D) software as a service (SaaS) Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 18) If an organization opts for software as a service (SaaS), it will have to ________. A) install an operating system on the server B) purchase licenses for software replication C) transfer data and develop procedures D) install a DBMS Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
19) Which of the following statements is true of private clouds? A) Private clouds are easy to build and operate. B) Several organizations pool their resources to form a private cloud. C) Private clouds provide access from outside an organization without connecting to a VPN (virtual private network). D) Idle servers in a private cloud cannot re-allocated to other organizations. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 20) Which of the following is a characteristic of a private cloud? A) Organizations define their own set of standards for interactions between programs. B) Idle servers on a private cloud can be allocated to other organizations. C) A private cloud is most likely to be built by a small organization. D) Most organizations avoid having multiple database servers in a private cloud. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 21) Which of the following statements is true of a virtual private cloud (VPC)? A) A VPC does not make use of a VPN (virtual private network). B) An organization generally stores its most sensitive data on a VPC. C) A VPC can be accessed only from within an organization. D) A VPC can be built on public cloud infrastructure. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 22) Which of the following is a difference between a virtual private network (VPN) and a virtual private cloud (VPC)? A) Unlike a VPN, a VPC uses encrypted connections between the users and the server. B) A VPN can be accessed over the Internet, but a VPC cannot be accessed over the Internet. C) Unlike a VPC, a VPN connects users to an organization's internal IS. D) A VPC provides the advantages of cloud storage, but a VPN by itself cannot provide these advantages. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
23) Which of the following is an advantage of using a private cloud over a virtual private cloud (VPC)? A) Unlike a VPC, the infrastructure required for a private cloud can be built and operated easily. B) A VPC gains significantly by using an elastic load balancer, whereas a private cloud does not use an elastic load balancer. C) A VPC cannot be accessed from outside the organization, but a private cloud can be accessed from outside the organization. D) Unlike a VPC, a private cloud does not require permission from regulating bodies to host sensitive data. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 24) What is a VPN (virtual private network)? A) It is a markup language that fixes several HTML deficiencies and is commonly used for program-to-program interaction over the Web. B) It is an add-on to browsers that was developed by Adobe and is useful for providing animation, movies, and other advanced graphics inside a browser. C) It is the most common language for defining the structure and layout of web pages. D) It uses the Internet to create secure point-to-point connections. Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 25) Which of the following is true of a VPN (virtual private network)? A) A VPN communication is secure even though it is transmitted over the public Internet. B) One disadvantage of a VPN is that it does not encrypt messages. C) Remote access is difficult in case of a VPN. D) It is a physical, private pathway over a public or shared network from the client to the server. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet
7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
26) Which of the following is a characteristic of a virtual private network (VPN)? A) It establishes a physical connection between the client and the server, called tunnel. B) It sends encrypted messages over the public Internet. C) A VPN can be accessed from only one geographical location. D) VPNs cannot be accessed over the Internet. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 27) Which of the following is likely to be a consequence of cloud computing in the future? A) Organizations will prefer to setup their own computing infrastructure. B) The cost of obtaining elastic resources will decrease. C) Jobs related to server operations at small organizations will increase. D) The number of technology-based startups will stagnate. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 28) A system uses cameras and motion-sensing equipment to issue tickets for traffic violations. This system is an example of ________. A) videotelephony B) telesurgery C) telelaw enforcement D) GPS augmentation Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 29) Using https instead of http ________. A) shows the other users on that network who are accessing the same site B) allows a packet sniffer to see only the site visited and nothing further C) connects a user to the version of the site hosted on a private cloud D) detects the presence of packet sniffers in the vicinity Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet
8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
True or False 1) Cloud resources are pooled because many different organizations use the same physical hardware. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 2) Cloud vendors do not benefit from economies of scale. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 3) Service oriented architecture (SOA) is a way of designing computer programs so that they can be combined flexibly. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 4) As standard practice, customers are regularly updated by cloud vendors about the location and number of copies made of their data. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 5) To use cloud-based hosting, an organization will have to construct its own data center. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 6) Before the creation of personal computers, time-sharing vendors provided slices of computer time on a use-fee basis. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
7) Cloud-based hosting is preferred by organizations that are required by law to have physical control over their data. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 8) Organizations that are required by law to have physical control over their data can also benefit from cloud computing. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 9) To use software as a service (SaaS), the user has to just sign up for the service. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 10) A content delivery network (CDN) provides a specialized type of PaaS. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 11) A content delivery network (CDN) services a user's request using the geographically closest server. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 12) Content delivery networks (CDNs) increase Web sites' load time. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
13) A routing server determines which CDN server should respond to a request in real-time. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 14) Content delivery networks (CDNs) are used to store and deliver content that rarely changes. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 15) A user may receive various pieces of a web page from different servers on a content delivery network (CDN). Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 16) An elastic load balancer is a feature available in a private cloud that is not available in a private internet. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 17) An organization's internal IS that does not provide elasticity is still considered a cloud-based technology. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 18) A vendor providing SaaS usually makes the software available as a thin-client. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
19) If software licensed from others is to be installed on the cloud, licenses for replication of software must be purchased. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 20) DBMS products are generally included in IaaS services. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 21) A small company is likely to choose IaaS as it does not require much technical expertise to load operating systems on a server. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 22) A tunnel is a virtual, private pathway over a public or shared network from the VPN (virtual private network) client to the VPN server. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 23) A private internet uses cloud standards. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 24) The connection between a VPN client and a VPN server is called a tunnel. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
12 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
25) A VPC allows organizations to gain the advantages of cloud storage for the portion of data that need not be physically controlled. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 26) Large Web farms are likely to replace in-house servers used by small companies due to the benefits of cloud computing. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 27) Cloud computing is likely to enable organizations to obtain elastic resources at very low costs. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 28) Cloud computing is likely to lead to an increase in the number of technology-based startups. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 29) Telediagnosis uses telecommunications to link surgeons to robotic equipment at distant locations. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 30) Teleaction increases the value of routine face-to-face services. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
13 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
31) Remote action systems increase time and travel expenses. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) Essay 1) What is the cloud? Answer: The cloud is defined as the elastic leasing of pooled computer resources over the Internet. The term elastic means that the computing resources leased can be increased or decreased dynamically, programmatically, in a short span of time, and that organizations pay for just the resources that they use. Cloud resources are pooled because many different organizations use the same physical hardware, which they share through virtualization. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 2) Why is the term "elastic" used to describe the cloud? Answer: The term elastic means that the computing resources leased can be increased or decreased dynamically, programmatically, in a short span of time, and that organizations pay for just the resources that they use. If the traffic for a Web site hosted on the cloud increases, servers can be increased dynamically to restrict the response time of the Web site. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 3) Why is the term "pooled" used to describe the cloud? Answer: Cloud resources are pooled because many different organizations use the same physical hardware, which they share through virtualization. Cloud vendors dynamically allocate virtual machines to physical hardware as customer needs increase or decrease. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
14 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) Why is cloud hosting preferred to in-house hosting? Answer: Cloud hosting allows the number of servers being rented to be increased easily. This means any number of customers can access the Web site hosted on the cloud and have the same response time. Large, reputable organizations provide best-of-breed security and disaster recovery. The clients do not have to take the risk of investing in technology that may soon become obsolete; the cloud vendor takes that risk. For these reasons, cloud hosting is preferred to in-house hosting. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 5) What are the factors that have made cloud-based hosting advantageous? Answer: Three factors have made cloud-based hosting advantageous today. First, processors, data communication, and data storage are so cheap that they are nearly free. At the scale of a Web farm of hundreds of thousands of processors, providing a virtual machine for an hour costs essentially nothing. Because data communication is so cheap, getting the data to and from that processor is also nearly free. Second, virtualization technology enables the near instantaneous creation of a new virtual machine. The customer provides (or creates in the cloud) a disk image of the data and programs of the machine it wants to provision. Virtualization software does the rest. Finally, Internet-based standards enable cloud-hosting vendors to provide processing capabilities in flexible, yet standardized, ways. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 6) Cloud-based hosting does not make sense for some organizations. Explain. Answer: The only organizations for which cloud hosting may not make sense are those that are required by law or by industry standard practice to have physical control over their data. Such organizations might be forced to create and maintain their own hosting infrastructure. A financial institution, for example, might be legally required to maintain physical control over its data. Even in this circumstance, however, it is possible to gain many of the benefits of cloud computing using private clouds and virtual private clouds. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
15 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
7) Explain how software as a service (SaaS) works. Answer: Software as a service (SaaS) is a category of cloud-based service offering. An organization that provides SaaS provides not only hardware infrastructure, but also an operating system and application programs as well. Apple's iCloud is an example of SaaS. Apple uses it to sync all of its customers' iOS devices. When a customer enters an appointment in her iPhone, Apple automatically pushes that appointment into the calendars on all of that customer's iOS devices. Further, customers can share calendars with others that will be synchronized as well. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 8) Explain how platform as a service (PaaS) works. Answer: Platform as a service (PaaS) is a category of cloud hosting in which vendors provide hosted computers, an operating system, and possibly a DBMS. Microsoft Windows Azure, for example, provides servers installed with Windows Server. Customers of Windows Azure then add their own applications on top of the hosted platform. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 9) What is infrastructure as a service (IaaS)? Answer: The most basic cloud offering is the Infrastructure as a service (IaaS), which is the cloud hosting of a bare server computer or data storage. Amazon.com licenses S3 (Simple Storage Server) which provides, unlimited, reliable data storage in the cloud. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 10) What is a content delivery network? What are its advantages? Answer: A content delivery network (CDN) is a system of hardware and software that stores user data in many different geographical locations and makes that data available on demand. A routing server determines which CDN server is likely to service a request the fastest. Because traffic changes rapidly, especially for popular sites, such calculations are made in real-time. A request for content at one moment in time could be served by a computer in, say, San Diego, and a few moments later, that same request from that same user might be served by a computer in Salt Lake City. CDNs are often used to store and deliver content that seldom changes. CDNs lead to an increase in reliability because data is stored on many servers. If one server fails, any of a potentially large number of other servers can deliver the content. In some cases, CDNs reduce access costs for mobile users. The connection charges can be reduced by delivering the data faster. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 16 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
11) Why is an internal information system that is built using Web services not considered as cloud technology? Answer: An internal information system that uses Web services does not provide elasticity or the advantages of pooled resources. It is not considered as cloud technology for these reasons, though it does advantageously use cloud standards. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 12) What is a VPN and how does it work? Answer: VPN stands for a virtual private network. A VPN uses the Internet to create the appearance of private, secure connections. Once a remote computer, the VPN client, connects to the Internet, the VPN software establishes a secure connection with the VPN server. This connection, called a tunnel, is a virtual, private pathway over a public or shared network from the VPN client to the VPN server. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 13) What is a private cloud? What are its limitations? Answer: A private cloud is a cloud that is owned and operated by an organization for its own benefit. To create a private cloud, the organization creates a private internet and designs applications using Web services standards. The organization then creates a farm of servers and manages those servers with elastic load balancing. To provide access from outside the organization, a VPN is setup. Private clouds provide the advantages of elasticity, but to questionable benefit. Organizations cannot re-allocate their idle servers to other companies. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 14) What is a virtual private cloud? How does it differ from a private cloud? Answer: A virtual private cloud (VPC) is a subset of a public cloud that has highly restricted, secure access. An organization can build its own VPC on top of public cloud infrastructure. Using a VPC, an organization can store its most sensitive data on its own infrastructure, and store the less sensitive data on the VPC. In this way, organizations that are required to have physical control over some of their data can place that data on their own servers and locate the rest of their data on the VPC. This is a feature that is not available in a private cloud. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
17 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter 7: Organizations and Information Systems Multiple Choice 1) Which of the following statements is true of personal information systems? A) Personal information systems that support a particular department are called workgroup information systems. B) Adapting to changes in personal information systems is extremely difficult and time consuming. C) Personal information systems have only a single user and so procedures are not documented or formalized. D) The solutions to problems in a personal information system usually involve more than one department. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 2) Personal information systems are most likely to be used by ________. A) physician partnerships B) drug salespersons C) PRIDE systems D) hospitals Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 3) Which of the following is a characteristic of workgroup information systems? A) isolated problems B) informal procedures C) resistance to change D) 1000s of users Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) Physician partnerships most likely use ________. A) inter-enterprise information systems B) workgroup information systems C) enterprise information systems D) departmental information systems Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 5) Which of the following statements is true of workgroup information systems? A) Workgroup information systems that support a particular department are called enterprise information systems. B) Workgroup information systems that support a particular business function are called personal information systems. C) The users of workgroup information systems are defined by levels of security authorization. D) Workgroup information systems typically support 10 to 100 users. Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 6) Which of the following is a characteristic of enterprise information systems? A) They do not document procedures since the procedures are simple and informal. B) They are shared between two or more independent organizations. C) They typically have hundreds to thousands of users. D) They are highly open to change. Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 7) Which of the following statements is true of enterprise information systems? A) They are information systems that are shared by two or more independent organizations. B) The solutions to problems in these systems usually involve more than one department. C) Enterprise information systems typically support less than 100 users. D) They are called personal information systems if they support a particular business function. Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure
2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) ________ are systems that are shared by two or more independent organizations. A) Inter-enterprise information systems B) Workgroup information systems C) Enterprise information systems D) Personal information systems Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 9) Which of the following is most likely to make use of an inter-enterprise information system? A) hospitals B) drug salespersons C) PRIDE systems D) physician partnerships Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 10) A(n) ________ exists when data are isolated in separated information systems. A) walled garden B) information silo C) mashup D) viral hook Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 11) Information silos arise as a result of ________. A) data integration across several information systems within an organization B) the sharing of an inter-enterprise information system with several organizations C) too many users depending on a single enterprise-wide information system D) data being isolated in systems that are separated across different organizational levels Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure
3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
12) Which of the following is an information systems application that supports the sales and marketing department in an organization? A) HR planning B) compensation management C) lead generation D) recruiting Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 13) Which of the following departments in an organization is supported by information systems applications such as recruitment and compensation? A) accounting department B) operations department C) human resources department D) customer service department Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 14) Budgeting and treasury management are information systems applications that support an organization's ________. A) manufacturing department B) human resources department C) accounting department D) customer service department Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 15) Sales forecasting and brand management are information systems applications that support an organization's ________. A) accounting department B) human resources department C) sales and marketing department D) customer service department Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
16) ________ is an information systems application that supports the human resources department in an organization. A) Compensation B) Sales forecasting C) Financial reporting D) Lead tracking Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 17) Which of the following is a problem posed by information silos? A) Data cannot be duplicated. B) A lot of file space is wasted. C) The interdependence between various information systems applications increases. D) There is a lack of integrated enterprise information. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 18) The problems posed by information silos ultimately lead to ________. A) diseconomies of scope B) increased costs for an organization C) diminishing marginal returns D) reduced organizational innovation Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 19) ________ is the activity of altering the existing business processes and designing new ones to take advantage of new information systems. A) Business process management B) Business process reengineering C) Business process outsourcing D) Business process interoperability Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
20) Which of the following statements is true of business process reengineering? A) It is a very fast process and is easy to carry out. B) When combined with ERP, it has a 100 percent success rate. C) It is a very expensive process. D) Due to its streamlined process, it requires no expertise. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 21) Inherent processes are ________. A) time-consuming business processes that involve substantial investment B) predesigned procedures for using software products C) the set of procedures that help companies implement business process reengineering D) business process reengineering techniques with low success rates Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 22) Which of the following statements is true of inherent processes? A) Inherent processes are almost always a perfect fit. B) Organizations cannot license the software used in inherent processes. C) Inherent processes are expensive and time-consuming. D) Inherent processes provide an alternative to business process reengineering. Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 23) The first phase in the customer life cycle involves ________. A) sending messages to target audiences to attract customer prospects B) attempting to win back high-value customers C) converting prospects into customers who need to be supported D) increasing the value of existing customers by selling more products to them Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
24) When prospects become customers who need to be supported, the organization is in the ________ phase of the customer life cycle. A) customer engagement B) marketing C) customer acquisition D) relationship management Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 25) Which of the following is a component of relationship management? A) converting prospects into customers who need to be supported B) increasing the value of existing customers by selling them more products C) positioning products in the minds of customers through promotional strategies D) sending messages to target audiences to attract customer prospects Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 26) During which of the following phases of the customer life cycle does win-back processes categorize customers according to value? A) customer acquisition B) marketing C) relationship management D) churn Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 27) ________ is the last phase in the customer life cycle. A) Marketing B) Customer acquisition C) Churn D) Relationship management Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
28) Which of the following statements is true of customer relationship management (CRM) systems? A) They are applications used for consolidating business operations into a single, consistent, computing platform. B) They vary in the degree of functionality they provide. C) They incorporate accounting, manufacturing, inventory, and human resources applications. D) A major disadvantage of these systems is a lack of consistency in data. Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 29) Enterprise resource planning (ERP) helps in ________. A) consolidating business operations into a single, consistent, computing platform B) managing all the interactions with customers C) providing layers of software that connect applications together D) connecting several enterprises within the same industry Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 30) Which of the following statements is true about ERP? A) ERP is a suite of software applications that integrates existing systems by providing layers of software that connect applications together. B) The two major components of ERP systems are manufacturing applications and inventory applications. C) Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is also referred to as enterprise application integration (EAI) due to its highly efficient integration properties. D) ERP systems are used to forecast sales and to create manufacturing plans and schedules to meet those forecasts. Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems
8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
31) ________ is the worldwide leader of ERP vendors. A) TQM B) EAI C) SCM D) SAP Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 32) ERP was originally used in the ________ domain. A) accounting B) customer support C) manufacturing D) human resources Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 33) ________ is a suite of software applications that consolidates existing systems by providing layers of software that connect applications together. A) Enterprise resource planning (ERP) system B) Enterprise integration application (EAI) C) Customer relationship management (CRM) system D) Rich internet application (RIA) Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 34) Which of the following is a function of EAI? A) It is used to forecast sales and to create manufacturing plans to meet those forecasts. B) It manages all the interactions with customers, from lead generation to customer service. C) It creates information silos by departmentalizing applications. D) It enables a gradual move to ERP. Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
35) Which of the following statements is true of EAI? A) A disadvantage of the EAI software is the lack of metadata files that describe where data are located. B) The layers of EAI software prevent existing applications from communicating with each other. C) EAI makes use of a centralized database that acts as a "virtual integrated database" for users to process. D) EAI software can be configured to automatically make conversions needed to share data among different systems. Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 36) The expenses and risks associated with the implementation or upgrading of enterprise systems arise from the ________. A) need for encrypting a company's data before an enterprise system can use the data B) lack of resources within a company to handle the implementation of the system C) lack of variety in the enterprise systems currently being sold in the market D) resistance from a company's employees to changes in existing systems Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 37) When implementing new enterprise systems in a company, process issues that may arise can be effectively resolved by ________. A) encouraging entities at different organizational levels to create separate information systems B) developing committees and steering groups for process management C) bringing into the company conciliators or arbitrators to sort the issues D) giving the responsibility of resolving issues to the company's CEO Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
38) ________ is a major issue faced by companies when implementing enterprise systems. A) The failure of applications to communicate and share data with each other B) The failure to incorporate accounting and human resource applications C) The lack of a centralized database where important data such as metadata can be stored D) The gap between the requirements of an organization and the capabilities of an application Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 39) ________ is a person's belief that he or she can be successful at his or her job. A) Extroversion B) Conscientiousness C) Self-actualization D) Self-efficacy Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 40) Inter-enterprise PRIDE systems are referred to as ________ because in such systems processing is divided across multiple computing devices. A) distributed systems B) departmental information systems C) business intelligence systems D) integrated systems Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
True or False 1) Functional information systems are information systems used by a single individual. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 2) Workgroup information systems that support a particular department are called personal information systems. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 3) The contact manager in an iPhone is an example of a personal information system. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 4) Personal information systems generally support around 10 users. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 5) Enterprise information systems typically have hundreds to thousands of users. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 6) Enterprise information systems are information systems that span an organization and support activities of people in multiple departments. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems
12 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
7) Enterprise information systems are information systems that are shared by two or more independent organizations. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 8) The solutions to problems in an enterprise system usually involve more than one enterprise. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 9) In the case of workgroup information systems, problems are resolved by contract and litigation. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 10) Inter-enterprise information systems are information systems that are shared by two or more independent departments within an organization. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 11) Information silos help in resolving any problem that may arise due to isolated information systems. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 12) Information silos arise when entities at one organizational level in a company create information systems that meet only their particular needs. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 13 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
13) The major issue caused by information silos is wasted file space. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 14) When an organization has inconsistent duplicated data, it is said to have a data integrity problem. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 15) Information silos can result in increased cost for an organization. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 16) EAI refers to the activity of altering existing business processes and designing new ones to take advantage of new information systems. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 17) Business process reengineering is extremely fast and economical. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 18) Inherent processes save organizations from expensive and time-consuming business process reengineering. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
14 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
19) The first phase of the customer life cycle is marketing. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 20) The last phase of the customer life cycle is relationship management. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 21) CRM systems vary in the degree of functionality they provide. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 22) ERP is used to consolidate business operations into a single, consistent, computing platform. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 23) EAI is used to forecast sales and to create manufacturing plans to meet those forecasts. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 24) SAP is the worldwide leader of ERP vendors. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
15 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
25) EAI connects system "islands" via a new layer of software. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 26) Unlike departmental systems in which a single department manager is in charge, enterprise systems have no clear boss. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 27) The development of steering groups is an effective solution for resolving the process issues of an enterprise system. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 28) Most organizations today create their own enterprise systems from scratch. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 29) Transitioning from one enterprise system to a new enterprise system is fairly easy due to the integrated steps involved in the process. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 30) Self-efficacies are a person's belief that he or she can be successful at his or her job. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
16 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
31) One of the reasons why people fear change is because it threatens their self-efficacies. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 32) An inter-enterprise PRIDE system is also referred to as a distributed system. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases Essay 1) What are personal information systems? Answer: Personal information systems are information systems used by a single individual. The contact manager in an iPhone or in an email account is an example of a personal information system. Because such systems have only one user, procedures are simple and are generally not documented or formalized in any way. It is easy to manage change to personal information systems because only one person needs to adapt to the change. And, if there are problems, individual users can solve the problems themselves. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 2) Explain workgroup information systems. Answer: A workgroup information system is an information system that is shared by a group of people for a particular purpose. For example, at a physicians' partnership, doctors, nurses, and staff use information systems to manage patient appointments, keep patient records, schedule inoffice procedures and equipment, and facilitate other workgroup activities. Workgroup information systems that support a particular department are sometimes called departmental information systems. An example is the accounts payable system that is used by the accounts payable department. Other workgroup information systems support a particular business function and are called functional information systems. An example of a functional system is a Web storefront. Typically workgroup systems support 10 to 100 users. The procedures for using them must be understood by all members of the group. Often, procedures are formalized in documentation, and users are sometimes trained in the use of those procedures. When problems occur, they almost always can be solved within the group. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems
17 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
3) What are enterprise information systems? Answer: Enterprise information systems are information systems that span an organization and support activities in multiple departments. For example, at a hospital, doctors, nurses, the pharmacy, the kitchen, and others use information systems to track patients, treatments, medications, diets, room assignments, and so forth. Enterprise information systems typically have hundreds to thousands of users. Procedures are formalized and extensively documented; users undergo formal procedure training. Sometimes enterprise systems include categories of procedures, and users are defined according to levels of expertise with the system as well as by levels of security authorization. The solutions to problems in an enterprise system usually involve more than one department. Because enterprise systems span many departments and involve potentially thousands of users, they are very difficult to change. Changes must be carefully planned, cautiously implemented, and users given considerable training. Sometimes users are given incentives and other inducements to motivate them to change. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 4) Explain inter-enterprise information systems. Answer: Inter-enterprise information systems are information systems that are shared by two or more independent organizations. Such systems typically involve thousands of users, and solutions to problems require cooperation among different, usually independently owned, organizations. Problems are resolved by meeting, contract, and sometimes by litigation. Because of the wide span, complexity, and multiple companies involved, such systems can be exceedingly difficult to change. The interaction of independently owned and operated information systems is required. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 5) What are information silos? Answer: Information silos are the conditions that exist when data are isolated in separated information systems. Silos come into existence as entities at one organizational level create information systems that meet only their particular needs. The major problems caused by information silos at department level include data duplication and data inconsistency, disjointed processes, limited information and lack of integrated information, isolated decisions leading to organizational inefficiencies, and increased expenses for a company. When an organization has inconsistent duplicated data, it is said to have a data integrity problem. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure
18 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
6) What problems do information silos cause? Answer: As organizations grow, information silos will eventually lead to duplication of data and cause potentially serious problems. First, data are duplicated because each application has its own database. Next, when applications are isolated, business processes are disjointed. A consequence of such disjointed systems is the lack of integrated enterprise information. This leads to the fourth consequence: inefficiency. When using isolated functional applications, decisions are made in isolation. Without integration, the left hand of the organization doesn't know what the right hand of the organization is doing. Finally, information silos can result in increased cost for the organization. Duplicated data, disjointed systems, limited information, and inefficiencies all mean higher costs. Difficulty: Hard AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 7) How can organizations solve the problems posed by information silos? Answer: An information silo occurs when data is stored in isolated systems. The obvious way to fix such a silo is to integrate the data into a single database and revise applications and business processes to use that database. If that is not possible or practical, another remedy is to allow the isolation, but to manage it to avoid problems. Isolated data created by workgroup information systems can be integrated using enterprise-wide applications. Isolated data created by information systems at the enterprise level can be integrated into inter-enterprise systems using distributed applications that process data in a single cloud database or that connect disparate, independent databases so that applications can process those databases as if they were one database. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 8) What is business process reengineering? Answer: Business process reengineering is the activity of altering existing and designing new business processes to take advantage of new information systems. Unfortunately, business process reengineering is difficult, slow, and exceedingly expensive. Systems analysts need to interview key personnel throughout the organization to determine how best to use the new technology. Because of the complexity involved, such projects require high-level and expensive skills and considerable time. Many early projects stalled when the enormity of the project became apparent. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
19 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
9) Describe a CRM system. Answer: A CRM system is a suite of applications, a database, and a set of inherent processes for managing all the interactions with the customer, from lead generation to customer service. Every contact and transaction with the customer is recorded in the CRM database. Vendors of CRM software claim using their products makes the organization customer-centric. A CRM database includes solicitation and lead management application, sales application, relationship management application, and customer support application. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 10) Explain the four phases of the customer life cycle. Answer: The four phases of the customer life cycle are marketing, customer acquisition, relationship management, and loss/churn. Marketing sends messages to the target market to attract customer prospects. When prospects order, they become customers who need to be supported. Additionally, relationship management processes increase the value of existing customers by selling them more products. Inevitably, over time the organization loses customers. When this occurs, win-back processes categorize customers according to value and attempt to win back high-value customers. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 11) What is ERP? Answer: ERP is a suite of applications, a database, and a set of inherent processes for consolidating business operations into a single, consistent, computing platform. ERP includes the functions of CRM and also incorporates accounting, manufacturing, inventory, and human resources applications. ERP systems are used to forecast sales and to create manufacturing plans and schedules to meet those forecasts. Manufacturing schedules include the use of material, equipment, and personnel and thus need to incorporate inventory and human resources applications. Because ERP includes accounting, all of these activities are automatically posted in the general ledger and other accounting applications. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems
20 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
12) What are some of the benefits of EAI? Answer: EAI is a suite of software applications that integrates existing systems by providing layers of software that connect applications together. Although there is no centralized EAI database, EAI software keeps files of metadata that describe where data are located. Users can access the EAI system to find the data they need. In some cases, the EAI system provides services that supply a "virtual integrated database" for the user to process. The major benefit of EAI is that it enables organizations to use existing applications while eliminating many of the serious problems of isolated systems. Converting to an EAI system is not nearly as disruptive as converting to ERP. It also provides many of the benefits of ERP. Some organizations develop EAI applications as a steppingstone to complete ERP systems. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
21 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter 8: Social Media Information Systems Multiple Choice 1) ________ is the use of information technology to support the sharing of content among networks of users. A) Electronic data interchange B) Data warehousing C) Cloud computing D) Social media Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 2) Which of the following statements is a characteristic of user communities? A) Social Media (SM) user communities are mostly based on geographic and familial ties. B) Most users of SM belong to several different user communities. C) In community-SM site relationships, the relationships in second-tier communities are disassociated from first-tier users. D) A viral hook is an inducement to constrain communications between user communities. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 3) SM communities differ from regular communities because ________. A) they are based on mutual interests of users B) they are based only on organizational boundaries C) most people belong to a single community D) the total number of its users is determined by the sum of the sizes of all its communities Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) Which of the following statements is true about viral hooks? A) It is used to restrain information leaks from an organization. B) It is used to enhance an organization's privacy on its SM sites. C) It is designed to root out users who post junk content on an organization's SM site. D) It is an inducement to pass communication along the tiers of a community. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 5) Social media ________ are companies and other organizations that choose to support a presence on one or more SM sites. A) outlets B) sponsors C) application providers D) dashboards Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 6) Social media ________ are the companies that operate the SM sites. A) outlets B) sponsors C) application providers D) newsrooms Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 7) Social media ________ create the features and functions of the site, and they compete with one another for the attention of user communities and SM sponsors. A) application providers B) collaborators C) dashboards D) outlets Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) ________ is data and responses to data that are contributed by users and SM sponsors. A) Connection data B) Capital data C) Content data D) Custom data Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 9) ________ is data about relationships. A) Connection data B) Capital data C) Content data D) Communication data Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 10) With respect to the five components of social media information systems (SMIS), which of the following statements is true of user communities? A) They process SM sites using elastic, cloud-based servers. B) They develop and operate their own custom social networking application software to read and submit data. C) They need to be trained on both SMIS user procedures as well as on their organization's social networking policy. D) Their procedures are informal, evolving, and socially oriented. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 11) With respect to the five components of social media information systems (SMIS), which of the following statements is true of application providers? A) They usually process SM sites using desktops, laptops, and smartphones. B) They store and retrieve SM data on behalf of sponsors and user communities. C) They employ browsers and native mobile applications to store and retrieve connection data. D) Their procedures are informal, evolving, and socially oriented. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
12) Which of the following statements is a feature of social media application providers? A) They do not support custom software for long durations as it is expensive. B) They generally charge users a license fee to use their applications. C) They use elastic, cloud-based servers to process SM sites. D) They sponsor content on SM sites. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 13) With respect to the five components of social media information systems (SMIS), which of the following statements is true of SM sponsors? A) They process SM sites using elastic, cloud-based servers. B) They develop and operate their own custom, proprietary, social networking application software. C) They need to be trained on both SMIS user procedures as well as on the organization's social networking policy. D) Their procedures are informal, evolving, and socially oriented. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 14) Which of the following statements is true of defenders of belief? A) They seek conformity and want to convince others of the wisdom of their opinions. B) Their communities do not facilitate activities like sales and marketing. C) They are effective for activities that involve innovation and problem solving. D) When confronted with contrary evidence, they change their opinion. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 15) Which of the following statements is true of seekers of truth? A) They share a common belief and seek conformity. B) They do not change their opinion when confronted with a contrary opinion. C) They are effective for activities like sales and marketing. D) They generally do not form bonds with an organization. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
16) Which of the following statements is true of social CRM? A) The relationships between organizations and customers are unchanging. B) Each customer crafts his or her own relationship with the company. C) Sales managers can control what the customer is reading about a company and its products. D) Customers who are likely to make the highest purchases are likely to receive the most attention. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 17) ________ is the dynamic social media process of employing users to participate in product design or product redesign. A) Social capitalization B) Flexible product development C) Crowdsourcing D) Collaborative product development Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 18) ________ is the application of social media to facilitate the cooperative work of people inside organizations. A) Enterprise relationship management B) Enterprise resource planning C) Enterprise 2.0 D) Enterprise application integration Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 19) A ________ is a content structure that has emerged from the processing of many user tags. A) metalanguage B) chrome C) folksonomy D) bookmark Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
20) According to McAfee's Enterprise 2.0 model, creating enterprise content via blogs, wikis, discussion groups, and presentations is part of ________. A) signaling B) authoring C) tagging D) searching Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 21) According to McAfee, Enterprise 2.0 workers want applications that enable them to rate tagged content and to use the tags to predict content that will be of interest to them. Which of the following characteristics of Enterprise 2.0 does this refer to? A) search B) links C) signals D) extensions Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 22) In McAfee's Enterprise 2.0 model, pushing enterprise content to users based on subscriptions and alerts is called ________. A) signaling B) authoring C) tagging D) searching Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
23) Which of the following statements is true of using social media to advance organizational strategy? A) The unpredictability of dynamic processes like social media is encouraged in supply chains. B) Solving supply chain problems via social media reinforces an organization's sense of privacy. C) Users who have no financial incentive are willing to provide reviews to the buyer community. D) Organizations whose business strategy involves selling to developer networks are the last to adopt SM-based customer support. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 24) Being linked to a network of highly regarded contacts is a form of ________. A) social credential B) personal reinforcement C) mobility D) nepotism Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 25) Which of the following statements is true of social capital? A) Social capital is the investment in human knowledge and skills for future profit. B) The value of social capital is determined by the number of relationships in a social network. C) Social capital can be gained by limiting the number of friends. D) Being linked into social networks undermines a professional's image and position in an organization. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
26) Which of the following statements is true of social capital? A) When a user creates content for an organization, the strength of the relationship increases. B) Social capital does not depreciate. C) Using relationships in social networks to influence decision makers decreases the value of social capital. D) The strength of a relationship between two entities is determined by the number of relationships of each entity. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 27) A ________ is a statement that delineates employees' rights and responsibilities. A) statement of purpose B) bill of labor C) social media policy D) corporate datasheet Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 28) Which of the following statements is true of social networking problems? A) Responses to problematic content are best reserved for instances where it has caused the organization to do something positive. B) Inappropriate contributions that contain obscene or otherwise inappropriate content should be ignored indefinitely. C) The product development team should not receive the criticisms posted on a social networking site. D) If the problematic content represents reasonable criticism of the organization's products, the best response is to delete it. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
29) Which of the following statements is true of responding to social networking problems? A) Deleting legitimate negative comments indicates that the site contains genuine user content. B) Criticism of products on an SM site cannot be used for product development. C) Responses to problematic content on the organization's SM site should be defensive. D) Patronizing responses to comments from content contributors can generate a strong backlash. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 30) In the context of management, ________ means loss of control of employees. A) transcendence B) divergence C) emergence D) dependence Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes True or False 1) Social media is the use of information technology to support the sharing of content among networks of users. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 2) Social media enables people to form hives, which refer to groups of people related by a common interest. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 3) A social media information system is an information system that supports the sharing of content among networks of users. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) Social media outlets are companies and other organizations that choose to support a presence on one or more SM sites. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 5) Social media sponsors are the companies that operate the SM sites. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 6) Google is an example of a social media application provider. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 7) Social media application providers create the features and functions of the site, and they compete with one another for the attention of user communities and SM sponsors. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 8) A social media sponsor cannot develop its own provider. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 9) Both community users and employees of SM sponsors process SM sites using elastic, cloudbased servers. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
10) SM sponsors employ browsers and native mobile applications to read and submit data. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 11) SM application providers develop and operate their own custom, proprietary, social networking application software. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 12) Content data is data about relationships. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 13) Connection data differentiates social media information systems (SMIS) from Web site applications. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 14) Both Web sites and social networking sites present user and responder content, but only social networking applications store and process connection data. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 15) SM application providers store and retrieve SM data on behalf of sponsors and user communities. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
16) For SM sponsors, social networking procedures are informal, evolving, and socially oriented. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 17) SM sponsors do not require training on social media information systems (SMIS) user procedures to contribute to their organization's SM site. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 18) Employees who contribute to and manage social networking sites will generate direct labor costs. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 19) When confronted with contrary evidence, defenders of belief change their opinion. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 20) Defenders-of-belief communities facilitate activities like sales and marketing. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 21) Defenders-of-belief communities are well-suited for activities that involve innovation or problem solving. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
12 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
22) Seekers of the truth share a common desire to learn something, solve a problem, or make something happen. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 23) In social CRM, relationships between organizations and customers are fixed. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 24) In social CRM, since the relationships between organizations and customers emerge from joint activity, customers have as much control as companies. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 25) Seekers-of-the-truth communities are not likely to provide solutions to complex supply chain problems. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 26) Crowdsourcing is the dynamic social media process of employing users to participate in product design or product redesign. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 27) The application of social media to facilitate the cooperative work of people inside organizations is called enterprise resource planning. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 13 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
28) According to McAfee, Enterprise 2.0 workers prefer to navigate content structures rather than searching for content. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 29) According to McAfee's Enterprise 2.0 model, creating enterprise content via blogs, wikis, discussion groups, and presentations is part of authoring. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 30) Enterprise 2.0 content is tagged differently from the content on the Web. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 31) A folksonomy is content structure that has emerged from processing many user tags. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 32) According to McAfee's Enterprise 2.0 model, the process in which workers want applications to enable them to rate tagged content and to use the tags to predict content that will be of interest to them is called extensions. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 33) According to McAfee's Enterprise 2.0 model, pushing enterprise content to users based on subscriptions and alerts is part of tagging. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 14 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
34) Since the benefits of Enterprise 2.0 result from emergence, there is no way to control for either effectiveness or efficiency. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 35) Capital is defined as the investment of resources for future profit. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 36) Social capital is the investment in human knowledge and skills for future profit. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 37) Being linked to a network of highly regarded contacts is a form of social credential. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 38) The value of social capital is determined by the number of relationships in a social network, by the strength of those relationships, and by the resources controlled by those related. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 39) Social capital can be gained by limiting the number of friends. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
15 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
40) To an organization, the strength of a relationship is the likelihood that the entity in the relationship will do something that benefits the organization. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 41) A social media policy is a statement that delineates employees' rights and responsibilities. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 42) If a reasoned, nondefensive response generates continued and unreasonable user-generated content from that same source, it is best for the organization to delete it. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 43) In the context of Customer Relationship Management (CRM), social media means that the vendor loses control of the customer relationship. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 44) In the context of management, transcendence means loss of control of employees. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
16 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Essay 1) What is social media? Answer: Social media (SM) is the use of information technology to support the sharing of content among networks of users. Social media enables people to form communities, tribes, or hives, all of which are synonyms that refer to a group of people related by a common interest. A social media information system (SMIS) is an information system that supports the sharing of content among networks of users. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 2) What are social media sponsors? Answer: Social media sponsors are companies and other organizations that choose to support a presence on one or more SM sites. For example, when Microsoft places icons on its promotional pages, it is making a commitment to invest considerable employee time and other costs to support social media. It needs to develop procedures and staff and train people to support that site. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 3) What are social media application providers? Answer: Social media application providers are the companies that operate the SM sites. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google are all SM application providers. These providers create the features and functions of the site, and they compete with one another for the attention of user communities and SM sponsors. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 4) Explain the hardware component of social media information systems (SMIS) with respect to each of the three organizational roles. Answer: Both community users and employees of SM sponsors process SM sites using desktops, laptops, smartphones, iPads, HTML 5 devices, and, indeed, any intelligent communications device. In most cases, SM application providers host the SM presence using elastic servers in the cloud. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
17 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
5) Explain the software component of social media information systems (SMIS) with respect to each of the three organizational roles. Answer: Users employ browsers and native mobile applications, such as iOS, Android, or Win 8 applications, to read and submit data and to add and remove connections to communities and other users. SM sponsors contribute to the site via browsers or using specialized sponsor applications provided by the SM application provider. In some cases, like, say, Facebook applications, SM sponsors create their own applications and interface those applications with the SM site. SM application providers develop and operate their own custom, proprietary, social networking application software. Supporting such custom software is expensive over the long term, but SM application vendors must do so because the features and functions of their applications are fundamental to their competitive strategy. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 6) Explain the data component of social media information systems (SMIS). Answer: SM data falls into two categories: content and connection. Content data is data and responses to data that are contributed by users and SM sponsors. Connection data is data about relationships. Connection data differentiates SMIS from Web site applications. Both Web sites and social networking sites present user and responder content, but only social networking applications store and process connection data. SM application providers store and retrieve SM data on behalf of sponsors and user communities. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 7) Explain the procedure component of social media information systems (SMIS) with respect to the user and sponsor organizational roles. Answer: For social networking users, procedures are informal, evolving, and socially oriented. You do what your friends do. Such informality makes using SMIS easy; it also means that unintended consequences are common. The most troubling examples concern user privacy. For SM sponsors, social networking procedures cannot be so informal. Before initiating a social networking presence, organizations must develop procedures for creating content, managing user responses, removing obsolete or objectionable content, and extracting value from content. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
18 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) Explain the people component of social media information systems (SMIS) with respect to the user and sponsor organizational roles. Answer: Users of social media do what they want to do depending on their goals and their personalities. They behave in certain ways and observe the consequences. SM sponsors, however, cannot be casual. Anyone who contributes to an organization's SM site or who uses his or her position in a company to speak for an organization needs to be trained on both SMIS user procedures as well as on the organization's social networking policy. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 9) What are defenders-of-belief communities? Answer: Defenders of belief share a common belief and form their hive around that belief. They seek conformity and want to convince others of the wisdom of their belief. When confronted with contrary evidence, they do not change their opinion, but become more firmly convinced in their belief. Defenders-of-belief communities facilitate activities like sales and marketing. They are not effective for activities that involve innovation or problem solving. Such groups can form strong bonds and allegiance to an organization. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 10) What are seekers-of-the-truth communities? Answer: Seekers of the truth share a common desire to learn something, solve a problem, or make something happen. They share a common problem, but not a common solution to that problem. Not surprisingly, such tribes are incredible problem solvers and excel at innovation. They can be useful in customer service activity; as long as they don't conclude that the best way to solve a product problem is to use another company's product, something they might do because such groups seldom form a strong bond to an organization. The only organizational bond seekers of the truth are likely to form occurs when the organization demonstrates behavior that indicates that it, too, is committed to solving the community's shared problem. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
19 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
11) What is social CRM? Answer: Social CRM is a dynamic, SM-based CRM process. The relationships between organizations and customers emerge in a dynamic process as both parties create and process content. In addition to the traditional forms of promotion, employees in the organization create wikis, blogs, discussion lists, frequently asked questions, sites for user reviews and commentary, and other dynamic content. Customers search this content, contribute reviews and commentary, ask more questions, create user groups, and so forth. With social CRM, each customer crafts his or her own relationship with the company. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 12) What is the difference between traditional CRM and social CRM? Answer: In social CRM, because relationships emerge from joint activity, customers have as much control as companies. This characteristic is an anathema to traditional sales managers who want control over what the customer is reading, seeing, and hearing about the company and its products. Further, traditional CRM is centered on lifetime value; customers who are likely to generate the most business get the most attention and have the most impact on the organization. But, with social CRM, the customer who spends 10 cents but who is an effective reviewer, commentator, or blogger can have more influence than the quiet customer who purchases $10 million a year. Such imbalance is incomprehensible to traditional sales managers. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 13) What are the six characteristics of Enterprise 2.0? Answer: Andrew McAfee defined six characteristics of Enterprise 2.0, which he refers to by the acronym SLATES. Workers want to be able to search for content inside the organization just as they do on the Web. Most workers find that searching is more effective than navigating content structures such as lists and tables of contents. Workers want to access organizational content by link, just as they do on the Web. They also want to author organizational content using blogs, wikis, discussion groups, published presentations, and so on. Enterprise 2.0 content is tagged, just like content on the Web, and tags are organized into structures. Additionally, Enterprise 2.0 workers want applications to enable them to rate tagged content and to use the tags to predict content that will be of interest to them, a process McAfee refers to as extensions. Finally, Enterprise 2.0 workers want relevant content pushed to them; they want to be signaled when something of interest to them happens in organizational content. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
20 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
14) What is a folksonomy? Answer: Enterprise 2.0 content is tagged, just like content on the Web, and tags are organized into structures. These structures organize tags as a taxonomy does, but, unlike taxonomies, they are not preplanned; they emerge. A folksonomy is content structure that has emerged from the processing of many user tags. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 15) How does social capital add value? Answer: Relationships in social networks can provide information about opportunities, alternatives, problems, and other factors important to business professionals. They also provide an opportunity to influence decision makers at one's employer or in other organizations who are critical for success. Such influence cuts across formal organizational structures, such as reporting relationships. Third, being linked to a network of highly regarded contacts is a form of social credential. Finally, being linked into social networks reinforces a professional's image and position in an organization or industry. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 16) Explain the major sources of user-generated content problems. Answer: When a business participates in a social network or opens its site to a user-generated content (UGC), it opens itself to misguided people who post junk unrelated to the site's purpose. Crackpots may also use the network or UGC site as a way of expressing passionately held views about unrelated topics, such as UFOs, government cover-ups, fantastic conspiracy theories, and so forth. Because of the possibility of such content, SM sponsors should regularly monitor the site and remove objectionable material immediately. Unfavorable reviews are another risk. Research indicates that customers are sophisticated enough to know that few, if any, products are perfect. Most customers want to know the disadvantages of a product before purchasing it so they can determine if those disadvantages are important for their application. Mutinous movements are an extension of bad reviews. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
21 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
17) How do you respond to social networking problems? Answer: The first task in managing social networking risk is to know the sources of potential problems and to monitor sites for problematic content. Once such content is found, however, organizations must have a plan for creating the organization's response. Three possibilities are: 1. Leave it 2. Respond to it 3. Delete it If the problematic content represents reasonable criticism of the organization's products or services, the best response may be to leave it where it is. Such criticism indicates that the site is not just a shill for the organization, but contains legitimate user content. A second alternative is to respond to the problematic content. However, this alternative is dangerous. If the response could be construed in any way as patronizing or insulting to the content contributor, the response can enrage the community and generate a strong backlash. In most cases, responses are best reserved for when the problematic content has caused the organization to do something positive as a result. If a reasoned, nondefensive response generates continued and unreasonable UGC from that same source, it is best for the organization to do nothing. Deleting content should be reserved for contributions that are inappropriate because they are contributed by crackpots, because they have nothing to do with the site, or because they contain obscene or otherwise inappropriate content. However, deleting legitimate negative comments can result in a strong user backlash. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
22 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter 9: Business Intelligence Systems Multiple Choice 1) ________ process operational and other data in organizations to analyze past performance and make predictions. A) Virtualization software B) Live migration techniques C) Business intelligence systems D) Windowing systems Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 2) Which of the following statements is true of business intelligence (BI) systems? A) Business intelligence systems are primarily used for developing software systems and data mining applications. B) The four standard components of business intelligence systems are software, procedures, applications, and programs. C) The software component of a business intelligence system is called an intelligence database. D) Business intelligence systems analyze an organization's past performance to make predictions. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 3) ________ is the process of obtaining, cleaning, organizing, relating, and cataloging source data. A) Data interpretation B) Pull publishing C) Push publishing D) Data acquisition Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) Which of the following is a fundamental category of business intelligence (BI) analysis? A) data acquisition B) data mining C) push publishing D) pull publishing Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 5) Which of the following activities in the business intelligence process involves delivering business intelligence to the knowledge workers who need it? A) data acquisition B) BI analysis C) publish results D) data mining Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 6) ________ is the process of delivering business intelligence to users without any request from the users. A) Push publishing B) Pull publishing C) Data acquisition D) Data mining Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 7) ________ requires users to request business intelligence results. A) Push publishing B) Pull publishing C) Data acquisition D) Data mining Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems
2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) The use of an organization's operational data as the source data for a BI system is not usually recommended because it ________. A) is not possible to create reports based on operational data B) is not possible to perform business intelligence analyses on operational data C) requires considerable processing and can drastically reduce system performance D) considers only external data and not internal data regarding an organization's functions Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 9) A ________ is a facility for managing an organization's business intelligence data. A) datasheet B) dataspace C) data warehouse D) data room Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 10) The source, format, assumptions, constraints, and other facts concerning certain data are called ________. A) metadata B) data structures C) microdata D) network packets Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 11) Problematic data are referred to as ________. A) rough data B) clickstream data C) granular data D) dirty data Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems
3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
12) Which of the following problems is particularly common for data that have been gathered over time? A) wrong granularity B) lack of integration C) lack of consistency D) missing values Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 13) ________ refers to the level of detail represented by data. A) Abstraction B) Granularity C) Dimensionality D) Aggregation Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 14) Which of the following statements is true of data with granularity? A) Granularity refers to the level of detail represented by the data. B) If granularity is too coarse, data can be made finer by summing and combining. C) The granularity of clickstream data is too coarse. D) If granularity is too coarse, data can be separated into constituent parts using regression. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 15) The more attributes there are in a sample data, the easier it is to build a model that fits the sample data, but that is worthless as a predictor. Which of the following best explains this phenomenon? A) the free rider problem B) the curse of dimensionality C) the tragedy of the commons D) the zero-sum game Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
16) A ________ is a data collection that addresses the needs of a particular department or functional area of a business. A) data mart B) data room C) datasheet D) dataspace Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 17) The purpose of a ________ is to extract data from operational systems and other sources, clean the data, and store and catalog that data for processing by business intelligence tools. A) data mart B) data center C) data room D) data warehouse Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 18) Users in a data mart obtain data that pertain to a particular business function from a ________. A) data room B) data center C) datasheet D) data warehouse Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 19) Which of the following statements is true of a data warehouse? A) A data warehouse is larger than a data mart. B) A data warehouse functions like a retail store in a supply chain. C) Users in a data warehouse obtain data pertaining to a business function from a data mart. D) Data analysts who work with a data warehouse are experts in a particular business function. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
20) ________ is the process of sorting, grouping, summing, filtering, and formatting structured data. A) Push publishing B) Pull publishing C) Cloud computing D) Reporting analysis Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 21) Which of the following refers to data in the form of rows and columns? A) granulated data B) structured data C) nonintegrated data D) problematic data Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 22) The goal of ________, a type of business intelligence analysis, is to create information about past performance. A) push publishing B) data mining C) reporting D) BigData Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 23) ________ are reports produced when something out of predefined bounds occurs. A) Exception reports B) Static reports C) Dynamic reports D) Subscriptions Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
24) ________ is the application of statistical techniques to find patterns and relationships among data for classification and prediction. A) Data encryption B) Push publishing C) Data mining D) Pull publishing Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 25) ________ techniques emerged from the combined discipline of statistics, mathematics, artificial intelligence, and machine-learning. A) Push publishing B) Pull publishing C) Data mining D) Exception reporting Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 26) Which of the following statements is true of unsupervised data mining? A) Analysts apply data mining techniques to estimate the parameters of a developed model. B) Analysts create hypotheses only after performing an analysis. C) Regression analysis is the most commonly used unsupervised data mining technique. D) Data miners develop models prior to performing an analysis. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 27) ________ is an unsupervised data mining technique in which statistical techniques identify groups of entities that have similar characteristics. A) Cluster analysis B) Content indexing C) Regression analysis D) Cloud computing Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
28) In the case of ________, data miners develop models prior to conducting analyses and then apply statistical techniques to data to estimate parameters of the models. A) pull publishing techniques B) supervised data mining C) push publishing techniques D) unsupervised data mining Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 29) Regression analysis is used in ________. A) static reporting B) exception reporting C) supervised data mining D) unsupervised data mining Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 30) ________ is used to measure the impact of a set of variables on another variable during data mining. A) Cluster analysis B) Context indexing C) Cloud computing D) Regression analysis Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 31) Which of the following statements is true of BigData? A) BigData contains only structured data. B) BigData has low velocity and is generated slowly. C) BigData cannot store graphics, audio, and video files. D) BigData refers to data sets that are at least a petabyte in size. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems
8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
32) In the ________ phase, a BigData collection is broken into pieces and hundreds or thousands of independent processors search these pieces for something of interest. A) crash B) control C) Pig D) Map Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 33) The results generated in the Map phase are combined in the ________ phase. A) Pig B) control C) Reduce D) construct Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 34) ________ is an open-source program supported by the Apache Foundation that manages thousands of computers and implements MapReduce. A) Hadoop B) BigData C) Linux D) Apache Wave Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 35) Which of the following statements is true of Hadoop? A) Hadoop is written in C++ and runs on Linux. B) Hadoop includes a query language entitled Big. C) Hadoop is an open-source program that implements MapReduce. D) Technical skills are not required to run and use Hadoop. Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems
9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
36) ________ are business intelligence documents that are fixed at the time of creation and do not change. A) Subscriptions B) Third-party cookies C) Static reports D) Exception reports Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 37) ________ reports are business intelligence documents that are updated at the time they are requested. A) Subscriptions B) Third-party cookies C) Static D) Dynamic Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 38) ________ are user requests for particular business intelligence results on a particular schedule or in response to particular events. A) Subscriptions B) Third-party cookies C) Static reports D) Dynamic reports Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 39) Which of the following statements is true of business intelligence (BI) publishing alternatives? A) The skills required to publish static content are extremely high. B) Publishing dynamic BI is more difficult than publishing static content. C) For static content, the skill required to create a publishing application is high. D) For Web servers, push options are manual. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
40) The ________ of business intelligence servers maintains metadata about the authorized allocation of business intelligence results to users. A) exception report B) dynamic report C) delivery function D) management function Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems True or False 1) Business intelligence systems are information systems that process operational and other data to analyze past performance and to make predictions. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 2) The software component of a business intelligence system is called a business intelligence database. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 3) The data that an organization purchases from data vendors can act as the source data for a business intelligence system. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 4) Project management is one of the few domains in which business intelligence is rarely used. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems
11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
5) Using BI for identifying changes in the purchasing patterns of customers is a labor-intensive process. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 6) Business intelligence enables police departments to better utilize their personnel through predictive-policing. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 7) Data mining is the process of obtaining, cleaning, organizing, relating, and cataloging source data. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 8) Publish results is the process of delivering business intelligence to the knowledge workers who need it. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 9) Pull publishing delivers business intelligence to users without any request from the users. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 10) A data warehouse is a facility for managing an organization's business intelligence data. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems
12 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
11) External data purchased from outside resources are not included in data warehouses. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 12) Facts about data, such as its source, format, assumptions, and constraints, are called metadata. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 13) Problematic data are termed dirty data. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 14) Data granularity refers to the level of detail represented by data. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 15) The granularity in clickstream data is too coarse. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 16) If the granularity of certain data is too coarse, the data can be separated into constituent parts using statistical techniques. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems
13 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
17) The curse of dimensionality states that the more attributes there are, the more difficult it is to build a model that fits the sample data. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 18) Data marts are data collections that address the needs of a particular department or functional area of a business. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 19) Data marts are usually larger than data warehouses. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 20) Data analysts who work with data warehouses are not usually experts in a given business function. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 21) Users in a data mart obtain data that pertain to a particular business function from a data warehouse. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 22) An advantage of data warehouses is the low cost required to create, staff, and operate them. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems
14 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
23) Reporting analysis is used primarily for classifying and predicting BI data. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 24) Structured data is data in the form of rows and columns. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 25) With unsupervised data mining, analysts do not create a model or hypothesis before running the analysis. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 26) Regression analysis is used to identify groups of entities that have similar characteristics. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 27) Cluster analysis measures the impact of a set of variables on another variable. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 28) BigData refers to data sets that are at least a petabyte in size. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems
15 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
29) BigData has low velocity and is generated slowly. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 30) MapReduce is a technique for harnessing the power of thousands of computers working in parallel. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 31) BigData has volume, velocity, and variation characteristics that far exceed those of traditional reporting and data mining. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 32) Static reports are business intelligence documents that are updated at the time they are requested. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 33) A printed sales analysis is an example of a dynamic report. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 34) Push options are manual when emails or collaboration tools are used for BI publishing. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems
16 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
35) For dynamic content, the skills required to create a publishing application are low. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 36) The management function of BI servers maintains metadata about the authorized allocation of BI results to users. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems Essay 1) What are business intelligence systems? Answer: Business intelligence (BI) systems are information systems that process operational and other data to analyze past performance and to make predictions. The patterns, relationships, and trends identified by BI systems are called business intelligence. As information systems, BI systems have five standard components: hardware, software, data, procedures, and people. The software component of a BI system is called a BI application. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 2) How does business intelligence help marketers identify changes in the purchasing patterns of customers? Answer: Retailers know that important life events cause customers to change what they buy, and for a short interval, to form new loyalties to new store brands. Before the advent of BI, stores would watch the local newspapers for graduation, marriage, and baby announcements and send ads in response, which is a slow, labor-intensive, and expensive process. However, by applying business intelligence techniques to their sales data, companies can identify a purchasing pattern in different products and by observing this purchasing pattern, companies can send ads for related products to those customers. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems
17 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
3) What is predictive-policing? Answer: Many police departments are facing severe budget constraints that force them to reduce on-duty police personnel and services. Given these budget cuts, police departments need to find better ways of utilizing their personnel. Predictive-policing uses business intelligence to analyze data on past crimes, including location, date, time, day of week, type of crime, and related data, to predict where crimes are likely to occur. Police personnel are then stationed in the best locations for preventing those crimes. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 4) What are the three primary activities in the business intelligence process? Answer: The three primary activities in the business intelligence process include: acquire data, perform analysis, and publish results. Data acquisition is the process of obtaining, cleaning, organizing, relating, and cataloging source data. Business intelligence analysis is the process of creating business intelligence and includes three fundamental categories: reporting, data mining, and BigData. Publish results is the process of delivering business intelligence to the knowledge workers who need it. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 5) Differentiate between push publishing and pull publishing. Answer: Push publishing delivers business intelligence to users without any request from the users; the BI results are delivered according to a schedule or as a result of an event or particular data condition. Pull publishing requires the user to request BI results. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems
18 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
6) Explain the functions of a data warehouse. Answer: The functions of a data warehouse are to: 1. Obtain data 2. Cleanse data 3. Organize and relate data 4. Catalog data Programs read operational and other data and extract, clean, and prepare that data for business intelligence processing. The prepared data are stored in a data warehouse database using a data warehouse DBMS, which can be different from the organization's operational DBMS. Data warehouses include data that are purchased from outside sources. Metadata concerning the data– its source, its format, its assumptions and constraints, and other facts about the data–is kept in a data warehouse metadata database. The data warehouse DBMS extracts and provides data to BI applications. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 7) What is data granularity? Answer: Data granularity refers to the level of detail represented by data. Granularity can be too fine or too coarse. In general, it is better to have too fine a granularity than too coarse. If the granularity is too fine, the data can be made coarser by summing and combining. If the granularity is too coarse, however, there is no way to separate the data into constituent parts. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 8) What is clickstream data? Answer: Clickstream data is the data that is captured from customers' clicking behavior. Such data is very fine and includes everything a customer does at a Web site. Because the data is too fine, data analysts must throw away millions and millions of clicks if a study requires data that is coarser. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems
19 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
9) Explain the curse of dimensionality. Answer: The curse of dimensionality is associated with the problem of data having too many attributes. If internal customer data is combined with customer data that has been purchased, there will be more than hundred different attributes to consider. To be able to select among them is a problem. The curse of dimensionality states that the more attributes there are, the easier it is to build a model that fits the sample data, but that is worthless as a predictor. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 10) What are the functions of a data warehouse? Answer: A data warehouse takes data from data manufacturers (operational systems and other sources), cleans and processes the data, and locates the data on the shelves of the data warehouse. Data analysts who work with a data warehouse are experts at data management, data cleaning, data transformation, data relationships, and the like. However, they are not usually experts in a given business function. The data warehouse then distributes the data to data marts. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 11) How is a data warehouse different from a data mart? Answer: A data warehouse can be compared to a distributor in a supply chain. The data warehouse takes data from the data manufacturers (operational systems and other sources), cleans and processes the data, and locates the data on the shelves of the data warehouse. The data analysts who work with a data warehouse are experts at data management, data cleaning, data transformation, data relationships, and the like. The data warehouse then distributes the data to data marts. A data mart is a data collection, smaller than the data warehouse, that addresses the needs of a particular department or functional area of the business. If a data warehouse is the distributor in a supply chain, then a data mart is like a retail store in a supply chain. Users in a data mart obtain data that pertain to a particular business function from a data warehouse. Such users do not have the data management expertise that data warehouse employees have, but they are knowledgeable analysts for a given business function. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems
20 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
12) What is data mining? Answer: Data mining is the application of statistical techniques to find patterns and relationships among data for classification and prediction. Data mining techniques emerged from the combined discipline of statistics, mathematics, artificial intelligence, and machine-learning. Most data mining techniques are sophisticated, and many are difficult to use well. Such techniques are valuable to organizations, and some business professionals, especially those in finance and marketing, have become experts in their use. Data mining techniques fall into two broad categories: unsupervised and supervised. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 13) What is unsupervised data mining? Answer: With unsupervised data mining, analysts do not create a model or hypothesis before running the analysis. Instead, they apply a data mining technique to the data and observe the results. With this method, analysts create hypotheses after the analysis to explain the patterns found. These findings are obtained solely by data analysis. One common unsupervised technique is cluster analysis. With it, statistical techniques identify groups of entities that have similar characteristics. A common use for cluster analysis is to find groups of similar customers from customer order and demographic data. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 14) Explain supervised data mining. Answer: With supervised data mining, data miners develop a model prior to the analysis and apply statistical techniques to data to estimate parameters of the model. For example, suppose marketing experts in a communications company believe that cell phone usage on weekends is determined by the age of the customer and the number of months the customer has had the cell phone account. A data mining analyst would then run an analysis that estimates the impact of customer and account age. One such analysis, which measures the impact of a set of variables on another variable, is called a regression analysis. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems
21 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
15) What is BigData? Answer: BigData is a term used to describe data collections that are characterized by huge volume, rapid velocity, and great variety. Considering volume, BigData refers to data sets that are at least a petabyte in size, and usually larger. Additionally, BigData has high velocity, meaning that it is generated rapidly. BigData is varied. BigData may have structured data, but it also may have free-form text, dozens of different formats of Web server and database log files, streams of data about user responses to page content, and possibly graphics, audio, and video files. BigData analysis can involve both reporting and data mining techniques. The chief difference is, however, that BigData has volume, velocity, and variation characteristics that far exceed those of traditional reporting and data mining. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 16) Differentiate between static reports and dynamic reports. Answer: Static reports are business intelligence documents that are fixed at the time of creation and do not change. A printed sales analysis is an example of a static report. In the business intelligence context, most static reports are published as PDF documents. Dynamic reports are business intelligence documents that are updated at the time they are requested. A sales report that is current as of the time the user accessed it on a Web server is a dynamic report. In almost all cases, publishing a dynamic report requires the business intelligence application to access a database or other data source at the time the report is delivered to the user. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems
22 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter 10: Information Systems Development Multiple Choice 1) The process of creating and maintaining information systems is called ________. A) systems development B) systems acquisition C) systems definition D) systems design Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 2) When compared to program development, systems development is ________. A) narrower in focus B) less comprehensive C) broader in scope D) more technical Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 3) Which of the following is true of systems development? A) It has little need for human relations skills as tasks are performed by individuals and not by groups. B) It is exclusively a technical task undertaken by programmers and hardware specialists. C) It has lesser scope than computer program development. D) It requires business knowledge and an understanding of group dynamics. Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) Which of the following is true of information systems? A) They are off-the-shelf software without adaptation. B) They can be adapted to fit business needs. C) They cannot be purchased as off-the-shelf software. D) They cannot be tailor made. Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 5) Which of the following is true with regards to bigger and longer projects? A) diseconomies of scale are less B) the changes in requirements increases C) the average contribution per worker increases D) project budgeting and scheduling becomes easy Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 6) According to Brooks' Law, adding more people to a late project ________. A) makes the project later B) decreases the overall cost C) requires decreased staff coordination D) increases the project's timeline Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 7) According to Brooks' Law, which of the following is a likely consequence of adding more people to late projects? A) The work allocation per team member increases. B) The costs of training new people can overwhelm the benefits of their contribution. C) Beyond a workgroup of about 20 employees, economies of scale begin to take over. D) It allows the managers to extend the timeline of the project. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems
2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) The ________ approach is the classical process used to develop information systems. A) rapid application development (RAD) B) object-oriented design (OOD) C) systems development life cycle (SDLC) D) extreme programming (XP) Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 9) Which of the following is the first phase of the systems development life cycle process? A) requirements analysis B) business planning process C) implementation D) system definition Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 10) Developers in the ________ phase of the systems development life cycle use management's statement of the system needs in order to begin developing a new information system. A) system definition B) requirements analysis C) component design D) implementation Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 11) In which of the following phases of the systems development life cycle do developers identify the particular features and functions of a new system? A) system definition B) requirement analysis C) component design D) implementation Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems
3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
12) The first step in defining a new information system is to ________. A) assess the feasibility of the project B) define the goals and scope of the project C) determine the schedule and budget for the project D) form the project team Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 13) Which of the following steps in the systems definition process aims to eliminate obviously nonsensible projects? A) defining the system goals and scope B) forming the project team C) assessing the project feasibility D) planning the project Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 14) ________ feasibility concerns whether the new information system fits within a company's customs, culture, charter, or legal requirements. A) Technical B) Cost C) Schedule D) Organizational Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 15) During requirements definition, a development team's composition would be typically heavy with ________. A) systems analysts B) programmers C) business users D) beta testers Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
16) Which of the following statements is true of the composition of a development team over the different phases of the systems development life cycle? A) During conversion, the team will be heavy with database designers. B) During requirements definition, the team will be heavy with testers and database designers. C) During integrated testing and conversion, the team will be augmented with business users. D) During design and implementation, the team will be augmented with business users. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 17) The primary purpose of the requirements analysis phase is to ________. A) eliminate obviously nonsensible projects before forming a project development team B) identify the requisite skills needed in the IT personnel assigned to the project C) determine and document the specific features and functions of the new system D) investigate how much similar projects have cost in the past Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 18) Which is the most important phase in the systems development process? A) defining the goals and scope of the new information system B) implementing the information system C) determining the system's requirements D) adapting systems to changes in requirements Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 19) During the requirements analysis phase of the systems development life cycle, the development team will create a(n) ________ if the new system involves a new database or substantial changes to an existing database. A) data model B) prototype C) archetype D) test plan Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
20) Which of the following is a typical concern for developers while using prototypes? A) comparing a system's features with requirements B) understanding a system's complete requirements C) assessing a system's technical feasibility D) developing a uniform funding solution for the system Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 21) The easiest and cheapest time to alter the information system is in the ________ phase of the systems development life cycle. A) requirements analysis B) system definition C) component design D) implementation Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 22) While designing ________, a development team must produce design documentation for writing computer code. A) off-the-shelf-with-alteration software B) custom-developed programs C) off-the-shelf software D) cloud-based systems Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 23) Which of the following personnel design the procedures for a business information system? A) testers B) programmers C) systems analysts D) business analysts Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
24) Normal processing procedures for operations personnel involve procedures ________. A) for continuing operations when the system fails B) for backing up data and other resources C) for using the system to accomplish business tasks D) for starting, stopping, and operating the system Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 25) During the ________ phase of the systems development life cycle process, developers construct, install, and test the components of the information system. A) requirements analysis B) database design C) feasibility assessment D) implementation Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 26) A comprehensive test plan should ________. A) not include the incorrect actions that users will take B) cause every line of program code to be executed C) cause only critical error messages to be displayed D) be constructed by product quality assurance (PQA) personnel alone Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 27) ________ testing is the process of allowing future system users to try out the new system on their own. A) Unit B) Alpha C) Integration D) Beta Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems
7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
28) Which of the following personnel on a development team have the final say on whether a system is ready for use? A) managers B) systems analysts C) users D) PQA personnel Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 29) System ________ refers to the process of changing the business activity from an old information system to a new system. A) definition B) testing C) analysis D) conversion Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 30) In a ________ installation, an organization implements an entire system on a limited portion of the business. A) phased B) parallel C) pilot D) plunge Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 31) In a ________ installation, the new system runs alongside the old one until it has been tested and is fully operational. A) pilot B) parallel C) phased D) plunge Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
32) Olive Inc., a chain of retail outlets, is converting its existing billing systems to a more robust online tool. In this process, the organization runs both the old and the new systems to compare their performances. In this case, the company is implementing the new system using ________ installation. A) parallel B) pilot C) plunge D) phased Answer: A Difficulty: Hard AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 33) Which of the following is the most expensive style of system conversion? A) pilot installation B) phased installation C) parallel installation D) plunge installation Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 34) Which of the following styles of system conversion shuts off the old system and starts the new system? A) plunge installation B) parallel installation C) pilot installation D) phased installation Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems
9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
35) Which of the following statements is true with regard to system maintenance? A) Software developers usually bundle fixes for low-priority problems into a patch. B) IS personnel prioritize system problems on a first-come-first-served basis. C) All commercial software products are shipped with known failures. D) Service packs are developed to fix a single problem at a time. Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 8 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 36) Software developers group fixes for high priority failures into a ________ that can be applied to all copies of a given product. A) service pack B) bug C) patch D) product key Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 8 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 37) Software vendors usually bundle fixes of low-priority problems into ________. A) patches B) service packs C) bugs D) product keys Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 8 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 38) Which of the following is a major concern for developers in a systems development life cycle process? A) having to work with a team of specialists B) moving through the unstructured phases of the cycle C) agreeing on the basic tasks to be performed to build a system D) performing repetitive tasks of a completed phase Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 9 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
39) Projects that spend much time ________ are sometimes said to be in analysis paralysis. A) in the system definition phase of the SDLC B) on project scheduling C) documenting requirements D) designing system components Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 9 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems True or False 1) Information systems can be acquired off-the-shelf with adaptation. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 2) Information systems involve people and procedures, so they can never be off-the-shelf. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 3) Systems development is easy and risk-free. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 4) It is essential to estimate a system's cost to calculate its rate of return. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 5) One of the major challenges in systems development is changing technology. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
6) As development teams become larger, the average contribution per worker decreases. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 7) Brooks' Law holds true because a larger staff requires decreased coordination. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 8) The third phase of the systems development life cycle is the component design phase. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 9) The goals and scope of a new information system are determined during the requirements analysis phase of the systems development life cycle. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 10) The description of fixes and new requirements is the input to a system maintenance phase of a systems development life cycle. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 11) The cost feasibility of a systems development project depends on the scope of the project. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure
12 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
12) Organizational feasibility refers to estimating the time it will take to complete a project. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 13) A development team's composition changes over time. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 14) Business analysts integrate the work of the programmers, testers, and users. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 15) Interviews are conducted with system users in the requirements analysis phase of the systems development life cycle. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 16) The security needs of an information system are determined during the component design phase of the systems development life cycle. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 17) Mock-ups of forms and reports can generate similar benefits as a working prototype. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems
13 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
18) In terms of software design for custom-developed programs, the development team identifies off-the-shelf products and then determines the alterations required. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 19) Testing is often called product quality assurance (PQA). Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 20) Beta testing is the last phase of the testing process. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 21) In a pilot installation, a new system is installed in phases across the organization. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 22) Plunge installation is sometimes called direct installation. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 23) The maintenance phase can start another cycle of the systems development life cycle. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 8 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure
14 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
24) The systems development life cycle process is supposed to operate in a sequence of nonrepetitive phases. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 9 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 25) Actual systems development generally works in accordance with the waterfall nature of the systems development life cycle. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 9 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 26) Estimates of labor hours and completion dates are accurate for large, multiyear projects. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 9 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems
15 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Essay 1) What is systems development? How is it different from program development? Answer: Systems development is the process of creating and maintaining information systems. Systems development has a broader scope than computer program development as it involves all five components: hardware, software, data, procedures, and people. Developing a computer program, on the other hand, mostly involves software programs, with some focus on data and databases. Compared to program development, systems development requires more than just programming or technical expertise. Establishing the system's goals, setting up the project, and determining requirements require business knowledge and management skill. Tasks like building computer networks and writing computer programs require technical skills. Creating data models requires the ability to interview users and understand their view of the business activities. Designing procedures, especially those involving group action, requires business knowledge and an understanding of group dynamics. Developing job descriptions, staffing, and training all require human resource and related expertise. Thus, unlike program development, systems development is not an exclusively technical task undertaken by programmers and hardware specialists. Rather, it requires coordinated teamwork of both specialists and nonspecialists with business knowledge. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 2) Why is systems development difficult and risky? Answer: Systems development is difficult and risky because it is often very difficult to determine system requirements. Even more difficult, systems development aims at a moving target. Requirements change as the system is developed, and, the bigger the system and the longer the project, the more the requirements change. Systems development also faces difficulties in terms of scheduling and budgeting. It is often difficult to estimate the time it will take to build a system and if labor hours cannot be estimated, labor costs cannot be estimated. Yet another challenge is that while the project is underway, technology continues to change. Unfortunately, as development teams become larger, the average contribution per worker decreases. This is true because as staff size increases, more meetings and other coordinating activities are required to keep everyone in sync. There are economies of scale up to a point, but beyond a workgroup of, say, 20 employees, diseconomies of scale begin to take over. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure
16 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
3) Explain how diseconomies of scale can affect systems development. Answer: Unfortunately, as development teams become larger, the average contribution per worker decreases. This is true because as staff size increases, more meetings and other coordinating activities are required to keep everyone in sync. There are economies of scale up to a point, but beyond a workgroup of, say, 20 employees, diseconomies of scale begin to take over. Brooks' Law points out a related problem: Adding more people to a late project makes the project later. Brooks' Law is true not only because a larger staff requires increased coordination, but also because new people need training. The only people who can train the new employees are the existing team members, who are thus taken off productive tasks. The costs of training new people can overwhelm the benefit of their contribution. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 4) What are the five phases of the systems development life cycle (SDLC)? Answer: The five phases of the systems development life cycle are (1) system definition, (2) requirements analysis, (3) component design, (4) implementation, and (5) system maintenance. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 5) Explain the tasks performed during the system definition phase of the systems development life cycle. Answer: The first step is to define the goals and scope of the new information system. At this step, the development team defines the goal and purpose of the new system. The project's scope is defined by specifying the users who will be involved, or the business processes that will be involved, or the plants, offices, and factories that will be involved. The next step is to assess feasibility. This step answers the question, "Does this project make sense?" The aim here is to eliminate obviously nonsensible projects before forming a project development team and investing significant labor. Feasibility has four dimensions: cost, schedule, technical, and organizational. If the defined project is determined to be feasible, the next step is to form the project team. Typical personnel on a development team are a manager, systems analysts, business analysts, programmers, software testers, and users. The first major task for the assembled project team is to plan the project. Members of the project team specify tasks to be accomplished, assign personnel, determine task dependencies, and set schedules. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
17 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
6) Define the terms technical feasibility and organizational feasibility. Answer: Technical feasibility refers to whether existing information technology is likely to be able to meet the needs of the new system. Organizational feasibility concerns whether the new system fits within the organization's customs, culture, charter, or legal requirements. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 7) Who are the members of a systems project team? Explain the roles of business analysts and systems analysts. Answer: Typical personnel on a development team are a manager (or managers for larger projects), business analysts, systems analysts, programmers, software testers, and users. Business analysts specialize in understanding business needs, strategies, and goals and helping businesses implement systems to accomplish their competitive strategies. Systems analysts are IT professionals who understand both business and technology. Systems analysts are closer to IT and are a bit more technical, though there is considerable overlap in the duties and responsibilities of business and systems analysts. Both are active throughout the systems development process and play a key role in moving the project through the systems development process. Business analysts work more with managers and executives; systems analysts integrate the work of the programmers, testers, and users. Depending on the nature of the project, the team may also include hardware and communications specialists, database designers and administrators, and other IT specialists. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 8) Explain the importance of the requirements analysis phase of the SDLC. Answer: Determining the system's requirements is the most important phase in the systems development process. If the requirements are wrong, the system will be wrong. If the requirements are determined completely and correctly, then design and implementation will be easier and more likely to result in success. Examples of requirements are the contents and the format of Web pages and the functions of buttons on those pages, or the structure and content of a report, or the fields and menu choices in a data entry form. Security is another important category of requirements. The easiest and cheapest time to alter the information system is in the requirements phase. Changing a requirement at this stage is simply a matter of changing a description. Changing a requirement in the implementation phase may require weeks of reworking applications components and the database. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure
18 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
9) Explain how the software component of an information system is designed. Answer: Software design depends on the source of the programs. For off-the-shelf software, the team must determine candidate products and evaluate them against the requirements. For off-theshelf-with-alteration software, the team identifies products to be acquired off-the-shelf and then determines the alterations required. For custom-developed programs, the team produces design documentation for writing program code. For a cloud-based system, one important design decision is where application processing will occur. All can occur on mobile devices, all can occur on cloud-servers, or a mixture can be used. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 10) What is a test plan? Answer: Once developers have constructed and tested all of the system components, they integrate the individual components and test the system. Software and system testing are difficult, time-consuming, and complex tasks. Developers need to design and develop test plans and record the results of tests. A test plan consists of sequences of actions that users will take when using the new system. Test plans include not only the normal actions that users will take, but also incorrect actions. A comprehensive test plan should cause every line of program code to be executed. The test plan should cause every error message to be displayed. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 11) What is beta testing? Answer: Beta testing is the process of allowing future system users to try out the new system on their own. Software vendors, such as Microsoft, often release beta versions of their products for users to try and to test. Such users report problems back to the vendor. Beta testing is the last stage of testing. Normally, products in the beta test phase are complete and fully functioning; they typically have few serious errors. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
19 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
12) What are the four ways in which organizations can implement a system conversion? Answer: Organizations can implement a system conversion in one of four ways. In a pilot installation, the organization implements the entire system on a limited portion of the business. In a phased installation, the new system is installed in phases across the organization. With parallel installation, the new system runs in parallel with the old one until the new system is tested and fully operational. The final style of conversion is plunge installation (sometimes called direct installation). With it, the organization shuts off the old system and starts the new system. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Compare and contrast different methods for developing information systems 13) What are the tasks of system maintenance? Answer: The last phase of the SDLC is maintenance. Maintenance is a misnomer; the work done during this phase is either to fix the system so that it works correctly or to adapt it to changes in requirements. First, there needs to be a means for tracking both failures and requests for enhancements to meet new requirements. For small systems, organizations can track failures and enhancements using word-processing documents. Typically, IS personnel prioritize system problems according to their severity. They fix high-priority items as soon as possible, and they fix low-priority items as time and resources become available. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 8 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 14) What are patches and service packs? Answer: Patches are group fixes for high priority failures that can be applied to all copies of a given product. Software vendors supply patches to fix security and other critical problems. They usually bundle fixes of low-priority problems into larger groups called service packs. Users apply service packs in much the same way that they apply patches, except that service packs typically involve fixes to hundreds or thousands of problems. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 8 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
20 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
15) Explain the problems caused due to the systems development life cycle's waterfall nature. Answer: One of the reasons for SDLC problems is due to the waterfall nature of the SDLC. Like a series of waterfalls, the process is supposed to operate in a sequence of nonrepetitive phases. For example, the team completes the requirements phase and goes over the waterfall into the design phase, and on through the process. Unfortunately, systems development seldom works so smoothly. Often, there is a need to crawl back up the waterfall, if you will, and repeat work in a prior phase. Most commonly, when design work begins and the team evaluates alternatives, they learn that some requirements statements are incomplete or missing. At that point, the team needs to do more requirements work, yet that phase is supposedly finished. On some projects, the team goes back and forth between requirements and design so many times that the project seems to be out of control. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 9 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure
21 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter 11: Information Systems Management Multiple Choice 1) ________ is another, more common title given to the director of computer services. A) CEO B) CTO C) CIO D) COO Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 2) Which of the following staff functions is at the top most of a typical senior-level reporting relationship? A) Chief Information Officer B) Chief Operating Officer C) Chief Technology Officer D) Chief Financial Officer Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 3) The IS department's principal manager is the ________. A) CIO B) CEO C) CTO D) COO Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) In organizations where primary information systems support only accounting and finance activities, a reporting arrangement wherein the CIO reports to the ________ is practical. A) CEO B) COO C) CFO D) CTO Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 5) In organizations that operate significant nonaccounting information systems, such as manufacturers, a reporting arrangement wherein the CIO reports to the ________ is more common and effective. A) CTO B) CFO C) CSO D) CEO Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 6) An organization that wishes to leverage the power of social media and elastic cloud opportunities to help accomplish its goals and objectives should ideally turn to the ________ group within its IT department for information. A) operations B) development C) technology D) data administration Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
7) The CTO heads the ________ group in the IS department. A) operations B) technology C) trading and sales D) outsourcing relations Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 8) The ________ group investigates new information systems and determines how the organization can benefit from them. A) outsourcing relations B) development C) technology D) operations Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 9) The ________ group manages the computing infrastructure, including individual computers, in-house server farms, networks, and communications media. A) technology B) operations C) development D) outsourcing relations Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 10) The ________ group within the IS department manages the process of creating new information systems as well as maintaining existing information systems. A) technology B) operations C) development D) data administration Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
11) Which of the following sentences is true for the development group of an IS department? A) The size and structure of the group depends on whether programs are developed in-house or outsourced. B) An important function of this group is to monitor user experience and respond to user problems. C) This group plays a major role in organizations that have negotiated outsourcing agreements with other companies to provide equipment, applications, or other services. D) The purpose of this group is to protect data and information assets by establishing data standards and data management practices and policies. Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 12) If a company's IS-related programs are not developed in-house, then the development group of the IS department will be staffed primarily by ________. A) test engineers B) systems analysts C) technical writers D) programmers Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 13) The development group in a company's IS department is staffed primarily by programmers, test engineers, technical writers, and other development personnel. Based on this information, which of the following is likely to be true? A) The company develops programs in-house. B) The company uses licensed software. C) The company has negotiated outsourcing agreements with other companies. D) The company contracts work to other companies. Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
14) The ________ group's purpose is to protect information assets by establishing standards and management practices and policies. A) outsourcing relations B) operations C) development D) data administration Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 15) Which of the following is a responsibility of a systems analyst? A) advising the CIO on emerging technologies B) determining system requirements C) monitoring and fixing computer networks D) managing the IT department Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 16) A ________ designs and writes computer codes. A) technical writer B) systems analyst C) programmer D) business analyst Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 17) A ________ monitors, maintains, fixes, and tunes computer networks. A) technical writer B) network programmer C) PQA test engineer D) network administrator Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
18) A ________ performs a wide range of activities such as programming, testing, database design, communications and networks, project management, and so on, and is required to have an entrepreneurial attitude. A) systems analyst B) consultant C) small-scale project manager D) database administrator Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 19) Which of the following would be a responsibility of a small-scale project manager? A) initiate, plan, manage, monitor, and close down projects B) develop test plans, design and write automated test scripts, and perform testing C) advise CIO, executive group, and project managers on emerging technologies D) help users solve problems, provide training Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 20) Information systems must be aligned with an organization's ________ to help it accomplish its goals and objectives. A) reporting structure B) culture C) competitive strategy D) departments Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
21) Which of the following is true of the alignment between information systems and organizational strategies? A) Information systems must evolve with the changes made in the organizational strategies. B) The information systems infrastructure can be easily influenced by the strategic changes. C) Integrating different information systems applications with organizational strategies is inexpensive. D) Maintaining the alignment between information systems and strategies is a final process. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 22) A(n) ________ committee is a group of senior managers from the major business functions that works with the CIO to set the IS priorities and decide among major IS projects and alternatives. A) enforcement B) disciplinary C) administrative D) steering Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 23) ________ is the process of hiring another organization to perform a service. A) Insourcing B) Outsourcing C) Crowdsourcing D) Open-sourcing Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
24) Which of the following is an advantage of outsourcing information systems? A) An outsourcing company is typically in complete control of the process. B) The long-term costs may exceed long-term benefits. C) It can be an easy way to gain expertise otherwise not known. D) The vendors can gain significant knowledge of the outsourcing company. Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 25) Which of the following is a risk of outsourcing information systems? A) Vendors can gain access to critical knowledge of the outsourcing company. B) Vendors are not subject to a contractual agreement with the outsourcing company. C) The long-term costs of information systems are outweighed by their benefits. D) Organizations opting for outsourcing cannot gain economies of scale. Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 26) ________ refers to the leasing of hardware with pre-installed operating systems. A) Software as a Service B) Outsourcing C) Platform as a Service D) IaaS cloud hosting Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 27) In ________, hardware and both operating system and application software are leased. A) SaaS B) outsourcing C) PaaS D) IaaS cloud hosting Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
28) Which of the following is a right of a user of information systems? A) expecting hand-holding for basic operations B) making hardware modifications to your computer as you see fit C) contributing to requirements for new system features and functions D) receiving repetitive training and support for the same issues Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 29) Which of the following is a responsibility of an information systems user? A) expecting hand-holding for basic operations B) receiving repetitive support for the same issue C) making unauthorized hardware modifications D) following security and backup procedures Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 30) As a user of IS, an employee has a responsibility to avoid ________. A) unauthorized hardware modifications B) changing system password frequently C) backup procedures D) applying software patches Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
True or False 1) Protection of information assets is a major function of the information systems department. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 2) The structure of the IS department typically remains unchanged among organizations. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 3) The responsibilities of the CIO are the same as those of the CTO. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 4) It is the CTO's responsibility to identify new technologies relevant to the organization. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 5) The operations group within the IT department may include programmers, test engineers, and technical writers. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 6) The IS department is responsible for adapting infrastructure and systems to the new business goals. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
7) An important function of the development group within the IS department is to monitor user experience and respond to user problems. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 8) The purpose of the data administration staff is to protect data and information assets by establishing data standards and data management practices and policies. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 9) The size and structure of the development group depends on whether programs are developed in-house. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 10) Information technology concerns the products, techniques, procedures, and designs of computer-based technology. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 11) IT must be placed into the structure of an IS before an organization can use it. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
12) A technical writer writes program documentation, help-text, procedures, job descriptions, and training materials. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 13) Large-scale project managers require deeper project management knowledge than smallscale managers. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 14) A user support representative installs software and repairs computer equipment. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 15) A systems analyst monitors, fixes, and tunes computer networks. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 16) A salesperson's responsibility is to design and write computer programs. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 17) A database administrator's responsibility is to design and write automated test scripts. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
12 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
18) The purpose of an information system is to help the organization accomplish its goals and objectives. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 19) IS infrastructure is known to be very malleable. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 20) New information systems must be consistent with an organization's goals and objectives. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 21) The membership of a steering committee is determined by the CEO and other members of the executive staff. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 22) Organizations outsource projects to engage its management team in their free time. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 23) Gaining economies of scale is an advantage of outsourcing. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 13 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
24) Implementation risk is increased by outsourcing IS services. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 25) Acquiring licensed software is a form of outsourcing. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 26) It is impossible to outsource an entire business function. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 27) Microsoft's Azure is an example of SaaS. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 28) Outsourcing has made in-house IS/IT functions obsolete. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 29) For service oriented outsourcing, the vendor is in the driver's seat. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 14 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
30) Each outsource vendor has its own methods and procedures for its services. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 31) Unless the contract requires otherwise, an outsource vendor can choose the technology that it wants to implement. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 32) The potential loss of intellectual capital is a concern related to outsourcing. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 33) When a company outsources a system, it has complete control over prioritizing software fixes. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 34) Parting business with an outsource vendor is exceedingly risky. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
15 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
35) A user has the right to obtain the necessary computing resources to perform his or her work efficiently. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 36) The rights of an information systems user depend on the purpose of the system's usage. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 37) In the context of right to reliable network and Internet services, reliable means one that can be processed without problems almost all the time. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 38) IS users have the rights to receive effective training in a format convenient to the user. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 39) It is a user's responsibility to install patches and fixes when asked to do so. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
16 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
40) Knowledge of the responsibilities and duties of the IS department helps one become a better consumer of the IS department's services. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects Essay 1) What are the major functions of the information systems department? Answer: The major functions of the information systems department are as follows: • Plan the use of IS to accomplish organizational goals and strategy. • Manage outsourcing relationships. • Protect information assets. • Develop, operate, and maintain the organization's computing infrastructure. • Develop, operate, and maintain applications. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 2) Compare the role of the chief information officer (CIO) and the role of the chief technology officer (CTO). Answer: Chief information officer (CIO) is generally the title of the principal manager of an organization's IS department. Like other senior executives, the CIO reports to the chief executive officer, although sometimes these executives report to the chief operating officer, who in turn reports to the CEO. In some companies, the CIO reports to the chief financial officer. The CIO has the responsibility of managing the IT department, communicating with executive staff on ITand IS-related matters. The CIO is also a member of the executive group. The chief technology officer (CTO) often heads the technology group within the IT department. The CTO evaluates new technologies, new ideas, and new capabilities and identifies those that are most relevant to the organization. The CTO's job requires deep knowledge of information technology and the ability to envision and innovate applications for the organization. The CTO's responsibility is to advise the CIO, executive group, and project managers on emerging technologies. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
17 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
3) What is the typical structure of an organization's IS department? Answer: A typical IS department consists of four groups and a data administration staff function. Most IS departments include a technology office that investigates new information systems technologies and determines how an organization can benefit from them. The next group, the operations group, manages the computing infrastructure, including individual computers, in-house server farms, networks, and communications media. The third group in the IS department is development. A development group manages the process of creating new information systems as well as maintaining existing information systems. The last IS department group is outsourcing relations. This group exists in organizations that have negotiated outsourcing agreements with other companies to provide equipment, applications, or other services. The data administration staff function protects data and information assets by establishing data standards and data management practices and policies. However, there are many variations in the structure of the IS department. In larger organizations, the operations group may itself consist of several different departments. Sometimes, there is a separate group for data warehousing and data marts. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 4) What are the responsibilities of the technology office of a firm's IS department? Answer: Most IS departments include a technology office that investigates new information systems technologies and determines how the organization can benefit from them. For example, today many organizations are investigating social media and elastic cloud opportunities and planning how they can use those capabilities to best accomplish their goals and objectives. An individual called the chief technology officer (CTO) often heads the technology group. The CTO sorts through new ideas and products to identify those that are most relevant to the organization. The CTO's job requires deep knowledge of information technology and the ability to envision and innovate applications for the organization. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 5) Explain the functions of the development group within a firm's IS department. Answer: This group manages the process of creating new information systems as well as maintaining existing information systems. The size and structure of the development group depends on whether programs are developed in-house. If not, this department will be staffed primarily by business and systems analysts who work with users, operations, and vendors to acquire and install licensed software and to set up the system components around that software. If the organization develops programs in-house, then this department will also include programmers, test engineers, technical writers, and other development personnel. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 18 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
6) Describe the responsibilities of a systems analyst, a computer technician, and a network administrator. Answer: A systems analyst works with users to determine system requirements, designs and develops job descriptions and procedures, and helps determine system test plans. A computer technician installs software and repairs computer equipment and networks. A network administrator monitors, maintains, fixes, and tunes computer networks. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 7) What are the different functions in planning the use of information systems? Answer: The information systems planning functions are: • Align information systems with organizational strategy; maintain alignment as organization changes. • Communicate IS/IT issues to executive group. • Develop/enforce IS priorities within the IS department. • Sponsor steering committee. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 8) Explain the advantages to the management in outsourcing information systems. Answer: First, outsourcing can be an easy way to gain expertise. Another reason for outsourcing is to avoid management problems. Some companies choose to outsource to save management time and attention. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 9) Explain the rights of information systems users. Answer: In relation to the IT department, users have a right to: • Have the computing resources that allow them to perform their jobs proficiently, reliable network and Internet services • A secure computing environment, the organization should protect user's computer and its files, and a user should not normally even need to think about security • Participate in requirements meetings for new applications • Reliable systems development and maintenance; prompt attention to problems, concerns, and complaints about information services; properly prioritized problem fixes and resolutions; and effective training to use systems to perform their jobs Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 19 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
10) Explain the responsibilities of information systems users. Answer: Information systems users have a responsibility to: • Learn basic computer skills • Learn standard techniques and procedures for the applications you use • Follow security and backup procedures • Protect your password(s) • Use computers and mobile devices according to your employer's computer use policy • Make no unauthorized hardware modifications • Install only authorized programs • Apply software patches and fixes when directed to do so • When asked, devote the time required to respond carefully and completely to requests for requirements for new system features and functions • Avoid reporting trivial problems Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
20 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter 12: Information Security Management Multiple Choice 1) A(n) ________ is a measure that individuals or organizations take to block a threat from obtaining an asset. A) Hadoop B) safeguard C) information silo D) third-party cookie Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 2) Which of the following types of security loss is WikiLeaks an example of? A) unauthorized data disclosure B) incorrect data modification C) faulty service D) denial of service Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 3) A person calls the Stark residence and pretends to represent a credit card company. He asks Mrs. Stark to confirm her credit card number. This is an example of ________. A) hacking B) data mining C) pretexting D) sniffing Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) A ________ pretends to be a legitimate company and sends emails requesting confidential data. A) hacker B) phisher C) drive-by sniffer D) key puncher Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 5) Mark receives an email from his bank asking him to update and verify his credit card details. He replies to the mail with all the requested details. Mark later learns that the mail was not actually sent by his bank and that the information he had shared has been misused. Mark is a victim of ________. A) hacking B) sniffing C) data mining D) phishing Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 6) Which of the following is a synonym for phishing? A) drive-by sniffing B) email spoofing C) IP spoofing D) system hacking Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 7) ________ is a technique for intercepting computer communications. A) Spoofing B) Hacking C) Pretexting D) Sniffing Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) ________ take computers with wireless connections through an area and search for unprotected wireless networks. A) Drive-by sniffers B) Key punchers C) Hackers D) Phishers Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 9) Breaking into computers, servers, or networks to steal proprietary and confidential data is referred to as ________. A) usurpation B) spoofing C) hacking D) sniffing Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 10) Which of the following occurs when millions of bogus service requests flood a Web server and prevent it from servicing legitimate requests? A) spoofing B) hacking C) usurpation D) DOS attack Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security
3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
11) ________ occurs when computer criminals invade a computer system and replace legitimate programs with their own unauthorized ones. A) Usurpation B) Encryption C) Spoofing D) Sniffing Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 12) A(n) ________ is a sophisticated, possibly long-running, computer hack that is perpetrated by large, well-funded organizations like governments. A) Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) B) Advanced Volatile Threat (AVT) C) local area network denial (LAND) D) denial of service (DOS) Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 13) Which of the following statements is true of the financial losses due to computer security threats? A) All studies on costs of computer crimes are based on unobtrusive research. B) There are several set standards for tallying computer crime costs and financial losses. C) The financial losses faced by companies due to human error are enormous. D) Damages caused by natural disasters are minimal when compared to the damages due to human errors. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security
4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
14) A(n) ________ is a computer program that senses when another computer is attempting to scan a disk or access a computer. A) intrusion detection system B) account administration system C) business intelligence system D) malware definition Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 15) Which of the following is considered a personal security safeguard? A) create backup of cookies and temporary files B) send no valuable data via email or IM C) use a single valid password for all accounts D) conduct transactions using http rather than https Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 16) During which of the following computer crimes does a password cracker try every possible combination of characters? A) DOS attack B) brute force attack C) pretexting D) sniffing Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 17) ________ are small files that browsers store on users' computers when they visit Web sites. A) Cookies B) Viral hooks C) Mashups D) Keys Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security
5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
18) Which of the following is a human safeguard against security threats? A) backup and recovery B) firewalls C) physical security D) procedure design Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 19) Which of the following is a technical safeguard against security threats? A) passwords B) backup and recovery C) compliance D) identification and authorization Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 20) Which of the following is a data safeguard against security threats? A) application design B) dissemination of information C) physical security D) malware protection Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 21) Backup and physical security are ________ against computer security threats. A) technical safeguards B) data safeguards C) human safeguards D) procedural safeguards Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
22) A user name ________ a user. A) authenticates B) identifies C) conceals D) encrypts Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 23) A password ________ a user. A) authenticates B) identifies C) conceals D) encrypts Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 24) Users of smart cards are required to enter a ________ to be authenticated. A) personal identification number B) password C) biometric detail D) key Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 25) A ________ has a microchip that is loaded with identifying data. A) payment card B) biometric passport C) smart card D) flashcard Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security
7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
26) Which of the following uses an individual's personal physical characteristics such as fingerprints, facial features, and retinal scans for verification purposes? A) flashcards B) smart cards C) biometric authentication D) symmetric encryption Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 27) ________ is the process of transforming clear text into coded, unintelligible text for secure storage or communication. A) Usurpation B) Authentication C) Standardization D) Encryption Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 28) Which of the following statements is true of symmetric encryption? A) With symmetric encryption, the same key is used for both encoding and decoding. B) Asymmetric encryption is simpler and much faster than symmetric encryption. C) With symmetric encryption, encoding and decoding are performed by two different keys. D) Public key/private key is a special version of symmetric encryption used on the Internet. Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 29) The most secure communications over the Internet use a protocol called ________. A) SMTP B) SFTP C) HTTPS D) HTTP Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security
8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
30) With HTTPS, data are encrypted using a protocol called the ________. A) Secure Shell (SSH) B) Secure Socket Layer (SSL) C) File Transfer Protocol (FTP) D) Post Office Protocol (POP) Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 31) With HTTPS, data are encrypted using the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol, which is also known as ________. A) File Transfer Protocol (FTP) B) Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) C) Secure Shell (SSH) D) Transport Layer Security (TLS) Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 32) A(n) ________ sits outside an organizational network and is the first device that Internet traffic encounters. A) internal firewall B) perimeter firewall C) packet-filtering firewall D) application firewall Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 33) ________ determine whether to pass each part of a message by examining its source address, destination addresses, and other such data. A) Perimeter firewalls B) Internal firewalls C) Packet-filtering firewalls D) Application firewalls Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
34) ________ includes viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware, and adware. A) Malware B) Metadata C) Shareware D) Firewall Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 35) Which of the following refers to viruses that masquerade as useful programs? A) adware B) Trojan horses C) spyware D) payloads Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 36) Adware and spyware are similar to each other in that they both ________. A) masquerade as useful programs B) are specifically programmed to spread C) are installed without a user's permission D) are used to replicate programs Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 37) Which of the following is an example of a data safeguard against security threats? A) application design B) backup and recovery C) accountability D) procedure design Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
38) Organizations should protect sensitive data by storing it in ________ form. A) digital B) standardized C) encrypted D) structured Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 39) The procedure of entrusting a party with a copy of an encryption key that can be used in case the actual key is lost or destroyed is called ________. A) key escrow B) asymmetric encryption C) symmetric encryption D) biometric authentication Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 40) Which of the following statements is true about position sensitivity? A) Position sensitivity is a type of data safeguard. B) Documenting position sensitivity enables security personnel to prioritize their activities. C) Documentation of position sensitivity is carried out only for highly sensitive jobs. D) Documentation of position sensitivity is carried out only for new employees. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 41) The enforcement of security procedures and policies consists of three interdependent factors: ________. A) centralized reporting, preparation, and practice B) account administration, systems procedures, and security monitoring C) separation of duties, provision of least privilege, and position sensitivity D) responsibility, accountability, and compliance Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security
11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
42) In terms of password management, when an account is created, users should ________. A) create two passwords and switch back and forth between the two B) immediately change the password they are given to a password of their own C) maintain the same password they are given for all future authentication purposes D) ensure that they do not change their passwords frequently, thereby reducing the risk of password loss Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 43) Typically, a help-desk information system has answers to questions that only a true user would know. Which of the following statements is true of this information? A) It allows help-desk representatives to create new passwords for users. B) It reduces the strength of the security system. C) It protects the anonymity of a user. D) It helps authenticate a user. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 44) Activity log analyses constitute an important ________ function. A) account administration B) security monitoring C) password management D) data administration Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 45) A(n) ________ includes how employees should react to security problems, whom they should contact, the reports they should make, and steps they can take to reduce further loss. A) application design B) procedure design C) contingency plan D) incident-response plan Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 8 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 12 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
True or False 1) A threat is a person or an organization that seeks to obtain or alter data illegally, without the owner's permission or knowledge. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 2) Pretexting occurs when someone deceives by pretending to be someone else. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 3) Spoofing is a technique for intercepting computer communications. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 4) Email spoofing is a synonym for phishing. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 5) Drive-by phishers take computers with wireless connections through an area and search for unprotected wireless networks. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 6) Incorrectly increasing a customer's discount is an example of incorrect data modification. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security
13 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
7) An Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) is a sophisticated computer hack that is perpetrated by large, well-funded organizations like governments. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 8) Damages caused by natural disasters are minimal when compared to the damages due to human errors. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 9) Studies on the cost of computer crimes are mostly based on surveys. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 10) In a brute force attack, a password cracker tries every possible combination of characters. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 11) A person should preferably use the same password for different sites so as to avoid confusion. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 12) While making online purchases, a person should buy only from vendors who support https. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security
14 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
13) Risk management is a critical security function of an organization's senior management. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 14) Financial institutions must invest heavily in security safeguards because they are obvious targets for theft. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 15) Malware protection is an example of a technical safeguard. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 16) The creation of a backup copy of all database content of an organization is a technical safeguard. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 17) Technical safeguards include encryption and the usage of passwords. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 18) Technical safeguards involve both software and hardware components of an information system. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security
15 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
19) A user name authenticates a user, and a password identifies that user. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 20) Smart cards are convenient to use because they don't require a PIN number for authentication. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 21) A criticism of biometric authentication is that it provides weak authentication. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 22) With asymmetric encryption, two different keys are used for encoding and decoding a message. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 23) The most secure communications over the Internet use a protocol called HTTP. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 24) Packet-filtering firewalls sit outside an organizational network. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security
16 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
25) Packet-filtering firewalls examine each part of a message and determine whether to let that part pass. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 26) Perimeter firewalls are the simplest type of firewall. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 27) Spyware programs are installed on a user's computer without the user's knowledge. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 28) Viruses, worms, and Trojan horses are types of firewalls. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 29) A virus is a computer program that replicates itself. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 30) Malware definitions are patterns that exist in malware code. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security
17 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
31) The creation of backup copies of database contents ensures the protection of the database. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 32) The loss of encryption keys by employees is referred to as key escrow. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 33) In an organization, the security sensitivity for each position should be documented. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 34) The existence of accounts that are no longer necessary do not pose any security threats. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 35) Typically, a help-desk information system has answers to questions that only the true or actual user of an account or system would know. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 36) Incident-response plans should provide centralized reporting of all security incidents. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 8 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security
18 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Essay 1) Describe the terms phishing, spoofing, and sniffing. Answer: Phishing is a technique for obtaining unauthorized data that uses pretexting via email. A phisher pretends to be a legitimate company and sends an email requesting confidential data, such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, account passwords, and so forth. Spoofing is another term for someone pretending to be someone else. IP spoofing occurs when an intruder uses another site's IP address to masquerade as that other site. Email spoofing is a synonym for phishing. Sniffing is a technique for intercepting computer communications. With wired networks, sniffing requires a physical connection to the network. With wireless networks, no such connection is required. Drive-by sniffers simply take computers with wireless connections through an area and search for unprotected wireless networks. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 2) Explain the concept of denial of service (DOS) in information management. Answer: Human error in following procedures or a lack of procedures can result in denial of service (DOS). For example, humans can inadvertently shut down a Web server or corporate gateway router by starting a computationally intensive application. Denial-of-service attacks can be launched maliciously. A malicious hacker can flood a Web server, for example, with millions of bogus service requests that so occupy the server that it cannot service legitimate requests. Computer worms can infiltrate a network with so much artificial traffic that legitimate traffic cannot get through. Natural disasters may also cause systems to fail, resulting in denial of service. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security
19 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
3) What are some of the recommended personal security safeguards against security threats? Answer: Following are some of the recommended personal security safeguards against security threats: 1. Create strong passwords 2. Use multiple passwords 3. Send no valuable data via email or IM 4. Use https at trusted, reputable vendors 5. Remove high-value assets from computers 6. Clear browsing history, temporary files, and cookies 7. Update antivirus software 8. Demonstrate security concern to your fellow workers 9. Follow organizational security directives and guidelines 10. Consider security for all business initiatives Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 4) Explain the two critical security functions that an organization's senior management needs to address. Answer: The senior management in an organization needs to address two critical security functions: security policy and risk management. Considering the first, senior management must establish a company-wide security policy that states the organization's posture regarding data that it gathers about its customers, suppliers, partners, and employees. At a minimum, the policy should stipulate: what sensitive data the organization will store, how it will process that data, whether data will be shared with other organizations, how employees and others can obtain copies of data stored about them, how employees and others can request changes to inaccurate data, what employees can do with their own mobile devices at work, and what nonorganizational activities employees can take with employer-owned equipment. Specific policy depends on whether the organization is governmental or nongovernmental, on whether it is publically held or private, on the organization's industry, on the relationship of management to employees, and other factors. The second senior management security function is to manage risk. Risk cannot be eliminated, so "manage risk" means to proactively balance the trade-off between risk and cost. This trade-off varies from industry to industry and from organization to organization. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security
20 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
5) Discuss briefly the pros and cons of biometric authentication. Answer: Biometric authentication uses personal physical characteristics such as fingerprints, facial features, and retinal scans to authenticate users. Biometric authentication provides strong authentication, but the required equipment is expensive. Often, too, users resist biometric identification because they feel it is invasive. Biometric authentication is in the early stages of adoption. Because of its strength, it likely will see increased usage in the future. It is also likely that legislators will pass laws governing the use, storage, and protection requirements for biometric data. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 6) Differentiate between symmetric and asymmetric encryption. Answer: To encode a message, a computer program uses an encryption method with a key to convert a noncoded message into a coded message. The resulting coded message looks like gibberish. Decoding (decrypting) a message is similar; a key is applied to the coded message to recover the original text. With symmetric encryption, the same key is used to encode and to decode. With asymmetric encryption, two keys are used; one key encodes the message, and the other key decodes the message. Symmetric encryption is simpler and much faster than asymmetric encryption. A special version of asymmetric encryption, public key/private key, is used on the Internet. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 7) What are firewalls? What types of firewalls are commonly used? Answer: A firewall is a computing device that prevents unauthorized network access. A firewall can be a special-purpose computer or it can be a program on a general-purpose computer or on a router. Organizations normally use multiple firewalls. A perimeter firewall sits outside the organizational network; it is the first device that Internet traffic encounters. In addition to perimeter firewalls, some organizations employ internal firewalls inside the organizational network. A packet-filtering firewall examines each part of a message and determines whether to let that part pass. To make this decision, it examines the source address, the destination addresses, and other data. Packet-filtering firewalls can prohibit outsiders from starting a session with any user behind the firewall. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security
21 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) List some important malware safeguards. Answer: It is possible to avoid most malware using the following malware safeguards: (1) install antivirus and antispyware programs on computers, (2) set up antimalware programs to scan computers frequently, (3) update malware definitions, (4) open email attachments only from known sources, (5) promptly install software updates from legitimate sources, and (6) browse only in reputable Internet neighborhoods. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 9) How can data safeguards protect against security threats? Answer: Data safeguards protect databases and other organizational data. Both data and database administration are involved in establishing data safeguards. First, data administration should define data policies. Then, data administration and database administrations work together to specify user data rights and responsibilities. Third, those rights should be enforced by user accounts that are authenticated at least by passwords. The organization should protect sensitive data by storing it in encrypted form. It is important to periodically create backup copies of database contents. Physical security is another data safeguard. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 10) Explain how defining positions in an organization can safeguard against security threats. Answer: Effective human safeguards begin with definitions of job tasks and responsibilities. In general, job descriptions should provide a separation of duties and authorities. For example, no single individual should be allowed to both approve expenses and write checks. Instead, one person should approve expenses, another pay them, and a third should account for the payment. Similarly, in inventory, no single person should be allowed to authorize an inventory withdrawal and also to remove the items from inventory. Given appropriate job descriptions, user accounts should be defined to give users the least possible privilege needed to perform their jobs. Similarly, user accounts should prohibit users from accessing data their job description does not require. Because of the problem of semantic security, access to even seemingly innocuous data may need to be limited. Finally, the security sensitivity should be documented for each position. Some jobs involve highly sensitive data. Other positions involve no sensitive data. Documenting position sensitivity enables security personnel to prioritize their activities in accordance with the possible risk and loss. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security
22 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
11) What are the three interdependent factors involved in the enforcement of security policies and procedures in an organization? Answer: Enforcement consists of three interdependent factors: responsibility, accountability, and compliance. First, a company should clearly define the security responsibilities of each position. The design of the security program should be such that employees can be held accountable for security violations. Procedures should exist so that when critical data are lost, it is possible to determine how the loss occurred and who is accountable. Finally, the security program should encourage security compliance. Employee activities should regularly be monitored for compliance, and management should specify the disciplinary action to be taken in light of noncompliance. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security 12) Describe an incident-response plan. Answer: Every organization should have an incident-response plan as part of its security program. The plan should include how employees are to respond to security problems, whom they should contact, the reports they should make, and steps they can take to reduce further loss. The plan should provide centralized reporting of all security incidents that will enable an organization to determine if it is under systematic attack or whether an incident is isolated. Centralized reporting also allows the organization to learn about security threats, take consistent actions in response, and apply specialized expertise to all security problems. Viruses and worms can spread very quickly across an organization's networks, and a fast response will help to mitigate the consequences. Because of the need for speed, preparation pays. The incidentresponse plan should identify critical personnel and their off-hours contact information. These personnel should be trained on where to go and what to do when they get there. Finally, organizations should periodically practice incident response. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 8 Course LO: Describe different methods of managing IS security
23 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter Extension 1: Collaboration Information Systems for Decision Making, Problem Solving, and Project Management Multiple Choice 1) ________ is defined as a group of people working together to achieve a common goal via a process of feedback and iteration. A) Cooperation B) Groupthink C) Collaboration D) Dissolution Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 2) Which of the following is true of collaboration? A) Iterations should be avoided for the smooth functioning of the collaborative process. B) Group members should not review each other's work negatively. C) Multiple iterations and feedback improve collaboration. D) Collaboration is more effective if it takes place at the final stage of a project. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 3) In a collaborative team, the work proceeds in a series of steps in which one person produces something, others criticize it, and then a revised version is produced. These steps are known as ________. A) iterations B) alternatives C) redundancies D) dissolutions Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) How do group iterations and feedbacks provide better results than results provided by single individuals? A) It motivates the members of a group to work on individual goals. B) It allows individuals to put forth different perspectives. C) It allows the members of a group to collaborate their ideas at the end of a project. D) It restricts individuals from criticizing one another's perspectives. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 5) Which of the following is necessary for a collaboration to be successful? A) Collaborators should resist putting forward unpopular ideas. B) Collaborators should avoid entering into difficult conversations. C) Members must provide and receive critical feedback. D) Everyone in the group should be too polite to say anything critical. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 6) Which of the following should be avoided for a collaboration to be successful? A) replying back to the criticisms offered by different members in the group B) different perceptions of the topics under discussion C) critical feedbacks that lead to a positive outcome D) critical feedbacks that lead to distrust among group members Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork
2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
7) Which of the following approaches to teamwork will provide the best results? A) Sarah disagrees with the project plan but does not voice her opinion because she doesn't want to disrupt the functioning of the team. B) Andrew believes that conflict is healthy for teamwork and doesn't hesitate to criticize the shortcomings of his coworkers' perceptions. C) Caleb and Adam hold opposing political views but do not discuss their opinions while working so that other team members aren't distracted. D) Daniel is the team leader and discourages disagreements among team members so that the project can proceed faster. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 8) Which of the following guidelines must be followed for providing and receiving critical feedback? A) make personal comments B) give specific details C) avoid suggestions D) dominate the group Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 9) Which of the following is a primary criterion for judging team success? A) giving and receiving critical feedback B) striving to attain balance C) demonstrating commitment to the group D) meaningful and satisfying experience Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork
3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
10) Which of the following is the first and most fundamental collaboration purpose? A) make decisions B) become informed C) manage projects D) solve problems Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 11) Why is information considered the most fundamental collaboration purpose? A) Individuals can construct different perceptions of the same data. B) All the members of a team usually conceive information in the same way. C) Disclosing information may lead to unsuccessful collaboration. D) Being informed restricts communication between members of a group. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 12) ________ decisions are those that support day-to-day activities, such as how many widgets to order from a particular vendor. A) Managerial B) Critical C) Strategic D) Operational Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how information systems can be used to assist in decision making 13) ________ decisions are decisions about the allocation and utilization of resources. A) Critical B) Operational C) Managerial D) Strategic Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how information systems can be used to assist in decision making
4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
14) ________ decisions are those that support broad-scope, organizational issues. A) Strategic B) Critical C) Operational D) Managerial Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how information systems can be used to assist in decision making 15) Which of the following is true of a structured decision? A) There is an understood and accepted method for making such a decision. B) A structured decision is often collaborative. C) A structured decision refers to the nature of an underlying problem. D) It is not a standardized decision process. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how information systems can be used to assist in decision making 16) Which of the following is true of unstructured decisions? A) Unstructured decisions seldom require collaboration. B) They have a standardized decision process. C) Individuals vary in the manner which they make such decisions. D) There is an understood and accepted method for making such decisions. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how information systems can be used to assist in decision making 17) The fundamental purpose of the ________ phase of project management is to set the ground rules for the project and the team. A) finalizing B) starting C) doing D) planning Answer: B Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
18) Which of the following tasks is performed during the starting phase of project management? A) preparing archival documents B) managing tasks and budget C) establishing team rules D) determining schedule Answer: C Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 19) During which of the following phases of project management are resources allocated to different activities? A) finalizing B) starting C) doing D) planning Answer: D Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 20) Hanna, a project manager at Rinehart, Inc., adds additional resources to a new project that has insufficient resources to meet its tight schedules. In this case, Hanna is in the ________ phase of project management. A) planning B) starting C) doing D) finalizing Answer: A Difficulty: Hard Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 21) The purpose of the ________ phase of project management is to ensure that tasks are accomplished on time. A) finalizing B) starting C) doing D) planning Answer: C Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
22) Rochelle, a senior program analyst in Levy, Inc., reschedules various tasks assigned to her subordinates in order to meet a project's new guidelines. In this case, Rochelle is in the ________ phase of project management. A) starting B) doing C) planning D) finalizing Answer: B Difficulty: Hard Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 23) The ________ phase of project management requires teams to document its results, document information for future teams, close down the project, and disband the team. A) finalizing B) starting C) doing D) planning Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 24) Which of the following tasks is performed during the finalizing phase of project management? A) solve problems B) document and report progress C) revise budget D) prepare archival documents Answer: D Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
25) Which of the following is true of project data? A) It is not part of the collaboration's work product. B) Project data is data that is used to manage the project. C) It should recommend solutions for a problem-solving project. D) Project data is not subject to iteration and feedback. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 26) Which of the following collaborative activities requires tracking many versions of many documents and other work products? A) cooperation B) feedback C) dissolution D) iteration Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 27) Which of the following collaborative activities requires providing easy-to-use and readily available multiparty communication? A) promotion of team growth B) feedback C) accomplishment of task within time and budget D) iteration Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork
8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
True or False 1) A cooperative result is usually better in quality than the result of someone working alone. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 2) Multiple versions of a document are created when a group of people collaborate. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 3) An extremely critical group cannot collaborate effectively. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 4) It is essential for team members to express any differences in perceptions of data. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 5) Business professionals are primarily concerned about the successful outcome of collaboration. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 6) Operational decisions are almost always collaborative. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how information systems can be used to assist in decision making
9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
7) Strategic decisions are almost always collaborative. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how information systems can be used to assist in decision making 8) Decisions at the operational level tend to be unstructured. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how information systems can be used to assist in decision making 9) Different people usually perceive a problem in the same way. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how information systems can be used to assist in decision making 10) The first and most important task for a problem-solving collaborative group is defining the problem. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 11) Team rules are established during the planning phase of project management. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 12) Most collaboration systems are hosted on client computers. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
13) Schedules, tasks, budgets, and other managerial data are examples of project metadata. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 14) The primary function of a collaboration information system is information security. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork
11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Essay 1) Differentiate between cooperation and collaboration with examples. Answer: Cooperation is defined as a group of people working together, all doing essentially the same type of work, to accomplish a job. Collaboration is defined as a group of people working together to achieve a common goal via a process of feedback and iteration. For example: Given an assignment, a group of five students will break it up into five pieces, work to accomplish their piece independently, and then merge their independent work for grading by the professor. In contrast, when students work collaboratively, they set forth an initial idea or work product, provide feedback to one another on those ideas or products, and then revise in accordance with feedback. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 2) Explain the three primary criteria for successful collaboration. Answer: There are three primary criteria for successful collaboration: 1. Successful outcome: Most students are primarily concerned with the first criterion. They want to achieve a good outcome, measured by their grade, or they want to get the project done with an acceptable grade while minimizing the effort required. For business professionals, teams need to accomplish their goals. 2. Growth in team capability: Most student teams are short-lived. But, in business, teams often last months or years. With experience, teams can become more effective. Activities are combined or eliminated. Teams also get better as individuals improve at their tasks. Part of that improvement is the learning curve; as someone does something over and over, he or she gets better at it. But team members also teach task skills and give knowledge to one another. Team members also provide perspectives that other team members need. 3. Meaningful and satisfying experience: The nature of team goals is a major factor in making work meaningful. If an individual's work is not only perceived as important, but the person doing that work is also given credit for it, then the experience will be perceived as meaningful. So, recognition for work well done is vitally important for a meaningful work experience. Difficulty: Hard AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork
12 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
3) What are the three levels of decision making? Answer: Decisions are made at three levels: 1. Operational decisions are those that support operational, day-to-day activities. Typical operational decisions are: How many widgets should we order from vendor A? Should we extend credit to vendor B? In almost all cases, operational decisions need not involve collaboration. 2. Managerial decisions are decisions about the allocation and utilization of resources. Typical decisions are: How much should we budget for computer hardware and programs for department A next year? How many engineers should we assign to project B? In general, if a managerial decision requires consideration of different perspectives, then it will benefit from collaboration. 3. Strategic decisions are those that support broad-scope, organizational issues. Typical decisions at the strategic level are: Should we start a new product line? Should we open a centralized warehouse in Tennessee? Should we acquire company A? Strategic decisions are almost always collaborative. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Interpersonal Relations and Teamwork Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how information systems can be used to assist in decision making 4) Explain the four phases of project management. Answer: The four phases of project management are: 1. Starting phase: The fundamental purpose of the starting phase is to set the ground rules for the project and the team. Other tasks during the starting phase are to set the scope of the project and to establish an initial budget. 2. Planning phase: The purpose of the planning phase is to determine "who will do what and by when." Work activities are defined, and resources such as personnel, budget, and equipment are assigned to them. Tasks often depend on one other. The project budget is usually revised during the planning phase as well. 3. Doing phase: Project tasks are accomplished during the doing phase. The key management challenge here is to ensure that tasks are accomplished on time, and, if not, to identify schedule problems as early as possible. As work progresses, additional trade-offs must be made, and often it is necessary to add or delete tasks, change task assignments, add or remove task labor or other resources, and so forth. Another important task is to document and report project progress. 4. Finalizing phase: In this phase, the team needs to document its results, document information for future teams, close down the project, and disband the team. Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
13 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
5) Differentiate between project data and project metadata. Answer: Project data is data that is part of the collaboration's work product. For example, for a team that is designing a new product, design documents are examples of project data. A document that describes a recommended solution is project data for a problem-solving project. Project metadata is data that is used to manage the project. Schedules, tasks, budgets, and other managerial data are examples of project metadata. Both types of data are subject to iteration and feedback. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork
14 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter Extension 2: Collaborative Information Systems for Student Projects Multiple Choice 1) ________ are useful when a team needs to meet on some topic, but not everyone can meet at the same time. A) Blogs B) Discussion forums C) Wikis D) Surveys Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 2) Synchronous communication is defined as ________. A) communication between people and groups in the same time zone B) communication between people working in the same department C) internal communication between the members of a specific group D) communication that occurs when all team members meet at the same time Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Written and Oral Communication Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 3) Which of the following is an example of synchronous communication? A) email B) team survey C) multiparty text chat D) discussion forum Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Written and Oral Communication Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) ________ communication occurs when team members do not meet at the same time. A) Asynchronous B) Synchronous C) Procedural D) Nonprocedural Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Written and Oral Communication Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 5) Which of the following is an example of asynchronous communication? A) multiparty text chat B) videoconferencing C) email D) webinar Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 6) ________ meetings are meetings in which participants do not meet in the same place, and possibly not at the same time. A) Concurrent B) Parallel C) Synchronous D) Virtual Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 7) If a virtual meeting is synchronous, participants should use ________ to interact with each other. A) discussion forums B) videoconferencing C) email D) team surveys Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork
2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) ________ are virtual meetings in which attendees view one of the attendees' computer screens for formal and organized presentations. A) Discussion forums B) Screen-sharing applications C) Conference calls D) Webinars Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 9) In a ________, one group member posts an entry, an idea, a comment, or a question, and other group members respond to it later, at their convenience. A) multiparty text chat B) team survey C) webinar D) discussion forum Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 10) In a ________, one person creates a list of questions to which other users respond. A) multiparty text chat B) team survey C) webinar D) discussion forum Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 11) Which of the following is a content sharing technique in which the sender does not have any control or record of changes made to the shared content? A) email with attachments B) Windows WebApps C) Google Docs D) blog Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
12) Which of the following statements is true of shared content with version management? A) Content sharing methods that provide version management cannot accommodate concurrent work. B) Version management systems provide version control. C) Version management makes it impossible to know who changed the document and when. D) Systems that provide version management track changes to documents. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 13) Which of the following tools provides version management while sharing content? A) shared file servers B) Google Docs C) emails with attachments D) Gmail Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 14) Which of the following statements regarding Google Drive is true? A) Users receive an email when a document is made available to them. B) A Google account is not essential to use Google Drive. C) A Google account is the same as a Gmail account. D) Microsoft Excel documents cannot be uploaded to Google Drive. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 15) Which of the following systems provides version control while sharing content? A) Microsoft SharePoint B) Google Drive C) emails with attachments D) file servers Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork
4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
16) In version-control systems, shared documents are placed into shared directories called ________. A) vaults B) libraries C) workspaces D) records Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 17) Which of the following statements is true of Microsoft SharePoint? A) SharePoint does not support restriction of access to documents. B) SharePoint converts shared documents to the Google Docs format. C) When a user disapproves a document, the next person in the workflow receives it. D) If a document has been checked out by a user, SharePoint does not allow other users to edit it. Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 18) Which of the following statements is true of collaboration tools? A) Users cannot add their own data to the default format of the task list in SharePoint. B) Google Grid permits only the uploader to make changes to a task list. C) It is possible to filter task lists to show only noncompleted tasks using SharePoint. D) Google Grid allows only one user to edit a document at a time. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 19) Which of the following statements is true about Google Grid? A) A document can be edited by only one user at a time. B) Tasks can be sorted according to status to see incomplete tasks. C) A Google account is not mandatory to access task lists on Google Grid. D) It provides version history, which shows the changes made by users to the task list. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork
5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
20) The alerts feature on SharePoint ________. A) sends a team member an email whenever a task is assigned to him or her B) requires team members to check the task list for new tasks every hour C) cannot send emails about new events, but can send notifications to Microsoft accounts D) can send emails only when a new task is created Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 21) With the ________ collaboration tool set, a participant should be able to collaborate with his team, though he will get little support from the software. A) minimal B) optimal C) good D) comprehensive Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 22) With the ________ collaboration tool set, a participant has the ability to conduct multiparty audio and video virtual meetings, and he/she will also have support for concurrent access to document, spreadsheet, and presentation files. A) minimal B) optimal C) good D) comprehensive Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
23) The ________ collaboration tool set has a full set of features, including content management and control, workflow control, online meetings in which participants can view shared whiteboards, applications, and monitors. A) minimal B) optimal C) good D) comprehensive Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 24) Which of the following statements is true of collaboration tool sets? A) Good collaboration tool sets have built-in discussion boards. B) Comprehensive tool sets take the longest time to learn. C) Good tool sets include workflow control as an inbuilt feature. D) Minimal tool sets allow sharing of video files. Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 25) Which of the following statements is true of a product power curve? A) A flat line on a power curve means the user is increasing the utility gained from the product. B) At time zero, the ideal power curve is at zero. C) The power curve of a minimal collaboration tool set rises steadily with time. D) The power curve of a comprehensive set has the longest flat spot in the beginning. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork
7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
True or False 1) Discussion forums are useful when a team needs to meet on some topic, but not everyone can meet at the same time. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 2) Asynchronous communication occurs when team members do not meet at the same time. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Written and Oral Communication Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 3) A face-to-face meeting is an example of asynchronous communication. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Written and Oral Communication Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 4) Virtual meetings can be synchronous or asynchronous. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 5) A webinar is a virtual meeting in which attendees view one of the attendees' computer screens for a more formal and organized presentation. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 6) Videoconferencing is likely to be less intrusive than text chat. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork
8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
7) Email is a tool used for synchronous communication. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 8) In team surveys, one team member creates a list of questions and the other team members respond. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Written and Oral Communication Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 9) The degree of version management is very high in email attachments. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 10) Using file servers to share documents is better than sending files as email attachments. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 11) Systems that provide version management track changes to documents and provide features and functions to accommodate concurrent work. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 12) A Google account is not essential to access Google Drive. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork
9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
13) Version management systems provide version control. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 14) In version-control systems, shared documents are often placed in shared directories, called libraries. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 15) The document checkout feature in SharePoint allows users to simultaneously edit documents. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 16) Workflows cannot be defined on Microsoft SharePoint for multistage business processes. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 17) SharePoint can be configured to send email alerts when certain events occur. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 18) With SharePoint, it is possible to filter task lists to show only noncompleted tasks. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
19) With the minimal collaboration tool set, a participant should be able to collaborate with his team, though he will get little support from the software. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 20) The good collaboration tool set includes content management and control, workflow control, online meetings in which participants can view shared whiteboards, applications, and monitors. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 21) At time zero, a minimal collaboration tool set gives the most capability. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 22) A minimal collaboration tool set gives the user a considerable competitive advantage as a professional. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork
11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Essay 1) Why should a team choose to use a collaboration information system? Answer: Collaboration is critical in business, and numerous software vendors and open source developers have created computer programs to facilitate various collaborative tasks. Once a team learns how to use the tools and has developed procedures for using them, teamwork will be easier. The team will no longer need to get everyone together face-to-face. It will no longer lose documents; it will be able to determine who is contributing and who is not. Another reason for using collaboration tools is that it will create better results. Such systems facilitate feedback and iteration. Each team member can produce documents, and others can comment and make revisions to them. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 2) Explain synchronous and asynchronous communications in organizations with examples. Answer: Synchronous communication occurs when all team members meet at the same time. Face-to-face meetings and conference calls are examples of synchronous communication. Asynchronous communication occurs when team members do not meet at the same time. Email, discussion forums, and team surveys are examples of asynchronous communication. Virtual meetings in which participants do not meet in the same place and possibly not at the same time can be both synchronous and asynchronous. If the virtual meeting is synchronous (all meet at the same time), participants can use conference calls, webinars, or multiparty text chat. A webinar is a virtual meeting in which attendees view one of the attendees' computer screens for a more formal and organized presentation. Videoconferencing is another synchronous method. When a team must meet asynchronously, most members try to communicate via email. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Written and Oral Communication Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork
12 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
3) What is version management and why is it important? Answer: Every collaborative project involves sharing of content. Although email is simple, easy, and readily available, it will not suffice for collaborations in which there are many document versions or for which there is a desire for content control. Storing documents on servers is better than using email attachments because documents have a single storage location. They are not scattered in different team members' email boxes. However, without any version management it will be impossible to know who changed the document and when. Version management is a technique used for sharing electronic content. Systems that provide version management track changes to documents and provide features and functions to accommodate concurrent work. Google Drive and Windows Live SkyDrive are examples of systems that provide version management. With Google Drive, users can make documents available to others by entering their email addresses or Google accounts. Those users are notified that the document exists and are given a link by which they can access it. In the background, Google Grid merges the users' activities into a single document. Google tracks document revisions, with brief summaries of changes made. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 4) Explain version control with a simple example. Answer: Version control is the process of limiting the actions that can be taken by a particular user on shared documents. Version management systems improve the tracking of shared content and potentially eliminate problems caused by concurrent document access. They do not, however, provide version control. With version-control systems, each team member is given an account with a set of permissions. Shared documents are placed into shared directories, which are sometimes called libraries. Furthermore, document directories can be set up so that users are required to check out documents before they can modify them. When a document is checked out, no other user can obtain it for the purpose of editing it. Once the document has been checked in, other users can obtain it for editing. Microsoft SharePoint is the most popular version control application for general business. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork
13 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
5) Explain the importance of Microsoft SharePoint in task management. Answer: Microsoft SharePoint has a robust task management capability. It contains a built-in content type for managing task lists that provides powerful features. The standard task list stores data such as title, assigned to, due date, status, predecessors, and other useful task data. Users can also add their own data to the default format of the task list. With SharePoint, it is possible to filter task lists to show only noncompleted tasks, or only tasks that have been completed. Alerts is a feature in SharePoint task lists that can send emails to a team member when certain events occur. If a task is assigned to a person, Alerts can send an email. This feature means that team members need not continually check the task list for new tasks. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork 6) What are the three sets of collaboration tools? Answer: The three sets of collaboration tools are the minimal, good, and comprehensive tool sets. Their features are as follows: 1. The minimal collaboration tool set has the minimum possible set of tools. With this set, a participant should be able to collaborate with his team, though he will get little support from the software. 2. With the good collaboration tool set, a participant will have the ability to conduct multiparty audio and video virtual meetings, and she will also have support for concurrent access to document, spreadsheet, and presentation files. 3. The comprehensive collaboration tool set has a full set of features, including content management and control, workflow control, online meetings in which participants can view shared whiteboards, applications, and monitors. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Explain how IS can enhance systems of collaboration and teamwork
14 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter Extension 3: Mobile Systems Multiple Choice 1) ________ systems are information systems that support users in motion. A) Data B) Mobile C) Remote D) Web-based Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 2) Which of the following statements is true of mobile systems? A) Just-in-time data creates a premium on the ability to memorize vast quantities of product data. B) Mobile systems decrease the speed of business. C) The usage of mobile systems results in the organizations being effective with part-time employees and independent contractors. D) Just-in-time data removes the premium for the ability to access, query, and present the data. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 3) ________ data is data delivered to the user at the precise time it is needed. A) Time-oriented B) Just-in-time C) Context-sensitive D) Object-oriented Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) Which of the following is true about the impact of mobile systems on data usage in information systems? A) More ads can be shown. B) Information is not easily available. C) Quantity of data available has reduced. D) Organizations' data is securely stored. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 5) A ________ application is a thick-client application that is designed to work with a particular operating system, and sometimes even designed to work only with a particular mobile device that runs that operating system. A) native B) virtual C) remote D) browser-based Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 6) In a ________ application, the browser provides a relatively consistent platform for the application. A) virtual B) native C) thick-client D) thin-client Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
7) ________ languages can be used to create difficult, complex applications, and, if used properly, will result in high-performance code that is easy to alter when requirements change. A) Assembly B) Data-oriented C) Object-oriented D) Hardware description Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 8) Native mobile applications can be differentiated from thin-client mobile applications in that native mobile applications ________. A) are developed by technically oriented Web developers and business professionals B) generally use HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript as development languages C) only run on the operating system for which they are programmed D) are dependent on platforms provided by browsers Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 9) Which of the following development languages is used in native mobile applications? A) CSS3 B) HTML5 C) JavaScript D) Objective-C Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 10) Thin-client mobile applications can be differentiated from native mobile applications in that thin-client mobile applications ________. A) are limited by the capabilities of the browser B) are developed by professional programmers only C) run only on the operating system for which they are programmed D) are usually developed using Objective-C, Java, or VB.Net Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
11) Which of the following development languages is used in thin-client mobile applications? A) VB.Net B) HTML5 C) Java D) Objective-C Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 12) Which of the following statements is true about thin-client applications developed for mobile systems? A) They must be developed by professional programmers. B) They are more expensive than native applications of equivalent complexity. C) It is easier to earn money from a thin-client application. D) Thin-client applications are easier to update and download. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 13) Which of the following is true about quality mobile user experiences? A) Users' content must occupy limited display space on mobile systems. B) Use of content to drive application behavior is called indirect interaction. C) Applications must be designed to one scale, so that they fit one particular display appropriately. D) Power usage on mobile devices can be minimized by moving complex code to cloud servers. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 14) Chrome is a term that refers to the ________ in a computer display. A) Web applications B) refresh rate C) visual overhead D) pixel density Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
15) Some mobile applications provide ________ chrome, meaning it pops up in the display when appropriate. A) context-sensitive B) time-oriented C) data-sensitive D) object-oriented Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 16) ________ occurs when users move their activities, especially long-running transactions, across devices. A) Cloud computing B) Roaming C) Direct interaction D) Interfacing Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 17) ________ data is data that the server sends to the device. A) Nonlinear B) Linear C) Pull D) Push Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 18) ________ data is data that the device requests from the server. A) Nonlinear B) Linear C) Pull D) Push Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
19) Which of the following is an advantage of employees using their mobile systems at work? A) cost savings B) less risk of infection C) lower compatibility problems D) no real danger of lost or damaged data Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 20) Which of the following is a disadvantage of employees using their mobile systems at work? A) higher costs B) lower employee satisfaction C) greater need for training D) danger of lost or damaged data Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 21) Which of the following is true of the "bring your own device" (BYOD) policy? A) Organizations' secure application services that use https and require employee sign-on can be accessed only from a mobile device that is connected to the network. B) If the organization wants to own any mobile device that employees connect to its network, the policy must be part of the employee's contract. C) Mobile device management software is generally used to sniff employees' mobile traffic. D) The organization can never sniff employees' mobile traffic. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
True or False 1) Mobile systems are information systems that support users in motion. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 2) Mobile systems users only move geographically, not from device to device. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 3) The major reason for the importance of mobile systems is the size of their market. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 4) Just-in-time data is data delivered to the user at the precise time it is needed. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 5) Just-in-time data removes the premium for the ability to access, query, and present product data. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 6) Mobile systems decrease the speed of business, which is a disadvantage for those who wish to respond quickly to changing conditions. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
7) A native application is a thick-client application that is designed to work with a particular operating system. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 8) Native mobile applications only run on the operating system for which they are programmed. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 9) Native mobile applications can be developed by technically oriented Web developers and business professionals. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 10) Professional programming languages such as Objective-C and VB.Net are preferred to develop thin-client mobile applications. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 11) The limits on native applications are usually budgetary and not technological. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 12) Thin-client applications are limited by the capabilities of the browser. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
13) The major advantage of native applications over thin-client applications is that they will run on any operating system and mobile device. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 14) Unlike native applications, thin-client applications have one code base and one development team. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 15) Chrome is a term that refers to the visual overhead in a computer display. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 16) Direct interaction is the usage of content to drive application behavior. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 17) Context-sensitive chrome pops up in the display when appropriate. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 18) Charms is the term used to refer to the ability to move activities, especially long-running transactions, across devices. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
19) Push data is data that the device requests from the server. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 20) The advantages of employees using their mobile systems at work include cost savings and greater employee satisfaction. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 21) The disadvantages of employee use of mobile systems at work include higher costs and greater need for training. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 22) If an organization wants to own any mobile device that employees connect to its network, the policy must be a part of the employee's contract. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Essay 1) What are mobile systems? Answer: Mobile systems are information systems that support users in motion. Mobile systems users access the system from any place–at home, at work, while traveling–using any smart device, such as smartphone, tablet, or PC. Mobile systems users move not only geographically, they also move from device to device. The major elements in a mobile system are users in motion, mobile devices, wireless connectivity, and cloud-based resources. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 2) What is just-in-time data? Answer: Mobile systems offer just-in-time data, which is data delivered to the user at the precise time it is needed. Just-in-time data removes the premium on the ability to memorize vast quantities of product data, but creates a premium for the ability to access, query, and present that data. Mobile systems increase the speed of business, giving an advantage to those who can nimbly respond to changing conditions and succeed with the unexpected. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 3) Differentiate between native and thin-client mobile applications. Answer: Native mobile applications are developed using serious, heavy-duty, professional programming languages, such as Objective-C, Java, and VB.Net. All of these languages are object-oriented, which means they can be used to create difficult, complex applications, and, if used properly, will result in high-performance code that is easy to alter when requirements change. Object-oriented languages can only be used by professional programmers who have devoted years to learning object-oriented design and coding skills. The downside of native applications is that they only run on the operating system for which they are programmed. As a general rule, the cost of native applications is high. Thin-client development languages are HTML5, CSS3, and Java Script. Thin-client applications can be written by professional programmers. However, it is possible for technically oriented Web developers and business professionals to develop them as well. Thin-client applications are limited by the capabilities of the browser. While browsers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, they cannot offer the full capabilities of the underlying operating system and hardware. The major advantage of thin-clients over native applications is that they will run on any operating system and mobile device. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) State the primary characteristics of a quality mobile application. Answer: The primary characteristics of a quality mobile application are: 1. Feature content and support direct interaction 2. Use context-sensitive chrome when needed 3. Provide animation and lively behavior 4. Design to scale and share (display and data) 5. Use the cloud Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 5) What is roaming? What are its applications? Answer: Roaming occurs when users move their activities, especially long-running transactions (reading a book, for example) across devices. The best mobile applications do this transparently; the user need take no action. Kindle apps inform iPad users about the most recently viewed page of a book when they open it on an iPhone. This is done entirely automatically. Roaming can achieve greater power when mobile applications allow roaming for other longrunning transactions as well; editing a document, spreadsheet, or other Office document are examples. At some point, applications like CRM and ERP may support roaming as well. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 6) State the advantages and disadvantages of employee use of mobile systems at work. Answer: The advantages of employee use of mobile systems at work include cost savings. It also leads to greater employee satisfaction of using devices that employees chose according to their own preferences rather than organization-supplied PCs. Because employees are already using these devices for their own purposes, they need less training and can be more productive. All of this means reduced support costs. On the other hand, employee use of mobile devices has significant disadvantages. There is the real danger of lost or damaged data. When data is brought into employee-owned computing devices, the organization loses control over where it goes or what happens to it. Organizations also lose control over the updating of software and the applications that users employ. This control loss leads to compatibility problems as well. Possibly the greatest disadvantage of employee use of their own devices is the risk of infection. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
12 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
7) What are the different BYOD (bring your own device) policies currently being used? Answer: A BYOD (bring your own device) policy is a statement concerning employees' permissions and responsibilities when they use their own device for organizational business. BYOD policies are classified according to their functionality and control. 1. The most primitive policy is to ignore mobile use. This posture, which provides neither functionality to the employee nor control to the organization, has no advantages. 2. The next step up in functionality is for the organization to offer its wireless network to mobile devices, as if it were a coffee shop. The advantage to the organization of this policy is that the organization can sniff employees' mobile traffic, thus learning how employees are using their devices (and time) during work. 3. In the next policy, the organization creates secure application services using https that require employee sign-on and can be accessed from any device, mobile or not. Such applications can be used when employees are at work or elsewhere. These services provide controlled access to some of the organizations' assets. 4. In another policy, the organization tells employees that they can sign on to the organization's network with their mobile devices, but the employee is financially responsible for any damage they do. The hope is that few employees know what their exposure is and hence decide not to do so. 5. A more enlightened policy is to manage the users' devices as if they were owned by the organization. With this policy, employees turn over their mobile devices to the IS Department, which cleanses and re-loads software, and installs programs that enable the IS Department to manage the device remotely. Numerous vendors license products called mobile device management (MDM) software to assist this process. This policy benefits the organization, but some employees resist turning over the management of their own hardware to the organization. 6. The most controlling policy is for the organization to declare that it owns any mobile device that employees connect to its network. To be enforceable, this policy must be part of the employee's contract. It is taken by organizations that manage very secure operations and environments. In some military/intelligence organizations, the policy is that any smart device that ever enters the workplace may never leave it. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
13 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter Extension 4: Introduction to Microsoft Excel 2013 Multiple Choice 1) A ________ is a table of data having rows and columns. A) spreadsheet B) matrix C) gridline D) ribbon Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 2) In an Excel spreadsheet, the rows are identified by ________. A) letters B) numbers C) Roman numerals D) symbols Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 3) In an Excel spreadsheet, the columns are identified by ________. A) letters B) numbers C) Roman numerals D) symbols Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) In Excel, the term ________ refers to a single spreadsheet. A) workbook B) balance sheet C) worksheet D) gridline Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 5) In Excel, the intersection of a row and a column is called a ________. A) node B) gridline C) cell D) ribbon Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 6) In Excel, the wide bar of tools and selections that appears just under the tabs is called the ________. A) menu tab B) task pane C) gridline D) ribbon Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 7) To add graphs, hyperlinks, or images to an Excel worksheet, the ________ tab is used. A) DATA B) FORMAT C) VIEW D) INSERT Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) In Excel, which of the following tabs can be used for filtering and sorting the data in the user's spreadsheet? A) DATA B) REVIEW C) INSERT D) HOME Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 9) In Excel, the REVIEW tab can be used for ________. A) creating more complex formulas B) filtering and sorting data in the spreadsheet C) tracking changes and making comments D) configuring the appearance of Excel Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 10) The ________ tab is used for configuring the appearance of Excel. A) VIEW B) REVIEW C) DATA D) HOME Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 11) In Excel, the most frequently used tools and selections appear under the ________ tab. A) DATA B) HOME C) VIEW D) REVIEW Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
12) You have entered a formula in the cell G9. Which of the following would occur if you press the F2 function key after selecting the cell G9? A) The formula in G9 can be edited without retyping the entire formula. B) The formula will be copied to the clipboard. C) A graph is created based on the cells that appear in the formula. D) The formula in the cell will be locked. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 13) If a user types the value 100 into cell G1, presses Enter, and then clicks cell G1, a rectangle will be drawn around the cell with a little black box in the lower right-hand corner. Which of the following occurs if the user drags that little black box down to cell G7? A) Excel will display values that progressively increase by 100 in each of those cells. B) All of those cells will remain blank. C) Excel will display the value 100 in all of those cells. D) Excel will divide the corresponding value in another column by 100 and sequentially display those results in each of those cells. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 14) A user types in a1 and a2 in the cells G1 and G2. If the user selects those two cells and drags the small black box to the four cells below them, then the four cells ________. A) will display a3, a4, a5, and a6 B) will display b1, b2, c1, and c2 C) will remain blank D) will display a1, a2, a1, and a2 Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
15) If a user enters "jan" and "feb" in cells E1 and E2, selects those two cells and drags the small black box to three more cells below them, then ________. A) the three cells remain empty B) Excel displays an error message C) the three cells display "jan, feb, jan" respectively D) the three cells display "mar, apr, may" respectively Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 16) Which of the following is true of rows and columns in Excel? A) To add a column, click on the name of the column after which you want to insert new columns. B) To increase the size of a column, drag the line between the two columns in the column headings to the left. C) To insert new rows, click the number of the row below which you want new rows, and select as many rows as you want to insert. D) To decrease the height of a row, drag the line between the line numbers up. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 17) In Excel, if the user clicks the center icons in the ________ section of the ribbon, the selected text will be centered both horizontally and vertically in the cell. A) font B) alignment C) styles D) editing Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
18) In Excel, every formula must begin with a(n) ________ sign. A) plus B) minus C) percent D) equal Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 19) In Excel, ________. A) only 26 columns are present B) an entire row cannot be deleted C) only numbers are recognized as patterns and used to fill data D) a formula that does not start with an equal sign is considered as plain text Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 20) In an Excel sheet, what is the meaning of the formula =SUM(C3:C8)? A) Add all the values starting from the third cell to eighth cell in the third column. B) Add all the values starting from the third cell to eighth cell in the third row. C) Add the value of the third cell in the third column to the eighth cell in the third column. D) Add the value of the third cell in the third row to the eighth cell in the third row. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 21) In Excel, ________ refers to whether the worksheet is printed normally or sideways on the page. A) font B) orientation C) alignment D) gridline Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
22) Which of the following is true about printing Excel spreadsheets? A) Gridlines can only be viewed and not printed. B) Print Preview is present in the Review tab. C) Landscape orientation prints a worksheet upright. D) An option allows only the highlighted cells to be printed. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies True or False 1) The rows in an Excel spreadsheet are identified by letters, and the columns are identified by numbers. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 2) An Excel workbook is a collection of one or more spreadsheets. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 3) The intersection of a row and a column on a spreadsheet is called a data point. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 4) To save a worksheet in Excel, the Save option in the Edit menu is used. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
5) In Excel, the wide bar of tools and selections that appears just under the tabs is referred to as the Menu bar. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 6) In Excel, the INSERT tab is used to add pictures, graphs, and hyperlinks. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 7) In Excel, the REVIEW tab is used to format a page for printing. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 8) The VIEW tab is used to configure the appearance of Excel. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 9) The HOME tab holds the most frequently used tools and selections. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 10) Data can be imported to Excel from other programs. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
11) Excel lacks features that can add data based on a pattern. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 12) If the months of a year have been entered in text form, Excel does not recognize it as a pattern. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 13) Using the F2 function key is recommended when the user has a long value in a cell and needs to edit a letter or two without retyping the whole entry. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 14) In Excel, to insert new rows, click the number of the row above which new rows are to be added, and then select the number of rows to be added. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 15) In Excel, the entire row or column can be selected by clicking on the name of the row or column. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 16) Selecting the $ English (U.S.) option displays numbers with a dollar sign and two decimal places. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
17) In Excel, every formula must begin with an equal sign. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 18) While copying a formula, Excel can adjust the terms of the formula to refer to the cells in the row to which it is copied. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 19) Orientation refers to whether the worksheet is printed upright or sideways on a page. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 20) If a spreadsheet is printed sideways on a page, the orientation is said to be Portrait. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 21) The portion of the spreadsheet to be printed can be specified using Margins. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Essay 1) What is a spreadsheet? Answer: A spreadsheet is a table of data having rows and columns, and is used to make financial calculations. Electronic spreadsheets provide incredible labor savings over paper spreadsheets and were a major factor in the early adoption of personal computers. Microsoft Excel is a product for creating and processing spreadsheets. Excel spreadsheets have rows and columns. The rows are identified by numbers, and the columns are identified by letters. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 2) Explain the process of naming the rows, columns, and cells in Microsoft Excel. Answer: Excel spreadsheets have rows and columns. The rows are identified by numbers, and the columns are identified by letters. Because there are only 26 letters in the alphabet, the following scheme is used to label columns: The letters A through Z identify the first 26 columns; the letters AA through AZ identify the next 26; BA through BZ the next 26; and so forth. The intersection of a row and a column is called a cell. Each cell is identified by the name of its row and column. For example, cell K5 is situated in the column K and row number 5. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 3) What are the different ways of entering data into an Excel worksheet? Answer: Data can be entered into an Excel worksheet in three ways: (1) key in the required data, (2) let Excel add data based on a pattern, and (3) import data from another program such as Microsoft Access. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 4) Explain the process of inserting rows and columns in Microsoft Excel. Answer: To insert new rows in Microsoft Excel, click the number of the row above which you want new rows and select as many rows as you want to insert, left-click, and then select Insert. The new rows would be inserted above the selected row. To add columns in Microsoft Excel, click the name of the column before which you want to insert columns, select as many columns to the right of that as you want to add, right-click, and then select Insert. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
5) The real power of Excel lies in its amazing computational capability. Explain. Answer: Excel can be used to work with a number of built-in and user-created formulas. It has a system in place to highlight areas that need to be corrected and to assign color codes to the cells so that the user can easily see which cells are being used in a given formula. Excel also has the capability to copy formulas and adjust the terms of the formula so that each would refer to cells in the row to which it was copied. Finally, it has a number of preprogrammed activities that allow the users to sum figures, average figures, and perform many other calculations by selecting a choice from the Formulas tab. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
12 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter Extension 5: Database Design Multiple Choice 1) Which of the following is true of a data model? A) It is created after the database is designed. B) It is an attribute whose value is associated with only one entity instance. C) It is a logical representation of the structure of data. D) It does not describe the relationships among data. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 2) Once the users have validated and approved the data model, it is transformed into a ________. A) database design B) requirement report C) knowledge management system D) data repository Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 3) Which of the following is a highly popular technique for creating a data model with which the developers describe the content of a database by defining what is to be stored in the database and the associations among them? A) entity-relationship (E-R) data model B) Unified Modeling Language (UML) C) object-relational model D) data integrity model Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) Which of the following is true of entities? A) An identifier's value is associated with every entity in the data model. B) Entities can only represent a logical construct or transaction, not a physical object. C) Entities' characteristics are described by attributes. D) The relationships between entities are known as attributes. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 5) ________ describe the characteristics of entities. A) Attributes B) Dependencies C) Cardinalities D) Alternatives Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 6) ________ are attributes whose values are associated with one and only one entity instance. A) Cardinalities B) Descriptors C) Dependencies D) Identifiers Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 7) Which of the following is true of an E-R diagram? A) Every entity has an identifier. B) Many-to-many relationships are generally denoted as N:N. C) A crow's-foot is required to represent a 1:1 relationship. D) Identifiers are shown in a section at the top of the entity. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) In a university, each adviser can advise multiple students, but each student can have only one adviser. In a data model, this can be best represented by a(n) ________. A) N:M relationship B) N:N relationship C) 1:N relationship D) 1:1 relationship Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 9) A(n) ________ notation signifies that an adviser can be related to many students and that a student can be related to many advisers. A) 1:N B) N:M C) N:1 D) N:N Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 10) In an organization, a single clerk is working in the administrative department. The notation that accurately indicates this relationship is ________. A) 1:N B) N:N C) 1:1 D) N:M Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 11) The little lines in an E-R diagram used as shorthand to represent multiple relationships are referred to as a(n) ________. A) crow's foot B) identifier C) attribute D) entity Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
12) Maximum cardinality in an E-R diagram refers to the maximum number of ________. A) relationships possible in a diagram B) entities that can be involved in a relationship C) identifiers possible in a particular diagram D) attributes an entity can have Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 13) The process of converting poorly structured tables into two or more well-structured tables is referred to as ________. A) replication B) integration C) actualization D) normalization Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 14) The data integrity problem can occur only if data are ________. A) duplicated B) missing C) replaced D) insufficient Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 15) Normalized tables eliminate ________. A) data dependency B) data duplication C) data entry D) data conversion Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
16) The general goal of normalization is to ________. A) create a copy of an existing table B) construct tables such that all tables have a similar topic C) convert two or more tables into a single table D) construct tables such that every table has a single topic Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 17) Database practitioners classify tables into various ________ according to the kinds of problems they have. A) entities B) cardinalities C) normal forms D) attributes Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 18) The easiest time to change the database structure is ________. A) during the data modeling stage B) after constructing the database C) during the database designing stage D) after creating database reports Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
True or False 1) A data model is a logical representation of the structure of the data. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 2) A data model does not depict the relationships among the data. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 3) A data model should be transformed into a database design only after the users have approved and validated it. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 4) Entities have attributes that describe characteristics of the entity. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 5) An identifier is an attribute whose value is associated with every entity in the data model. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 6) Entities have relationships to attributes but not to each other. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
7) In an entity-relationship (E-R) diagram, a line is used to represent a relationship between two entities. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 8) The notation N:N is used to indicate a many-to-many relationship in an E-R diagram. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 9) The N:N notation indicates that the same number of entities are present on each end of the relationship. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 10) 1:N means that more than one entity is allowed on each side of the relationship. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 11) The crow's-foot notation shows the minimum number of entities that can be involved in a relationship. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 12) The maximum number of entities that can be involved in a relationship is known as maximum cardinality. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
13) A vertical bar on a line representing a relationship indicates that there is a minimum requirement for the entity. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 14) Normalization is the process of converting a poorly structured table into two or more wellstructured tables. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 15) The data integrity problem can occur only if data are missing. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 16) The general goal of normalization is to construct tables such that every table has a single topic or theme. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 17) Tables that are not normalized can have data integrity problems. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 18) Database practitioners classify tables into various normal forms according to the kinds of problems they have. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
19) To represent an N:M relationship between two entities, two normalized tables are sufficient. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 20) The easiest time to change the database structure is after the database has been constructed and loaded with data. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases Essay 1) Explain the database development process. Answer: A database application consists of forms, reports, queries, and application programs. First, the developers interview users and develop the requirements for the new system. During this process, the developers analyze existing forms, reports, queries, and other user activities. The requirements for the database are then summarized in something called a data model, which is a logical representation of the structure of data. The data model contains a description of both the data and the relationships among the data. It is akin to a blueprint. Once the users have validated and approved the data model, it is transformed into a database design. After that, the design is implemented in a database, and that database is then filled with user data. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 2) What are the different types of relationships represented in a data model? Answer: Entities in a data model have relationships with each other. Database designers use diagrams called entity-relationship (E-R) diagrams to explain the relationships. The relationships can be of three types: one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many. The one-to-one relationship is denoted as 1:1 and one-to-many is denoted as 1:N. Many-to-many relationships are denoted as N:M. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
3) Explain the difference between maximum and minimum cardinality. Answer: Cardinality is the number of entities that can be involved in a relationship. There can be both a maximum and minimum constraint on cardinality. The crow's-foot notation shows the maximum number of entities that can be involved in a relationship. Accordingly, they are called the relationship's maximum cardinality. Common examples of maximum cardinality are 1:N, N:M, and 1:1. Constraints on minimum requirements are called minimum cardinalities. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 4) How is a data model transformed into a database design? Answer: Database design is the process of converting a data model into tables, relationships, and data constraints. The database design team transforms entities into tables and expresses relationships by defining foreign keys. The tables in a model must be normalized before they are converted into designs. Normalization is the process of converting poorly structured tables into two or more well-structured tables. Database practitioners classify tables into various normal forms according to the kinds of problems they have. Transforming a table into a normal form to remove duplicated data and other problems is called normalizing the table. After normalizing, the designer should represent the relationship among those tables to complete the design. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 5) What are the steps involved in transforming a data model into a relational database design? Answer: The first step in transforming a data model into a relational database design involves the creation of a table for each entity by the database designer. The identifier of the entity becomes the key of the table. Each attribute of the entity becomes a column of the table. Next, the resulting tables are normalized so that each table has a single theme. Once that has been done, the next step is to represent the relationship among those tables. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
6) Explain the role of users in designing a database. Answer: A database is a model of how the users view their business world. This means that the users are the final judges as to what data the database should contain and how the records in that database should be related to one another. The easiest time to change the database structure is during the data modeling stage. So the user should be actively involved in the modeling process. The user review of a data model is crucial. The data model must accurately reflect the user's view of the business. Users should devote the time necessary to thoroughly review a data model, as any mistakes will be difficult and costly to correct. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter Extension 6: Using Microsoft Access 2013 Multiple Choice 1) Before using a DBMS, a user should create a(n) ________. A) data model B) database C) identifier D) attribute Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 2) Which of the following is the first activity to be performed on starting Microsoft Access? A) creating a database B) assigning field names C) creating a primary key D) creating a table Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 3) Which of the following statements is true about naming a new database in Microsoft Access? A) A user must type the name of his new database in the blank provided under File Name. B) A user must select the name of his new database from the drop down list provided next to the File name. C) Access opens the new database with the default name, database 1. D) Access opens the new database with the default name, database A. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) Access opens a new database by ________. A) creating a default table named Table A1 B) creating a default table named Table A C) creating a default table named Table 1 D) asking the user to name his/her table Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 5) In Microsoft Access, different attributes are referred to as ________. A) identifiers B) keys C) entities D) fields Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 6) In Microsoft Access, the Description of fields is used to ________. A) document the details of each field B) define rules for how each field should behave C) define how the fields should behave in case of exceptions D) specify the data types of the fields Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 7) Which of the following is a valid entry for Field Size if the Data Type of the field is "Number"? A) 10 B) 10.5 C) long integer D) character Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) Which of the following statements is true about a primary key in Microsoft Access? A) Only one field in a table can be marked as the primary key. B) The attribute which is italicized is the primary key. C) A primary key should have its Required Field property set to "No." D) A foreign key can be used as one of the fields for a primary key. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 9) Relationships can be defined in Microsoft Access by selecting the ________ tab in the ribbon. A) DATABASE TOOLS B) EXTERNAL DATA C) CONNECTIONS D) ADD-ONS Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 10) In Access, to create a relationship between one row of a table and an unlimited number of rows in another table, users should ________. A) drag the primary key in one table to the foreign key in another table B) create a link between the foreign keys of both the tables C) drag the foreign key in one table to the primary key in another table D) create a link between the primary key in one table to the primary key in another table Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 11) In Access, the step after creating a relationship between two tables is ________. A) to create macros B) to enter data C) to provide descriptions to each of the tables D) to create queries Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
12) In Access, after creating a relationship between two tables, the user cannot and need not assign values for the ________. A) query B) tracker C) foreign key D) add-ons Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 13) Which of the following is one of the alternatives for creating a data entry form in Microsoft Access? A) using the data definition tab B) using the query wizard C) using the property sheet D) using the default table display Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 14) Which of the following options in Microsoft Access can be used to present data in a more pleasing manner than the default table display? A) Form B) Tab Order C) Property Sheet D) Add-ins Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 15) In the ________ tab in Access, the Record section contains the Delete option. A) Database Tools B) Home C) Fields D) File Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
16) All modern DBMS products can process the ________ query language. A) SQL B) MySQL C) DB10 D) HTML Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 17) Which of the following statements is true about queries in Access? A) Only rows with value matches in all tables are shown by default if more than one table is selected. B) Only rows having "Number" Data Type can be used to arrange the results of a query in ascending order. C) Queries can include fields from only one table. D) The Query Design option is present in the DATABASE TOOLS tab. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 18) To create a report with data from two or more tables, we must use the ________. A) Report Wizard B) Navigation tab C) Report Design D) SharePoint lists Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 19) Which of the following tabs in Microsoft Access is used to generate reports? A) CREATE B) DATA C) TOOLS D) FORMAT Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
20) Which of the following statements is true about reports in Access? A) The Report Wizard option is present in the Database Tools tab. B) Report Wizard is required when data from more than one table is to be used. C) Only the primary key's column width can be increased in a report. D) A report can only show the data present in the database, it cannot present their sum or average values. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases True or False 1) Before using any DBMS, a user should create a data model based on the users' requirements. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 2) In Access, an underlined attribute is a primary key and an italicized attribute is a foreign key. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 3) Access opens a new database by creating a default table named Table A. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 4) In Access, to modify the design of a default table, one must select the Relationships option in the DESIGN tab. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
5) Every field in Microsoft Access must have a Description associated with it. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 6) The Description field in Microsoft Access is used mainly for documentation. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 7) Any text entered as the Description of a field is displayed as help text on forms. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 8) In Access, "Integer" is a valid entry for Field Size if the Data Type is "Text." Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 9) In Microsoft Access, a user has to define the relationships between tables before creating the tables. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 10) In Microsoft Access, relationships can be defined by selecting the DATABASE TOOLS tab. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
11) To create a relationship between one row of a table and an unlimited number of rows in another table using Access, users must drag the foreign key in one table to the primary key in another table to create a relationship. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 12) Unlike Microsoft Excel, users cannot key in data into Microsoft Access cells. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 13) Microsoft Access provides a default table display for creating a data entry form. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 14) In Microsoft Access, the option to generate a data entry form is present in the CREATE ribbon. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 15) In Access, a surrogate key has no meaning to the user. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 16) Microsoft Access can process SQL. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
17) Microsoft Access can be used to create and process queries. However, it does not provide a graphical interface for the queries. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 18) To create a query in Microsoft Access, one must drag columns out of the required tables into the grid in the lower part of the query definition form. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 19) By default, for queries of two or more tables, Access shows only those rows that have value matches in both tables. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 20) To create a report with data from a single table, we must use the Report Wizard. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 21) In Microsoft Access, a report is created using a process similar to that for forms. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 22) The option to create reports can be found in the DATABASE TOOLS tab of Microsoft Access. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
23) In Microsoft Access reports, the Grouping & Totals section contains the options to display totals in a report. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases Essay 1) What steps must a database designer take before creating a database with Access? Answer: A designer needs to first create a data model from a list of the users' requirements. Then, the data model must be transformed into a database design. Only at this point should tables be created in a DBMS. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 2) Explain the procedure for creating a new database using Microsoft Access. Answer: To create a new database, select Blank desktop database from the templates displayed in the center of the opening screen. Then, type the name of the new database under File Name. Access will suggest a directory; change it if another one should be used, and then click Create. Access opens the new database by creating a default table named Table 1. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 3) Explain the procedure for establishing a relationship between two tables in Microsoft Access. Answer: After creating tables in Microsoft Access, the next step is to define relationships. This can be done by clicking the DATABASE TOOLS tab in the ribbon and then clicking the Relationships icon near the left-hand side of that ribbon. The Relationships window will open and the Show Table dialog box will be displayed. Double-clicking on table names will add those tables to the Relationships window. Close the Show Table dialog box. To create a relationship between one row of the first table and an unlimited number of rows in the second table, click on the primary key attribute in the first table and drag that attribute on top of the foreign key in the second table. In the dialog box, click Enforce Referential Integrity, then Cascade Update Related Fields, and then Cascade Delete Related Records. Close the Relationships window and save the changes when requested to do so. The database now has two tables and a relationship. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) Explain the different alternatives provided by Microsoft Access for creating data entry forms. Answer: Access provides several alternatives for creating a data entry form. The first is to use the default table display. The default table display provided by Microsoft Access can be used to enter the required data. This display, although convenient, is limited in its capability. It also does not provide a very pleasing user interface. For more generality and better design, users can use the Access form generator. The form generator can generate a data entry form that is more pleasing to view and easier to use than the default table. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 5) How can a user generate reports in Microsoft Access? Answer: Report Wizard is used to create a report with data from two or more tables. Click the CREATE tab, and then in the Reports section click Report Wizard. Now, select the table in the Table/Queries combo box, highlight the field in the Available Fields list, and click the single chevron (>) to add the selected field to the report. Using a similar process, other fields can be added, even from other tables. On clicking Finish, the report is generated. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter Extension 7: Using Excel and Access Together Multiple Choice 1) A user can readily create data entry forms, queries, and sophisticated and professional reports with the help of ________. A) Microsoft Publisher B) Microsoft Access C) Microsoft Word D) Microsoft Excel Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 2) ________ is well-suited for tracking orders, inventory, equipment, people, and so forth. A) Microsoft Access B) Microsoft Word C) Microsoft PowerPoint D) Microsoft Publisher Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 3) Which of the following is an advantage of Microsoft Excel over Microsoft Access? A) Excel is superior for tracking orders, inventory, and equipment. B) Excel is superior for tracking people, such as employees and customers. C) Excel can be used to create better graphs and visual demonstrations. D) Excel can be used to create better data entry forms, queries, and professional reports. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) The process of transferring data from one computer system to another is referred to as ________. A) auto transfer B) import/export C) buffer overrun D) reallocation Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 5) Which of the following statements is true of delimited files? A) Access can import only tab-delimited files. B) Delimited files cannot be imported by Excel. C) A comma-delimited file has data that contains commas. D) Field values in a tab-delimited file are separated by tabs. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 6) Which of the following is true of import/export of data from Access to Excel? A) Data can only be transferred by exporting the data into a text file and then importing that text data. B) Delimited text files cannot be imported into both Excel and Access. C) The import/export process maintains an active connection to the source of the data. D) If data in Access is changed, the data must be re-imported into Excel to be up-to-date. Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 7) Delimited text files can be imported to Microsoft Access by selecting the ________ tab. A) HOME B) CREATE C) DATABASE TOOLS D) EXTERNAL DATA Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) Which of the following shows the correct sequence of steps for importing Access data that has been stored in a text file into Excel? A) Insert tab → Get External Data → From Access B) Edit tab → Get External Data → From Access C) File tab → Get External Data → From Text D) Data tab → Get External Data → From Text Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 9) Which of the following shows the correct sequence of steps for creating a pie chart in Microsoft Excel? A) Add → Charts → Pie B) Insert → Illustrations → Pie C) Diagrams → Illustrations → Pie D) Insert → Charts → Pie Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 10) Which of the following Excel diagrams is the best to compare performance data over many years of different employees? A) pie charts B) column charts C) doughnut charts D) Venn diagrams Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 11) Which of the following tabs in Microsoft Excel contains the option to create a column chart? A) Data B) Home C) Insert D) Tools Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
12) Which of the following shows the correct sequence of steps for creating a column chart in Microsoft Excel? A) Diagrams → Illustrations → Column B) Add-Ins → Charts → Column C) Insert → Illustrations → Column D) Insert → Charts → Column Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 13) In Microsoft Access, the Totals button is present in the ________ section of the Design tab. A) Import/Export B) Show/Hide C) Query Type D) Query Setup Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 14) An organization stores the details of its employees using Access. The Employee table has EmployeeName, EmployeeID, Department, and Salary columns. Which of the following statements is true? A) To view the average salary drawn by the employees of each department, the Group By option should be selected in the Total row under Salary. B) To count the number of employees in each department, the Group By option should be selected under EmployeeID and the Count option under Department. C) To find the sum of salaries drawn by the employees of each department, the Group By option should be selected under Department and Sum under Salary. D) To count the number of employees having the same salary, the Group By option should be selected under EmployeeID and Count under Salary. Answer: C Difficulty: Hard AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
15) A school stores attendance records of its students on an Access database. The Attendance table has StudentName, StudentID, Grade, and DateAbsent columns. Each time a student is absent, an entry is made into the database. Which of the following statements is true? A) To find the average number of days students of each grade are absent, Group By should be selected under Grade and Avg under StudentID. B) To find the number of days each student is absent, Group By should be selected for StudentID and Count for DateAbsent. C) To see which students were absent on a particular day, Group By should be selected for StudentName. D) To see the number of students absent in a particular grade on a given day, Group By should be selected for both DateAbsent and StudentID. Answer: B Difficulty: Hard AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 16) Which of the following statements is true of queries? A) In Access, a query can be based on the results of other queries that have been saved. B) To inform Access that the fields of two tables are the same, select the Group By option for both fields. C) The Group By option becomes available when Append is clicked under the Design tab. D) When the results of a query are imported by Excel, they cannot be operated on. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 17) Which of the following shows the correct sequence of steps for formatting the currency values in Microsoft Excel? A) Home → Number → Currency B) Data → Number → Currency C) Home → Editing → Currency D) Data → Editing → Currency Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
18) Data can be transferred from Excel to Access by creating a ________, which is a subset of the cells in a worksheet that has a unique name. A) specified label B) consolidation table C) named range D) calculated column Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 19) Which of the following procedures must be used to create a named range for data in Excel? A) highlight the required data → click the Formulas tab → click Define Name in the Defined Names section → enter a suitable name B) highlight the required data → click the Home tab → click Insert Name in the Cells section → enter a suitable name C) highlight the required data → click the Data tab → click Connections in the Connections section → enter a suitable name D) highlight the required data → click the Design tab → click Property Sheet in the Show/Hide section → enter a suitable name Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases True or False 1) Microsoft Access is a database management system. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 2) Excel is superior to Access for tracking orders, inventory, equipment, and people. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
3) To use Excel to process data stored in Access, it is recommended to rekey all of the Access data into Excel. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 4) Import/export is the process of transferring data from one computer system to another. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 5) In Excel and Access, import/export maintains an active connection to the source of the data. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 6) If users change the Access data, the imported data in Excel will be out-of-date until it is reimported. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 7) Commas cannot be used to separate field data if the data itself contains commas. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 8) Delimited text files cannot be imported into either Excel or Access. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
9) To import data into Excel, open Excel, click the Data tab, and in the Get External Data section of that ribbon click From Text. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 10) Data can be exchanged between Excel and Access by exporting the data into a text file and then importing that text data. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 11) To exchange data between Excel and Access, the data must be exported into a text file and then imported. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 12) Microsoft Excel includes comprehensive tools for graphing data. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 13) A pie chart can be created by selecting the Charts option from the Data tab in Microsoft Excel. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 14) A pie chart can be used to compare results of various data for two years or more. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
15) If a column heading and the corresponding numerical data are highlighted and used to create a pie chart, the heading will appear as the chart title. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 16) To create a column chart, the data is highlighted and the Column option in the Charts section of the Insert tab is selected. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 17) The Totals button is present in the Results section of the Design tab. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 18) The Average function and Group By cannot be used in the same query. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 19) Access queries can be imported into Microsoft Excel. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 20) Importing data from Access to Excel is easily achieved by clicking the Data tab and directing Excel to get the external data from Access. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
21) A user can produce two different reports from a single set of Excel data, by importing this data into Access and using the Access report generator. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 22) A data table is a subset of the cells in a worksheet that has a unique name and is used to transfer data from Excel to Access. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 23) In Excel, a single space character is used to separate the words in a name range. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 24) Excel cannot be used to perform calculations on data imported from Access. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 25) Sum and average functions cannot be used in Excel on imported data that have been created using group totals in Access. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Essay 1) Explain the significance of using Access and Excel together. Answer: Excel is good at processing interrelated formulas. Because of this strength, business users often select Excel for processing financial statements, creating budgets, and performing financial analyses. Excel can be used to create sophisticated and stylish graphics with very little work from the user. Access is a DBMS, and the primary purpose of a DBMS is to keep track of things. Access is superior for tracking orders, inventory, equipment, people, and so forth. Users can readily create data entry forms, queries, and sophisticated and professional reports with Access. So, it is often necessary to use Excel to process data stored in Access and vice versa. For example, Excel can be used to create graphs of Access data and Access can be used to summarize Excel data and produce sophisticated reports. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 2) What is import/export of data? Why is it necessary to refresh the import/export data in Excel and Access on a timely basis? Answer: Import/export is the process of transferring data from one computer system to another. In almost all cases, including Excel and Access, import/export does not maintain an active connection to the source of the data. If users subsequently change the Access data, the imported data in Excel will be out-of-date until the users re-import it. Because imported data can become out-of-date, users should develop procedures (either manual or automated) to ensure that data are refreshed on a timely basis. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 3) What are delimited text files? Answer: Delimited text files are files that have field values separated by common symbols known as delimiters. The files that use commas as delimiters are known as comma-delimited files. Sometimes, however, the data itself contains commas, and so commas cannot be used to separate field data. In that case, some other character is used to delimit the fields. The tab character is frequently used, in which case the export file is called a tab-delimited file. Delimited text files are easy to import into either Excel or Access. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) Explain the procedure for creating graphs in Microsoft Excel. Answer: Microsoft Excel includes comprehensive tools for graphing data. It can be used to construct column and bar charts, pie charts, line and scatter plots, and others graphs. Graphs can be created by clicking the Insert tab in the ribbon, selecting the Charts section of that ribbon, and selecting the required graph from the dropdowns. To create a pie chart, for example, we must highlight the cells which have the required data, click the Insert tab in the ribbon, and in the Charts section of that ribbon select the Pie icon. Excel can create several different versions of pie charts. Excel provides many different tools to customize a graph. To access them, click the graph you want to change. Excel will show a special tab called Chart Tools at the top of the window. Click Chart Tools to make them available. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 5) How are group totals created in Access? Answer: Open the relevant database, click the CREATE tab, click Query Design, and then select a table for the query. After adding a table, click Close. Now add the fields to the query contents table by double-clicking on them in the table diagram. Click the Totals button in the Show/Hide section of the Design tab. In response, Access adds a row labeled Total to the query contents table. To group the rows by a particular field, select the keyword Group By in the Total row under that field in the query contents table. To find the total of a field, select the keyword Sum under the appropriate column. Run the query by clicking the large exclamation point in the Results section of the Design ribbon. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 6) How can Excel be used to graph Access data? Answer: Access data, including queries, can be imported to Excel to display the results with the help of Excel's graphing capabilities. To import data into Excel, open Excel, click the Data tab in the ribbon and then, in the Get External Data section, select From Access option. Excel will query Access to determine the tables and queries that exist in the chosen database. Next, Excel will ask how you want the data displayed. Choose Table and Existing worksheet, and enter an absolute address for the top, left-hand corner of the table. Use the displayed data to create graphs in Excel. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
12 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter Extension 8: Network and Cloud Technology Multiple Choice 1) The distinguishing characteristic of a local area network (LAN) is that ________. A) it connects at multiple locations B) it connects at a single location C) it is a network of networks D) all lines need not reside at the same geographic location Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 2) A(n) ________ connects computers at different geographic locations. A) LAN B) WAN C) Ethernet D) SOHO LAN Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 3) The computers in two separate company sites must be connected using a ________. A) LAN B) WAN C) SOHO LAN D) MAC Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) A ________ is used to provide seamless flow of data across networks. A) layered protocol B) database C) Web page D) commerce server Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 5) A(n) ________ is a set of rules that programs on two communicating devices follow. A) domain B) attribute C) protocol D) database Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 6) A ________ is a networking device that detects the speed that a given device on a LAN can handle and communicates with it at that speed. A) bus B) switch C) domain D) SOHO LAN Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 7) The IEEE 802.3 protocol standard is also known as ________. A) TCP/IP B) Ethernet C) Bluetooth D) HTTP Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) Which protocol standard used for wired LAN connections specifies hardware characteristics such as the signal to be carried by each wire? A) intranet B) WiMax C) Ethernet D) RuBee Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 9) Which of the following statements is true about LANs and their components? A) The numbers in the term "10/100/1000 Ethernet" refer to the number of devices that can be connected. B) For communications equipment, the M in Mbps stands for 1024×1024. C) The expansion of kbps is kilobits per second. D) IEEE 802.11ac is the current standard for wired LAN. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 10) Which of the following statements about LAN protocols is true? A) LAN protocols are determined by the ISPs. B) The IEEE 802.11 protocol is also called Ethernet. C) Wired LANs use IEEE 802.11 protocol. D) The IEEE 802.3 protocol specifies only hardware characteristics. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 11) Devices such as wireless mice and keyboards use ________ to connect to the computer. A) routers B) broadband C) cables D) Bluetooth Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
12) Which of the following protocols is commonly used by wired LAN? A) IEEE 802.3 B) DSL C) EVDO D) WiMax Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 13) Which of the following is the protocol commonly used for wireless LAN? A) IEEE 802.11 B) LISTSERV C) DSL D) IEEE 802.3 Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 14) Which of the following statements is true of an ISP? A) It separates the phone signals from computer signals on a DSL at every user's location. B) It facilitates a one-way information transfer process between the user's computer and the Internet. C) It provides free access to the Internet. D) It serves as a user's gateway to the Internet. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 15) Which of the following statements is true of digital subscriber lines (DSLs)? A) DSLs use television lines for data transmission. B) Their signals do not interfere with voice telephone service. C) Digital subscriber lines use standard protocols. D) DSL services and speed are standardized across applications. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet
4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
16) Which of the following statements is true of cable lines? A) Cable lines provide high-speed data transmission using telephone cables. B) Performance of cable lines is stable irrespective of the number of users sending and receiving data. C) Cable lines generally use standard protocols. D) The signals from cable modems do not interfere with TV signals. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 17) Which of the following statements best defines an IP address? A) It is a protocol that specifies the format of Web pages. B) It is a number that identifies a particular device. C) It is a piece of a message that is handled by programs that implement internet protocol. D) It is a program that breaks up network traffic into pieces before transmission. Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 18) Which of the following statements is true of private and public IP addresses? A) The use of separate private and public IP addresses increases the number of domain names. B) An IP address can be associated with just one domain name. C) The IP address that a domain name points to can be changed. D) In a URL, the IP address must be followed by the protocol. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 19) A(n) ________ is a unique name that is affiliated with a public IP address. A) tag B) protocol C) domain name D) assigned name Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
20) Which of the following refers to an address on the Internet? A) File Transfer Protocol B) Digital Subscriber Line C) Uniform Resource Locator D) Internet Service Provider Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 21) Which of the following is a component of the user tier? A) computers that have browsers that request and process Web pages B) computers that run Web servers and process application programs C) computers that run a DBMS that processes requests for data from a commerce server D) computers that receive Web page requests and send them to an available server to minimize customer delays in a facility called a Web farm Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 22) ________ is the language that is commonly used for coding Web pages. A) HTML B) VPN C) DSL D) XML Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 23) Which of the following is the second tier in the three-tier architecture arrangement? A) client tier B) database tier C) server tier D) user tier Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
24) A ________ receives requests from users via the Web server, takes some action, and returns a response to the users via the Web server. A) content delivery network B) commerce server C) URL D) browser Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 25) Which of the following statements is true of Web servers? A) They are not programs. B) They run on a user tier computer. C) They are used only to send and receive Webmail. D) They send and receive Web pages to and from clients. Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 26) Which of the following purposes does an HTTP protocol serve? A) determine IP address of devices on a network B) provide reliable network for data communication C) enable communication between programs D) divide network traffic into packets Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 27) The "S" in HTTPS stands for ________. A) site B) status C) speed D) secure Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet
7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
28) Which of the following protocols allows secure data transmissions? A) HTTPS B) TCP C) FTP D) SMTP Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 29) A common use of FTP is to ________. A) transmit data B) balance server loads C) format responses D) manage network traffic Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 30) Which of the following statements is true of service-oriented architecture (SOA)? A) Work is assigned to Web servers based on their geographic proximity to the user. B) SOA services are used only between the Web server and the users. C) The number of database servers and Web servers should be in a certain ratio. D) JavaScripts in Web pages can invoke services defined by a server application. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 31) Which of the following statements is true about protocols supporting Web services? A) SOAP is a lower-level Internet protocol. B) XML is preferred for transmitting large volumes of data between servers and browsers. C) WSDL documents are read by developer tools to configure a programming environment. D) The metadata in JSON is well-suited for validating the format and completeness of the document. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet
8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
32) Which of the following statements is true of JavaScript Object Notation (JSON)? A) It contains a lot of metadata to validate the format of documents. B) It is used to transmit volumes of data between browsers and servers. C) Documents using JSON can be processed only using Java programming language. D) JSON cannot be used to support Web services. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet True or False 1) With a WAN, an organization can place communications lines wherever it wants because all lines reside on its premises. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 2) A protocol is a set of rules that programs on two communicating devices follow. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 3) A LAN would be used to connect computers located in Seattle and Philadelphia. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 4) A private internet that is used exclusively within an organization is also called an intranet. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
5) A SOHO LAN (small office or a home office LAN) requires that a dozen or more computers and printers be connected. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 6) LAN connections cannot be made with optical fiber cables. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 7) Users can download data at a maximum speed of 10 Mbps using cable lines. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 8) The most popular protocol for LAN is the IEEE 802.11 protocol. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 9) The IEEE 802.3 protocol is used for wired LAN connections. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 10) Wireless mice use Bluetooth to connect to a computer. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
11) Bluetooth is a protocol that can transmit data over long distances. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 12) DSL operates on the same lines as voice telephones. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 13) Cable lines provide high-speed data transmission using phone lines. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 14) The movement from one network to another is called hop. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 15) The user tier consists of computers, phones, and other devices. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 16) The server tier consists of computers that run a DBMS that processes requests to retrieve and store data. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet
11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
17) The protocols used on the Internet are arranged according to a structure known as the TCP/IP Protocol architecture. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 18) The TCP/IP Protocol architecture uses the same protocol in all its layers. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 19) An HTTPS connection is a secure connection. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 20) File Transfer Protocol is generally used for email transmissions. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 21) SOAP is a protocol for requesting and responding to Web services. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet
12 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Essay 1) What is the difference between a LAN and a WAN? Give an example of how each one could be used in business. Answer: A local area network (LAN) connects computers that reside in a single geographic location on the premises of the company that operates the LAN. Wide area networks (WANs) connect computers at different geographic locations. The computers in two separated company sites must be connected using a WAN. With a LAN, the number of connected computers can range from two to several hundred, but they are still in a single location (usually within a building or floor of a building). Most small businesses have a LAN in their office that connects them. A university campus connects all the different buildings on the campus and possibly multiple campuses on the university's WAN. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 2) What is Bluetooth? What are its uses? Answer: Bluetooth is a common wireless protocol. It is designed for transmitting data over short distances, replacing cables. Some devices, such as wireless mice and keyboards, use Bluetooth to connect to the computer. Smartphones use Bluetooth to connect to automobile entertainment systems. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the major types of computer hardware and software used by companies 3) What are the three important functions of an ISP? Answer: An ISP has three important functions. First, it provides the client with a legitimate Internet address. Second, it serves as a gateway to the Internet. The ISP receives the communications from the client's computer and passes them on to the Internet, and it receives communications from the Internet and passes them on to the client. Finally, ISPs pay for the Internet. They collect money from their customers and pay access fees and other charges on their behalf. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet
13 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) What is the TCP/IP Protocol architecture? Where is the application layer protocol? Answer: The protocols used on the Internet are arranged according to a structure known as the TCP/IP Protocol architecture. This architecture has five layers, and one or more protocols are defined at each layer. Data communications and software vendors write computer programs that implement the rules of a particular protocol. For protocols at the bottom layer, the physical layer, they build hardware devices that implement the protocol. The top layer, or the application layer, concerns protocols used between browsers and Web servers. HTTP (Hypertext Transport Protocol), SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), and FTP (File Transfer Protocol) are application-layer protocols. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 5) What is HTTP? How does it work? Answer: HTTP (Hypertext Transport Protocol) is an application layer protocol. It is used between browsers and Web servers. Browsers are programs that implement http protocol. This allows any browsers and servers that implement http to communicate with each another. The browsers send and receive service requests to and from a server using http. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 6) Differentiate between private and public IP addresses. Answer: Public IP addresses identify a particular device on the public Internet. Because public IP addresses must be unique, worldwide, their assignment is controlled by a public agency known as ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). Private IP addresses identify a particular device on a private network, usually on a LAN. Their assignment is controlled within the LAN, usually by the LAN device. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Compare and contrast different ways of connecting to the Internet 7) What is a domain name? What is the procedure to get a domain name? Answer: A domain name is a worldwide-unique name that is affiliated with a public IP address. When an organization or individual wants to register a domain name, it goes to a company that applies to an ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) approved agency to do so. The company will first determine if the desired name is unique, worldwide. If so, then it will apply to register that name to the applicant. Once the registration is completed, the applicant can affiliate a public IP address with the domain name. From that point onward, traffic for the new domain name will be routed to the affiliated IP address. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 14 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) What are the different tiers in the three-tier architecture? Answer: Almost all web applications use the three-tier architecture, which is an arrangement of user computers and servers into three categories, or tiers. The user tier consists of computers, phones, and other devices that have browsers that request and process Web pages. The server tier consists of computers that run Web servers and process application programs. The database tier consists of computers that run a DBMS that processes requests to retrieve and store data. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS) 9) What is the difference between a Web server and a commerce server? Answer: Web servers are programs that run on a server-tier computer and manage traffic by sending and receiving Web pages to and from clients. A commerce server is an application program that runs on a server-tier computer. A commerce server receives requests from users via the Web server, takes some action, and returns a response to the users via the Web server. Typical commerce server functions are to obtain product data from a database, manage the items in a shopping cart, and coordinate the checkout process. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the components of an information system (IS)
15 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter Extension 9: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems Multiple Choice 1) ________ is a suite of applications, a database, and a set of inherent processes for consolidating business operations into a single, consistent, computing platform. A) Enterprise resource planning B) Customer relationship management C) Warehouse management system D) Supply chain management Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 2) Which of the following is an example of a supply chain activity? A) scheduling B) sales prospecting C) procurement D) cash management Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 3) Which of the following is a manufacturing activity that must be included in a true ERP product? A) inventory management B) quality control C) customer support D) benefits administration Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) CRM, as an application that must be included in a true ERP product, includes ________. A) quality control B) commission calculations C) sales prospecting D) supplier management Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 5) Payroll, time and attendance, and benefits administration are examples of ________ activities that must be integrated into applications in order to form a true ERP product. A) manufacturing B) supply chain C) human resources D) accounting Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 6) Maintaining a general ledger is a(n) ________ activity that must be integrated into applications in order to form a true ERP product. A) supply chain B) accounting C) human resources D) manufacturing Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning
2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
7) Which of the following statements is true of ERP application programs? A) During the ERP development process, the development team sets configuration parameters that specify how ERP application programs will operate. B) There are virtually no limits to how much configuration can be done in an ERP application program. C) Custom programming of ERP application programs is economical both initially and for longterm maintenance. D) In order to meet varying customer requirements, development teams must often change the program code of ERP application programs. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 8) Which of the following statements is true of an ERP database? A) An ERP solution contains the company's operational data. B) A stored procedure is a computer program code stored within an ERP database that runs to keep the database consistent when certain conditions arise. C) An ERP solution includes initial configuration data. D) A trigger is a computer program code stored in an ERP database that is used to enforce business rules. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 9) Which of the following statements best describes a trigger? A) It is a computer program stored within a database that runs to keep the database consistent when certain conditions arise. B) It is a computer program stored in a database that is used to enforce business rules. C) It is a set of inherent procedures in an ERP solution that implement standard business processes. D) It is a programming paradigm that describes computation in terms of statements that change a program state. Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning
3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
10) What is a stored procedure? A) It is a computer program stored within a database that runs to keep the database consistent when certain conditions arise. B) It is an area of memory that is used for dynamic memory allocation. C) It is a computer program stored in a database that is used to enforce business rules. D) It is a software program that houses and serves business logic for use by multiple applications. Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 11) Which of the following should be considered while implementing an ERP application? A) compare as-is model to blueprint processes and note differences B) plunge the organization into the new system C) model all current practices "as-is" and implement them on ERP application D) modify every existing practice to match blueprint models Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 12) Which of the following aspects that impact ERP differs among companies of different sizes? A) relevance of ERP systems B) value chains C) availability of skilled IT staff D) basic business processes Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning
4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
13) Which of the following statements is true of the impact of ERP on the IT staff of small organizations? A) IT specialists in small organizations are dedicated to managing only the ERP system. B) The IT staff in small organizations is isolated from senior management. C) The chief information officer obtains the backing of the entire executive group for ERP implementation. D) IT specialists in small organizations are spread very thin and often are in over their heads during an ERP implementation. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 14) Which of the following statements is true of the effect of ERP on the IT staff of midsized organizations? A) In midsized organizations, the IT staff is often isolated from senior management. B) ERP implementation in midsized companies will be part of a strategic process and, once begun, will have the full backing of the entire executive group. C) IT specialists in midsized organizations are spread very thin and often are in over their heads during an ERP implementation. D) Midsized organizations employ only one or two IT specialists. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 15) Which of the following statements is true about the types of organizations that use ERP? A) ERP vendors started selling ERP solutions to distributors after their success with the manufacturing industry. B) Implementing ERP to organizations of different scales is difficult due to the differences in their basic business processes. C) ERP procedures are uniform in large organizations operating in multiple countries. D) Availability of IT personnel does not have an impact on ERP implementation. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning
5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
16) ________ offers ERP software particularly for businesses in construction and real estate, and for non-profit organizations. A) Sage B) SAP C) Infor D) Oracle Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 17) In the future, which of the following Microsoft products is likely to be a true ERP product for larger organizations? A) Solomon B) Nav C) AX D) GP Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 18) Which of the following statements is true of Oracle's ERP products? A) Oracle has never been known to create easy-to-use ERP products. B) Oracle traditionally does not develop its ERP products in-house. C) Oracle's ERP products are not available on mobile devices. D) Oracle's ERP products are not designed according to SOA principles, and hence are noncustomizable. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 19) Which of the following statements is true of ERP products offered by SAP? A) SAP HANNA is a SaaS (software as a service) cloud offering. B) SAP's ERP products are more expensive than those from other companies. C) Classic SAP uses thick-client, client-server architecture. D) Because of its installed base, SAP can make a rapid move to cloud-based solutions. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
20) Which of the following statements is true of Microsoft's ERP products? A) Dynamics CRM is a true ERP product used by large organizations. B) GP is the easiest of Microsoft's ERP products to install. C) Nav is likely to continue as a general-ledger program in the future. D) AX was developed in-house by Microsoft. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 21) Which of the following statements is true of ERP software in the cloud? A) Customers of thick-client, client-server ERP software can move to the cloud at low costs. B) Cloud-based ERP software is more expensive for customers. C) Mobile systems using cloud-based ERP require thin-client applications. D) It is safe to provide mobile systems access to ERP systems. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning True or False 1) The primary purpose of an ERP system is integration. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 2) As an element of an ERP solution, supply chain includes scheduling, capacity planning, quality control, bill of materials, and related activities. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 3) ERP vendors design application programs to be configurable so that development teams can alter them to meet customer requirements without changing program code. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) An ERP solution includes a database design, initial configuration data, and the company's operational data. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 5) Stored procedure is a computer program stored within a database that runs to keep the database consistent when certain conditions arise. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 6) An example of a stored procedure would be never to sell certain items at a discount. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 7) Process blueprints are the inherent processes in an ERP solution that implement standard business processes. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 8) ERP training includes topics such as obtaining top-level management support. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 9) The ERP training sessions in which the implementing organization's employees teach the ERP trainers about the organization's processes are called train the trainer. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning
8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
10) For implementing ERP systems, the first task is to create a model of current business procedures and practices, which is called the as-is model. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 11) The differences between as-is processes and the blueprint should be reconciled after the ERP system has been implemented. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 12) A new ERP implementation process cannot be carried out if a business is running on an old system. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 13) An ERP implementation depends primarily on the backing of a departmental manager. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 14) ERP was initially adopted by government and public service agencies to handle complex administrative tasks. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 15) Small organizations employ only one or two IT specialists who not only manage the ERP system, but the entire IS department as well. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
16) In midsized organizations, the IT staff is often isolated from senior management. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 17) Infor Business Cloud is an ERP solution that can be installed on a customer's servers and managed by Infor personnel. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 18) Microsoft relies heavily on its network of independent software vendors to create customer solutions using the Dynamics platform. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 19) Oracle's ERP products are designed according to SOA principles and hence are adaptable and customizable. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 20) SAP's ERP products are relatively economical compared to other companies' products. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 21) Infor Business Cloud is available as IaaS (infrastructure as a service). Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
22) PeopleSoft is an HR product developed in-house by Oracle. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 23) Sage offers some components of its ERP products on the cloud as SaaS. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning Essay 1) What is the primary purpose of an ERP system? Answer: The primary purpose of an ERP system is integration. An ERP system allows the left hand of the organization to know what the right hand is doing. This integration allows real-time updates, globally, whenever and wherever a transaction takes place. Critical business decisions can then be made on a timely basis using the latest data. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 2) Explain ERP application programs. Answer: ERP vendors design application programs to be configurable so that development teams can alter them to meet customer requirements without changing program code. Accordingly, during the ERP development process, the development team sets configuration parameters that specify how ERP application programs will operate. There are limits to how much configuration can be done. If a new ERP customer has requirements that cannot be met via program configuration, then it either needs to adapt its business to what the software can do or write (or pay another vendor to write) application code to meet its requirement. Thus, choosing an ERP solution that has applications that function close to the organization's requirements is critically important to success. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning
11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
3) Explain briefly the steps for implementing ERP systems. Answer: The first task in implementing ERP systems is to create a model of current business procedures and practices, which is called the as-is model. Managers and analysts then compare those as-is processes to the ERP process blueprints and note differences. The company then must find ways to eliminate the differences, either by changing the existing business process to match the ERP process or by altering the ERP system. Once the differences between as-is processes and the blueprint have been reconciled, the next step is to implement the system. Before implementation starts, however, users must be trained on the new processes, procedures, and use of the ERP system's features and function. Additionally, the company needs to conduct a simulation test of the new system to identify problems. Then, the organization must convert its data, procedures, and personnel to the new ERP system. All of this happens while the business continues to run on the old system. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 4) Explain how organizations of different sizes use ERP differently. Answer: Companies of different sizes have one very important difference that has a major impact on ERP: the availability of skilled IT personnel. Small organizations employ only one or two IT specialists who not only manage the ERP system, but the entire IS department as well. They are spread very thin and often are in over their heads during an ERP implementation. Smaller, simpler ERP solutions are common among these companies. Midsized organizations expand IT from one person to a small staff, but frequently this staff is isolated from senior management. Such isolation creates misunderstanding and distrust. Because of the expense, organizational disruption, and length of ERP projects, senior management must be committed to the ERP solution. When IT management is isolated, such commitment is difficult to obtain and may not be strong. This issue is so prevalent that many ERP consultants say the first step in moving toward ERP is to obtain deep senior-level management commitment to the project. Large organizations have a full IT staff that is headed by the chief information officer (CIO), who is a business and IT professional who sits on the executive board and is an active participant in organizational strategic planning. ERP implementation will be part of that strategic process and, once begun, will have the full backing of the entire executive group. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning
12 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
5) Give a brief description of Microsoft's ERP products. Answer: Microsoft offers five ERP products, all obtained via acquisition: AX, Nav, GP, Solomon, and Dynamics CRM. AX and Nav have the most capabilities; GP is more limited but is easier to use. The future of Solomon is uncertain. Dynamics CRM is primarily a CRM product, but it is extensible in ways that enable customers to use it for ERP as well as CRM. Microsoft is in the process of consolidating its offerings. Most likely AX will continue going forward as a true ERP product for larger organizations. Dynamics CRM will serve as a CRM product as well as a platform for custom ERP solutions. GP, which is the easiest of the products to install, will continue as a general-ledger program that can also be used as a platform for simpler ERP solutions. Microsoft relies heavily on its network of independent software vendors to create customer solutions using the Dynamics platform. These vendors take off-the-shelf Dynamics products and adapt and customize them for particular situations. Microsoft offers its CRM product online as SaaS, but it has no full ERP implementation in the cloud. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning 6) Give a brief description of Infor's ERP products. Answer: After Infor was purchased by private-equity investors, it bought many ERP companies. It now sells many ERP products for many different industries. These products vary in purpose, scope, and quality. They span the midrange, serving higher-end small companies and lower-end large companies. Recently, Infor began to offer the Infor Business Cloud, an ERP solution that can be used as a software service, can be installed on the customer's servers and managed by Infor personnel, or can be installed in a bare-bones ways and offered as IaaS. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Describe the uses of enterprise systems and enterprise resource planning
13 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter Extension 10: Supply Chain Management Multiple Choice 1) Which of the following statements is true about an inter-enterprise system? A) It is constant in scope and complexity. B) It cannot be customized to the needs of organizations. C) It is shared by two or more independent organizations. D) It is easier to manage than other types of systems. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 2) Which of the following refers to a network of organizations and facilities that transforms raw materials into products delivered to customers? A) supply chain B) distribution channel C) strategic business unit D) collaboration system Answer: A Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 3) In a supply chain, distributors order products from ________. A) retailers B) manufacturers C) customers D) suppliers Answer: B Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) Which of the following statements about supply chains is true? A) Supply chains consist only of customers, retailers, distributors, manufacturers, and suppliers. B) Not every supply chain has distributors and retailers. C) Each element in the supply chain can be connected to only one entity up and down. D) The only source of revenue in a supply chain is the retailer. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 5) The major factors that affect supply chain performance are the ________. A) suppliers B) working capital C) competitors D) facilities Answer: D Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 6) Which of the following is an example of inventory? A) machinery B) factories C) raw materials D) capital Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 7) Which of the following statements about inventory is true? A) Managing an inventory requires balancing between availability and cost. B) Inventory size increases as consumers purchase items. C) Inventory management decisions are limited to the size of the inventory. D) Increasing the inventory size increases a company's profitability. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) Which of the following factors influences supply chain performance by affecting the ways that organizations in the supply chain request, respond, and update one another? A) information B) transportation C) inventory D) facilities Answer: A Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 9) The ________ is a factor of information that can be transactional, such as orders and order returns, or it can be informational, such as the sharing of inventory and customer order data. A) purpose B) means C) availability D) direction Answer: A Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 10) Which of the following refers to the way organizations share their information? A) means B) purpose C) availability D) intent Answer: C Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 11) ________ refers to the methods by which information is transmitted. A) Direction B) Means C) Purpose D) Availability Answer: B Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance
3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
12) ________ is the difference between the sum of the revenue generated by the supply chain and the sum of the costs that all organizations in the supply chain incur to obtain that revenue. A) Supply chain sustainability B) Supply chain compatibility C) Supply chain profitability D) Supply chain analytics Answer: C Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 13) The phenomenon in which the variability in the size and timing of orders increases at each stage up the supply chain is referred to as the ________. A) synergistic effect B) flanging effect C) stack effect D) bullwhip effect Answer: D Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 14) Which of the following statements is true about the bullwhip effect? A) It forces suppliers and manufacturers to carry smaller inventories than necessary. B) It is a natural dynamic that occurs because of the multistage nature of the supply chain. C) It is strongly associated with erratic consumer demand. D) It increases the overall profitability of the supply chain. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 15) Because of the nature of the bullwhip effect, ________ face maximum variation in demand. A) suppliers B) manufacturers C) distributors D) retailers Answer: A Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
16) The ________ is used as the measure of supply chain speed. A) dollar value of goods exchanged in a given period of time B) amount of goods exchanged in a given period of time C) total profit generated by the components of supply chain D) time taken to transport goods from one component to another Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 17) Which of the following is an effect of information systems on supply chain performance? A) reduced costs of buying and selling B) reduced supply chain speed C) increased size and costs of inventories D) optimized supply chain profitability Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance True or False 1) Inter-enterprise information systems vary in scope and complexity. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 2) The Automated Clearing House system among banks is an example of an inter-enterprise system. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance
5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
3) Every supply chain has four basic components: suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 4) At each level of a supply chain, an organization can work with many organizations both up and down the supply chain. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 5) Each level of a supply chain has a distinct source of revenue. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 6) As a factor affecting supply chain performance, facilities concern the location and operations methodology of the places where products are fabricated or stored. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 7) Increasing the size of an inventory reduces the cost of the inventory. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) Decreasing the size of an inventory decreases the odds that an item will be unavailable for purchase. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 9) Each organization in a supply chain is an independent company, with its own objectives. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 10) Profitability of a supply chain increases if all the organizations in the supply chain operate at their maximum profitability. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 11) The bullwhip effect explains the amplification of demand at various stages of a supply chain. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 12) The large fluctuations of bullwhip effect force organizations to stock fewer inventories than needed. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance
7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
13) The bullwhip effect can be eliminated by planning inventory based on each organization up the supply chain. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 14) Inter-enterprise information systems are necessary to share consumer-demand information. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 15) True demand is the demand from the only party that introduces money into the system. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 16) The cloud has increased the costs of integrating an organization's information systems. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 17) The presence of information systems has expanded supply chain speed. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 18) Information systems have enabled suppliers to increase the size of their inventories. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Essay 1) Explain inter-enterprise processes with an example. Answer: An inter-enterprise is an information system that is shared by two or more independent organizations. Inter-enterprise IS vary in scope and complexity. An example of a simple interenterprise IS is a sales process at a small retailer in which the retailer processes customers' credit card transactions. The retailer, customer, and credit card company (and possibly the bank that issued the card) are all part of the business process that processes the payment. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 2) What is a supply chain? What are the four drivers that are crucial to the success of a supply chain? Answer: A supply chain is a network of organizations and facilities that transform raw materials into products delivered to customers. In a typical supply chain, customers order from retailers, who, in turn, order from distributors, who, in turn, order from manufacturers, who, in turn, order from suppliers. The supply chain also includes transportation companies, warehouses, and inventories, and some means for transmitting messages and information among the organizations involved. Four major factors, or drivers, affect supply chain performance: facilities, inventory, transportation, and information. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 2, 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 3) Define supply chain profitability. How is it different from individual organizational profitability? Answer: Supply chain profitability is the difference between the sum of the revenue generated by the supply chain and the sum of the costs that all organizations in the supply chain incur to obtain that revenue. In general, the maximum profit to the supply chain will not occur if each organization in the supply chain maximizes its own profits in isolation. Usually, the profitability of the supply chain increases if one or more of the organizations operate at less than their own maximum profitability. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance
9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) Explain the bullwhip effect with an example. Answer: The bullwhip effect is a phenomenon in which the variability in the size and timing of orders increases at each stage up the supply chain, from customer to supplier. In a famous study, the bullwhip effect was observed in Procter & Gamble's supply chain for diapers. The number of babies determines diaper demand, and that number is constant or possibly slowly changing. Retailers do not order from the distributor with the sale of every diaper package. The retailer waits until the diaper inventory falls below a certain level, called the reorder quantity. Then the retailer orders a supply of diapers, perhaps ordering a few more than it expects to sell to ensure that it does not have an outage. The distributor receives the retailer's orders and follows the same process. It waits until its supply falls below the reorder quantity, and then it reorders from the manufacturer, with perhaps an increased amount to prevent outages. The manufacturer, in turn, uses a similar process with the raw-materials suppliers. Because of the nature of this process, small changes in demand at the retailer are amplified at each stage of the supply chain. These small changes become quite large variations on the supplier end. The large fluctuations of the bullwhip effect force distributors, manufacturers, and suppliers to carry larger inventories than should be necessary to meet the real consumer demand. Thus, the bullwhip effect reduces the overall profitability of the supply chain. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance 5) How do information systems affect supply chain performance? Answer: Information systems, such as CRM and e-commerce sales systems, have dramatically reduced the costs of buying and selling. Sourcing, buying, and selling have all become faster, easier, more effective, and less costly. Distributed systems in the cloud have enabled businesses to integrate their information systems with less cost and greater speed and agility than ever before. The presence of information systems has also expanded supply chain speed. Information systems have enabled both suppliers and customers to reduce the size of their inventories and, thus, reduce their inventory costs. Information systems also improve delivery scheduling. Using information systems, suppliers can deliver materials and components at the time and in the sequence needed. Such delivery enables just-in-time inventory, and it allows manufacturers to reduce raw materials inventory size as well as the handling of raw materials. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supply chain management and performance
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter Extension 11: Hyper-Social Organizations and Knowledge Management Multiple Choice 1) Which of the following is characteristic of a hyper-social organization? A) using social media in an old-style, organization-centric manner B) sending messages that attempt to manage, influence, and control customers and partners C) interacting with customers and partners in a more humane way D) pertaining marketing to employees and not customers Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 2) Which of the following statements is true of the transition of channels to networks in a hypersocial organization? A) Hyper-social organizations use networks to transmit messages valued by recipients. B) Networks transmit data, whereas channels transmit knowledge. C) Social media limits the formation of communities based on common interests. D) Organizations must engage with networks in consumer communities, to attract consumers. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 3) Which of the following dynamic process activities involves determining what the communities an individual cares about are saying about him, and identifying the structure, goals, and dynamic of communities with which he wants to relate? A) activate B) sense C) measure D) engage Answer: B Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) Which of the following dynamic process activities involves creating relationships with different communities? A) activate B) sense C) measure D) engage Answer: D Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 5) Which of the following dynamic process activities involves connecting communities to internal value chains and processes? A) activate B) sense C) measure D) engage Answer: A Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 6) Which of the following dynamic process activities involves analyzing the success of an organization in terms of social capital? A) activate B) sense C) measure D) engage Answer: C Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 7) Which of the following dynamic process activities involves publicizing community successes? A) sense B) activate C) engage D) story tell Answer: D Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) The process of creating value from intellectual capital and sharing that knowledge with employees, managers, suppliers, customers, and others who need that capital is referred to as ________. A) knowledge management B) value engineering C) knowledge engineering D) earned value management Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 9) ________ refer to rule-based systems that encode human knowledge in the form of If/Then rules. A) Document management systems B) Expert systems C) Content management systems D) Enterprise resource planning systems Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 10) Which of the following is a disadvantage of expert systems? A) They cannot be updated to meet the changes in technology. B) They cannot consist of more than one if/else rule. C) It is difficult to introduce a new rule in the system. D) The system's knowledge is available only to high-skilled experts. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
11) Which of the following statements is true of expert systems? A) Small changes in the rules can cause unexpected outcomes. B) The programs that process a set of rules are called expert systems codes. C) They are easy to maintain because of their rule-based nature. D) They require very few labor hours from both experts and designers. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 12) ________ are information systems that support the management and delivery of documents and other expressions of employee knowledge. A) Document management systems B) Enterprise resource systems C) Expert systems D) Content management systems Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 13) Which of the following is a challenge of content management? A) Content databases cannot hold large numbers of documents. B) Documents exist in isolation from each other. C) The systems must maintain linkages among documents. D) The document contents are nonperishable. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
14) Which of the following statements is true of the content management application alternatives? A) In-house systems are far less expensive to maintain than off-the-shelf products. B) Operations develop an in-house system to track machine maintenance procedures. C) Custom content management applications are economical to develop and maintain. D) Off-the-shelf products have considerably less functionality than most in-house systems. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 15) The largest collection of documents ever assembled exists on the Internet, and the world's best known document search engine is ________. A) Yahoo B) Bing C) Google D) AltaVista Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 16) A(n) ________ is an employee directory that includes not only the standard name, email, phone, and address, but also organizational structure and expertise. A) rich directory B) article directory C) external directory D) web directory Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
17) Which of the following factors inhibit knowledge sharing in hyper-social organizations? A) employees' reluctance to exhibit their ignorance B) strong collaboration among employees C) the extroversive nature of employees D) strong endorsements to employees on sharing ideas Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects True or False 1) Hyper-social organizations use social media in an organization-centric manner. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 2) The concepts and language of the hyper-social organization model are marketing-oriented. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 3) Modern day customers want informed, useful interactions with product promoters. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 4) A hyper-social organization has an established structured messaging process. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
5) Hyper-social organizations and its executives no longer plan and control organizational messaging. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 6) Organizations must engage with communities before identifying their goals and objectives. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 7) One of the goals of knowledge management is to help employees solve problems. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 8) Knowledge management can improve the effectiveness and efficiency of a process. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 9) Expert systems came into existence long after the use of social media and the Internet. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 10) Expert systems are easy to maintain. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
11) The documents in content management systems exist in isolation from each other. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 12) The documents in content management systems are nonperishable. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 13) Custom content management applications are expensive to develop and maintain. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 14) Most in-house systems have considerably more functionality than off-the-shelf products and they are far less expensive to maintain. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 15) The largest collection of documents ever assembled exists on the Internet, and the world's best-known document search engine is Google. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 16) Knowledge management has transitioned from authentic relationships to structured systems. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
17) Rich directories are particularly useful in large organizations where people with particular expertise are unknown. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects Essay 1) What are the characteristics of a hyper-social organization? Answer: A hyper-social organization is an organization that uses social media to transform its interactions with customers, employees, and partners into mutually satisfying relationships with them and their communities. Rather than sending messages that attempt to manage, influence, and control, hyper-social organizations create relationships in which both parties perceive and gain value. In particular, a hyper-social organization is one that has made the four transitions, called pillars. The concepts and language of this model are marketing-oriented, but in this model, marketing is broadly conceived to pertain to employees and partners as well as customers. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 2) What is knowledge management? How does it benefit an organization? Answer: Knowledge management (KM) is the process of creating value from intellectual capital and sharing that knowledge with employees, managers, suppliers, customers, and others who need that capital. KM benefits organizations in two fundamental ways: • Improve Process Quality • Increase team strength Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
3) What are expert systems? Answer: Expert systems are rule-based systems that encode human knowledge in the form of If/Then rules. Such rules are statements that specify if a particular condition exists, then to take some action. The programs that process a set of rules are called expert systems shells. Typically, the shell processes rules until no value changes. At that point, the values of all the variables are reported as results. To create the system of rules, the expert system development team interviews human experts in the domain of interest. Expert systems are difficult and expensive to develop and maintain. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 4) What are content management systems? Define any three challenges of content management. Answer: Content management systems are information systems that support the management and delivery of documents and other expressions of employee knowledge. Typical users of content management systems are companies that sell complicated products and want to share their knowledge of those products with employees and customers. Content management systems face serious challenges. First, most content databases are huge; some have thousands of individual documents, pages, and graphics. A second challenge is that CMS content is dynamic. Another complication for content management systems is that documents do not exist in isolation from each other. Documents refer to one another, and multiple documents may refer to the same product or procedure. When one of them changes, others must change as well. To manage these connections, content management systems must maintain linkages among documents so that content dependencies are known and used to maintain document consistency. A fourth complication is that document contents are perishable. Documents become obsolete and need to be altered, removed, or replaced. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
5) What are the alternatives to content management applications? Answer: Three common alternatives for content management applications are: 1. In-house custom: In the past, organizations developed their own in-house content management applications. A customer support department, for example, might develop in-house database applications to track customer problems and their resolution. Operations might develop an inhouse system to track machine maintenance procedures. Like all custom applications, however, custom content management applications are expensive to develop and maintain. 2. Off-the-shelf: Because of the expense of custom applications, many organizations today use off-the-shelf software. Some organizations choose vertical market off-the-shelf applications. Offthe-shelf products have considerably more functionality than most in-house systems and they are far less expensive to maintain. 3. Public search engines: The largest collection of documents ever assembled exists on the Internet, and the world's best-known document search engine is Google. Because Google searches through all public sites of all organizations, it is usually the fastest and easiest way to find a public document. This often is true even within an organization. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 6) What is the purpose of a rich directory? Answer: A rich directory is an employee directory that includes not only the standard name, email, phone, and address, but also organizational structure and expertise. With a rich directory, it is possible to determine where in the organization someone works, who is the first common manager among two people, and what past projects and expertise an individual has. For international organizations, such directories also include languages spoken. Microsoft's product Active Directory is the most popular rich directory. Rich directories are particularly useful in large organizations where people with particular expertise are unknown. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter Extension 12: Database Marketing Multiple Choice 1) Which of the following marketing techniques refers to the application of business intelligence systems to the planning and execution of marketing programs? A) ambush marketing B) viral marketing C) database marketing D) guerrilla marketing Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 2) ________ is a way of analyzing and ranking customers according to their purchasing patterns. A) Composite forecast B) RFM analysis C) Regression analysis D) Delphi technique Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 3) Which of the following is the first step in the process of producing an RFM score? A) dividing the customers according to the amount spent on purchases B) sorting customer purchase records based on the purchase frequency C) sorting customer purchase records by the date of most recent purchase D) dividing customers into multiple groups and giving each group a score Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) In RFM analysis, an R score of 5 shows that ________. A) the customer has not made recent purchases B) the customer has bought the most expensive item C) the customer has frequently ordered costly items D) the customer has purchased the least expensive item Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 5) In RFM analysis, an F score of 1 shows that ________. A) the customer has bought the least expensive item B) the customer has frequently placed an order C) the customer has always bought the most expensive item D) the customer has rarely made a purchase Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 6) In RFM analysis, an M score of ________ shows customers who have bought the least expensive item. A) 2 B) 5 C) 1 D) 4 Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 7) Cheryl Inc., a leading cosmetics manufacturer, wants to identify their most valued customers. Each customer is assigned an RMF score based on their purchasing patterns. One of their valued customers is rated a score of 545. In this case, the ideal action for Cheryl's sales team is to ________. A) up-sell more expensive goods to this customer B) contact this customer immediately C) not waste any time on this customer D) set up an automated contact system for this customer Answer: A Difficulty: Hard AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) Which of the following RFM scores refer to the most valuable customer? A) 111 B) 555 C) 123 D) 333 Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 9) Which of the following is a data mining technique for determining sales patterns? A) RFM analysis B) market basket analysis C) composite analysis D) regression analysis Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 10) In marketing transactions, the fact that customers who buy product X also buy product Y creates a ________ opportunity. A) relationship selling B) cross-selling C) value added selling D) persuasive selling Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 11) In market-basket terminology, ________ is the term used to represent the probability that two items will be purchased together. A) confidence B) support C) cohesion D) assurance Answer: B Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
12) In market-basket terminology, a conditional probability estimate is referred to as ________. A) support B) cohesion C) confidence D) chance Answer: C Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 13) In market-basket terminology, the ratio of confidence to the base probability of buying an item is called ________. A) cohesion B) support C) confidence D) lift Answer: D Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 14) ________ shows how much the base probability increases or decreases when other products are purchased. A) Lift B) Support C) Confidence D) Cohesion Answer: A Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 15) Which of the following techniques uses a hierarchical arrangement of criteria to predict a classification or value? A) market-basket analysis B) RFM technique C) Cooke method D) decision tree Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
16) Which of the following is the basic idea of the decision tree technique? A) to perform an RMF analysis and rank consumer according to their purchasing patterns B) to select attributes that are most useful for classifying entities on some criterion C) to produce computer programs for information systems D) to use the minimum difference among the groups created by the decision tree algorithm Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how information systems can be used to assist in decision making 17) Which of the following statements is true about decision trees? A) Decision trees can be transformed into a set of If/Then rules. B) Decision tree analysis is a supervised data mining technique. C) Decision tree algorithms are similar to one another. D) Decision tree programs produce computer programs for trees set up by analysts. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how information systems can be used to assist in decision making True or False 1) Databases are a key component of database marketing. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 2) Data mining techniques are essential for database marketing. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 3) The RFM score is obtained by ranking the customers on the basis of pricing patterns. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) RFM analysis is a complex technique which is difficult to implement. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 5) A high F score denotes that the customer has bought an expensive item recently. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 6) Customers with an RFM score of 555 are highly valued by organizations. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 7) The frequency of customer purchases is not a determining factor for RFM score. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 8) RFM can be a useful tool to determine who your best customers are and who hasn't been in to the store in a while. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 9) RFM scores can be used to concentrate the efforts of salespeople. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
10) A reporting system generating RMF data can be automated. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 11) A market-basket analysis shows the products that customers tend to buy together. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 12) Market-basket analysis is used to explore cross-selling opportunities. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 13) The more number of times two items occur in the same transaction higher is the probability of them being purchased together. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 14) A cross-selling opportunity is created when a consumer purchases only a single product. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 15) The ratio of confidence to the base probability of buying an item is called support. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
16) Decision-tree analysis is a data mining technique that requires a high degree of supervision. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how information systems can be used to assist in decision making 17) Groups created by decision tree algorithms are as different from each other as possible. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how information systems can be used to assist in decision making 18) A minimum difference among groups is used as the criterion for constructing the decision tree. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how information systems can be used to assist in decision making
8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Essay 1) What is database marketing? Answer: Database marketing is the application of business intelligence systems to the planning and execution of marketing programs. Databases are a key component of database marketing, but data-mining techniques are also very important. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 2) Describe the process of conducting RFM analysis. Answer: RFM analysis is a way of analyzing and ranking customers according to their purchasing patterns. It is a simple technique that considers how recently (R) a customer has ordered, how frequently (F) a customer orders, and how much money (M) the customer spends per order. To produce an RFM score, the program first sorts customer purchase records by the date of most recent (R) purchase. In a common form of this analysis, the program then divides the customers into five groups and gives customers in each group a score of 1 to 5. The 20 percent of the customers having the most recent orders are given an R score of 1, the 20 percent of the customers having the next most recent orders are given an R score of 2, and the last 20 percent are given an R score of 5. The program then re-sorts the customers on the basis of how frequently they order. The 20 percent of the customers who order most frequently are given an F score of 1, the next 20 percent of most frequently ordering customers are given a score of 2, and the least frequently ordering customers are given an F score of 5. Finally, the program sorts the customers again according to the amount spent on their orders. The 20 percent who have ordered the most expensive items are given an M score of 1, the next 20 percent are given an M score of 2, and the 20 percent who spend the least are given an M score of 5. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 3) What is a market-basket analysis? Answer: Market-basket analysis is a data-mining technique for determining sales patterns. A market-basket analysis shows the products that customers tend to buy together. This gives companies an opportunity to cross-sell. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) Define the three market-basket terminologies: support, confidence, and lift. Answer: In market-basket terminology, support is the probability that two items will be purchased together, a conditional probability estimate is called the confidence. The ratio of confidence to the base probability of buying an item is called lift. Lift shows how much the base probability increases or decreases when other products are purchased. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 5) What are decision trees? How do they classify people into groups? Answer: A decision tree is a hierarchical arrangement of criteria that predicts a classification or value. Decision tree analysis is an unsupervised data mining technique. The analyst sets up the computer program and provides the data to analyze, and the decision-tree program produces the tree. The basic idea of a decision tree is to select attributes that are most useful for classifying entities on some criterion. The user should input data about different attributes into the decision-tree program. The program then analyzes all of the attributes and selects an attribute that creates the most disparate groups. The more different the groups, the better the classification will be. A decision-tree program creates groups that are as pure as possible. A common business application of decision trees is to classify loans by likelihood of default. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Explain how information systems can be used to assist in decision making
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter Extension 13: Reporting Systems and OLAP Multiple Choice 1) A(n) ________ enables people to create information by processing data from disparate data sources and delivering that information to its proper user on a timely basis. A) operating system B) reporting system C) intrusion detection system D) domain name system Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 2) The sales manager of a retail store wants a list of customers who have made more than three repeat purchases from the store. Which of the following operations of a reporting system would help the store manager obtain such a list? A) categorizing B) calculating C) grouping D) filtering Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 3) Which of the following describes the reports, users, groups, roles, events, and other entities involved in the reporting activities of a reporting system? A) network packets B) data structures C) metadata D) microdata Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) A reporting system uses ________ to prepare and deliver reports to proper users on a timely basis. A) metadata B) microdata C) network packets D) data structures Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 5) Reports that are not subject to change and are prepared from underlying data are referred to as ________. A) exception reports B) static reports C) subscriptions D) dynamic reports Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 6) Reports that are updated by a reporting system at the time of creation are referred to as ________. A) exception reports B) static reports C) query reports D) dynamic reports Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 7) A report on the current stock prices in a market is an example of a(n) ________. A) static report B) dynamic report C) exception report D) query report Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) Reports that are prepared in response to data entered by users are termed ________. A) query reports B) static reports C) dynamic reports D) OLAP reports Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 9) Which of the following types of reports allows users to dynamically change report grouping structures? A) query reports B) static reports C) dynamic reports D) OLAP reports Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 10) Which of the following is an electronic report medium that can be customized for a particular user? A) Web site B) email alert C) digital dashboard D) PDF file Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 11) Reports that users receive on declaring that they wish to receive notification of events via email or on their cell phones are termed as ________. A) query reports B) subscriptions C) exception reports D) alerts Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
12) Which of the following does a user receive without any activity on his or her part? A) pull report B) push report C) subscription D) alert Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 13) A pull report refers to a report ________. A) sent to users according to a preset schedule B) about the functioning of an organization's information systems C) generated by user request D) prepared by an organization from a competitor's data Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 14) Which of the following types of reports is an example of a push report? A) static report B) dynamic report C) query report D) OLAP report Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 15) Which of the following report media is used for delivering a query report? A) paper and PDF file B) digital dashboard C) Web site D) alerts via email Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
16) ________ involves connecting to data sources, creating report structures, and formatting reports. A) Report evaluation B) Report authoring C) Report monitoring D) Report delivery Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 17) The ________ in a reporting system indicates the channel to be used for sending a report to a user and whether the report is to be pushed or pulled. A) metadata B) microdata C) network packets D) data structures Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 18) The ________ function of a reporting system pushes reports or allows them to be pulled according to report management metadata. A) report authoring B) report monitoring C) report delivery D) report evaluation Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 19) Which of the following types of reports has the ability to sum, count, average, and perform other simple arithmetic operations on groups of data? A) query reports B) static reports C) database reports D) OLAP reports Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
20) In an OLAP report, a data item that is to be processed is called a ________. A) measure B) dimension C) cube D) target Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 21) Which of the following is an example of a measure in an OLAP report? A) sales region B) average sales C) customer location D) customer type Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 22) Purchase date is an example of a ________ in an OLAP report. A) measure B) cube C) dimension D) variable Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 23) In the case of online analytical processing, the presentation of a measure with associated dimensions is referred to as an ________. A) OLAP database B) OLAP server C) OLAP service D) OLAP cube Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
24) An OLAP cube can also be referred to as an ________. A) OLAP database B) OLAP report C) OLAP service D) OLAP server Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 25) Which of the following is a drawback of OLAP reports? A) They have a single or no dimension. B) Their format is static in nature. C) They require a lot of computing power. D) They can perform arithmetic operations only on single sets of data. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 26) Which of the following statements is true of dimensional databases? A) They store millions of static OLAP reports. B) They are structured to support OLAP processing. C) They specialize in sorting functions alone. D) They specialize in filtering functions alone. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
True or False 1) Reporting systems cannot generate reports that require calculations on data. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 2) A reporting system uses metadata to prepare and deliver reports to users on a timely basis. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 3) Query reports allow users to dynamically change report grouping structures. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 4) A report on the current stock prices in a market is an example of a static report. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 5) Alerts generated on the basis of user notification are not treated as reports. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 6) Push reports are generated only on receiving a user request. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
7) For query reports, the report delivery system serves as an intermediary between a user and a report generator. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 8) In OLAP reports, a dimension refers to an item that is to be processed in the report. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 9) An OLAP cube is a characteristic of a measure in an OLAP report. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 10) Users are not allowed to alter the format of OLAP reports. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 11) The process of dividing the data in OLAP reports into more details is termed drill-down. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 12) Databases that are structured to support OLAP processing are called dimensional databases. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Essay 1) What are reporting systems? What are the fundamental operations they perform? Answer: A reporting system is an information system that creates information by processing data from disparate sources and delivering that information to the proper users on a timely basis. Reporting systems manipulate data into a meaningful context using four fundamental operations: (1) filtering data, (2) sorting data, (3) grouping data, and (4) making simple calculations on the data. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 2) How does a reporting system obtain the necessary data to generate reports? Answer: Data from disparate data sources are read and combined, using filtering, sorting, grouping, and simple calculating, to produce information. Some data are generated within an organization, other data are obtained from public sources, and still other data may be purchased from data utilities. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 3) Explain the different types of reports. Answer: The different types of reports are static reports, dynamic reports, query reports, and online analytical processing (OLAP). Static reports are prepared once from underlying data, and they do not change. A report of the past year's sales, for example, is a static report. Other reports are dynamic; at the time of creation, the reporting system reads the most current data and generates the report using that fresh data. A report on sales today and a report on current stock prices are both dynamic reports. Query reports are prepared in response to data entered by users. Online analytical processing (OLAP) is a fourth type of report. OLAP reports allow users to dynamically change report grouping structures and to sum, count, average, and perform other simple arithmetic operations on groups of data. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 4) What is the difference between push and pull reports? Answer: Organizations send a push report to users according to a preset schedule. Users receive the report without any activity on their part. In contrast, users must request a pull report. To obtain a pull report, a user goes to a Web portal or digital dashboard and clicks a link or button to cause the reporting system to produce and deliver the report. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
5) Explain report authoring, management, and delivery. Answer: Authoring a report involves connecting to data sources, creating a report structure, and formatting the report. Organizations can author reports by using a developer tool like Microsoft's Visual Studio. The purpose of report management is to define who receives what reports, when, and by what means. Most report management systems allow a report administrator to define user accounts and user groups and to assign particular users to particular groups. The report delivery function of a reporting system pushes reports or allows them to be pulled according to reportmanagement metadata. Reports can be delivered via an email server, via a Web site, via SOA services, or by other program-specific means. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases 6) Describe online analytical processing. Answer: Online analytical processing (OLAP) provides the ability to sum, count, average, and perform other simple arithmetic operations on groups of data. A remarkable characteristic of OLAP reports is that their format is dynamic. The viewer of a report can change the report's structure. An OLAP report has measures and dimensions. A measure is the data item of interest. It is the item that is to be summed or averaged or otherwise processed in the OLAP report. A dimension is a characteristic of a measure. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for using and managing databases
11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter Extension 14: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Multiple Choice 1) A geographic information system (GIS) is an information system that captures, stores, analyzes, and displays ________ data. A) geospatial B) geosynchronous C) geological D) geometric Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 2) ________ data are data that can be ordered in reference to the earth. A) Geological B) Geometric C) Geosynchronous D) Geospatial Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 3) In today's world, geographic information systems operate on ________. A) cloud-based, thin-client applications alone B) thick-client, client-server applications alone C) stand-alone computers but not on client-server applications D) thick-client, thin-client, and stand-alone applications Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) A map scanner is an example of the ________ component of a GIS. A) hardware B) software C) application D) DBMS Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 5) In the software component of a GIS, ________ are created to add special-purpose features and functions on top of the raw GIS mapping capability. A) database management systems B) GIS applications C) application-specific programs D) online platforms Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 6) Google Earth is an example of a(n) ________. A) database management system B) GIS application C) application-specific program D) inter-enterprise information system Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 7) With regard to users for GIS applications, a person who uses Google Maps to find directions to a restaurant is a ________. A) developer B) casual user C) business intelligence user D) field worker Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems
2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) Which of the following users for GIS applications employs GIS to help solve a problem? A) developers B) field personnel C) business intelligence users D) operations personnel Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 9) Which of the following users for GIS applications creates GIS systems in response to requirements? A) developers B) field personnel C) business intelligence users D) operations personnel Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 10) Which of the following users for GIS applications runs a GIS system and maintains the currency of database data? A) field personnel B) business intelligence users C) developers D) operations personnel Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
11) Which of the following users for GIS applications is involved in capturing geospatial data? A) field personnel B) business intelligence users C) developers D) operations personnel Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 12) Which of the following is part of a raster map? A) points B) pixels C) lines D) shapes Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 13) Which of the following statements is true of raster maps? A) They consist of points, lines, and shapes. B) They become blurry when enlarged. C) They do not distort straight lines. D) They have features that are readily identifiable by GIS applications. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 14) Which of the following is an advantage of raster maps? A) They are easy to create from pictures and scanners. B) They retain straight lines without any distortions. C) They scale perfectly once created. D) They have features that are readily identified by GIS applications. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
15) Which of the following statements is true of vector maps? A) They are easy to create. B) Once created, they scale perfectly. C) Their construction does not require any human involvement. D) They consist of pixels, each of which has some value. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 16) Which of the following is a drawback of vector maps? A) They become blurry when enlarged. B) They make straight lines appear distorted and irregular. C) Their construction requires human involvement in most cases. D) Their features cannot be readily identified by GIS applications. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 17) A ________ is a set of elevations based on particular values of the earth's radii. A) geocode B) waypoint C) geofence D) datum Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
18) Which of the following best defines a map projection? A) It is the process of converting all location identifiers to a common scheme. B) It is a technique that involves dividing the earth into 60 north-south segments. C) It is a geographic boundary set up within a geographic information system. D) It is a technique for placing locations on the surface of the earth onto a flat surface. Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 19) To construct a map, a GIS application needs to convert all location identifiers to a common scheme. This process is called ________. A) geocoding B) geocaching C) point positioning D) project mapping Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 20) While geocoding, geographic coordinates set zero longitude at ________. A) Cambridge, England B) Leicester, England C) Brentwood, England D) Greenwich, England Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
21) The Military Grid Reference System (MGRS) divides the earth into 60 north-south segments called ________. A) territories B) dominions C) zones D) sections Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 22) A ________ is a geographic boundary set up within a GIS. A) dominion B) geofence C) zone D) geocode Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 23) A geofence can be used to ________. A) divide the earth into several north-south segments B) place the locations on the surface of the earth onto a flat surface C) estimate the boundaries of locations that are included in a map D) protect company personnel who operate in dangerous locations Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
24) ________ display colors, shades, or patterns in accordance with category values of underlying data. A) Choropleth maps B) Raster maps C) Dasymetric maps D) Vector maps Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 25) A modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP) occurs when ________. A) a map displays colors, shades, or patterns in accordance with category values of underlying data B) an organization uses GIS to achieve its goals and objectives or to obtain a competitive advantage C) point-based spatial data are aggregated into regions and the results depend on how the regions are defined D) GIS sites have multiple users whose analyses can be invalidated by incorrect or unexpected data imports Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects True or False 1) Geospatial data is data that can be ordered in reference to the earth. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 2) GIS operate only as cloud-based, thin-client applications. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems
8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
3) Most GIS expect geospatial analysts to know how to use the tools they provide for accomplishing particular tasks. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 4) A house hunter who uses GIS to search for houses in a neighborhood is a business intelligence user. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 5) Developers create GIS systems in response to requirements. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 6) Operations personnel are involved in the capture of geospatial data. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 7) A raster map consists of points, lines, and shapes. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) Raster maps overcome the deficiencies of vector maps but are difficult to create. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 9) Once created, vector maps scale perfectly. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 10) Vector maps lose their fidelity when their size is doubled or halved. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 11) The best geometric model for the surface of the earth is an ellipsoid. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 12) A geocode is a set of elevations based on particular values of the earth's radii. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
13) A map projection is a technique for placing the locations on the surface of the earth onto a flat surface. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 14) To construct a map, a GIS application needs to convert all location identifiers to a common scheme by a process called geocaching. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 15) The Military Grid Reference System divides the earth into 60 north-south segments called zones. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 16) An important application of a geofence is to notify personnel when trucks or other containers are nearing their destination. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 17) A raster map displays colors, shades, or patterns in accordance with category values of underlying data. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
18) The modifiable areal unit problem is a condition that occurs when point-based spatial data are aggregated into regions and the results depend on how the regions are defined. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects Essay 1) Explain the procedures that are necessary for using a GIS. Answer: For Web sites like Google Maps and Bing Maps, user interface is designed to be intuitive and easy to use. For more complicated sites with more domain-specific capabilities, procedures are needed to help users obtain and process the data they need. Procedures are also needed for importing and exporting bulk data. This task can be complex and is important, especially for GIS sites that have multiple users whose analyses can be invalidated by incorrect or unexpected data imports. Hundreds of maps are produced for various purposes and studies, and these maps are often shared among a group. Consequently, procedures for managing large map libraries are important. Thus, the procedures that are necessary for using a GIS include finding a map; searching features; zooming in or out; navigating the map; changing the views; adding, editing, and deleting user data; importing or exporting bulk data; and managing map libraries. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 2) Explain in brief how GIS maps are constructed. Answer: A GIS map typically consists of layers of individual maps that are placed over one another. One layer might, for example, portray the terrain such as mountains and valleys and slopes. Another layer might portray vegetation, another layer portray streets and highways, another layer buildings, and so forth. Each layer is placed on top of the others. The map that is shown to the user is a composite of several maps. The GIS display manager can add, remove, or reorder layers according to the users' needs. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
12 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
3) Differentiate between raster and vector maps. Answer: A raster map consists of pixels, each of which has some value; often that value is a color, but it could also be a data value, such as elevation or temperature. A vector map consists of points, lines, and shapes. Raster maps are easy to create from pictures and scanners and, at the scale in which they were created, they show details well. Because raster maps are made of pixels, straight lines can appear irregular. Vector maps overcome the deficiencies of raster maps but are difficult to create. Once created, however, vector maps scale perfectly. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Compare and contrast different business intelligence systems 4) What is a map projection? Answer: A map projection is a technique for placing locations on the surface of the earth onto a flat surface. Over the centuries, cartographers have devised numerous map projections that result in different types of distortions. Some of these projections are accurate in the way they portray area; they are said to preserve area. Others, which are used for local navigation, preserve angles between map features. Other projections show the shortest distance between two points on the surface of the earth as a straight line on the map. And some projections are compromises of all of these. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 5) How does the Military Grid Reference System (MGRS) work? Answer: The Military Grid Reference System (MGRS) was developed by the U.S. military in 1947 and is used in GIS applications, worldwide. It was created before GPS, when longitudes were difficult to determine and always suspect. It divides the earth into 60 north-south segments called zones. Zones are divided into squares that are 6 degrees east/west and 8 degrees north/south. Each square has a two-letter identifier. Within a square, distances are measured in meters from the east boundary and from the north boundary. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
13 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
6) What is asset tracking? Answer: Asset tracking is one of the organizational uses of GIS. One common example is to track the movement of goods in the supply chain using a GPS device and a GIS. An onboard GPS and transmitter reports the location of the asset, say a pallet of goods, a truck, a container, or even a single item within a container. The reported locations are input to a GIS, and the locations of all such assets can be plotted on a GIS display. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 7) How do maps deceive users? Answer: All flat maps require distortions of some type. The judicious use of distortions can lead map viewers to unwarranted conclusions. Accordingly, maps are used for propaganda, for advertising, and for biased reporting and analysis. Every human being is embedded in a culture and holds unconscious, or at least unrecognized, cultural biases, which also affect how they read maps. Maps can be constructed that show two features much closer together than they are in proportion to the distances of other features. And, with modern GIS, it is possible for an untrained person to unknowingly create a great looking map that is full of distortions that appear to be meaningful. Choropleth maps convey homogeneity that seldom exists which brings in bias. Another problem is the modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP), which is a condition that occurs when point-based spatial data are aggregated into regions and the results depend on how the regions are defined. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
14 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter Extension 15: Systems Development Project Management Multiple Choice 1) Which of the following is a characteristic of large-scale systems development projects? A) short development intervals B) single development site C) avoidance of system localization D) 50-100 development team members Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 2) Which of the following statements is true of large-scale systems development projects? A) They use simple computer programs to ensure consistency and speed in development. B) They use small development teams of less than 20 members to reduce complexity. C) Their development involves the integration of services from several companies. D) Their development is carried out in a single site to ensure consistency. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 3) Systems development projects require the balancing of three critical drivers: requirements, cost, and ________. A) scope B) time C) performance D) value Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) A plan that stipulates the tasks to be accomplished in a project, the labor and other resources assigned to those tasks, and the schedule for completion of the project is called the ________. A) baseline B) data model C) line of code D) scatter plot Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 5) In the context of a systems development project, which of the following statements is true of the relationships between requirements, cost, and time? A) Increasing the time for the completion of a project always increases the cost of the project. B) Increasing the cost of a project can always reduce the time required to finish the project. C) Reducing the requirements in a project rarely affects the time required to finish the project. D) Reducing the number of requirements in a project reduces the overall cost of the project. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 6) Increasing the cost of a project can reduce the time required to complete the project up to a certain point, beyond which, the time required would increase due to ________. A) economies of scale B) diseconomies of scale C) economies of scope D) diseconomies of scope Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
7) Which of the following is a technique that stipulates phases and processes for constructing information systems (IS), but does not address the management of large-scale projects? A) systems development life cycle B) rapid application development C) agile software development D) structured system analysis Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 8) In the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®) Guide, ________ refer to the different stages in the life of a project. A) configuration controls B) knowledge areas C) process groups D) resource zones Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 9) ________ is the knowledge area that refers to the management of an entire project and the construction of the final product. A) Project integration B) Communications management C) Procurement management D) Quality management Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
10) ________ is a knowledge area that concerns the methods, media, and schedules for exchanging information with a project's sponsors and others who have an interest in the progress of the project. A) Procurement management B) Communications management C) Quality management D) Project integration Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 11) ________ is a knowledge area that concerns the creation of contracts with outside vendors for services, materials, and outsourcing of functions. A) Communications management B) Quality management C) Project integration D) Procurement management Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 12) Each task in a systems development project should culminate in one or more ________. A) deliverables B) zones C) segments D) designs Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
13) Which of the following shows the tasks, dates, and task dependencies in a project? A) Gantt chart B) exception report C) push report D) scatter plot Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 14) A(n) ________ is the sequence of activities that determine the earliest date by which a project can be completed. A) Gantt chart B) critical path C) encryption algorithm D) scatter plot Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 15) A(n) ________ is a hierarchy of the tasks required to complete a project. A) scatter plot B) work breakdown structure C) encryption algorithm D) V-Model Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
16) With respect to work breakdown structure (WBS), ________ means to define the boundaries of a system. A) trade-off B) code C) scope D) scale Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 17) Which of the following activities is the biggest challenge in planning systems development? A) creating B) scheduling C) analyzing D) testing Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 18) The challenges of managing large-scale systems development projects arise from ________. A) economies of scale B) economies of scope C) increase in configuration control D) lack of coordination Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
19) ________ refers to a set of management policies, practices, and tools that developers use to maintain control over a project's resources. A) Perceptual mapping B) Coordination control C) Critical path analysis D) Configuration control Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 20) ________ is the process by which users agree to one set of conditions, then add a bit more, then add a bit more, and so forth. A) Requirements creep B) Diseconomies of scale C) Configuration control D) Coordination Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects True or False 1) The development of large-scale systems can involve the integration of products and services from different companies. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 2) Large-scale systems development requires extended development intervals that extend up to 5 years. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
3) The time involved in a project can always be reduced by increasing cost. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 4) Larger projects with longer development intervals will find it easier to meet baseline requirements. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 5) The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®) Guide identifies those practices that are known to be effective for different situations and briefly describes their use. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 6) Knowledge areas refer to the factors in a project that need to be managed throughout the life of the project. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 7) Prototypes are examples of deliverables in a systems development project. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) The critical path is a hierarchy of the tasks required to complete a project. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 9) In case of task dependencies in a project, all tasks must begin and end at the same time. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 10) Baseline WBS can be used for monitoring a project. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 11) The biggest challenge in planning systems development is scheduling. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 12) One approach businesses take to address scheduling challenges in large-scale systems is avoiding the development of software in-house. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
13) A function point is a feature or function of a new program. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 14) A well-managed project will never face problems of diseconomies of scale. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 15) A loss of control over a project's configuration can be easily fixed through remedial measures. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 16) The smaller and shorter a project, the greater the chance of disruption due to unanticipated events. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 17) Taking responsibility for requirements is the single most important task a user can perform for a large-scale development project. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
18) Requirements creep is the process by which a project manager reduces his/her responsibilities for requirements through miniscule rollbacks. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 7 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects Essay 1) What are the characteristics of large-scale systems development projects? Answer: A large-scale systems development project has many features and functions. It has large, complex computer programs and databases with hundreds of tables, dozens to hundreds of relationships, and terabytes of data. Such large development projects affect many business processes and support hundreds or thousands of concurrent users. They require a large development team of 50 to 100 or more systems analysts, programmers, PQA engineers, and managers. Large-scale systems are often simultaneously developed at multiple sites, often dispersed across different countries. Additionally, the development of large-scale systems can involve integrating products and services from different companies. Large-scale systems are frequently localized for different languages. Finally, a large-scale systems development requires extended development intervals, sometimes as long as 5 or 6 years. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 2) What are the trade-offs in a systems development project's requirements, cost, and time? Answer: Systems development projects require the balancing of three critical drivers: requirements (scope), cost, and time. The requirements against the time and against the cost of a project can be traded off. If the requirements are reduced, a project would take less time to complete. If the requirements are reduced, the cost of the project will also decrease. The relationship between time and cost is more complicated. Normally, the time can be reduced by increasing cost, but only to a point, beyond which, the time to finish the project will actually increase due to diseconomies of scale. Thus, at some point, adding more people creates diseconomies of scale. In some projects, costs can be reduced by increasing time. However, this trade-off is not always true. By extending the project interval, one will need to pay labor and overhead for a longer period of time. Adding more time can, in this way, increase cost. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
3) What is the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®) Guide for project management? Answer: Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®) Guide, compiled by the PMI, contains what many believe are the best project management processes, practices, and techniques. The document does not describe the details of each practice or technique but instead identifies those practices that are known to be effective for different situations and briefly describes their use. Versions of this document are denoted by the year in which they are published. As of 2013, the current version is A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), Fifth Edition. PMBOK® Guide is organized according to a grid, which shows five process groups and nine knowledge areas. The process groups refer to different stages in the life of a project. The nine knowledge areas refer to factors to be managed throughout the life of the project. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 4) What is a critical path? How is a critical path analysis done? Answer: The critical path is the sequence of activities that determine the earliest date by which a project can be completed. The earliest date is the date determined by considering the longest path through the network of activities. Paying attention to task dependencies, a planner can compress tasks as much as possible. Those tasks that cannot be further compressed lie on the critical path. Microsoft Project and other project-planning applications can readily identify critical path tasks. Managers can use a critical path to perform critical path analysis. If a task is on the critical path, and if that task runs late, the project will be late. Hence, tasks on the critical path cannot be allowed to run late if the project is to be delivered on time. Additionally, tasks not on the critical path can run late to the point at which they would become part of the critical path. Hence, up to a point, resources can be taken from noncritical path tasks to shorten tasks on the critical path. Using critical path analysis, managers can move resources among tasks so as to compress the schedule. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
12 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
5) The biggest challenge in planning large-scale systems development is scheduling. Describe the three approaches that organizations can take to address this challenge. Answer: The first approach that organizations can take to address the challenge of scheduling large-scale systems development projects is to avoid all major schedule risks by never developing software in-house. Instead, they can license software from vendors. However, if no suitable software exists, companies can take one of two remaining approaches. They can admit the impossibility of systems development scheduling and plan accordingly. They can abandon the SDLC and decide to invest a certain level of resources into a project, manage it as best as they can, and take the schedule that results. Only loose commitments are made regarding the completion date and final system functionality. The third approach is to attempt to schedule the development project in spite of all difficulties. Several different estimation techniques can be used. If the project is similar to a past project, the schedule data from that past project can be used for planning. When such similar past projects exist, this technique can produce quality schedule estimates. If there is no such past project, managers can estimate the number of lines of code that will need to be written. Then they can use industry or company averages to estimate the time required. Another technique is to estimate the function points in a program, use each function point to determine the number of lines of code, and use that number to estimate schedules. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 6) What are the biggest challenges for managing a large-scale systems development project? Answer: The challenges of managing large-scale systems development projects arise from four different factors: coordination, diseconomies of scale, configuration control, and unexpected events. Large-scale projects are usually organized into a variety of development groups that work independently. Coordinating the work can be difficult, particularly if the groups reside in different geographic locations or different countries. An accurate and complete WBS facilitates coordination, but no project ever proceeds exactly in accordance with the WBS. The coordination problem is increased because software is pure-thought stuff. Another problem is diseconomies of scale. Adding more people to a project increases coordination requirements. The number of possible interactions among team members rises exponentially with the number of team members. Ultimately, no matter how well managed a project is, diseconomies of scale will set in. Also, as the project proceeds, controlling the configuration of the work product becomes difficult. Problems can occur with designs, program code, database data, and other system components. Configuration control is vital here. The last major challenge to large-scale project management is unexpected events. The larger and longer a project lasts, the greater the chance of disruption due to an unanticipated event. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 6 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
13 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter Extension 16: Agile Development Multiple Choice 1) According to the systems development life cycle (SDLC), the progress from requirements to design to implementation is called the ________ method. A) life cycle B) waterfall C) water cycle D) scrum Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 2) Why is the systems development life cycle (SDLC) called the waterfall method? A) It does not return to a development phase that has been completed. B) It uses feedback from team members to schedule tasks. C) It delivers a working version of the product at frequent intervals. D) It can be used only for projects on information systems. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 3) The systems development life cycle (SDLC) gained popularity when the U.S. Department of ________ stipulated that it would be used for all software development contracts. A) Defense B) Education C) Agriculture D) Commerce Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) Which of the following statements indicates why the SDLC is falling out of favor? A) The system design is revised frequently. B) It allows the team members to establish the project schedule. C) It is risky, as no value is generated until the end of the project. D) Systems requirements do not change during a project. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 5) The systems development life cycle (SDLC) generates value ________. A) in the beginning B) after the design phase C) at frequent intervals D) at the very end Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 6) Designing only the portions of the system that are needed to complete the current work being done is known as ________ design. A) waterfall B) scrum C) just-in-time D) frequent Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 7) Which of the following is an advantage of using agile techniques over the SDLC? A) In projects using agile techniques, customers test only the completed version of the product. B) Changes in systems requirements are incorporated towards the end of the project. C) System design is completed at the beginning of the project. D) A working version of the product is delivered frequently during the project. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure
2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) According to scrum essentials, the first step of each work period is to ________. A) conduct team meets B) determine tasks to perform C) select requirements to consider D) deliver working version Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 9) In ________, two members share the same computer and write a computer program together. A) imperative programming B) paired programming C) task parallelism D) parallel computing Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 10) ________ is the only person on a scrum team who has the authority to add, delete, or change requirements and their priority. A) Scrum master B) Product owner C) Database designer D) Business analyst Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 11) The function of a scrum master is to ________. A) stop misuse of meeting time B) change product requirements and their priority C) test programs on a regular basis D) develop the database design Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure
3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
12) Which of the following development methodologies is associated with the scrum process? A) agile development B) systems development life cycle C) V-Model D) rapid application development Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 13) As teams work together, they will learn the total number of points of work they can accomplish each scrum period. That term is called the team's ________. A) velocity B) speed C) momentum D) vector Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 14) Which of the following statements is true of the points system? A) Points are assigned by the clients at the beginning of the project. B) The most difficult task is assigned a point score of 1. C) Consecutive integers are used to award point scores to tasks. D) Points estimate the relative difficulty, rather than the relative duration of tasks. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 15) Which of the following statements is true about velocity? A) The customer sets the velocity of each scrum period. B) When a project begins, the senior team members guess the velocity of the team. C) After a scrum team commits to requirements in a scrum period, it estimates the velocity it can achieve. D) A team should approach the scrum master to change the order of the requirements it has committed to. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
16) Which of the following is a characteristic that makes agile development a valid systems development process? A) Team iteration and feedback are used for scheduling and tasking. B) Process scheduling is performed by the scrum master. C) Through iteration, team members decide when a project is complete. D) Once a phase of development is completed, it is not revisited. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure True or False 1) The nature of the systems development life cycle (SDLC) denies the fact that system requirements are fuzzy and always changing. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 2) According to the systems development life cycle (SDLC), the progress from requirements to implementation is nonlinear. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 3) The systems development life cycle (SDLC) gained popularity when the U.S. Department of Commerce stipulated that it would be used for all software development contracts. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 4) In software development, where requirements change periodically, the waterfall method works well. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure
5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
5) The waterfall model used by the systems development life cycle (SDLC) is suitable for building physical things, such as a runway. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 6) The systems development life cycle (SDLC) is falling out of favor because it is very risky. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 7) "Test as you go" is a principle of the SDLC. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 8) Extreme programming is an alternative to the systems development life cycle (SDLC). Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 9) Agile development methodologies welcome change in requirements. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 10) The systems development life cycle (SDLC) processes are designed to frequently deliver a working version of a product. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
11) Unlike agile techniques, the systems development life cycle (SDLC) delivers benefits early and often. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 12) Agile development methodologies advocate the design of the complete system at the beginning. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 13) Agile development methodologies discourage interaction between developers and customers. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 14) Just-in-time design may lead to substantial revision of the work product produced previously in the project. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 15) According to agile development methodologies, testing never involves the business customer. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 16) Agile development methodologies are applicable only to team projects on information systems. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
17) Agile development techniques assume that the development teams are unaware of their weaknesses. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 18) Scrum essentials encourage minimal documentation. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 19) In the scrum process, a stand-up is a 15-minute team meeting. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 20) In paired programming, two computers are used by the same programmer. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 21) Scrum is distinguished from other agile development methodologies, in part, by the way that it uses requirements to drive planning and scheduling. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure
8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Essay 1) Why is the systems development life cycle (SDLC) losing credibility? Answer: The systems development life cycle (SDLC) process is falling out of favor in the systems development community, primarily for two reasons. First, the nature of the SDLC denies what every experienced developer knows is true: systems requirements are fuzzy and always changing. They change because they need to be corrected, or more is known, or users, once they see a part of the application, change their minds. Other reasons are that business needs change, or technology offers other possibilities. According to the SDLC, however, progress goes in a linear sequence from requirements to design to implementation. Sometimes this is called the waterfall method because the assumption is that once a phase is finished, it is not revisited. Requirements are done. Then design is taken up. Design is completed, and is followed by implementation. However, experience has shown that it just doesn't work that way. Another reason that the SDLC is falling out of favor is that it is very risky. The people for whom the system is being constructed cannot see what they have until the end. At that point, if something is wrong, all the money and time has already been spent. Furthermore, what if the project runs out of money or time before it is completed? The result is a form of management blackmail in which the developers ask for more money or time. If management declines, which it might because the time or money at that point is sunk, they are left not only with the loss but also with the unmet need that caused them to start the process in the first place. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 2) What are the principles of agile development methodologies? Answer: The following are the principles of agile development. • Expect, even welcome, changes in requirements • Frequently deliver a working version of the product • Work closely with customer, for the duration • Design as you go • Test as you go • Team knows best how it's doing/how to change • Can be used for applications, information systems, and business process development Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure
9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
3) Briefly outline the scrum essentials. Answer: The following are the scrum essentials. • Requirements list drives process • Each work period (1 to 4−8 weeks): — Select requirements to consider — Determine tasks to perform–select requirements to deliver — Select requirements to deliver — Team meets daily for 15 min (stand-up) • What I did yesterday • What I'm going to do today • What's blocking me — Test frequently — Paired work possible — Minimal documentation — Deliver (something) that works — Evaluate team's work process at end of period (and say thanks) • Rinse and repeat until — Customer says we're done — Out of time — Out of money • Three principal roles — Product Owner (business professional) — Scrum Master — Team Members (7 ± 2 people) Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 4) According to the scrum essentials, when is a project said to be done? Answer: Work continues in a repeating cycle of scrum periods until one of three conditions is met: • The customer is satisfied with the product created and decides to accept the work product, even if some requirements are left unsatisfied. • The project runs out of time. • The project runs out of money. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
5) In a scrum, who is a product owner? Answer: The product owner is the business professional who provides the requirements and is available for clarification and testing. The product owner is the only person on a scrum team who has the authority to add, delete, or change requirements and their priority. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 6) In a scrum, who is a scrum master? What are his/her responsibilities? Answer: A scrum master is an expert in scrum processes who helps to keep the process organized and operating. The scrum master is not the boss; he or she is more like a coach or even a referee. The scrum master steps in when meetings go too long, when team members are misusing meeting time, when the product sponsor isn't doing his or her job, and when other situations are not working. The scrum master is also the guardian of team members' time. If distractions occur, the scrum master steps in to eliminate them. If someone other than the product sponsor attempts to change requirements or priorities, the scrum master negates that attempt. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 7) Who are considered scrum members? Answer: Team members are the programmers, systems analysts, business analysts, database designers, cloud-engineers, PQA testing personnel, and any other staff needed to build the work product. Scrum teams are small; five to nine team members are recommended. If work requires more personnel, then the work is reorganized to be accomplished by multiple scrum teams working in parallel. It's not clear that scrum works well for exceedingly large projects, but then again, it's not clear that any other development process works well for them, either. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure
11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter Extension 17: Business Process Management Multiple Choice 1) A(n) ________ is a collection of data. A) inventory B) repository C) role D) data flow Answer: B Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 2) Which of the following is the first step in processing a purchase order? A) checking customer credit B) approving special terms C) verifying availability D) preparing quotation Answer: D Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 3) A customer's credit is checked before checking availability of goods in order to ________. A) increase the rate of credit approval of customers B) arrange for the special terms requested C) prevent the wastage of shipping-verification labor D) align the processes with organizational goals Answer: C Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) A company stops stocking an item but procures it directly from the manufacturer. This implies that the company has made a change in its ________. A) product line B) supply chain C) credit policy D) distribution structure Answer: B Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 5) Which of the following steps is the most appropriate, if a company decides to accept more risk and sell to companies with lower credit scores? A) modifying the credit checking process B) implementing different ways of checking credit C) approval of the special terms before checking the credit D) shipping the inventory directly from the manufacturer, to lower the credit Answer: C Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 6) In which of the following situations may credit checking be the first step in the procedure of processing an order? A) during recession B) during a merger C) during an acquisition D) during an amalgamation Answer: A Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 7) In which of the following instances will a business continually be in crisis, dealing with one process emergency after another? A) when the organization plans to develop the business process B) when an organization actively seeks to change business processes C) when the organization waits and lets the need for change just happen to them D) when the organization plans to update its business process Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
8) Which of the following is the first step in the business process management (BPM) cycle? A) creating system components B) creating models of business processes C) implementing the needed business processes D) assessing business process effectiveness Answer: B Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 9) In which of the following types of BPM scopes does problem resolution occur via committee and policy? A) functional B) departmental C) inter-enterprise D) enterprise Answer: D Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 10) Which of the following is an example of a departmental scope? A) supply chain management B) enterprise resource management C) accounts payable D) customer relationship management Answer: C Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 11) Which of the following statements is true about the relationship between business processes and information systems? A) Business processes and information systems have the same purpose. B) An IS in an organization is used by only one business process. C) Every activity in a business process is a component of an IS. D) All the elements of an IS are a part of the organization's business processes. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
12) Which of the following statements is true about choosing whether to develop information systems or business processes first? A) For a business process that is being constructed, building an IS after creating the business process is likely to cause problems. B) If an information system is built after the creation of business processes, other business processes that use the same IS can be integrated easily. C) If business processes are built after the IS development process, activities that are not part of the IS may not be considered. D) If an information system is built first, the development team should determine the requirements by itself. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 13) Which of the following statements is true of process problems? A) The task of solving a process problem is ideally given to systems analysts. B) An as-is diagram for business processes exists in all organizations. C) Business analysts prefer to use process schematics instead of Business Process Modeling Notation. D) When a business process has simply evolved, it's possible that no one knows the entire process. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 14) Which of the following statements is true about designing, creating, and implementing a new business process? A) Process changes that don't work can be undone easily. B) Computer simulation of alternative processes is inexpensive. C) During the system development process, there is a risk that the technology may change. D) Resolution of implementation problems is easier for enterprise processes. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
True or False 1) A business process is a network of activities, repositories, and data and sequence flows that interact to accomplish a business function. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 2) While processing a purchase order, if the customer's request for special terms is disapproved, the cost of checking availability and credit is wasted. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Analytical Thinking Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 3) A substantial change in the business environment, like the onset of a recession, might mean that checking credit becomes unnecessary. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 4) The credit-check process is independent of the inclusion or exclusion of new categories of customers. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 5) Organizations can plan to develop and modify business processes, in which case the business will continually be in crisis, dealing with one process emergency after another. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
6) Business process management (BPM) cannot be applied for nonprofit organizations. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 7) Business processes and information systems are synonymous terms. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 8) Business processes and information systems overlap. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 9) A procedure is a component of an information system and is embedded within a process activity. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 10) A business process need not use just one information system. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 11) The relationship of information systems and business processes is always one-to-many. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
12) An information system that processes a particular database will be used by only one business process. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 13) Some business processes consist of activities that do not involve information systems. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 14) Creating computer programs and designing databases in-house is more affordable than buying off-the-shelf software. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 15) Both information systems and business processes can be purchased off-the-shelf. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 16) An advantage of an ERP system is that to implement it, an organization must attempt to do everything at once. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
17) An application that works for the business processes developed initially is likely to include functions that will cater to business processes designed in the future. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 18) ERP vendors do not include business processes as a part of the software package. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 19) An application that includes business processes as part of the package requires time for integration and training. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 20) The difficulty of creating the as-is process diagram depends on the sophistication of the organization. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 21) If employees are already using an IS, one way of adjusting role resources is to improve the information system so as to facilitate the new process. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
22) The resolution of implementation problems can be difficult for enterprise and inter-enterprise processes because there is no recognized authority to enforce solutions. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects Essay 1) Give an example to illustrate how business processes fail to work when misaligned with the organization's goals. Answer: Business processes do not work well when they are misaligned with the organization's goals, objectives, or competitive strategy. For example, if the vendor has chosen a low-cost strategy, then taking the time to verify shipping dates might be at odds with that competitive strategy. The labor to verify shipping dates will raise sales costs and may prohibit the vendor from providing the lowest possible prices to its customers. Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 2) How can a change in customers, product lines, and supply chains affect business processes? Answer: A new category of customers could mean that the credit-check process needs to be modified; a certain category of customers might be too risky to be extended credit. All sales to customers in this category must be for cash. Or, a change in product lines might require different ways of checking availability. A change in the supply chain might mean that the company no longer stocks some items in inventory, but ships directly from the manufacturer instead. Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
3) Describe business process management (BPM) in brief. Answer: Business process management (BPM) is a cyclical (recurring) process for systematically creating, assessing, and altering business processes. This cycle begins by creating models of business processes. The business users who have expertise and are involved in the particular process adjust and evaluate those models. Usually, teams build an as-is model that documents the current situation. Depending on the nature of the problem, new process models are then created. The next step is to create process components. Next, the new or changed business processes are implemented. Well-managed organizations don't stop there. Instead, they create policies, procedures, and committees to continually assess business process effectiveness. When a need for change arises, the company models a new, adjusted business process, and the cycle is repeated. Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 4) What are the three principles that relate business processes and information systems? Answer: According to the first principle, information system elements are embedded within business processes, but some activities in business processes are not part of any information system. Business processes and information systems overlap, but they are different. Second, a business process can use zero, one, or more information systems. According to the third principle, a particular information system may be used by one or more business processes. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Experiencing MIS, 5e (Kroenke) Chapter Extension 18: International MIS Multiple Choice 1) Which of the following statements is true of the international business scenario? A) After the dot-com bust, optical fiber was extremely scarce and expensive. B) After the fall of the Soviet Union, the economies of Russia and Western Europe closed their markets to the world. C) With the popularity of the Internet, the economies of North America and Europe became less integrated. D) With the popularity of the Internet, the Chinese economy became more open to the world. Answer: D Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the effects of e-commerce on the modern business world 2) How has the global economy changed the competitive environment? A) Suppliers are not required to reach a wide range of customers. B) Customers now have less access to information about substitutes. C) It has intensified rivalry by increasing product and vendor choices. D) It has made it easier for new market entrants in all fields to penetrate the market. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the effects of e-commerce on the modern business world 3) Today's global economy changes competitive strategies because it ________. A) enables unprecedented product differentiation B) makes communication between a company and its customer one-sided C) reduces the risk that a company has to bear D) eliminates the need for localizing products Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the effects of e-commerce on the modern business world
1 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
4) How does the global economy change value chains and business processes? A) World time differences enable global virtual companies to operate 24/7. B) Overseas outsourcing is no longer an attractive option. C) It makes it difficult for an international company to conduct sales and marketing efforts locally. D) It makes it mandatory for the manufacturing activities to be carried out from the home country. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Diverse and Multicultural Work Environments Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the effects of e-commerce on the modern business world 5) The emergence of ________ technologies has made it easier for companies all over the world to obtain the latest in server technology. A) international cloud B) big data C) data mining D) distributed database Answer: A Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Describe the effects of e-commerce on the modern business world 6) The process of making a computer program work in a second language is called ________. A) differentiating B) stringing C) localizing D) optimizing Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
2 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
7) Which of the following statements is true about the issues to be addressed when localizing a computer program? A) When translating the user interface for a program, the entire user interface, except the icons, will need to be changed. B) Programming techniques can be used to simplify and reduce the cost of localization. C) Forms and reports should be localized in a manner that does not necessitate redesigning the entire document. D) The help text should always be maintained in English. Answer: B Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 8) Which of the following statements is true about localizing? A) Translating documents is less expensive, but more time consuming, than localizing computer programs. B) Localizing computer programs primarily involves translating documents from one language to another. C) Localization of computer programs should be planned from the beginning. D) Localizing computer programs is easier than translating documents. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 9) Which of the following is an issue related to global databases? A) Often, data transmission speeds are too slow to process data from a single geographic location. B) A single database increases data integrity problems. C) A single database is ideal for companies that use multiple languages. D) With a single database, it is not possible to have an integrated view of the customer or the organization's operations. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
3 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
10) ________ database processing refers to the processing of a single database that resides in multiple locations. A) Clustered B) Distributed C) External D) Hypermedia Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 11) If a distributed database contains copies of the same data, it is called a ________ database. A) mirrored B) redundant C) replicated D) partitioned Answer: C Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 12) If a distributed database divides the database into nonoverlapping segments, it is called a(n) ________ database. A) mirrored B) replicated C) independent D) partitioned Answer: D Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
4 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
13) Which of the following is an advantage of functional systems? A) They facilitate the integration of data across various business functions. B) Two order processing functional systems located in two different countries need not accommodate language and culture differences in a single system. C) They ensure that organizations do not suffer from islands of automation. D) They solve the problems of data isolation by integrating data into a database that provides a comprehensive and organization-wide view. Answer: B Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 14) Which of the following statements is true of inherent processes? A) Creating an accurate as-is international process management model is inexpensive and easy. B) Determining the criteria to be used for evaluating the alternative international processes takes little time. C) Each software product assumes that the software will be used by people filling particular roles and performing their actions in a certain way. D) In the future, it is likely that international business processes will be developed more like intra-department business processes. Answer: C Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 15) The phenomenon in which the variability in the size and timing of orders increases at each stage of the supply chain is known as the ________ effect. A) accelerator B) butterfly C) bullwhip D) rainbow Answer: C Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
5 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
16) Because of the ________ effect, a dollar spent will contribute two or three dollars of activity to the economy. A) distribution B) bullwhip C) butterfly D) accelerator Answer: D Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 17) Which of the following is true about the challenges of international information system management? A) Standardizing business processes is a good method to overcome the challenges posed by international IS management. B) Running hardware using the cloud in different countries poses a problem. C) The procedures for using a customer relationship management system remain the same irrespective of the country where it is used. D) The purpose and the scope of a system are determined in the requirement analysis stage of the software development life cycle. Answer: A Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes True or False 1) With the fall of the Soviet Union, the economies of Russia and Eastern Europe became alienated from the rest of the world market. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 2) The global economy has intensified rivalry by increasing product and vendor choices and by accelerating the flow of information about price, product, availability, and service. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure
6 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
3) The size of the world economy, combined with the Internet, limits product differentiation. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 4) Thanks to information systems, any value chain activity can be performed from anywhere in the world. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Explain how IS can be used to gain and sustain competitive advantage 5) World time differences restrict global virtual companies from operating 24/7. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 6) The emergence of the international cloud has increased the ease with which companies can obtain the latest in server technology. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 7) Information systems procedures, unlike business processes, need not reflect local cultural values and norms. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Diverse and Multicultural Work Environments Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 8) To localize a computer program, all you need to do is hire a translator to convert it from one language to another. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
7 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
9) International companies that have a single database must declare a single language for the company. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects 10) Cross-functional, integrated systems, such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), add to the problems of data isolation. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 11) Differences in language, culture, norms, and expectations compound the difficulties of international process management. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 12) Information systems increase inventories. Answer: FALSE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 13) The bullwhip effect is a phenomenon in which the variability in the size and timing of orders increases at each stage of the supply chain. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 14) Information systems support just-in-time (JIT) inventory techniques. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
8 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
15) The accelerator effect states that a dollar spent will contribute two or three dollars of activity to the economy. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 16) The purpose and scope of a system are determined in the systems definition stage of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 17) In the context of combatting the challenges of international IS management, defining a set of standard business processes requires conversion of the organization to different work processes. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes 18) The development rate of international information systems varies among countries and cultures. Answer: TRUE Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss the role of information systems in supporting business processes
9 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
Essay 1) How does the global economy change competitive strategy? Answer: The emerging global economy changes thinking about competitive strategies in two major ways. First, the sheer size and complexity of the global economy means that any organization that chooses a strategy allowing it to compete industry-wide is taking a very big risk. Competing in many different countries, with products localized to the language and culture of those countries, is an enormous and expensive task. The second major way today's world economy changes competitive strategies is that its size, combined with the Internet, enables unprecedented product differentiation. Difficulty: Easy Chapter LO: 1 Course LO: Describe the effects of e-commerce on the modern business world 2) What are the issues that have to be addressed when localizing a computer program? Answer: The process of making a computer program work in a second language is called localizing. The following issues have to be addressed while localizing a computer program: a. The user interface, including menu bars and commands, has to be translated. b. The labels in forms, reports, and query prompts have to be translated and possibly redesigned. c. All documentation and help text have to be translated. d. All the diagrams and examples in the help text have to be redrawn and translated. e. All the error messages have to be translated. f. The text in all message boxes has to be translated. g. Sorting order for the different character sets has to be adjusted. h. Special problems in Asian character sets and in languages that read and write from right to left have to be fixed. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 2 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure
10 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
3) What are the problems of inherent processes? Answer: Each software product assumes that the software will be used by people filling particular roles and performing their actions in a certain way. ERP vendors justify this standardization by saying that their procedures are based on industry-wide best practices and that the organization will benefit by following these standard processes. This statement may be true, but some inherent processes may conflict with cultural norms. If they do, it becomes difficult for the management to convince the employees in such cultures to follow those inherent processes. Differences in language, culture, norms, and expectations compound the difficulties of international process management. Just creating an accurate as-is model is difficult and expensive in itself; developing alternative international processes and evaluating them becomes incredibly challenging. With cultural differences, it becomes difficult to determine what criteria should be used for evaluating the alternatives and also for performing the evaluation. Difficulty: Easy AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 3 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure 4) How do global information systems affect supply chain profitability? Answer: Global information systems increase supply chain profitability. Supply chain performance is driven by four factors: facilities, inventories, transportation, and information. Every one of these drivers is positively affected by global information systems. Because of global information systems, facilities can be located anywhere in the world. Information systems reduce inventories and hence save costs. They can be used to reduce or eliminate the bullwhip effect. They also support just-in-time (JIT) inventory techniques worldwide. Information systems allow businesses to choose the delivery option that optimizes the value they generate. Finally, global information systems produce comprehensive, accurate, and timely information. Difficulty: Moderate AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 4 Course LO: Discuss best practices for selecting, evaluating, and managing information systems projects
11 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
5) What are the challenges of international information systems management? Answer: Managing a global information systems development project is difficult because of project size and complexity. Project integration is difficult because international development projects require the complex integration of results from distributed workgroups. Also, task dependencies can span teams working in different countries, increasing the difficulty of task management. Time management becomes difficult because teams in different cultures and countries work at different rates. Some cultures have a 35-hour workweek, and some have a 60-hour workweek. Some cultures expect 6-week vacations, and some expect 2 weeks. Some cultures thrive on efficiency of labor, and others thrive on considerate working relationships. Thus, there is no standard rate of development for an international project. In terms of cost, different countries and cultures pay vastly different labor rates. Using critical path analysis, managers may choose to move a task from one team to another. Doing so, however, may substantially increase costs. Thus, management may choose to accept a delay rather than move work to an available but more expensive team. The complex trade-offs that exist between time and cost become even more complex for international projects. Quality and human resources are also more complicated for international projects. Quality standards vary among countries. Thus, the integration of programs of varying quality results in an inconsistent system. Worker expectations vary among cultures and nations. Compensation, rewards, and worker conditions vary, and these differences can lead to misunderstandings, poor morale, and project delays. Because of these factors, effective team communication is exceedingly important for international projects, but because of language and culture differences and geographic separation, such communication is difficult. Effective communication is also more expensive. Finally, project procurement is complicated by the normal challenges of international commerce. Difficulty: Hard AACSB: Information Technology Chapter LO: 5 Course LO: Discuss the key issues involved in managing the components of IT infrastructure
12 Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.