MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS : Managing the Digital

This is the 9th edition of a successful textbook. The authors are two well-known and productive writers. K.C. Laudon, a professor of Information systems at Stern School of Business of the New York University, took his BA in Economics from Stanford and his Ph.D. from Columbia University. He is the author of twelve books and over forty articles about social, organizational and management impacts of information systems, privacy, ethics, and multimedia technology. Jane P. Laudon, a management consultant in information systems area, took her M.A. from Harvard University and her Ph.D. from Columbia University and authored seven books. Her main scientific interests are systems analysis, data management and software evaluation. The background, scientific interests and expertise of the authors and their previous works had an obvious impact on the manner this book was conceived, written and accompanied by auxiliary materials (the CD ROM and companion web site). The authors start from the premise that, nowadays, "Information systems knowledge is essential for creating successful, competitive firms, managing global corporations, adding business value and providing useful products and service to customers" (p. XIX). Moreover, they state that "in many industries survival and even existence without the extensive use of IT is inconceivable" (p.31). An important development the authors remark is the emergence of the digital firm, "where nearly all core business processes and relationship with customers, suppliers and employees are digitally enabled" (p.31). In the book the management information systems (MIS) is defined at large as "the study of [computer based] information systems in business and management" (p.44). Besides, the authors adopt a broader view of information systems (IS) "which encompasses an understanding of the management and organizational dimensions as well as technical dimensions of the systems as information systems literacy" (p.20). Consequently, this book can be viewed as an effort made by the Laudons with a view to contributing to building up and consolidating such an information system literacy for current and future managers, which are to be confronted with several "major challenges concerning: a) "information system investments", b) "strategic business"„ c) "globalization", d) "information infrastructure", and e) "ethics and security" (p.28). The authors have noticed a "user designer communication gap". In Table 15.3 (p.552) they give several examples of that gap. While the user is concerned with problem solving related questions such as: "Will the system deliver the information I need for my work?, "How quickly can I access the data?", ..., "How will the system fit into my daily business schedule?", the designer is preoccupied to find optimal answers to technology-oriented questions such as: "How many lines of program code will it take to perform this function?", ...,"What database management system should we use? In order to help the future managers to successfully face the major challenges mentioned above and to solve the possible communication gap, the authors adopt a sociotechnical view and style of presentation. They combine technical aspects (drawn from computer science, management science, and operations