Global Information Systems and Electronic Business (VS1) (U04220)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : SBE-3-GISEB-VS1

Multinational businesses have increasingly relied on digital computing and communications for the
operation of their internal and external business processes for decades, and so the “electronification”
of business is not a new direction for business but a logical extension of existing practice. As global
network infrastructure has become cheaper to access and easier to use through developments such as
the ‘Web and the Grid, organisations of all sizes and geographical spread are using this infrastructure
to manage internal and external information, improve efficiency of business processes and develop it
as a channel to access new markets.

This course looks at the development and exploitation of management information systems in the context of global business operations and global markets, focussing on their impact on the competitiveness of organisations managing the ‘tyranny of distance’.

The course comprises 10 two-hour classes that will involve lectures, speakers from industry, class discussion, and class presentations of group-work as part of the (formative) assessment process. These begin with a review of key technologies and capabilities that form a global
infrastructure for electronic business, and then a series of lectures that develop an understanding of the relationships between data, information and knowledge and how management information systems are developed to manage them within an organisation. The impact of these systems on
competitiveness is considered from strategic, technical and organisational perspectives to promote effective integration of information systems and business processes.

Entry Requirements

? This course is only available to part year visiting students.

? This course is a variant of the following course : U04189

? Pre-requisites : Business Studies Honours Entry

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Business Studies, (School of Business and Economics, Schedule H)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 3rd year

? Delivery Period : Not being delivered

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Monday	09:00	10:50	Central

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding:
(i) describe qualitative differences between data, information and knowledge and their relation to
the hierarchy of management information systems
(ii) describe the basic capabilities and limitations of global information infrastructures
(iii) explain the relationship between the architecture of a global information network and the effectiveness of a globally pervasive high-performance computing service
(iv) describe how global information systems can contribute to an increase in revenue as well as a
reduction in operating costs
(v) explain why investing in electronic business channels can lead to an increase in transaction costs and a reduction in revenue
Cognitive Skills:
(vi) differentiate between the contributions to competitiveness that arise from flexible business
models and flexible business technologies
(vii) understand the impact of physical distance on performance characteristics of information systems and demand characteristics of synchronous and asynchronous markets
Key Skills:
(viii) recognise both the benefits and limitations of ‘transformational’ information systems
technologies
(ix) develop and present formal case for technology change based on improving access to global information infrastructures and attendant improvements in competitiveness within new or existing markets

Subject Specific Skills:
Note. These learning objectives align closely with the 2007 QAA Subject Benchmark statement for undergraduate Business and Management degrees in the areas of “information systems - the development, management and exploitation of information systems and their impact upon
organisations”. In addition the course is relevant to learning about ‘pervasive issues’ identified within the same benchmark in areas such as globalisation, enterprise development, business innovation and knowledge management.

Assessment Information

The option will be assessed in two ways:
1. A group project to thoroughly evaluate the value proposition of two online businesses operating in the same market sector, characterisation of each business’s strategy and concluding with a comparative analysis of the generic and specific strengths and weaknesses displayed by
each business. This project will be submitted as a report (30% of the overall course assessment) and presented and discussed in class (10% of the overall course assessment).
2. An essay (maximum 3000 words) that examines an organisation and considers the full range of generic business opportunities for increasing revenue or decreasing costs that access to global information systems and services can provide and assesses alignment with the organisation’s business model. The analysis should identify areas of opportunity and, paying full attention to integration issues, develop a business case for change.