1. What do you understand by Information processes data?

ANS: Data are generally considered to be raw facts that have undefined uses and

application; information is considered to be processed data that influences choices, that is, data that have somehow been formatted, filtered, and summarized; and knowledge is considered to be an understanding derived from information distinctions among data, information, and knowledge may be derived from scientific terminology. The researcher collects data to test hypotheses; thus, data refer to unprocessed and unanalyzed numbers. When the data are analyzed, scientists talk about the information contained in the data and the knowledge acquired from their analyses. The confusion often extends to the information systems context, and the three terms maybe used interchangeably. The acquisition of information is a first step in its use. We can obtain information from either formal or informal sources. Formal sources provide information in a relatively organized and predictable fashion, for example, business forms; electronic monitoring equipment such as digital thermometers; and machine-readable purchased data such as an encyclopedia (Personal records, corporate annual reports, summarized transaction histories) on a compact disc. Informal sources provide information in a less structured way and include conversations with customers, suppliers, and other employees, as well as general observations of personal and organizational activities. Generally, acquiring information through informal sources costs less, but the information acquired may be harder to organize and use effectively. Data acquisition can occur manually or electronically. Managers often hand-write evaluation reports or salespeople maintain written records of customer orders. Increasingly, managers can enter evaluation data directly into the computer, and salespeople can use point-of-sale terminals to record detailed sales information electronically. Experts estimate that electronic forms for capturing data cost at least 70 percent less to design, purchase, use, carry, and revise than the equivalent paper forms. Processing information describes transforming it into a usable form. Processing typically occurs at two times: first, between the acquisition and storage of information, and second, between its retrieval and communication. The processing that occurs between acquisition and storage generally requires a large amount of personal labor. Manual processing, involves duplicating, sorting, and filing data. Electronic processing, such as with electronic scanners, involves transforming and entering the data into an electronic form.

2. How do you retrieve information from manual system?

Retrieving desired data from manual systems can be time consuming and expensive executives spend approximately six weeks a year on average looking for misplaced material. Secretaries may spend as much as 30 percent of their time looking for paper documents and approximately 20 percent of that time searching for misfiled items. Because paper files require large amounts of space, managers may store the data on a different floor or even in a different building. The labour costs of retrieving even small amounts of information exceed those for retrieving information electronically unless the organization can create small and compact storage for its paper records.
ANS:

Electronic systems provide rapid and inexpensive access to information stored electronically in an organized fashion. The costs incurred are only those of using the computer equipment for a fraction of a second, particularly when retrieval is part of ongoing processing. If an individual requests the retrieval, it may require additional processing to translate the retrieval request from a form understood by the person to a form understood by the computer. Then the information is stored in a different place from where it is requested, the request must be transmitted electronically to where the data are stored, and the retrieved data must be transmitted back. Communication costs are relatively low for small amounts of information, but the communication equipment and infrastructure can be expensive unless amortized over a sufficiently large volume of data communication. Companies that have small communication needs can pay to use the infrastructure of third parties, such as telephone companies. An object is an entity that is represented by information in a database. User queries are matched against the database information. Most IR systems compute a numeric score on how well each objects in the database match the query, and rank the objects according to this value. The process may then be iterated if the user wishes to refine the query.

3. What are the challenges of information management? ANS: In identifying their information management requirements, individuals face four major challenges in addition to securing the most appropriate information. First, they must deal with large quantities of information that may create overload. Second, they may face insufficient or conflicting information. Third, they must find ways to enhance their personal productivity. Fourth, they must acquire and maintain the technical skills needed for effective personal information management.

Dealing with Quantities of Information: The gap between the amount of information that an organization can collect and the ability of its employees to make sense of that information has been widening rather than narrowing. As individuals move higher in the organizational hierarchy and assume more managerial responsibility, information overload become an even more significant challenge. To avoid such overload individuals must carefully asses their information needs and then find effective ways of managing the required and available information. They must also find ways to manage data better. Facing Insufficient or Conflicting Information: Although computers can make large quantities of information available to individuals, such information may not address their needs. Because computers process input from diverse sources, users may also obtain conflicting information if one source updates information more frequently than another does. Enhancing Personal Productivity: To ensure high productivity, employees must know how to use computers to facilitate, not hinder, their performance. They must know how to access the information they require and recognize when manual data collection and processing is adequate. Often employees must lobby their employers to add new technology that will help increase personal productivity. The ability to show the cost-effectiveness of additional expenditures for diagnosing and meeting information needs is critical. Maintaining Technical Skills: Finally, using information technology effectively requires continuous updating of technical skills. Although many companies provide training to their employees, others do not. Ensuring that employees have the appropriate skills has both financial and time cost implications. As a result, employees may find their mobility and productivity limited by the extent to which they can learn new technical skills independently of their employer.

4. Explain the different components of MIS. ANS: The different components of MIS are as follows: Hardware: The hardware component of MIS means all the input and output devices that help the feeling and displaying the information as per requirement. Different input devices are keyboard, scanners and mouse etc. The output devices are monitor, printer, network devices etc. Hardware devices are the physical parts of MIS. These can help in maintaining the data of business.

* * *

Multiple computer systems: mainframes, minicomputers, personal computers Computer system components are: central processor(s), memory hierarchy, input and output devices Communications: local area networks, metropolitan area networks, and wide area networks

Software: Softwares are the programmes and applications which convert machine into readable language. Different software generally used for processing the information of an organization are ERP and CRP, ERP is software package that combines all data and processes of an organization. There are two Software: Systems software and applications software. Database: Many categories of applications software are purchased as ready-to-use packages. Applications software directly assists end users in their functions. The use of purchased application packages is increasing. Large application systems consist of a, number of programs integrated by the database. To be accessible, data items must be organized so that individual records and their components can be identified and, if needed, related to one another. A simple way to organize data is to create files. The individual files of a database are interrelated. Personnel: Different personnel of MIS are computer experts, managers, users of computer based information system. Majority of the personnel use the computer based information for preparing plans and programmes, rules and regulations, and for taking different decisions. Procedures: Procedure implies a set of sales and guideline, which are established by an organisation for the use of a computer based information system, Procedure depends on the natutre and purpose of the organisation. So procedures are different for different organisations. Moreover, it may vary from one department to another department according to requirement. So, different departments have to set their procedures in different ways so that the MIS can help in retrieving the information as per requirement of a particular department.

5. Explain various Organizational limits to Relational Decision Making. ANS: The rational model of organizational decision making reflects only some aspects of the decision-making environment: those that lend themselves most readily to receiving support from information systems. Other aspects include incrementalism, chance-driven choice making, political/competitive behavior, and programmed choice making. As you shall see, most of these decision-making behaviors are rooted in the divergent interests of the people involved in making a decision. Therefore, various types of group decision support systems (GDSSs) can help these groups to negotiate, foresee, and manage a crisis, or to look at a broad array of alternatives before arriving at a decision. The more recent, and most pessimistic, so-called garbage can theory of organizational decision making is based on the premise that not all organizations are destined to succeed-many companies (even those considered excellent at some point) will fail. These firms are unable to adapt to the changing environment, and much of their decision making consists of attaching solutions to problems in a rather random manner. In one sense, "garbage-can" decision making is present to some extent in all companies: because of the difficulty in forecasting outcomes, chance does playa role in providing a solution to many an organizational problem. The aspects of organizational decision making are reflected by what George Huber called the political/competitive model. A decision process generally includes several participants, each of whom may seek to influence the decision in a direction favorable to themselves or to the unit they represent. For example, several studies of budget development clearly point to it being a political process. The need to reconcile the diverging interests of various stakeholders (for example, senior management, labor, government, and others) often leads participants to avoid making major departures from current policies-and is thus one of the reasons for incremental decision making. Rational decision making in organizations is also limited by programmed behavior. When decision makers engage in this type of behavior, they follow standard operating procedures, which constrains their choices and prevents creative problem solving as they opt for the "safe and tried." An analysis of the results of previous choices, assisted by information systems, may help decision makers relax the constraints of programmed choice making. 6. Write a note on Ethical and Social issues with E-Commerce. ANS: Ethical and Social issues with E-Commerce: The first objective of the study is to identify the ethical problems and issues related to e-commerce. The Internet poses fundamental challenges to issues central to society. With the advent of E-Commerce, it brings with it a host of ethical issues surrounding customer privacy. In protecting individual and corporate privacy, it has become a major ethical issue where it has created an entire segment of Internet industry firms whose mission is to help consumers protect

sensitive and personal data on the web. The second objective would be to discover the essential requirements in E-Commerce. a. Internet can be used in illegal ways, as there are no laws related to its use. Many servers contain illegal, immoral, defamatory information (which cannot be legally communicated using facilities like TV, radio, etc.). b. There is minimal or no control over the Internet (unlike telephone, radio, TV, etc.). Limited banning of material in Internet is not possible i.e. all-or-none rule. c. Free speech advocates say that screening of incoming material is the responsibility of the receiving end d. There is no law against Spamming i.e. sending unsolicited mail e. Massive flaming of large quantity of e-mail to one address. The question arises Is sending/receiving large quantity of mail ethical? Risks of Internet to Organizations: * * * * * * * Contracting viruses Interception of passwords by hackers Interception of sensitive/commercial data Illegal/objectionable use of site by users Inability to effectively disconnected Internet to own employees Misrepresentation of identity by site visitors Legal loopholes in electronic contracts

Data Security and Data Privacy * Data security is concerned with physical security of data from inside and outside causes: * Whereas Data privacy is concerned with ethical/moral protection of data: * It often arises as to what are the primary reasons for renewed importance for data security and data privacy?

Privacy and Databases: Privacy: one's right to control information about oneself. Proliferation of better and inexpensive use of IT leads to collection of personal data from large number of sources. Databases can accumulate and use vast amount of data in an inexpensive manner. For example: credit card transactions dealt with personal information in corporate databases, data in patient's medical records, employee performance records, Legal databases, loan databases