Chapter 1: Business Driven Technology

Information Technology Basics

• Information technology (IT) - A field concerned with the use of technology in managing and processing information.   

-Information technology is an important enabler of business success and innovation

• Management information systems (MIS) - A general name for the business function and academic discipline covering the application of people, technologies, and procedures to solve business problems. 

- MIS is a business function, similar to Accounting, Finance, Operations, and Human Resources.

Data - raw facts that describes the characteristics of an event
Information - data converted into a meaningful and useful context.
Business intelligence - applications and technologies that are used to support decision-making efforts. 

IT Cultures

• Information-Functional Culture - Employees use information as a means of exercising influence or power over others. 
• Information-Sharing Culture - Employees across departments trust each other to use information (especially about problems and failures) to improve performance.
• Information-Inquiring Culture - Employees across departments search for information to better understand the future and align themselves with current trends and new directions.
• Information-Discovery Culture - Employees across departments are open to new insights about crisis and radical changes and seek ways to create competitive advantages.