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Introduction to Information Systems: People, Technology and Processes, 4th edition

Published by Pearson (July 6, 2020) © 2021

  • Patricia Wallace Johns Hopkins University

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For courses in Information Systems

A contemporary introduction to information systems that focuses on human elements

Introduction to Information Systems teaches students what information systems are all about and why they are so fundamental to business and society. While discussing business strategies, technology trends and innovations, and other major topics rigorously, the text enriches those topics with probing discussions about the roles people play in building, shaping, implementing, and sometimes obstructing information systems.

The 4th Edition features many new discussions and examples about emerging technologies and industry trends.

Hallmark features of this title

  • Productivity Tips throughout help students apply learning to improve their productivity.
  • Balanced coverage serves a diverse audience, including those pursuing nonprofits or roles beyond traditional IS management.
  • Career-focused examples illustrate leveraging IS to transform or build organizations (with job descriptions, growth rates and projected salaries).
  • An Ethical Factors feature explores issues like corporate responsibility in extended supply chains, surveillance and collection of big data.
  • IS's role in globalization is illustrated with examples, such as Baidu's path to capturing China's search engine market and Idea's management of the global supply chain.
  • Competitive business strategies and IS are integrated to explore the nature of competition.

New and updated features of this title

Up-to-date with rapid changes in the field

  • UPDATED: All chapters and cases have been fully updated. Current topics include Facebook's efforts to combat fake accounts and hate speech; Uber's struggles with harassment and autonomous vehicles; lawsuits alleging Apple manipulates battery life; and the federal government's recent efforts to consolidate data centers and utilize cloud computing.
  • NEW: Newly added case studies include Dropbox and the Personal Cloud (Ch. 3); The Race to 5G (Ch. 3); Walmart Deploys Blockchain for Food Safety (Ch. 4); Meeting Demands of Global Growth, Netflix Migrates to Integrated ERP (Ch. 5); and Equifax: A Massive Data Breach at a Consumer Reporting Agency (Ch. 10).
  • UPDATED: Coverage includes distributed databases and blockchain and recent technologies (e.g., 5G and quantum computing).
  • EXPANDED: Business intelligence, analytics, AI, and robotics are covered more completely.
  • REVISED and UPDATED: Development of a digital presence, including websites, social media and mobile apps is now a key part of the text.

Develops practical skills and understanding

  • NEW: Interactive role-playing simulations let students apply and experience chapter knowledge in action, rather than just memorizing terms and concepts. Simulations are scored and provide feedback on student choices.
  1. Information Systems and People
  2. Information Systems and Strategy
  3. Information and Communications Technologies: The Enterprise Architecture
  4. Databases and Data Warehouses
  5. Information Systems for the Enterprise
  6. Developing a Digital Presence: Websites, Social Media and Mobile Apps
  7. Business Intelligence and Analytics
  8. Collaborating with Technology
  9. Knowledge Management and E-Learning
  10. Ethics, Privacy, and Security
  11. Systems Development and Procurement
  12. Information Systems Project Management and Strategic Planning

CASE STUDIES

  1. Facebook’s Privacy Challenges
  2. Enabling the Sharing Economy: The Case of Uber Technologies
  3. Apple: Can the Company Pull Off off Another Disruptive Innovation?
  4. Managing the Federal Government’s IT Project Portfolio

About our author

Patricia Wallace's career spans the fields of information technology, business and management, and psychology, and she has held varied positions, including head of information technology, faculty member, academic administrator, and consultant. She recently retired from Johns Hopkins University, where she was Senior Director, IT and Online Programs, at the Center for Talented Youth for 14 years. Before joining Hopkins, Dr. Wallace served as Chief Information Strategist, at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, College Park. She currently teaches in the Graduate School of the University of Maryland University College, where she also served as the Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer for ten years. She earned her Ph.D. in psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and holds an M.S. in Computer Systems Management. Dr. Wallace has published 15 books, including The Internet in the Workplace: How New Technologies Transform Work (2004) and The Psychology of the Internet (2016), several educational software programs, and numerous scholarly articles.

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