in the School of Business Administration at UM - St. Louis |
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MSIS 480: Management Information Systems Final Exam
Answer each question clearly and neatly in typewritten (word processed) form, or as indicated by the question. If I cannot read your answer or understand your grammar, or if you provide multiple answers, the answer will be wrong.
You may have notes, books or other reference materials that you desire. However, you must do the exam alone. If you do work together on the exam, or if you copy the answer from someone or if you discuss possible answers, this will result in a grade of zero (0) for all parties involved.
Be specific and direct in your answer. If you have questions about the intent, meaning or purpose of the question -- ASK.
Turn in the complete exam, including the a copy of the questions, in order, stapled in the upper left corner. These are due by
#A _______________/25
#B _______________/25
#C _______________/25
#D _______________/25
_______________/100
To ensure confidentiality of grades, I do not post grades and do not provide grade information via telephone at the end of the semester. If you wish to receive your grade prior to the regular University process, you may provide me with a self-addressed, stamped envelope or postcard.
If you would like your grade sent to you via email, please state your preferred email address
here: ___________________________________________________ .
- A. Answer one of the following questions:
- 1. Suppose you have been given the task of assessing the cost of responding to the Year 2000
problem for your unit. The unit exclusively uses Macintosh computers and peripherals which
interact with Macintosh computers. What is your recommendation? (Since I do not tell you how
many computers or what type of Macintosh computers you have, you must give me information
per computer or peripheral.)
- 2. There currently is legislation under consideration in Washington to limit the liability of companies for Y2K problems. Write a letter to your congressional representative or senator stating a position you wish he or she would take. Be sure to justify your opinion.
- B. Answer one of the following questions:
- 3. Make a recommendation to your boss about computer security at your company. Be sure to
include information about how you would protect sensitive data (from hackers and accidental
damage), virus protection, hardware and software protection, as well as information about how
you would protect users' rights.
- 4. Your boss has just called you after having discovered the Chernobyl virus. Your boss has lots of questions such as (a) what is this virus; (b) how does one clean a machine to remove the virus; (c) how did the virus get on the machine; (d) what kinds of damage could the virus have done; (e) how does one repair the damage done? Provide your boss some insights.
- 5. What are the privacy issues pertinent to those who "surf the web?" How would you recommend an individual respond to those issues?
- 4. Your boss has just called you after having discovered the Chernobyl virus. Your boss has lots of questions such as (a) what is this virus; (b) how does one clean a machine to remove the virus; (c) how did the virus get on the machine; (d) what kinds of damage could the virus have done; (e) how does one repair the damage done? Provide your boss some insights.
- C. Answer one of the following questions:
- 6. In the Wall Street Journal, the claim was made that "Companies are a long way from unleashing
the real power of the technology they have spent so dearly to put in place." Discuss why that
claim might be true. In addition, discuss how you as a manager could take actions to move
toward "unleashing the real power of technology."
- 7. A study by the U.S. Commerce Department (http://ecommerce.gov/ ) says that traffic on the Internet is doubling every hundred days and predicts that electronic commerce will grow to $300 billion a year by 2002. Experts from industry say the real figure will be closer to $1 trillion. MIT Media Lab director Nicholas Negroponte said about 70% of the transactions will be business-to-business commerce. What can you do now to ensure that your company avails itself of this opportunity?
- D. Answer one of the following questions:
- 8. What is data warehousing and why might it be important to your business?
- 9. The University is in the early stages of implementing PeopleSoft. Provide a short description of the product and process that might be distributed to the campus community. Among the questions already asked are: (a) has any other University implemented this product (and, if so, what was their experience); (b) what is the real cost of this product; (c) what kinds of cost savings might we experience; and (d) what other (non-financial) kinds of benefits and costs might we experience?
- URL: http://www.umsl.edu/~sauter/480/final_exam_w99.html
- Page Owner: Professor Sauter (Vicki.Sauter@umsl.edu)
- Page Owner: Professor Sauter (Vicki.Sauter@umsl.edu)