Management Information Systems for the Information Age (4th ed.)

Management Information Systems for the Information Age (4th ed.)

Management Information Systems for the Information Age (4th ed.)Stephen Haag, Maeve Cummings and Donald J. McCubbreyMcGraw-Hill/IrwinNew York, NY2004550 pp.ISBN: 0072819472$129.25 (hardcover)

If you are looking for a good overview of information systems and some of the basic concepts that “everyone” should know, then this is a great book for you. Used primarily in introductory level management and computer information systems courses, Management Information Systems for the Information Age does an excellent job of delving into prevalent socio-technical topics and providing explanations and examples that are easy to understand.

The book is divided into nine chapters with ten learning modules. Together, the reader gains both an organizational and a technical perspective on topics ranging from the basics distinguishing the Internet from the World Wide Web to using information technology as a competitive advantage. Also of particular interest is a section on artificial intelligence and cutting-edge technology. In addition, the book offers a companion web site at www.mhhe.com/haag There you may find sample chapters and quizzes to test your knowledge. In addition, for instructors, it comes with an excellent supplement complete with chapter outlines for lectures and class exercises – both being superb timesavers when preparing lessons.

On the outset, an academic may dismiss this book as a resource since it is not full of methodology and citations and employed mostly in the classroom, but that is not its strong suit; this book provides clear, solid definitions of some very technical concepts, such as intelligent agents and genetic algorithms that are increasingly presumed as common knowledge. As technological innovation rockets forward, both academics and practitioners will benefit from a perusal of the topics within this book’s cover and gain a respectable familiarity with concepts that are often mentioned in information systems circles.

Despite the overall praise, there are some points to contend with in this book. First, although copyrighted for 2004, of course it had to be written and printed at least two years earlier for distribution. There are some examples that are now outdated perhaps due to the company mentioned going out of business or a more prevalent example surfacing in the media. Furthermore, technological innovations change so rapidly that it would be foolish not to expect some depreciation the moment they are described in writing. A couple of examples of reported information changing include how URLs are used throughout the text and sometimes are no longer registered and the fact that NetZero no longer offers free Internet service.

Second, some definitions could be argued and all angles are not presented. For example, after earning my undergraduate degree in systems engineering and working for years in IT consulting, I have my own ideas about the systems development life cycle (SDLC), also known as the systems development model or methodology (SDM). All seven phases of the cycle and key tasks are described. When discussing design, system documentation, and training, no connection is made between the three. It has been my experience that the better the design, the less emphasis and need you have for documentation and training; these are crutches of a poorly designed system that is unintuitive for end-users. Certainly this is opinion, but one widely shared by usability specialists and IT trainers that should therefore be introduced to potential designers at an early stage in their education such as when this book might be used. Furthermore, when discussion skipping SDLC phases, alternative development approaches are not described that are often employed such as rapid application development (RAD).

These are just some examples of how the book does not – and to be fair, cannot – keep pace with all possible aspects related to information systems and falls victim to an ever-evolving subject. Overall, it is worth a look if you need basic information about core concepts in information systems and seems to be following a trend of publishing updated editions every two years in a good faith effort to hit a moving target.

Adriane B. DavisComputer Information Systems, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA