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Chapter 1 The Importance of MIS
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actIve revIeW

Use this Active Review to verify that you understand the ideas other. Name the most important component and state why it is
and concepts that answer the chapter’s study questions. the most important. Use the five-component model to describe
the differences between high-tech and low-tech information
Q1-1 Why is Introduction to MIS the most systems. Explain how the components are ordered according to
important class in the business school? difficulty of change and disruption.

Define Bell’s Law and explain why its consequences are impor- Q1-5 What is information?
tant to business professionals today. Describe how Moore’s Law,
Metcalfe’s Law, Nielsen’s Law, and Kryder’s Law are changing how State four different definitions of information. Identify the
digital devices are used. State how business professionals should one that is your favorite and explain why. State the difference
relate to emerging information technology. between data and information. Explain why information can
never be written on a piece of paper or shown on a display
Q1-2 How will MIS affect me? device.

Give the text’s definition of job security and use Reich’s list Q1-6 What are necessary data
to explain how this course will help you attain that security. characteristics?
Summarize IS-related job opportunities. According to the
Bureau of Labor Statistics, how does the growth rate of IS- Create a mnemonic device for remembering the characteristics
related jobs compare with the average growth rate of all jobs of good data. Explain how these data characteristics relate to
nationally? information quality.

Q1-3 What is MIS? Q1-7 2026?

Explain why you can buy IT, but you can never buy IS. What What trends do you expect to see in 2026? How might you use
does that mean to you as a potential future business manager? your smartphone differently in 2026? What everyday devices
Identify the three important phrases in the definition of MIS. might be able to connect to the Internet in 2026? Explain the
Name the five components of an information system. Using the term classroom in a box. Why is your college or university chal-
five-component model, explain the difference between IT and IS. lenged by classrooms in a box? Is it seriously challenged, or is this
Explain why end users need to be involved in the management just a passing fad? Summarize how answering these questions
of information systems. Explain why it is a misconception to say contributes to your skill as a nonroutine thinker.
that organizations do something.
Using your Knowledge with
Q1-4 How can you use the Falcon Security
five-component model?
Reread the Falcon Security vignette at the start of this chapter.
Name and define each of the five components. Explain the sym- Using the knowledge you’ve gained from this chapter, especially
metry in the five-component model. Show how automation that in Q2, identify five mistakes that Jennifer made. For each,
moves work from one side of the five-component structure to the explain what you would do differently. Be specific.