BMGT 301: INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Section 0601
1412)
Section 0701
1303)

Mon, Wed

5:00PM - 6:15PM (VMH

Mon

7:00PM - 9:40PM (VMH

Instructor: David J McCue

Teaching Assistant: -djmccue@rhsmith.umd.edu
0000 Van Munching Hall
Mobile phone: (571) 212-9300
Office Hrs: Wednesday 6:30 PM 7:30 PM and By Appointment

NA

Description

This course integrates management concepts and information systems and technology. We
will discuss how information systems are used for competitive advantage. We will learn
how information systems are used by successful marketers, accountants, and finance and
operations executives and more. Because our readings are online and current, we will learn
how key business theories explain and enable what is happening today in business when
information systems are being used. We will learn how to apply management concepts to
understand the opportunities created by, and threats arising from, the effective use of
information systems. We will discuss how to analyze and design information systems for
business and how those systems are used in different businesses and business functions.
We will cover the use of spreadsheets and databases for analysis and decision making. We
will learn about key technologies such as telecommunications.
Course Perspective
When you read a business publication website such as the Wall Street Journal, Fortune,
Business Week, or even a general publication such as the Washington Post or the New York
Times, you will see a large number of stories directly related to the use of information
systems in business and government.
Business people get excited because Information Systems (IS) have the power to create and
restructure industries, empower individuals and firms, and dramatically reduce costs.
Business people get scared because they know, when poorly implemented, IS can squander
shareholder wealth, taxpayer money, and destroy firms and careers.

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Every manager in business, non-profits and government has to pay attention to the impact
on their business and career of information systems, information technology, and the
innovations in that technology. Finance majors will fund investments in technology. They
will lend to technology firms, will buy and sell technology stocks, and will try to understand
how shifts in technology will affect investments. Investment bankers will finance startup
technology companies and need to understand topics such as Cloud, Software Defined
Networks, and Digital Presence. Marketing majors will use information systems to figure out
what customers want and how to sell it to them. New roles such as the Chief Marketing
Officer and Chief Digital Officer will have success defined by how they leverage technology
to achieve their job objectives. Every business with accounting majors uses information to
store, process, and analyze its accounting and financial data. Logistics and supply chain
majors use information systems to make their operations more efficient and nimble than
their competitors. HR managers use technology to find, evaluate, keep, and train
employees. And business owners and corporate lawyers now worry about intellectual
property, piracy, and privacy issues that did not exist before information systems were
used.
Opportunities are almost everywhere for IS majors and for dual majors who blend deep IT
and Functional knowledge. Business school graduates who know business and information
systems are being sought by almost every employer. The number of business information
systems opportunities in the US and throughout many countries is growing faster than
almost all other opportunities.
Outcomes of this Course
You will be ready and able to understand key business models, concepts, frameworks, and
issues concerning information systems and their use in business.
You will be able to assess the current uses and value of IS in an organization, identify where
IS can provide strategic advantage, and identify where firms and markets are vulnerable to
being disrupted or severely compromised.
You will be able to recall, from our class, examples of successful and failed uses of
information systems for competitive advantage, and use these examples to support your
points in meetings and discussions.
You will be able to demonstrate how Excel and Access can be used for modeling and solving
business problems.

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You will be able to positively differentiate yourself from students from other schools when
seeking opportunities after graduation.

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Pre-Requisites and Expectations

There are no prerequisites.

You should expect to work hard and learn a lot.
Learning will occur in the classroom, as part of a small group project with work done outside
the classroom and by significant use of self-paced/managed online instruction material.
The online services are representative of how most corporations provide training and
development for their staff. It is also the norm for most industry certifications.
You should expect to actively manage your learning efforts and be proactive in learning
style. You should expect the course to be interesting, rigorous, challenging, fun and
valuable. I expect you to be on time for the start of class; arriving late is a disruption. I
expect you to be an active participant in our discussions and activities, and you should
expect that I will ask you to share your knowledge and your questions.
It is your responsibility to contact me if you have additional questions or need clarification
on class topics and assignments. I will try to schedule a time that works for both of us. I
may not have time for students who wait until the last minute.
Course Materials
Recognizing that students are asked to buy textbooks that often cost significant amounts, we
have adopted a book that can be purchased as a digital PDF or read online for significantly lower
costs.
The textbook for the class is: Information Systems: A Managers Guide to Harnessing
Technology by John Gallaugher version 3 and published by Flatworld Knowledge. This book can
be read online, can be downloaded as a PDF file or printed per chapter at a nominal cost (digital
access for Fall 2014 is available for $24 to $42 USD). Traditional soft cover edition, Study Aids
Flash cards with key terms are available also for purchase. See the website for details.
Version 3 of the textbook was released August 25, 2014. It can be found at:
https://students.flatworldknowledge.com/course/1742947
The department has also just concluded discussions with another vendor (Cengage-SAM)
concerning delivery of online Excel and Access instruction modules. This will be a required
instruction part of our course. The cost will be $46 USD. This service will be used for both
online instruction and graded assignments that will become part of your final course grade.
Additional details will be posted as soon as available.

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Finally, you are now able to access Lynda.com, which provides online instruction for Excel and
Access at no additional cost. You will be expected to make use of this resource to support your
learning of Microsoft Office.
Note: As these events are unfolding throughout the month, the specific order of
lectures and some delivery details of class activities may change over the next few
weeks. Any changes will be posted to our Canvas space. It is your responsibility to
stay current as to any new postings and announcements.

Readings and other materials will be posted periodically and available online in our Canvas
space under Course Documents or other sections as indicated in Announcements and Class
discussions.
Additional readings and materials will be posted throughout the semester.
Throughout the course I will flag current events and articles of interest via Twitter - each
tweet for this purpose will use a hash tag of "#bmgt301" to help identify it and will come
from Twitter ID - @djmccue. Awareness of these tweets is strongly advised.
Course Website on Canvas:

It is very important for you to visit Canvas for the latest announcements and course
materials. The site will be regularly updated. Announcements, slides and other course
materials will be distributed through the site.
Please make sure your e-mail address and phone number are correctly recorded in the U
MD system, so that e-mails and phone calls will reach you. If you change them, please
remember to update the U MD system too.
Course Format and Schedule

The course consists of a combination of lectures, online instruction, discussions, and small
group interactions in class, plus group assignments, and hands-on workshop sessions.

Please see the course schedule in the syllabus for topics and readings. It will be updated
throughout the semester as new readings are added and to reflect the incorporation of the
Cengage and Lynda components.

Computers and Software Used in This Class

We will use Microsoft Excel, Access and Word in this class. This software runs only on a

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computer with the appropriate Microsoft Windows operating system or MAC. For homework,
if you do not have a computer with Excel, Access, and Word, the PCs in our Smith School
computer labs are equipped with this software.

If you have a Windows or MAC notebook computer with Excel, Access and Word or a tablet
with MS Office capabilities, please feel free to bring it to the class sessions involving
software.

You are welcome and encouraged to bring your notebook or tablet device to class to assist
in class activities, taking notes and referencing course material. Non-course related
activities during class (ex. Email, Facebook, extraneous messaging, streaming media, etc.)
are prohibited and will be viewed as both disruptive and grounds for dismissal from class,
reduction in course grade or other disciplinary action based on specifics of the incident.
Grading

The grading for the course is as follows:

Mid Term Examination in class

20% (individual effort)

Final Examination in class

30% (individual effort)

Excel, Access

25% (individual effort)

Group Assignment (1)

15% (team effort)

Class Participation

10% (individual effort)

Note: Exams are cumulative from the start of the course. Additionally, the exams will
include MS Office elements which when broken out from the exam score will result in MS
Office being 30% of your course grade.
The grade distribution for this course is not fixed. Grading is based on rank order
performance, and the distribution of grades relative to your peers. The cutoffs for the
various letter grades will vary depending on how the class as a whole performs and in
accordance with Smith policies. Please note that the Smith School guidelines for grade
distribution target a class average of a 3.1 GPA or 300 level courses.
Exams

The Mid-Term, Pop Quizzes (if administered) and Final Exams will be closed-book, closed
notes, and no devices exams and will be based on the topics covered in class, all material
in the text book (regardless of whether it was specifically discussed in class), assignments,
online material, and assigned readings beyond the text. The Mid-term Exam will be
administered in our classroom. The Final Exam will be administered in the room assigned
when Final Exams are scheduled.

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The exams are comprehensive from the first day of class through the date of administration
and will test your ability to recall and apply business models, concepts, frameworks, and
issues concerning information systems and their use in business.
The exams will cover what we have studied and discussed, to test, both for you and for me,
how successfully you are learning and able to apply what youve learned.
The exams will also test your ability to apply issues and examples in our readings and
discussed in our class. I consider exams to be an essential learning activity because at
work or in an interview, those who succeed know the answers and how to apply them.
The exams may contain short answer, brief essay, multiple choices, and fill in the blank
questions.
Everyone registered for the class will be required to take the tests on the days and at the
times for which they are scheduled. There will be no make-up quizzes or exams unless
required by the school policy that governs make-up exams and quizzes. Written
documentation describing the reasons for the students make-up request must be
submitted and meet the policys requirements.
Assignments

Your assignments are due before the class starts and unless otherwise instructed are to be
electronically submitted directly in Canvas and/or via the specific online service (ex.
Cengage).
When submitting electronic files to Canvas, all files are to be in native format (ex. Doc,
docx, xls, xlsx, ppt, pptx, pdf) do not submit any compressed files (zip, arc, rar).
We may discuss the topics of the assignment on the day that they are due, late
assignments will not be accepted and will receive a zero grade. If you cannot attend

class on the day an assignment is due, you must still electronically submit before the start
of class. If you have a question about your grade on an assignment or you believe that you
were graded incorrectly please contact me. Be prepared to objectively support your request
for reconsideration.
Project Assignment:
This is a team assignment, requiring the students to form teams of 5 (adjustments will be
made for odd number of students in a section). Your team will prepare a case study
presentation describing how a particular business or organization has successfully used an
information system for competitive advantage. Alternatively, your team will prepare a
briefing presentation describing how a particular technology or tool or technique is being

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used successfully by businesses and organizations.

The topic of the briefing or case study will be one of the first tasks to be completed by your
team. Canvas will have a location to document your proposal. In the case of duplicate
topics, the first team I approve the topic for will own it; others will need to make alternative
selections.
Briefings and case study presentations will be given on the date indicated in the schedule.
PowerPoint may be used but is not required for your presentations. Learning to present
beyond just or without PowerPoint is an essential skill in business. Demonstrations, either
live or recorded, and collateral material such as videos are encouraged.
Team briefings and presentations will be graded competitively. The best briefings and
presentations will receive the highest grades. The lesser briefings and presentations will
receive appropriately lower grades. Each member of the team will be asked to complete a
peer review describing the contributions of their teammates to the teams efforts. All the
students on a team will receive the same grade if the peer reviews indicate all students
contributed equally and fully. If the peer review indicates that one or more students on the
team did not fully contribute, then the grades for those students will be adjusted downward.
Excel/Access Assignments:
There will be assorted assignments for which computer files must be electronically
submitted. These assignments enable you to demonstrate your ability to apply Excel and
Access software to business problems. These assignments require the use of Excel and
Access, and may include Word. They are computer-based exercises, which you should
answer as completely and concisely as possible. Assignments must be submitted before the
start of class on the due date or in accordance with other specific instructions. Please
include your name, section number and your honor pledge within your submission

Document Form and Exposition:

It is expected that all written work submitted will be neat, legible, grammatically correct,
understandable, and free from spelling errors. Illegible and / or unintelligible work will not
be graded. Use of Microsoft Office or equivalent applications is encouraged.

Class Participation

Class participation is very important and will also be included as part of the grade. It is

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your responsibility to assist me in knowing who you are. Please be helpful in using visual
name cards, at your seat saying your name in verbal discussions and other assistance until
you are sure I am consistently matching name and face.
Questions are welcome and encouraged. You are expected to be prepared to participate in
our class discussions. Your insights, comments, and experience are important and a key
component of what we are learning. To keep the class conversation focused and on topic, I
will sometimes request that the conversation be deferred and picked-up outside the class
period. For example, if your comments refer to a website or article to share, you can post it
on the Article Discussion Board forum.
All students are expected to contribute at least occasionally in class. The quality of your
contribution is more important than quantity. I recognize that not all students are
comfortable participating in class. Our class is a relatively low risk environment in which to
practice presentation, discussion and negotiation skills that you will need later in life.
If you are unable to attend a class, please let me know, just as you would if you were
unable to attend a business meeting you were invited to. If you miss a class session, you
are responsible for the content of that days discussion and for finding out from your
classmates what was discussed.
Attendance will be taken at each class. The universitys policy on attendance is available
online.
The prerequisites for a high class participation grade include attending class regularly,
participating constructively in class, and NOT reading e-mails, surfing the web, texting
messages, listening to unrelated media on a smart device, playing a computer game,
working on homework for other classes, talking to your neighbors when someone else is
speaking, speaking on your cell phone, or otherwise disrupting the class or those around
you.
If you are concerned about your class participation, please come and see me to work out a
solution. I will post preliminary participation grades following the mid term exam. These
preliminary grades are subject to dramatic change based on performance and will provide
you with a checkpoint.

Posting and Presentation of Current Events Articles (extra credit opportunity)

As you prepare to begin your career after graduation, you should be keeping current on
trends and issues in business, especially those related to your major. When you meet a
prospective employer or someone who can refer you to a prospective employer, being
knowledgeable about what is going is essential. This assignment is designed to encourage
you to do this, and especially to consider the role IT plays in your field.

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Throughout the semester, you have an opportunity to find an article that discusses or
demonstrates the impact of information technology or systems in an area of business of
interest to you. Please post a link to the article and a brief summary (about of single
spaced page) on the course AND SECTION Discussion Board for Articles. Be prepared to
give the class a brief summary of the article upon request (not all posting will be requested
and the timing of the request may not coincide with when posted) and why you found it
interesting (2-3 minutes). Written and oral summaries should include an explicit
explanation of how the article relates to Information Systems and why it is relevant to your
major. Generating peer interest from your classmates in the form of electronic comments
posted is a goal.
You should select articles from respected publications such as:
http://www.cio.com/, http://www.cfo.com/, http://www.nytimes.com/,
http://www.businessweek.com/
http://www.ft.com/home/us, http://www.economist.com/
(This is not a complete list other professional publications or news sources may be used).
You can complete this assignment THREE TIMES during the semester. For each article you
post you may earn extra credit toward your grade.

Inclement Weather and Other Situations

Class will be cancelled when the campus is closed for any reason. Please dial the weather
number for your campus. You will be notified by Canvas Announcement if class is cancelled
in other situations. Please make sure your e-mail address is correct in Canvas.
Please check Canvas for announcements regarding changes to deadlines, make-up classes,
etc. related to class cancellation.

Academic Integrity

The University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally recognized Code of Academic
Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council. This Code sets standards for
academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate students.
The Student Honor Council proposed and the University Senate approved an Honor Pledge.
The University of Maryland Honor Pledge reads:
I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this
assignment/examination.

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Unless you are specifically advised to the contrary, the Pledge statement should be
included signed on all papers, projects, or other academic assignments submitted for
evaluation in this course. Students who fail to include the Pledge will be asked to confer
with the instructor. Electronic submission of your material is considered to be your
electronic signature on and acceptance of the Pledge.
As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this course. It is very
important for you to be aware of the consequences of cheating, fabrication, facilitation, and
plagiarism. For more information on the Code of Academic Integrity or the Student Honor
Council, please visit the Universitys website.
On any paper based exam or assignment you need to include the below pledge and sign
your name - "I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized
assistance on this assignment/examination "
.

Special Needs

If you have a disability and/or special needs, you should bring this to my attention as soon
as possible, and not later than the second week of class. If applicable, documentation from
the appropriate university service must be provided.

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Class Schedule As of 20 August 2014

McCue Common Syllabus Fall 2014 Mapped to Gallaugher V3.0

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Clas
s
1

Sessions
Introductio
n

SESSION 1:
INTRODUCTION

The digital
business
1

SESSION 2: WHAT ARE

INFORMATION
GOODS?

The digital
business
2

SESSION 3:
INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY AND
DIGITAL RIGHTS

IT strategy
1
IT strategy
2

SESSION 4: IT AND
STRATEGY BASICS

5
6

IT strategy
3

Excel 1

Excel 2

Database
1

10

Database
2

11

Database
3

12

Database
4

13

Web 2.0

14

Mid-term

15

IT
essentials
1

16

IT
essentials
2
IT
essentials
3

17

18

IT
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essentials

Mapping to Master
Course

SESSION 5: IT AND
STRATEGY - FIVE
FORCES
SESSION 6: IT AND
STRATEGY - PRICING
STRATEGIES
SESSION 7: BUSINESS
DECISION MAKING
USING
SPREADSHEETS I
SESSION 8: BUSINESS
DECISION MAKING
USING
SPREADSHEETS II
SESSION 9: SOLVING
BUSINESS PROBLEMS
USING ACCESS I

SESSION 10: SOLVING

BUSINESS PROBLEMS
USING ACCESS II
SESSION 11: SOLVING
BUSINESS PROBLEMS
USING ACCESS III
SESSION 12: SOLVING
BUSINESS PROBLEMS
USING ACCESS IV
SESSION 13:
CONTINUING
EVOLUTION OF THE
INTERNET
SESSION 14: MIDTERM
EXAMS
SESSION 15: IT
HARDWARE

Gallaugher
Ch 1 Setting the
Stage: Technology
and the Modern
Enterprise
Ch 4 Netflix in two
acts: the making of
an E-commerce
Giant and the
Uncertain future of
Atoms to Bits
Ch 11 Software in
Flux: Open Source,
Cloud and
Virtualized and App
driven Shifts
Ch. 2: Strategy and
Technology

Ch 12 The Data
Asset: Databases,
Business
Intelligence,
Analytics, Big Data
and Competitive
Advantage

Ch. 8: Sharing
Economy
Ch 9: Facebook
Ch. 6: Amazon

Ch 5: Moores Law:
Fast, Cheap
Computing and
What It Means for
the Manager
SESSION 16:
Ch 10
SOFTWARE AND OPEN
Understanding
SOURCE
Software, a Primer
for Managers
SESSION 17: SYSTEMS
Ch 11 Software in
ANALYSIS AND
Flux: Partly Cloudy
DEVELOPMENT
and Sometimes
Free
SESSION 18:
Ch 13: A Managers
Page 13 of 14
NETWORKS AND
Guide to the

Date
0601 M/W

Date
0701 M

Sept. 3

Sept. 8

Sept. 8

Sept. 8

Sept 10

Sept 15

Sept 15

Sept 15

Sept 17

Sept 22

Sept 22

Sept 22

Sept 24

Sept 29

Sept 29

Sept 29

October 1

October 6

October 6

October 6

October 8

October 13

October 13

October 13

October 15

October 20

October 20

October 20

October 25

October 25

October 22

October 27

October 27

October 27

October 29

Nov 3

Acknowledgement

Much of the content of this syllabus is based on syllabi prepared by Smith School faculty and by
faculty at other business schools, especially Professor Barney Corwin of Smith and Professor John
Gallaugher of Boston Universitys Carroll School of Management.

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