Chapter 2: Information Systems in Organizations (VOCABULARY)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the lecture notes on Information Systems in Organizations (Chapter 2).

Organization

A group of people structured and managed to meet its mission or goals; organizations are open systems that affect and are affected by their surrounding environments.

Information system (IS)

A system that supports automated portions of organizational processes by collecting, processing, storing, and distributing information to support decision making, coordination, control, and analysis.

Value chain

A sequence of activities that an organization performs to transform inputs into outputs, increasing value along the chain.

Supply chain

The key value chain in a manufacturing organization, encompassing all activities from raw materials to customer delivery.

Supply Chain Management (SCM)

All activities required to get the right product to the right consumer in the right quantity, at the right time, and at the right cost.

Virtual team

A group of individuals distributed geographically who work as a coherent unit through information systems and electronic communications.

Innovation

The application of new ideas to products, processes, and activities of a firm, creating added value and potential for growth.

Sustaining innovation

Improvements to existing products, services, or ways of operating that increase profits, lower costs, and gain market share.

Disruptive innovation

An innovation that initially underperforms but later improves to offer new performance characteristics and open new markets.

Reengineering (Business Process Reengineering, BPR)

Radical redesign of business processes, organizational structures, information systems, and values to achieve breakthrough results.

Continuous improvement

Ongoing efforts to improve business processes and add value to products and services.

Outsourcing

A long-term arrangement where a company contracts for services with an outside organization that has expertise in a specific function.

Offshoring (Offshore outsourcing)

Outsourcing services to a provider located in a country different from the firm.

Downsizing (Rightsizing)

Reducing the number of employees to cut costs; can affect product quality and employee morale.

Organizational culture

The major understandings and assumptions shared by a business or organization.

Soft side of implementing change

People-focused work designed to help employees embrace a new information system and way of working.

Change management model

A framework describing the phases and principles for implementing change; several models exist.

Lewin’s Change Model

A three-stage approach to change: Unfreezing, Moving, and Refreezing.

Unfreezing

Preparing for change and creating readiness or motivation for it.

Moving

The phase in which the change is actually implemented.

Refreezing

Stabilizing and institutionalizing the new state after change.

Force Field Analysis

A theory identifying driving (positive) and restraining (negative) forces that influence change.

Driving forces

Beliefs, expectations, and cultural norms that push change forward.

Restraining forces

Factors that hinder or resist change and make implementation difficult.

Leavitt’s Diamond

A model proposing four interdependent components—people, tasks, structure, and technology—and the idea that changing one requires changes in the others.

Organizational learning

Adaptations and adjustments based on experience and ideas over time; can lead to reengineering or continuous improvement.

Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)

A theory describing factors that influence users’ acceptance and favorable attitudes toward information systems.

Diffusion of Innovation Theory

Rogers’ theory explaining how a new idea or product spreads and is adopted within a population or organization.

Shadow IT

IS solutions built and deployed by departments outside the official IS organization, enabling rapid innovation but with governance risks.

Certification

A process for testing skills and knowledge, resulting in a credential from a certifying authority.

Chief Information Officer (CIO)

Senior executive responsible for IS strategy and aligning IT with business goals.

Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

Senior executive focused on technology strategy and the organization’s technology direction.

Data center manager

Person responsible for the maintenance and operation of computing facilities.

System operator

Person who runs and maintains the organization’s IS equipment.

IS security analyst

Professional responsible for maintaining the security and integrity of systems and data.

LAN administrator

Person who sets up and manages local area network hardware, software, and security processes.

Software developer

Professional who writes software applications used by customers and employees.

Systems analyst

Professional who consults with management and users to determine system requirements and translates them into specifications for developers.

Programmer

Individual who converts a program design into code using programming languages.

Web developer

Person who designs and maintains websites to meet client requirements.

Database Administrator (DBA)

Professional who designs and sets up databases to meet organizational needs.

System support specialist

Professional who responds to user inquiries and provides technical support for IS.

BLS job forecast

+The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projection of computing job growth (e.g., about 1.2 million new computing jobs 2012–2022).