Exam 2: Gaining Competitive Advantage Through Information Systems

Mystic,a Texas-based fashion apparel company with subsidiaries in more than 25 countries across the world,is one of the most recognized brands in the global and domestic markets.In a recent interview with The New York Times,the CEO and the spearhead of Mystic Co.Burt Swager said,"The secret of the company's success is its ability to strike the right balance between centralization and decentralization." Mystic Co.is a firm that successfully pursues a(n)________ business strategy.

Which of the following statements is true about the e-business innovation cycle?

With respect to international business strategy,________ is the corporate culture that has evolved in the environment of the firm's home country.

Unstructured decisions can be programmed directly into operational information systems so that they can be made with little or no human intervention.

At the ________ level of a firm,the routine,day-to-day business processes and interactions with customers occur.

While assessing value of the IS infrastructure,________ value is derived from assessing an investment's impact on enabling the infrastructure to better meet business processing requirements.

Organizations deploying innovative information systems must have the human capital necessary to deploy the new systems.These requirements can be categorized as ________ requirements.

Discuss three new ways to think about investments in disruptive innovations as suggested by the e-business innovation cycle.

In an e-business innovation cycle,after an organization scans the environment for new emerging and enabling technologies,the next step is to ________.

With reference to assessing value for the IS infrastructure,________ value is the contribution an investment makes toward improving the infrastructure's ability to enhance the profitability of the business.

While assessing value of the IS infrastructure,"before-and-after" assessments of infrastructure characteristics such as interoperability,portability,scalability,recoverability,and compatibility can be taken to measure ________ value.

Any industry that utilizes digital technologies is on a path toward increasingly lower costs,ultimately toward a price of free-or at least "free" for consumers.

With respect to the organizational decision making levels,top level managers typically focus on problems within a specific business function,such as marketing or finance.

Within the context of organizational requirements for innovation,to deploy innovative information systems well,people in the organization must be willing to do whatever they can to bypass and eliminate internal bureaucracy,set aside political squabbles,and pull together for the common good.These requirements can be categorized as ________ requirements.

Unilever,which decides when to centralize and when to decentralize depending on the products and the local markets,is an example of a(n)________ company.

Explain how information systems implemented in the operational level are different from those implemented at the strategic level.

With respect to general approaches for applying freeconomics to various industries,the ________ approach means creating an environment that allows people to participate and collaborate to create something of value for everyone.

Distinguish between the terms e-commerce and e-business.

Most organizations have three general decision-making levels: operational,managerial,and executive.

Explain the organizational requirements for innovation.