Each homework assignment should be 3-5 pages (not including the cover page), 1.5-spaced, and have 1-inch margins, 12-point font size, and Calibri font. All pages except for the first should have a page number in the lower right corner. References, if necessary, must be listed at the end of the assignment and cited in the main text. Quote appropriately. Do not plagiarize! 
Finally, please use numbered section breaks (1, 2, 3…) to facilitate grading.
Book: Managing and Using Information Systems, : A Strategic Approach
Homework Assignment 3 (IS and the Design of Work) DUE March 04/2017
Read Managing and Using IS (Ch. 4) and answer the following questions:
1. Explain why a worker might resist the implementation of a new technology. (3 points)
2. Given the growth in telecommuting and other mobile work arrangements, how might offices physically change in the coming years? Will offices as we think of them today exist by 2020? Explain. (6 points)
3. What current technologies (other than those mentioned in Question 2 above) do you predict will show the most impact on the way work is done? Explain. (6 points)
Read Managing and Using IS (Ch 4, Case Studies 4-1 and 4-2). Choose one of these case studies and answer the case study Discussion Questions related to the case that you chose. (15 points)
Homework Assignment 4 (The Business of IT)
Read Managing and Using IS (Ch. 8) and answer the following questions:
1. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of having a CIO in an organization. (5 points)
2. Under what conditions would you recommend using each of these funding methods to pay for information systems (IS) expenses: allocation, chargeback, and corporate budget? (6 points)
3. A new inventory management system for ABC company could be developed at a cost of $260,000. The estimated net operating costs and estimated new benefits over six years of operation would be:
Year Estimated Net
Operating Costs Estimated New
Benefits
0 ($260,000) $0
1 ($7,000) $42,000
2 ($9,400) $78,000
3 ($11,000) $82,000
4 ($14,000) $115,000
5 ($15,000) $120,000
6 ($25,000) $140,000
In your answers to the questions below please show your calculations (i.e., turn in a copy of your calculations or a printout of your MS Excel worksheet).
a. What would be the payback period for this investment? (4 points)
b. Assuming a 15% discount rate, what is this investment’s NPV? (4 points)
c. Assuming a 15% discount rate, what is this investment’s profitability index? (4 points)
d. What is the IRR of this investment? (4 points)
e. Would this new inventory management system be a good or bad investment for ABC Company? Why? (4 points)
f. Assume that ABC Company now believes that the project is more risky than originally thought. As a result, the company’s estimate of the investment’s discount rate is now 20% (instead of 15%). Does this change your answer in Part (e)? Why or why not? (4 points)
Read Managing and Using IS (Ch. 7, Case Studies 7-1 and 7-2). Choose one of these case studies and answer the case study Discussion Questions related to the case that you chose. (10 points)
Homework Assignment 5 (IS Sourcing)
Read Managing and Using IS (Ch. 10) and answer the following questions:
1. The make-versus-buy decision is important every time a new application is requested of the IS group. In your opinion, under what conditions (i.e., for what reasons) should an IS organization make its own application? Under what conditions (i.e., for what reasons) should it buy an application? (6 points)
2. When does cloud computing make sense for a large corporation that already has an IS organization? Give an example of when it makes sense for a start-up company to engage in cloud computing. (6 points)
3. Does a captive center resolve the concerns managers have about outsourcing to a third party vendor? Why or why not? (4 points)
Read Managing and Using IS (Ch 9, Case Studies 9-1 and 9-2). Choose one of these case studies and answer the case study Discussion Questions related to the case that you chose. (14 points)
Homework Assignment 6 (Article) – Undergraduate students only
Acquire a recent article – from a news or trade magazine or a reputable internet website – relevant to one or more topics discussed in class (i.e., the strategic management of information systems). Based on the concepts discussed in class and based on your own experiences, present you opinions/thoughts on the article. Examples of questions you may discuss include: Did you like or dislike the article and why? What did you agree with and why? What did you disagree with and why? What alternative perspectives or concepts are ignored in the article? What are other examples or counter-examples (not mentioned in the article) related to the issues raised in the article? What recommendations would you make to resolve the issues raised in the article?
In summary, analyze the article in the context of this course. Please be original and present an opinion. Do not regurgitate or summarize the article. Show me that you can apply the ideas and concepts discussed in class to recent events. Please submit a copy of the article with your homework so that I can read it before grading your assignment.
