GOVT 459: Information Decisions & Management in Government

Fall 2000 Syllabus

 

Basic Course Information

Time/Place: Tuesday, 7:20 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., Krug Hall, Room 205

Instructor: Darrene Hackler

Office Location: Dept. of Public & International Affairs, A216 Robinson Hall

Telephone: 703-993-1418, fax 703-993-1399

E-mail: dhackler@gmu.edu

Office Hours: Tues., Thur., 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.; or by appt.

Required Text:

Laudon, Kenneth C. and Jane P. Laudon. Essentials of Management Information Systems, 3rd edition. Prentice-Hall, MA: 1999.

Course Organization and Objectives

This course is designed to introduce students to information and knowledge systems in government.Information applications, decision-modeling under risk and uncertainty; high-technology development, management, and use; and sociotechnical systems are discussed.

Course Rules

So as to avoid any discriminatory practices and in the interest of fairness, the following rules will prevail without exception:

1.There will be no make-up exams given in this course unless documentary evidence is presented to show a medical emergency.

2.Any examination or assignment that is missed counts as zero.

3.There will be no consideration of extra-credit work on an individual basis.

Timeliness

Please arrive on time to sessions and stay until the end of the session unless you have arranged otherwise with me.

Requirements and Grading

Midterm (25% of grade) and Final (25% of grade) Exams

Both exams will consist of questions in a basic format such as true/false, fill-in-the-blank questions, multiple choice, and essay.THE FINAL EXAM WILL BE COMPREHENSIVE.

Current Events (10% of grade)

Students are to find events that pertain to the topics read for class.A copy of the current event is to be turned in to the instructor along with a brief summary and student viewpoint.Students must be prepared to discuss the topic in class.Current events are due weeks 3, 5, 8, and 10.

Proposal (5% of grade)

A short proposal of a paper (see below) will provide me with information on your paper topic.You are to pick an organization and study its usage of information systems in one area.Included in this proposal will be background information about your topic. The proposal should be approximately two pages in length.If you have any questions about the appropriateness of your choice, please discuss the matter with me.Due October 3.

Paper Assignment (20% of grade)

Students will be required to prepare a paper on the use of computers in a government organization.Find out how the organization operated before computer systems were implemented.Look at the first attempts at automation in this area of the organization.Were they successful?The paper should discuss the pros and cons of computer usage in the government environment.Please incorporate the topics we discuss in class as they apply to your topic.

The paper should be a minimum of seven pages in length, but no more than 10 pages.Please use the department Research Handbook as your style guide.The paper will account for 20% of your grade.It is due on December 5.It must be turned in at the beginning of class that day.Any paper turned in after the beginning of class will have one letter grade subtracted for being late.Another letter grade will be subtracted for every subsequent day that the paper is late. Please see Paper Guidelines and Honor Code sections below.

Paper Presentation (5% of grade)

All students will present their papers to the class and be prepared to discuss their topics.Presentations are expected to be 15 minutes in length and will be followed by a question/answer session.Presentations will occur in at least three class sessions.Students will sign up for a time after submitting their proposals.

Class Participation (10% of grade)

Class participation is necessary to receive the full benefits of this class.It is mandatory and expected.

Grading

A= 93-100

A-= 90-92.9

B+ = 87-89.9

B= 83-86.9

B-= 80-82.9

C+ = 77-79.9

C= 70-76.9

D= 60-69.9

F= 59.9 & below

Paper Guidelines

1)You cannot use a paper from another course without explicit instructor approval.

2)Papers must be typed.

3)Papers should have a cover page, but do not put papers in covers, binders or any other kind of package.

4)No late assignments will be accepted without the instructor’s prior approval.

5)Papers with unacceptable errors in spelling and grammar will be returned for correction prior to grading and penalized 5 points per day until turned back in correctly. Students who feel they are weak in this area should seek help from the Writing Center.

6)The instructor may ask to review your source material. Do not discard it for at least a month after your final paper is turned in.

7)Finding and evaluating sources. The “Research Handbook” (see below) contains some good pointers for finding and evaluating sources. Remember that some sources are more credible than others, and it’s up to you the researcher to evaluate the credibility of a source and the particular facts, ideas or positions it advances. All sources are not created equal!

8)Plagiarism. Be careful and systematic in the way you quote and credit source material in order to avoid plagiarism, which may result in Honor Code violations.

9)Style

a)The term “style” refers to the way a paper treats headings, footnotes, bibliographic citations, illustrations, tables, etc. In professional writing, it is important to be aware of style and to follow the appropriate style guidelines for what you are writing.

b)You should choose and adhere to a particular style. You may wish to use the style outlined in the department’s “Research Handbook,” located at http://www.gmu.edu/departments/pia/research/resch-hk.htm. This guide is somewhat dated, especially with respect to the use of the library’s on-line capabilities. However, it provides useful information on writing and on evaluating source material.

c)For the citation of e-mail messages, World Wide Web sites, and other items on the internet, you may follow the format specified in: 1) http://english.ttu.edu/kairos/1.2/inbox/mla_archive.html#citing_sites. 2) “Beyond the MLA Handbook: Documenting Electronic Sources on the Internet” <http://english.ttu.edu/kairos/1.2/inbox/mla_archive.html> (June 10, 1996).

d)In addition to the guidelines in the “Research Handbook,” papers for this course require the following: (i) identify your sources in footnotes; (ii) include source information for all figures and tables; (iii) include a bibliography of all source material at the end of your paper.

10)Grading criteria

a)Technical content: 65%.

b)Writing quality: 25%.

c)Style and appearance: 10%

Honor Code Policy

The Honor Code policy endorsed by the members of the Department of Public & International Affairs relative to the types of academic work indicated below is set out in the appropriate paragraphs:

1.Quizzes, Tests and Examinations. No help may be given or received by students during the taking of quizzes, tests or examinations, whatever the type or wherever taken, unless the instructor specifically permits deviation from this standard.

2.Course Requirements. All work submitted in fulfillment of course requirements is to be solely the product of the individual(s) whose name(s) appears on it. Except with permission of the instructor, no recourse is to be had to projects, papers, lab reports or any other written work previously prepared by another student, and except with permission of the instructor no paper or work of another type submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of another course may be used a second time to satisfy a requirement of any course in the Department of Public Affairs. No assistance is to be obtained from commercial organizations, which sell or lease research help or written papers. With respect to all written work as appropriate, proper footnotes and attribution are required.



Schedule

Class
Date
Readings
Homework Due
1
8/29
Introduction, review of syllabus
2
9/5
Ch. 1: The Information Systems Revolution: Transforming Business and Management

Ch. 2: The Strategic Role of Information Systems
3
9/12
Ch. 3: Information Systems, Organization, and Management

Ch. 4: Ethical and Social Impact of Information Systems
1st Current Event
4
9/19
Ch. 5: Computers and Information Processing

Ch. 6: Information Systems Software
5
9/26
Ch. 7: Managing Data Resources
2nd Current Event
6
10/3
Ch. 8: Telecommunications and Network
Proposal
10/10
Recess (no class)
7
10/17
Midterm Exam
8
10/24
Ch. 9: The Internet: Electronic Commerce and Electronic Business
3rd Current Event
9
10/31
Ch. 10: Redesigning the Organization with Information Systems
10
11/7
Ch. 11: Approaches to Systems-Building
4th Current Event
11
11/14
Ch. 12: Managing Knowledge

Ch. 13: Enhancing Management Decision Making
12
11/21
Ch. 14: Information Systems Security and Control
Presentations
13
11/28
Ch. 15: Managing International Information Systems
Presentations
14
12/5
Paper Due
Paper &

Presentations
15
12/12
Final Exam: 7:30 – 10:15 p.m.

NOTE: DECEMBER 5 IS OUR LAST SCHEDULED CLASS. THE FINAL EXAM IS ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12 FROM 7:30- 10:15 P.M.