Information Systems and Information Technology Essay Example for Free

Information Systems and Information Technology Essay A combination of hardware, software, infrastructure and trained personnel organized to facilitate planning, control, coordination, and decision making in an organisation Contrast IS and IT: What is the difference between Information Systems and Information Technology? In: Computer Terminology, Technology, Information Technology[Edit categories] Answer: Information Systems is a large umbrella referring to systems designed to create, store, manipulate, or disseminate information. Example of an information system is a pencil and a piece of paper. The two objects themselves are just tools, but together they create a system for writing (information). The term Information systems has been around a lot longer than the computer, or the term information technology. These days the two are sometimes thought to be synonymous, but that, in most cases is a misconception. Information technology falls under the information systems umbrella, but has nothing to do with systems per say. IT deals with the technology involved in the systems themselves, e.g. an information system like wiki.answers.com contains many information technologies. Servers, server operating systems, web-server software (IIS, Apache, et al), and code written for the web-server software (PHP, C#, VB, PERL, Ruby, et al). Even your computer and browser make up part of this information system. Like the pencil and paper example, each one of the mentioned parts of this information system in itself is an information technology. That being said, most people in the profession no longer make a distinction. Moreover, companies call their IS/IT department a wide range of titles based on more on culture and tradition than anything else. Assist With Business Processes Information systems aid businesses in developing a larger number of value  added-systems in the company. For example, a company can integrate information systems with the manufacturing cycle to ensure that the output it produces complies with the requirements of the various quality management standards. Adoption of information systems simplifies business processes and removes unnecessary activities. Information systems add controls to employee processes, ensuring that only users with the applicable rights can perform certain tasks. Further, information systems eliminate repetitive tasks and increase accuracy, allowing employees to concentrate on more high-level functions. Information systems can also lead to better project planning and implementation through effective monitoring and comparison against established criteria.

Free College Admissions Essays: Im Ready to Take English to the Next L

I'm Ready to Take English to the Next Level    It is with great excitement that I submit my application to your university's English department for the Bachelor's degree program. Following is a brief autobiography, submitted in fulfillment of part of the university's application requirements.    I began to study English over ten years ago, and rapidly developed a strong interest towards the language. Soon after, I was introduced to an American-based company, the Light House Bookstore, which provides our community with both English instructional books, and language lessons. During one of my frequent visits to this bookstore, I discovered that a small church occupied the second floor of the building, the Lotung Church of Christ. After many visits, and my eventual conversion to the Christian faith, I took every opportunity to attend church events and gatherings to speak with other American members, and quickly became good friends with many of them.    I never lost my interest in the Light House Bookstore however. After many mo...

Problems at Perrier Essay

The case study Problems at Perrier faces issues of resistance to change and strained relationships. By the end of this short essay we will understand two things about Perrier’s troubles. There will be a clearer definition of the key elements of the resistance to change and we will have also developed a strategy for dealing with the situation. The Communication Connection One thing that can be noted is management may not agree with the changes because of the unfamiliarity and lack of knowledge based on the real issues. Managers, at least as much as any other category of employee, are likely to have within their ranks a range of opinions as to whether a proposed change is a good idea. † (Palmer, Dunford, & Akin, 2009, p. 170). When the managers look back and see that profits were large and growth developed at a rapid pace, moving forward with change is difficult. Often people need to see what is in it for them or have a clear idea of why exactly any change is needed when t hings worked fine previously. Personal Attachment Change can be taken personal and have an affect on a person’s interest in the organization. People who have stocks or retirement plans built in as part of their income might show a strong resistance to the change. That self-interest shows concern for how the change will affect them rather than focus on whether it will be good for the organization. [no notes on this page] -2- Working With Change at Perrier 3 This personal attachment can be built on many factors and opinions which people use to justify their resistance. Something that is similar to personal attachment is the fact that the employee’s and management at Perrier had different ideas as to why the change was happening. They can possible take if personally because they have different thoughts and are confused about the plans being applied. According to the Nestle CEO Peter BrabeckLetmathe, â€Å"We have come to the point where the development for the Perrier brand is endangered by the stubbornness of the CGT† (Palmer, Dunford, & Akin, 2009, p. 183). A New Strategy for Management One of the most effective forms of delivering a solid speech and plan is to have clear communication. The managers at Perrier should help educate the employees and build a chart defining the connection between the change and new strategies. People can be afraid of the unknown and being uneducated and then not being involved with the change is relevant to the â€Å"unknown. † Nestle and the management at Perrier should have began a strategic plan by developing a higher level of communication between themselves first. Once that relationship was established, a plan to rebuild the relations between anagement and the employees would have been easy to build. Becoming Involved People like to generally be involved with things when it will have an impact on them, whether it be at work or at home. Jean-Paul Franc, head of the CGT at Perrier was continuously working against Nestle. Having the employees involved could have brought new insight and ideas into the negations which might have been relevant for Jean-Paul Franc to use in making plans with Nestle. Allowing people to have the opportunity to be involved also increases their knowledge about the situation and allows them to form their no notes on this page] -3- Working With Change at Perrier 4 own opinions which will not be based just on pure resistance. If they have an understanding then their acceptance or resistance will feel justified. Leadership and motivation can also be high points for management at Perrier. Motivation through education and rewards for increasing productivity could encourage new direction. Conclusion A level of support and education needs to be built into a solid f oundation for anyone to understand why change is needed.

The Impact Of Privacy On The Workplace Field Of Human...

Employee privacy issues have surged to the forefront of the business press in recent years, spurred on by changing workplace dynamics and a litigation-conscious business environment. Observers say that advances in telecommunications—such as e-mail and the Internet—coupled with heightened concerns about vulnerability to litigation, have exacerbated management concerns about monitoring employee behavior. Indeed, employee privacy is already fairly restricted in many respects in many of the large corporations. Privacy in the workplace is a controversial issue in the field of Human Resource management as employers have more technologies available to monitor telephones, computer terminals, and voice mail. This privacy issue has been fueled by the increased use of a variety of electronic monitoring systems. Electronic monitoring is defined as the computerized collection, storage, analysis, and reporting of information about employees productive activities (Office of Technolog y Assessment, 1987, p. 27). Currently, as many as 26 million workers in the United States are monitored in their jobs, and this number will increase as computers are used more and more within companies and as the cost of these monitoring systems goes down (DeTienne, 1993, p. 33). Of those monitored, 10 million have their work evaluated and pay based on the data collected (DeTienne, 1993). By the end of the decade, as many as 30 million people may be constantly monitored in their jobs (DeTienne, 1993, p.Show MoreRelatedEthical Issues Within The Field Of Human Resources1657 Words   |  7 PagesOrganizations are increasingly facing problems with ethical issues in the field of human resources. 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