Name and describe the management challenges posed by IT infrastructure.
> Describe the characteristics of management information systems (MIS) and explain how MIS differ from TPS and from DSS.
> Describe the characteristics of transaction processing systems (TPS) and the roles they play in a business, and how systems that link the enterprise improve organization performance.
> Describe the relationship between information systems and business processes.
> List and describe the various types of collaboration and social business tools.
> Define complementary assets and describe their relationship to information technology.
> Describe a supportive organizational culture and business processes for collaboration.
> List and describe the business benefits of collaboration and social business.
> Define collaboration and social business and explain why they have become so important in business today.
> Define business processes and describe the role they play in organizations.
> Define WSNs, explain how they work, and describe the kinds of applications that use them.
> Define RFID, explain how it works and describe how it provides value to businesses.
> Describe the capabilities of each and for which types of applications each is best suited.
> Define Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, WiMax, and 3G and 4G networks.
> Describe how online search technologies are used for marketing.
> Describe the features of a simple network and the network infrastructure for a large company.
> Compare the roles played by programmers, systems analysts, information systems managers, the chief information officer (CIO), chief security officer (CSO), chief data officer (CDO), and chief knowledge officer (CKO).
> Define and describe normalization and referential integrity and explain how they contribute to a well-designed relational database.
> Explain why non-relational databases are useful.
> List and describe the three operations of a relational DBMS.
> Define a relational DBMS and explain how it organizes data.
> Explain how the Internet and the World Wide Web are related to the other technology components of information systems.
> Name and briefly describe the capabilities of a DBMS.
> Define a database and a database management system.
> List and describe the problems of the traditional file environment.
> Define and explain the significance of entities, attributes, and key fields.
> Explain why data quality audits and data cleansing are essential.
> Describe the sociotechnical perspective on information systems.
> Describe the roles of information policy and data administration in information management.
> Describe how users can access information from a company’s internal databases through the web.
> Explain how text mining and web mining differ from conventional data mining.
> Define data mining, describing how it differs from OLAP and the types of information it provides.
> Describe the capabilities of online analytical processing (OLAP).
> Distinguish between data and information and between information systems literacy and computer literacy.
> List and describe the components of a contemporary business intelligence infrastructure.
> Define big data and describe the technologies for managing and analyzing it.
> Define and describe an entity-relationship diagram and explain its role in database design.
> List and describe each of the components in the data hierarchy.
> Describe the complementary social, managerial, and organizational assets required to optimize returns from information technology investments.
> Define and describe open source software and Linux and explain their business benefits.
> Explain how businesses can benefit from virtualization, green computing, and multicore processors.
> Describe the evolving mobile platform, quantum computing, and cloud computing.
> List and describe the components of IT infrastructure that firms need to manage.
> Describe how network economics, declining communications costs, and technology standards affect IT infrastructure.
> Describe Moore’s Law and the Law of Mass Digital Storage
> List and describe the organizational, management, and technology dimensions of information systems.
> Define and describe the following: web server, application server, multitiered client/server architecture.
> List each of the eras in IT infrastructure evolution and describe its distinguishing characteristics.
> Explain how using a competitive forces model and calculating the TCO of technology assets help firms make infrastructure investments.
> List and describe each discipline that contributes to a behavioral approach to information systems.
> Define and describe software mashups and apps.
> Name and describe the three external sources for software.
> Define and describe web services and the role played by XML.
> Define Java and HTML5 and explain why they are important.
> Define IT infrastructure from both a technology and a services perspective.
> List and define three different regimes that protect intellectual property rights.
> Define an information system and describe the activities it performs.
> Explain how informed consent, legislation, industry self-regulation, and technology tools help protect the individual privacy of Internet users.
> Explain how the Internet challenges the protection of individual privacy and intellectual property.
> List and describe each discipline that contributes to a technical approach to information systems.
> Define privacy and fair information practices.
> Identify and describe six ethical principles.
> Differentiate between responsibility, accountability, and liability.
> List and describe the key technological trends that heighten ethical concerns.
> Define and describe computer vision syndrome and repetitive stress injury (RSI) and explain their relationship to information technology.
> Name and describe four quality-of-life impacts of computers and information systems.
> List and describe the principal causes of system quality problems.
> Explain why it is so difficult to hold software services liable for failure or injury.
> List and describe six reasons why information systems are so important for business today.
> Explain how ethical, social, and political issues are connected and give some examples.
> List and describe alternative ways of locating information on the web.
> Describe how information systems have changed the way businesses operate and their products and services.
> Discuss how sales promotion can be used as an acceleration tool to speed up the selling and/or purchasing process and maximize a company’s sales volume.
> What is meant by a sales promotion trap or spiral? Find an example of an industry or market where a promotional battle is taking place. What are the options for companies in deciding whether to participate in the promotional war?
> Discuss the various types of trade promotions used by marketers giving attention to the objectives as well as the pros and cons of each.
> A report by a rebate fulfillment service showed that the average redemption rate for a $50 rebate on a product that costs $200 is only 35 percent. Why do you think redemption rates for rebates are so low? How might these low redemption rates affect a mar
> What are some of the problems marketers face in using contests and sweepstakes? Discuss steps they can take to avoid these problems.
> Discuss the type of company that would be likely to offer discounts to consumers using Groupon. What are the pros and cons of a company using Groupon to make promotional offers to consumers?
> Evaluate the effectiveness of coupons as a sales promotion tool. How would you respond to critics who argue that they are inefficient since less than 2 percent of coupons are redeemed?
> The chapter discusses the contest Unilever and its ad agency developed to launch the new Axe Apollo men’s personal care product line. Evaluate this contest as a consumer franchise-building promotion for the Axe Apollo brand.
> What is the difference between a consumer franchise-building and a nonfranchise-building promotion? Find an example of a promotional offer you believe contributes to the equity of a brand and explain how it does so.
> Discuss how mobile marketing is impacting marketers’ use of sales promotion.
> Describe how personal selling has become more involved with the use of other media in the IMC program. Explain how successful salespersons will use these media to their advantage.
> IMC Perspective 16-1 discusses the problems JC Penney encountered when it tried to cut back on the use of promotions and move to a “fair and square” pricing and promotion model. Why do you think JCP customers reacted so negatively to the retailer's reduc
> What are some of the reasons brand managers are allocating more of their promotional budgets to sales promotion rather than media advertising? Do you agree with the critics who argue that the increased use of sale promotion is undermining brand equity fo
> Discuss the difference between consumer-oriented promotions and trade-oriented promotions and the role each plays in a marketers IMC program. What are the various objectives for each category of sales promotion?
> The chapter opener discusses how many retailers have become overly dependent on discounts and promotions and the problems this has created for them. Discuss some of the reasons retailers have increased their use of discounts and promotions. How might th
> Describe some of the criteria used by companies to measure effectiveness of the public relations program. Provide examples.
> Many accuse companies like GoDaddy.com of exploiting of the media. They contend that events like the NFL’s refusal to show GoDaddy’s and Soda Stream’s commercials are designed strategies to gain publicity. Discuss whether you feel these are designed stra
> There is a saying that “any publicity is good publicity.” Discuss what you think about this statement.
> Examine a number of examples of different types of sponsorships corporations are currently engaging. Analyze the reason for the sponsorship, and evaluate whether it employs a wise strategy or not.
> The chapter discusses the lack of coordination that often exists between marketing and public relations departments. Discuss some of the reasons this might occur. What can be done to reduce this conflict to achieve greater coordination?
> Social media have had a profound impact on the power of publicity. Explain what this means and whether you believe it to be true or not. Provide examples to support your position.
> There has always been a divide between marketing and sales departments in companies. Explain how the changing role of the personal sales person may help to narrow this divide.
> The chapter discusses cause marketing, advocacy advertising and issue ads. Explain the differences between these forms of communication and give examples of each.
> Putting one’s name on a stadium can be an expensive proposition, and the prices continue to increase. Discuss whether this would be a good investment for a company, and why or why not. Give examples of companies for which this would be a good investment
> Research studies have indicated that cause marketing can actually lead to an increased intention to purchase a brand. Explain why this is the case and provide examples that you feel may pertain.
> As noted in the chapter lead in, many companies have suffered from the consequences of negative publicity. Discuss what companies might do to ward off the negative impact of bad press. How well did companies in the lead-in fare?
> Describe some of the measures used to measure public relations effectiveness. Critique these and provide an overall critique of their validity.
> Explain the differences between traditional and the new public relations objectives (MPRs). What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
> What impact do you think the millennial generation will have on cause marketing, issue advertising, and advocacy advertising? Explain your reasoning.
