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Relationship of MIS and your Professional
Business Education
Mohammad B. Ayati, Ph.D.
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http//www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-0
40209-fg-obama_g20-g,0,2581281.graphic
April 4,2009
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http//www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-0
40209-fg-obama_g20-g,0,2581281.graphic
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(No Transcript)
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Congruency in Your Present Education Program

• How can we make this course congruent with your
  purpose of your present educational program?

The purpose of your present education program.
The question leads to
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CIS 301

• An Unconventional Course,
• Top-Down View of Information Systems

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CIS 301

• Complexity and Clarity
• He/She Confused me vs.
• I am confused, let me see where
  did I lost the logical sequence of the
  discussion

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• Are you interested in a theoretical IS course or
  a practical one? Fist, who is a more practical
  person? Explain.
• a field engineer,
• a design engineer,
• a research engineer
• a top manager,
• a secretary.
• What is the profession of Business Systems
  Analyst ?
• Business Systems Analyst does what? -- a
  business example?
• Is your Business School preparing you for the
  profession of Business Systems Analyst ? How
  does the school is preparing you? give examples.

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Practicality, Action Orientation

• Abstraction, Modeling, Views, Perspectives
• vs.
• Action

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Practicality, Action Orientation

• Tell me exactly what you want me to do.

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The next issue is What Level of
professionalism are you after?
All these jobs are necessary and equally
respectable. Do not confuse the level of work and
the value of human being or the critical role of
the person in the organization.
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Professionalism at any level What Level are you
after?
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• What salary (per year) a business graduate (BS
  or BA) should expect ( X ?)? How much
  would that cost the employer? (Y ? )?
• If you are to spend Y on something, what would
  expect? What should an employer expect from
  spending Y on a person every year?

CEO
CIO, CFO, ..
Project Manager
Senior Analyst, DBA, NA,
Junior Analyst, Programmer, Support Tech
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Top-Down or Bottom- Up

• Scenario 1 Your Relative, Maria, is not feeling
  well. She has come to Los Angeles to see a
  specialist. She has never been to Los Angeles
  before. She is staying with you. From your
  residence to the clinic there are 3 blocks. You
  tell her how to get there, right, left, and
  straight. Next, she wants to go to the pharmacy,
  next, to the physical therapist, every time you
  guide her. After a while she feels better. She
  gets a job in Los Angeles. Piece by piece,
  address by address, she leans her way around.
  After some 20 years, she will know Los Angeles,
  like the palm of her hand.

• Scenario 2 John, another relative, has come to
  Los Angeles from a neighboring country to find a
  job. He has never been to Los Angeles before. He
  is intelligent and has almost a high school
  education. He gets a job as a taxi driver. He
  needs to learn the whole city in a hurry. What
  method would you advise him to follow to be able
  to do his job? . After few months, by choice
  or by necessity, he may move to Chicago. Can he
  use that method, quickly, to be productive as a
  taxi driver in Chicago or Washington DC ?

What these scenarios have to do with your MIS
education?
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Top-Down or Bottom- Up
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Information Systems are Abstract systems

• Abstract? Vs ?
• How do you learn an abstract system?
• Studying theories and challenge them logically as
  in .. ?
• Metaphor, Analogy

Logical vs. Metaphorical
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Course Objective

• Training students to become
• Analyst / managers
• who can prepare and transform organizations to
  compete in the
• global information age market.
• Such managers are effective
• agents of automation
• who will pursue automation of business processes
  wherever it is optimal.

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• Is your Business College prepare you as an
  specialist ? -- if so, in what field?
• Or does it prepare you to become a generalist?
• Does it make sense to say generalist in what
  field?
• Or it prepares you as both a generalist and a
  specialist ? If so, how is it done?
• Are you to become a generalists or a specialists?

• Q Does it matter in my field of study?
• A Yes, because different blends of topics,
  concepts, and skills (how-to-dos) are needed for
  different educational purposes.

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Defining

• Specialist
• Knows few things in depth.
• Focuses on how-to-do
• Mastery of perfecting an operation?

• Generalist
• Knows something about many things.
• Focuses on what should be done.
• Mastery of integration

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Note

• Generalist vs. specialist is not a black or white
  issue, but a spectrum between two focuses. It is
  an example of a complex and multi-dimensional
  issue?
• Every professionals knowledge-base has a blend
  of general and specialized knowledge.
• Every job requires a blend of general and
  specialized knowledge.

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From an Organizational Perspective, How has the
dichotomy emerged?

• Efficiency of the group-work
• Individual work evolved into group work
• Needs for coordinating works and workers.
• The dichotomy emerged along with the
  organizational pyramid

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Note The role of the generalist in Organization

• We have learned that we can do better if each of
  us concentrated on doing the same thing over and
  over. We become specialists in various tasks,
  fields, and areas. However, soon we realized
  that some of us have to coordinate the work of
  others in order for the group, organization,
  community, or the society to work more
  efficiently and effectively. A foreman
  coordinates the work of his/her crew. Managers
  coordinate the work of their unit executives
  coordinate sections and ultimately coordinate the
  organization. The architect coordinates the blend
  of elements to achieve a whole the building the
  general contactor coordinates the elements of the
  project.

• Public administrators, politicians, and community
  leaders coordinate the work of the community and
  of the society. These coordinators have to know
  something about many things. They are
  generalists jack of many trades, but far more
  importantly, they are masters of integration.
  ('jack of all trades and master of none' is not a
  description of a generalist its a description of
  an aimless professional student or hobbyist.)
  Therefore, one can say that the specialization of
  a generalist is his/her skill of integration in
  his/her field. A generalist's focus is on 'what
  should be done a specialist's primary focus is
  on how to do it. We have been advancing in both
  directions. We have developed many new field of
  specialization as well, we have advanced our
  skill of integration

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• A Central Issue of MIS Education is
• What Blend of Generalist Training and
  Specialist Training is Needed?

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Defining

• Specialist
• Knows few things in depth.
• Focuses on how-to-do
• Mastery of perfecting an operation?

• Generalist
• Knows something about many things.
• Focuses on what should be done.
• Mastery of integration

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Note

• Generalist vs. specialist is not a black or white
  issue, but a spectrum between two focuses. It is
  an example of a complex and multi-dimensional
  issue?
• Every professionals knowledge-base has a blend
  of general and specialized knowledge.
• Every job requires a blend of general and
  specialized knowledge.

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How automations push the specialist into the
realm of the generalist.

• Exact recognition of work sequence lays the
  ground for automation.
• Machines take over large parts of the bottom of
  the pyramid.
• Specialties deepen and widen.
• Coordinating tasks become a bigger part of the job

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Note The role of the generalist in Organization

• We have learned that we can do better if each of
  us concentrated on doing the same thing over and
  over. We become specialists in various tasks,
  fields, and areas. However, soon we realized
  that some of us have to coordinate the work of
  others in order for the group, organization,
  community, or the society to work more
  efficiently and effectively. A foreman
  coordinates the work of his/her crew. Managers
  coordinate the work of their unit executives
  coordinate sections and ultimately coordinate the
  organization. The architect coordinates the blend
  of elements to achieve a whole the building the
  general contactor coordinates the elements of the
  project.

• Public administrators, politicians, and community
  leaders coordinate the work of the community and
  of the society. These coordinators have to know
  something about many things. They are
  generalists jack of many trades, but far more
  importantly, they are masters of integration.
  ('jack of all trades and master of none' is not a
  description of a generalist its a description of
  an aimless professional student or hobbyist.)
  Therefore, one can say that the specialization of
  a generalist is his/her skill of integration in
  his/her field. A generalist's focus is on 'what
  should be done a specialist's primary focus is
  on how to do it. We have been advancing in both
  directions. We have developed many new field of
  specialization as well, we have advanced our
  skill of integration

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Generalists vs. Specialists
Work Force Tasks and performers in the
organizational pyramid
Before Industrial Age
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Generalists vs. Specialists
Tasks and performers in the organizational pyram
id
After Industrial Age
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From an Organizational Perspective,

• Efficiency of the group-work
• Individual work evolved into group work
• Needs for coordinating works and workers.
• The dichotomy emerged along with the
  organizational pyramid

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General vs. Specialized knowledgeFrom the
perspective of the individuals knowledge-base
When we look at knowledge-base of the individual,
we see a different pyramid actually a dual of
the organizational pyramid Here, the base of the
pyramid is individuals general knowledge which
leads to the pick of his/her specialization. It
is said that the Pyramids have endured time
because they have a large and stable base. A
professional will endure his/her time if he/she
has a large base of general knowledge. The
pyramid of the persons knowledge-base is the
reverse of organizations Knowledge-base.
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In short

• For two reasons, you as a business analyst /
  manager must understand the virtue of general vs
  specialized knowledge and skill
• At the early stage of your professional work, you
  are given a narrowly defined (specialized) job,
  but that job relates to the job of other
  colleagues, therefore, you must learn the bigger
  picture.
• Later, when you become a manager or senior
  analyst, integration of many jobs becomes your
  job now you need the master over the bigger
  picture.
• CIS 301 is a course to lean the bigger picture of
  business with a lot of detail technologies.

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The Scope of needed knowledge
Systems analysis and Design
Business Systems, The User Environment
The Hardware systems, The Software Systems, The
Communication system
Systems analysis and Design link the technical
capabilities of computer and communication
technology to information needs of business
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Charting the Course

• Establishing Communication
• Matching expectations Understanding Each Others
  objectives
• The Scope of needed knowledge
• Harmonizing my approach of Teaching and your
  perception of Learning
• Significance of Terminology

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Dimensions of Learning
Top-Down or Bottom- Up
Logical vs. Metaphorical
Generalist vs. Specialist
Learning
Liberal Art vs. Professional
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• Is CIS 301 designed to educate generalists or to
  train specialists?
• Why CIS 301 is called a survey course? What is
  (are ) the benefit of a survey course? Would it
  be more useful to teach you a computer skill
  instead?
• It is said that a survey course is like taking a
  tour of a vast metropolitan area like Los
  Angeles. And just like a tour, a survey course
  can one of two different kind
• A shallow tour a tour for an ordinary foreign
  visitor who wants to enjoy glimpses of things,
  get some ideas about the foreign land s/he is
  visiting.
• An in-depth tour a tour for a business person
  (such as a real estate professional) whose work
  is going to be related to this new environment.
  S/he would need a working knowledge about this
  new environment.
• Which of the above surveys is similar to your
  involvement with Information Systems?

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The system model for any information system,
an analogy
Process
Process (Assembly)
Product
Storage
Other Input
(A good or, a service)
Program
Program (Instruction Codes)
Database
Information
Data
(a report, a screen)
Other Input
Producing Information is no different than
producing any product or service
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Learning by Analogy Is analogy a method of
proof?

• Galileo was passing by the market. Piero, an
  Italian boy, asked him Hey Galileo, you have
  said something about earth that people are
  talking about. What is it? Galileo picked up an
  orange and said Yes, I have said that earth is
  pretty much like this orange.
• Fernando, the boys friend said no way, it is
  not orange! Look it is more like grayish brown.
• No silly, Piero yelled he means it is round
  with two poles and bumps all over the surface.

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• Piero cooperates with the analogy, he gets the
  message.
• Fernando fights the analogy, he wastes his time
  and his teachers time.

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Is analogy a method of proof?

• No. The orange as analogy is not a proof that
  earth is round? through analogy, however, we try
  to convey a massage, an explanation.
• Full mental cooperation of the learner is needed
  for the analogy to be useful.
• Do you see problems in the use of analogy?
• If yes, how to prevent it?

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Problems in the use of analogy

• Bad analogy can misguide the learner.
• Had Galileo would pick an egg rather than an
  orange, his message would have been obscured.
• Now, lets change the scenario A professor of
  geology takes an egg and says earth is very
  much like this egg..
• Fernando says .. No way, is not white and it is
  not ellipse. (he is fighting the analogy)
• No silly, he means earth has layers and a core
  like an egg. Piero is cooperating with the
  analogy.
• Had the professor picked an orange, his analogy
  wouldn't hold.

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The Nature of this course

• A system course built on many disciplines.
• A none procedural, a design course
• A critical thinking course.
• This system course can not and should not be
  linearly and sequentially structured.

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MIS the most challenging field

• Constantly Look for the Focus and the Structure
  of the course
• It is not immediate
• It is not obvious
• It reveals itself
• to involved students

Always ask where are we go? what are we
getting on the way?
Q When you are lost into a detail map, what do
you do? A You go to the general map, the basics,
the square one
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Charting the Course

• Establishing Communication
• Matching expectations Understanding Each Others
  objectives
• The Scope of needed knowledge
• Harmonizing my approach of Teaching and your
  perception of Learning
• Significance of Terminology

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Significance of Terminology

• If you want to function in France, you better
  learn French
• If you want to learn MIS, you have to learn the
  language of MIS in CIS 301
• Language of MIS is as broad as any other language
• What is in a language?
• Expect those in CIS 301

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Significance of Terminology
Sociology
Mathematics
Logic
MIS Terminology
Business
Linguistics
Engineering
Economics
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• ? Syllabus

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• What would be an example of decision making
  regarding computer technology that you may have
  to get involved?
• What would be an example of decision making
  regarding information technology that you may
  have to get involved?

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• CIS 301 is the only CIS course that does not have
  a computer hands-on part. Information Systems
  Department offers many state of the art
  computer-skill courses. See IS course lists.

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How does mind get new Information and Knowledge?

• Associations of the presented new piece with the
  already present Information-Base and
  Knowledge-Base in the intellect.
• Therefore, you can imagine the mind has many
  hooks, like the legs of octopus or neurons
  endings, in search of new hooks. When you go to a
  lecture and it flies over you head, there is
  probably not enough hooks.
• So, as the intellect grows, the mind becomes a
  warehouse of hooks in search of new hooks. If the
  storage is organized, retrieval of the hooks,
  when they are needed, is possible otherwise they
  must be regenerated learn anew.

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Learning a New Discipline Concepts vs.
InformationA Warehouse Analogy

• Warehousing is to store related parts in order to
  be retrieved later.
• A warehouse works based on two principles
• Classification (grouping) of Objects
• Compartmentalization (place-holding) of the
  storage space

• Learning a discipline is to store in the memory,
  the related objects of information, issues,
  tools, methods and techniques in order to be
  retrieved later.
• To know a discipline, these objects must be
• Classified into groups
• Frameworks (models, theories) must exist to
  withhold these related elements

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Learning a New Discipline Concepts vs.
InformationA Warehouse Analogy, Cont

• Have you ever gone to a store and pay attention
  to the shelves? No, users are interested in the
  parts within the shelves not in the shelves.
  Users cannot use the shelves
• What if you have the task of organizing a store
  or a warehouse? Then the shelves become of
  primary interest.
• To put the shelves properly, one, however, needs
  to have a good idea about the parts

• Why many students (or general readers) are bored
  with concepts? Because, concepts are not
  immediately usable information or knowledge- just
  like the shelves.
• Why many students (or readers) forget what they
  thought they have learned? They did not have the
  established shelves (concepts) to put the parts
  into. Unorganized, piled up pieces are not
  retrievable.
• Having enough pieces of information and
  knowledge, however, is needed to develop the
  concepts. That is why concepts are not absorbable
  for children. Certain intellectual maturity is a
  prerequisite.

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Target You as Agents of automation will
find out

• if it is optimal to automate,
• how far to pursue automation, and
• how to employ what technology to develop the
  automated system

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Know When to Automat

• Technological Feasibility
• Can you break down the complex process into its
  precisely known simple elements ?
• Economical Justifiability
• Can you
• Reduce costs ?
• Reduce risks ?
• Improve quality?
• Capture new market?

Key terms repetitiveness, voluminous, safety
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From specialization to automation,to management

• The magic of specialization is that when we do
  the same thing over and over again, we learn it
  so well that we recognize its pattern, and soon
  we create machines to do those sequences
  automatically and less expensively. As a result,
  the machine is fast advancing into and capturing
  the job base of those whose specialization
  consists of clearly defined and repetitive tasks.
  For those workers, the umbrella of job security
  has largely been removed or ruptured even a
  strong union could not save them from the
  advancement of machines. So far, factory, farm
  and office workers, and more recently,
  programmers have been the target. (Who is next?)
  Moreover, machines, including software, are
  constantly being updated, renewed and reinvented,
  and have made the work of the operator or the
  programmer a challenge. Now he has to find out
  quickly, by himself, how to use the machine. It
  is economically infeasible to wait for someone to
  hold his hand in training. Life expectancy of
  machine-specific-knowledge is very short (
  whether it is hardware or software.)

• Thus we redefine specialization as the skills of
• Know-how,
• Doing things which require imagination, talent,
  and intelligence beyond what the machine can
  offer,
• Using the available specialized learning
  resources (manuals, reports, books, electronic
  mediums, etc.) to find out, by themselves, how
  various machines (hardware and software) work,
• Discovering patterns of repetitive tasks and
  creating (designing and developing) machines
  (hardware and software) to do those tasks,
• Coordinating the work of machines, operators,
  programmers, and operational unit
• (See the work force pyramid on the next three
  slides)

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• Prerequisites
• --------------------------------------------
• Mid-Term-1 30
• Mid-Term 2 30
• Final 40
• 100

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• You often hear we are entering (or we already
  are ) in Information Age What does it mean?
• What was the age before Information Age ?
  ..and the age before that?
• What are the implications of Information Age in
  your life?
• Compare your job in the Information Age with
  your ancestors in their time? Whose is (was)
  easier? Why?