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 •
Preface XI
About the authors xv
•
Acknowledgements XVI

Part 1 Foundations 1
Chapter 1 Information systems and organisations 3
Learning objectives 3
Introduction 5
1 .1 A dependence on information 6
1 .2 The technology infrastructure 8
1 .3 Using IS technology to add value 12
1 .4 Managing IS in context: an interaction model 15
1 .5 Stakeholders in information systems 16
1 .6 The contexts of IS 18
1 .7 Interaction between IS and context 22
1 .8 Implementation and learning processes 23
1 .9 Assessing the outcomes 25
1 .10 The management challenges of IS 26
Conclusions 28
Chapter questions 28
Further reading 29

Chapter 2 Emerging technologies for information systems 31

Learning objectives 31
Introduction 33
2.1 The evolution of information systems 33
2.2 Classifying information systems 34
2.3 Managing information flows with enterprise-wide systems 42
2.4 Knowledge management systems 45
2.5 Managing customer processes with CRM 50
2.6 Using IS beyond organisational borders 54
2.7 Digital search and customer participation 60
Conclusions 64
Chapter questions 64
Further reading 65

Chapter 3 Social contexts of information systems 67

Learning objectives 67
Introduction 68
3.1 Political contexts 69
••
VII
Contents

3.2 Economic contexts 72

3.3 Cultural contexts 75
3.4 Legal context (1) - data privacy 80
3.5 Legal context (2) - intellectual property 83
3.6 Ethics, stakeholders and contexts 85
3. 7 Can ethical behaviour pay? 90
Conclusions 93
Chapter questions 94
Further reading 94

Part 2 Strategy 97
Chapter 4 Using information systems to reinvent strategy 99
Learning objectives 99
Introduction 100
4.1 Issues in developing an IS strategy 101
4.2 IS from a strategic perspective 108
4.3 Aligning IS with corporate strategy 117
4.4 Positioning e-business models within the company 121
4.5 Opportunities and problems of IS planning 124
Conclusions 127
Chapter questions 127
Further reading 128
Web/inks 128

Chapter 5 Using IS to rethink business processes 129

Learning objectives 129
Introduction 130
5.1 Rethinking and innovating business processes 132
5.2 Approaches to innovating processes 134
5.3 The role of IS in process change 140
5.4 Examples of IS-enabled process change 144
5.5 Managing process innovation 150
Conclusions 152
Chapter questions 153
Further reading 153
Web/inks 154

Part 3 Organisation
-------------------------~
155
Chapter 6 Cultures, structures and politics 157
Learning objectives 157
Introduction 159
6.1 Cultures and IS 160
6.2 IS can support central or local decision-making 165
6.3 Structures to support IS-enabled ventures 170

•••
VIII
 Contents

6.4 IS enables new structures 172

6.5 The political aspects of information systems 176
Conclusions 178
Chapter questions 179
Further reading 179

Chapter 7 Organising and positioning IS activities 181

Learning objectives 181
Introduction 182
7 .1 Alternative ways to structure IS activities 183
7 .2 Outsourcing or in-house? 190
7 .3 Charging for IS activities 197
7 .4 Managing IS as a partnership of three interest groups 199
7.5 IS staff 203
7 .6 IT governance 204
Conclusions 206
Chapter questions 206
Further reading 207
Web/inks 207

Chapter 8 People and information systems 209

Learning objectives 209
Introduction 210
8.1 People and context interact 211
8.2 Human-computer interaction 214
8.3 The technology acceptance model (TAM) and UTAUT 215
8.4 Theories of human needs 219
8.5 Using IS for commitment or control? 223
8.6 Managing distributed work 228
8. 7 Implications for design - the socio-technical approach 232
Conclusions 234
Chapter questions 235
Further reading 235

Part 4 Implementation 237

-----------------------~

Chapter 9 Managing implementation 239

Learning objectives 239
Introduction 240
9.1 Models of change - planning, emergent, participation and politics 241
9.2 Establishing the project 249
9.3 Controlling the project 251
9.4 Programmes - managing a series of projects 257
9.5 Building the energised environment 261
Conclusions 264
Chapter questions 264

•
IX
Contents

Further reading 265

Web/inks 265

Chapter 1 0 The costs and benefits of IS 267

Learning objectives 267
Introduction 268
10.1 Formal-rational methods for evaluating IS proposals 270
10.2 The costs of information systems 271
10.3 The benefits of information systems 273
10.4 Creating a balanced portfolio of project types 277
10.5 Problems of formal-rational evaluation 278
10.6 Wider criteria for evaluating IS 281
10. 7 Organising for IS evaluation 285
Conclusions 287
Chapter questions 287
Further reading 288

Glossary 289
References 295
Index 305

Instructor resources
Visit www.pearsoned.eo.uk/ boddy to find valuable online resources

For instructors
• Complete, downloadable Instructor's Manual
• PowerPoint slides that can be downloaded and used as OHTs

For more information please contact your local Pearson Education

sales representative or visit www.pearsoned.eo.uk/ boddy

x
Modern information technologies are transforming the delivery of goods and services,
but to secure an adequate return managers need to deal with issues of strategy and organ-
isation. Information systems succeed when those responsible for implementing them
take a coherent approach to both the management and the technical issues. This book
draws on extensive empirical research to present a distinct organisational perspective on
the management of computer-based information systems.
The book is intended for those studying towards a management qualification at
universities or business schools. Undergraduate courses for which it is suitable include
Level 2 and Level 3 courses with titles such as 'Information Systems Management',
'Information Systems in Context', 'Information Systems and Organisational Trans-
formation' or 'Information Systems in Business' taken as part of degrees such as BA in
Business Management, BSc in Information Systems, BSc in International Business and
Management or a BBA qualification.
Postgraduate courses for which it is suitable include 'Management Systems and
Organisations' as part of an MSc in Information Technology or 'e-transformation: strat-
egy and implementation' as part of an MBA.
We offer readers the accumulating evidence of current practice, based on our research
and on published studies. The book includes many case studies drawn from these
sources, which will enable readers to be more confident in handling similar situations. It
takes a management perspective towards information systems (IS), in that it identifies the
issues of organisation and strategy that managers face as they decide how to respond
to technological opportunities. Managing successive IS projects as part of a coherent
organisational process (rather than as isolated technological events) will produce an
information system that enhances broader strategy.
The issues will be presented within a coherent theoretical framework. This is based on
the interaction between people, technology and contexts. The chapters deal with the
components of the model in turn, so that readers can link to it at different points. The
cases (from a wide range of sectors) illustrate aspects of the model.
This means we can draw from a broad range of technological applications - with a
consistent focus on realising the business opportunities. It is not tied to a particular tech-
nological fashion. It offers a timeless framework that managers can use to consider new
developments in the information revolution as they arise - in this edition we pay more
attention to mobile computing and social networking.
This new edition takes account of helpful comments from staff and students who used
the second edition and the suggestions of six anonymous reviewers. The book retains the
content of the second edition, with the addition of a completely new chapter on the
social contexts of information systems, allowing us to introduce issues of data privacy
and intellectual property. The chapter on costs and benefits has been moved to the end
of the book, and the two chapters on implementation have been combined into a single
Chapter 9. Chapter 1 has been substantially revised to set out more fully and systemat-
ically the distinctive theoretical perspective of the book.
Eight of the Chapter Cases are new: Tesco, Google, Intel, Zara, NHS Connect, Cemex,
Nokia and the BBC. The continued Siemens and RBS cases have been completely
•
XI
Preface

rewritten to take account of new developments - in the latter the acquisition of ABN
Amro. There are many new examples and illustrations, and over 100 new references. A
new pedagogical feature has been added - 'Weblinks' - that, following the Further
Reading, offers suggestions of sites to visit for more information.

Objectives
When they have read the book, students should be able to do the following.
• Evaluate current IS provision in an organisation, in the light of emerging technical
possibilities.
Outline how IS could support an organisation's strategy, including developing new
products, services and markets.
Propose how IS can add value to a business process and enable radical re-engineering
of existing processes.
Propose how human and structural changes should be made to gain more value from
a computer-based IS.
Evaluate how their IS function is organised and propose alternatives.
Manage organisational and IS changes to achieve complementarity between them.
Avoid the common pitfalls that damage many IS projects.
Evaluate and discuss an organisation's approach to these issues and make well-
grounded recommendations on actual or planned IS applications.
Take a balanced view of how computer-based IS can benefit their organisation.

Outline of the book

There are four parts in the book, dealing with foundations, strategy, organisation and
implementation. Chapter 1 outlines the role of information in organisations and the
components of an information system. This includes the fundamental point that infor-
mation systems include people as well as technology. It also presents the central
theoretical perspective of the book, that people interpret and interact with their context
as they respond to an information system. These interactions shape the outcomes of a
project - and identify whether these match the promoters' objectives.
Chapter 2 concentrates on recent developments in computer-based information sys-
tems, in applications to support customer relationship management, knowledge man-
agement, enterprise resource planning, inter-organisational working and community
systems. It illustrates the far-reaching possibilities these enable, while indicating that
the issues they raise are more to do with management than with technology.
The new Chapter 3 outlines features of the wider social context that are relevant to
those managing information systems. It shows the influence of political and economic
factors on aspects of information systems management and how variations in cultures
between nations can affect the use of information systems. There are two sections on the
legal context, dealing respectively with data privacy and intellectual property. It then
shows how to consider ethical issues as part of organisational strategy.
Part 2 deals with some strategic issues. Chapter 4 examines the interaction between
strategy and information systems. It begins by using established models of the strategy
development process to show how companies have used information systems to change
••
XII
 Preface

the way they compete. It then considers the concept of strategic alignment and con-
cludes with an analysis of the practical complexities of forming an information system
strategy.
Chapter 5 examines how companies have used computer-based systems to modify
their business processes. Modern systems make it possible for people to link the horizon-
tal processes of organisations more effectively, by eroding established functional
boundaries. This depends on a good understanding of different approaches to business
process redesign and the managerial and organisational interactions that such projects
involve.
Part 3 of the book turns to organisational issues. Cultural, structural and political
issues dominate Chapter 6. It is increasingly clear that the prevailing culture in an organ-
isation affects how people react to information systems. It is equally clear that managers
can use information systems to centralise or to decentralise decisions - which approach
gives most coherence with wider strategy? A major issue for companies introducing an
Internet venture is whether to integrate this with the existing structure or to create it as
a separate business unit. The chapter ends with a consideration of the links between
power and information systems.
Chapter 7 considers one aspect of structural choice, namely the place of the informa-
tion function itself within the organisation. It outlines the main options - centralised,
decentralised, federal or outsourcing - and the benefits and costs of each. It also con-
siders alternative approaches to charging for information services and the problem of
balancing the conflicting expectations of user, IS and corporate constituencies.
Chapter 8 examines people in relation to information systems. Theories of human
motivation offer some guidance on how people will react to new systems - whether as
users or customers. Staff tend to welcome those which complement valued skills and
experience and reject those that do not. The chapter also considers research into distrib-
uted working arrangements - which indicates that they are more likely to bring
worthwhile benefits if management creates a coherent context for the people concerned.
The first chapter in Part 4 focuses on process - how managers implement an
information system in a way that achieves, or exceeds, its objectives. It outlines four
complementary models of change, each of which can guide management action in a
project, and then considers ways of monitoring and controlling what is happening. The
chapter then moves from considering projects to the additional techniques required to
manage programmes, groups of related projects, such as that undertaken by The Royal
Bank of Scotland to integrate its acquisition, ABN Amro Bank.
Chapter 10 considers how to evaluate the costs and benefits of investing in informa-
tion systems. The dilemma all managers face is that, while they can usually predict the
costs of an information system, they are much less certain about the benefits: a dilemma
facing the BBC as it decides how much to invest in digital networks, alongside its con-
ventional broadcasting channels. The chapter outlines briefly the principles, and the
weaknesses, of conventional investment appraisal methods. It then introduces some
alternative methods that give more weight to non-financial criteria.

Pedagogical features
The book includes these pedagogical features.

• Learning objectives at the start of each chapter. These serve as a focus for the chap-
ter and a reference point for learning.
• ••
XIII
Preface

Cases at the start of each chapter. Most of these relate to familiar companies and
trace how, in different ways, their managements have sought to make good use of
computer-based information systems. Developments in the case or additional perspec-
tives are introduced later in the chapter. These provide a good basis for group work
before or during a class.
Case questions encourage students to make connections between the case and the
theoretical perspectives of the chapter.
MIS in practice boxes throughout the chapter illustrate the themes.
• Research summary boxes highlight significant pieces of research or scholarship.
Activities - each chapter contains several activity features that invite readers to make
connections between theory and practice. They invite them, for example, to gather
some information or reflect on practice as a stimulus to thinking about the theory.
• End-of-section summaries. Each section concludes by summarising the topic covered,
which helps students to draw the material together.
• End-of-chapter questions. At the end of each chapter there are at least five questions,
which readers can use to test their understanding of the topics or which teachers can
use as a way of structuring class discussion.
Further reading. As well as extensive references to (accessible) sources, each chapter
contains an annotated guide to at least two books or articles that deal with issues in
greater depth or from a different perspective.
• Weblinks - some suggested websites as sources of further information and ideas.
References - the text is fully referenced to academic sources, and this edition includes
over 100 new references.

Supplementary material
An Instructor's Manual is available at www.pearsoned.co. uk/boddy to adopters of the
text. This offers:
suggested responses to the activity (where appropriate) and chapter questions;
additional or more recent information about some of the chapter cases and other
cases;
some additional models or diagrams, to supplement those in the text;
suggested tutorial and/or examination questions;
a set of PowerPoint slides for each chapter, including many of the figures .

•
XIV
David Boddy, BSc(Econ), MA (Organizational Psychology), is Research Fellow in the
Department of Management at the University of Glasgow. He teaches courses for
experienced managers on the management issues raised by computer-based information
systems - which has been the main focus of his research. His books include Management:
An Introduction (4th edition) and Managing Projects: Building and Leading the Team (2nd
edition), both with Financial Times/Prentice Hall, Harlow. He has recently published
in the Journal of Information Technology, the Journal of General Management, the Journal
of Management Studies, New Technology, Work and Employment and the European Journal of
Information Systems.
Albert Boonstra, Bee, MBA, PhD, is an associate professor at the Faculty of Management
and Organisation, University of Groningen, The Netherlands. His research focuses on
the human and organisational issues of implementing and using information and com-
munication technologies. He teaches IT-management-related courses for students as well
as for experienced managers. He also consults for profit and not-for-profit organisations
on the management of information systems. He has recently had articles published in
the Journal of General Management, the European Journal of Information Systems and New
Technology, Work and Employment.
Graham Kennedy holds an MBA degree from the University of Glasgow and currently
works in the internal consultancy division of The Royal Bank of Scotland. He has over
eighteen years' experience as a manager of change initiatives in industries as varied as
financial services and engineering. A common thread throughout his career has been the
application of information systems to business areas, and this has provided him with
many insights into the opportunities - and problems - which new technologies present
to users.
More information is available from www.pearson.eo.uk/boddy.

xv
 This book is the result of several years' cooperation between the authors in teaching an
MBA elective on the topic. They have delivered this to managers taking the Executive
MBA programme at the University of Glasgow, and also to managers on Executive MBA
programmes from around the world who have attended the European Summer School for
Advanced Management or the Asian Intensive School for Advanced Management as part
of their MBA studies. The managers attending these Executive MBA programmes are too
numerous to mention, but they have contributed beyond measure to the development
of our thinking in this area.

Publisher's acknowledgements
We are grateful to the following for permission to reproduce copyright material:

Table 2.4 This material is taken from Case Studies in Knowledge Management (1999) writ-
ten by Scarbrough, H. and Swan, J., with the permission of the publisher, the Chartered
Institute of Personnel and Development, London (www.cipd.co.uk); Table 4.2 from
Six IT decisions your IT people shouldn't make, by Ross, J.W. and Weill, P., Harvard
Business Review 80(11) p. 87, copyright 2002; and Table 6.3 from Get the right mix for
bricks and clicks, by Gulati, R. and Garino, J. Harvard Business Review, 78(3) p. 114,
copyright 2003 by the Harvard Business School Corporation, all rights reserved;
Table 5.1 from Process management, creating value along the vale chain, by Wisner, J.D.
and Stanley, L.L., (2008), Thomson Publishing/Cengage Learning; Table 5.2 from Open
Innovation: The New Imperative for Creating and Profiting from Technology, by Chesborough,
H.R., p. 121, copyright 2003; Table 5.3 from Pre-conditions for BPR-success by Markus,
M.J., Information Systems Management 11(2) pp. 7-14, copyright 1994 Taylor & Francis
Informa UK Ltd; Table 6.1 from Organizational Culture: Mapping the Terrain. Martin, J.,
2002, Sage Publications Inc.; Table 7 .1 Reprinted from Corporate Information Systems
Management: Text and Cases, Applegate, L.M., McFarlan, F.W. and Kennedy, J.L., Irwin/
McGraw-Hill, p. 420; and Table 7.3 from Corporate Information Systems Management: Text
and Cases, by Applegate, L.M., McFarlan, F.W. and Kennedy, J.L., Irwin/McGraw-Hill,
p. 445, copyright 2007, McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.; Table 7.6 from Technochange
management: using IT to drive organizational change, by Markus, M.L. 2004, Journal of
Information Technology, 20(1) p. 7, Palgrave MacMillan; Table 10.3 reprinted from The
Impact of inadequacies in the treatment of organisational issues on information systems
development projects, by Doherty, N.F., King, M. and Al-Mushayt, 0., Information and
Management 41, pp. 49-62, 2003 with permission from Elsevier Limited.
Figure 3.1 from Graph of internet subscribers by region and access type 2006,
www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/statistics/, reproduced with the permission of the International
Telecommunication Union; Figure 3.2 from Variation in demographic characteristics of
UK Internet users, eMori Technology Tracker, Ipsos MORI; Figure 3.3 reprinted from Table
of Privacy Policy Assessment Matrix, K.S. Schwaig et al., Information and Management 43,

•
XVI
 Acknowledgements

pp. 805-820, 2006, Table 10; Figure 3.4 from Graph showing Downloads share of singles
sales in the UK by week 2004-2006, British Phonographic Industry/OCC; Figure 3.6
from Ethical decision-making in organisations: a person-situation interactionist model,
Academy of Management Review, (11)3, pp. 601-617; Trevino's model of ethical decision
making; Figure 4.2 Reprinted from Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior
Performance by Porter, M.E., with the permission of The Free Press, a Division of Simon
& Schuster Adult Publishing Group, copyright 1985, 1998 by Michael E. Porter, all rights
reserved; Figures 4.7 from Strategy and the Internet, by Porter, M.E., Harvard Business
Review, 79(2) pp. 63-78, copyright 2001; and Figure 10.3 from The balanced scorecard:
measures that drive performance, by Kaplan, R.S. and Norton, D.P., Harvard Business
Review 70(1) pp. 71-79, copyright 2002 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation,
all rights reserved; Figure 4.10 from The Internet Encyclopedia, Bidgoli, H., copyright 2004,
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., p. 324, reprinted with permission; Figure 4.11 The dynamics of
alignment: Insights from a punctuated equilibrium model by Sabherwal, R., Hirscheim,
R. and Gales, T., 2001, Organization Science 12(2), pp. 179-197, reprinted by permission;
Figure 4.13 from E-business and E-Commerce Management 3rd edn, by Chaffey, D., 2007,
Financial Times Prentice Hall; Figure 6.1 The inertial impact of culture on IT implemen-
tation, by Cooper et al., 2003, Information and Management, 27(1) pp. 17-31; Figure 6.2
from Real strategies for virtual organizing, by Venkatraman, N. and Henderson, J.C.,
1998, MIT Sloan Management Review 40(1) p . 34; and Figure 10.1 from New approaches
to IT investment, Ross, J.W. and Beath, C.M., 2002, MIT Sloan Management Review 43(2)
pp. 51-59, MIT; Figure 8.3 Organizational Behaviour 6th edn, by Huczynski, A.A. and
Buchanan D.A., 2007, Financial Times Prentice Hall; Figure 8.6 from Distributed work
arrangements: a research framework, by Belanger, F. and Collins, R.W. 1998, Information
Society 14(2) p. 139; Figure 9.1 from Business Information Systems; by Chaffey, D., 2003,
Financial Times Prentice Hall; Figure 10.2 from An expanded instrument for evaluating
information system success, Saarinen, T., 1996, Information and Management, 31,
pp. 49-62, with permission from Elsevier Limited.
MIS in Practice p. 224 from The flowering of feudalism, The Economist 27 February
1993, copyright 1993 The Economist Group, all rights reserved.

We are grateful to the Financial Times Limited for permission to reprint the following
material:

Chapter 10 Knowing when to take the giant leap, Financial Times, 3 October 2003, copy-
right Financial Times, 3 October 2003.

In some instances we have been unable to trace the owners of copyright material, and we
would appreciate any information that would enable us to do so.

Table 2.3 from Alavi, M. and Leidner, D.E. (2002), Knowledge management and know-
ledge management system: conceptual foundations and research issues, MIS Quarterly,
25(1) pp. 107-136 Table 3, p. 125 and Table 6.2 from Leidner, D.E. and Kayworth, T.
(2006) A Review of culture in information system research: Towards a theory of infor-
mation technology culture conflict, MIS Quarterly 30(2) pp. 357-399; Table 3.1 from
Variation in amount and number of purchases in Europe, EIAA, 2006; Figure 4.1 from
The Strategy Process: Concepts, Contexts, Cases, by Mintzberg, 2003, Financial Times
Prentice Hall, p. 18; Figure 8.2 from Venkatesh, V., Morris, M.G., Davis, G.B. and Davis,
F.D. (2003) A unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, MIS Quarterly 27(3):
••
XVII
Acknowledgements

425-478, Management Information Systems Research Center; and p. 274 from

Venkatesh, V., Morris, M.G., Davis, G.B. and Davis, F.D. (2003) A unified theory of accept-
ance and use of technology, MIS Quarterly 27(3) p. 460; Figure 9.3 from Graph showing
RBS share price relative to UK banks since offer proposed.

Reviewers' names
We would also like to thank the reviewers for their feedback in developing the new
edition:

Eric Badger
Adrienne Curry
Chris Kimble
Niki Panteli
Syed N asirin
P.E.A. Vanderbossche.

Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders and we apologise in advance for any
unintentional omissions. We would be pleased to insert the appropriate acknowledgement .

• ••
XVIII
 oun

n this part we set the scene by examining the links between information
systems and organisations. Chapter 1 considers what we mean by
'information' and why it is essential to organisational performance. It also
describes the components of an information system (IS) and introduces
the central theme of this book: that information systems include people
as well as technology. It presents the idea that the outcomes of an infor-
mation system depend on the interaction between people, technology
and organisational contexts, which the rest of the book develops in more
detail. The Chapter Case (Tesco) shows how the company has used
information systems to improve its performance and gain a competitive
advantage, by relating the technology very closely to the strategy and the
organisation as a whole.
Chapter 2 illustrates the growing power and reach of information sys-
tems, and classifies them in terms of their formality, reach, purposes and
complementarities. It presents examples of major business applications
of IS: enterprise systems, knowledge systems, customer relationship
systems, inter-organisational systems and community systems. The
Chapter Case is about Siemens, which as well as being a major supplier
of advanced technologies uses them to support all aspects of the busi-
ness - though here the focus is on managing customer relations and
knowledge.
Chapter 3 (for which Google is the case) outlines some features of the
wider social context that are relevant to those managing information sys-
tems. It shows the influence of political and economic factors on aspects
of information systems management, and how variations in cultures
between nations can affect the use of information systems. There are two
sections on the legal context, dealing respectively with data privacy and
intellectual property - both areas where long-standing arrangements are
struggling to cope with the power of modern technology. It then intro-
duces some models to help people think about ethical issues that arise
in using IS, and how to consider ethical issues as part of organisational
strategy.
Information systems and
organisations

Learning objectives
By the end of your work on this topic you should be able to:
• Explain why people need data, information and knowledge to add value
to resources
• Outline the reasons for organisations' increased dependence on IS
• Give examples of how companies of all kinds use computer-based IS
to add value
• Explain and illustrate how context affects the outcomes of computer-
based IS
• Outline an interaction model of IS and context
• Use the interaction model to analyse an IS project in an organisation
Chapter 1 Information systems and organisations
Tesco and the power of information systems
www.tesco.com
In 2008 Tesco was the UK's leading chain of super-
markets, with 31 per cent of the grocery market, and
steadily rising profits. The UK business accounted for
80 per cent of total sales, employing over 250,000
people in 1800 stores.
To continue growth, the emphasis is on developing
the range of non-food items, such as clothes, fur-
nishings, entertainment and health products. Tesco
Personal Finance (a joint venture with The Royal
Bank of Scotland - see Chapter 9 case) offers loans,
credit cards, mortgages and other financial products
to retail customers. Since the mid-1990s the company
has been investing in markets overseas, and by 2008
it was active in 12 countries outside of the UK.
The Chief Executive, Terry Leahy, has said:
If we are to meet our objectives, the Tesco team needs
to work together. Because we need to focus on every
aspect of what Tesco does, we use a management tool
we call the Steering Wheel to bring together our work
in all areas and measure our performance. It helps us
manage Tesco in a balanced way, by covering every-
thing we do, and allows us to plan for the fu.ture by
setting targets for years to come. The Steering Wheel
literally guides us through our daily running of the
company, while allowing us to change to meet cus-
tomers' demands.
In 1994 it launched the Tesco Clubcard scheme,
which has over 11 million active holders. Shoppers
join the scheme by completing a simple form with
some personal information about their age and
where they live. Their purchases earn vouchers
based on the amount they spend. Every purchase
they make at Tesco is scanned electronically at the
4
checkout, and the company analyses this data (from
over 10 million transactions each week) to identify
customers' shopping preferences. This information
determines a package of special offers that are most
likely to appeal to that customer, which Tesco mails
to customers four times a year. Each mailing brings a
large increase in business.
The data is also analysed to identify the kind of
person the Clubcard holder is - such as if they have a
baby, young children or they like cooking. Each prod-
uct is ascribed a set of attributes such as expensive or
cheap, ethnic recipe or traditional dish, own-label or
upmarket brand? The information on customers and
product attributes is used to support all aspects of the
business - identifying possible gaps in the product
range, assessing the effect of promotional offers, and
noting local variations in taste.
The information is also sold to suppliers, who use
it when planning to launch new products. Within
hours of a product going on sale, or of launching a
promotional offer, brand managers can track who is
buying their products or responding to promotions.
The company is keen to stress that no data on indi-
viduals is ever released - the analysis is based on
categories of consumers, not individuals. The data-
base is believed to be the largest collection of personal
information about named individuals within the UK.
It has also shaped a series of strategic decisions,
such as the move into smaller store formats, and
the launch of the Internet shopping site. It also
influenced the development and sale of Tesco mobile
phones, pet insurance and the Finest food range.
Source: Published information and the Tesco website.
 Introduction

CASE QUESTIONS 1.1

Visit the Tesco website and find out about recent developments in the company's use of information systems.

What evidence is there on the shopping pages about how the company uses IS in dealing with
customers?
• How will information help managers to use the 'Steering Wheel' in managing operations?
In what specific ways does the Clubcard support the company's competitive position?
Use Figure 1.5 to identify examples of management issues that the company may have faced in using
computer-based information systems to support the business?

Introduction
Tesco is clearly a successful retailer, meeting the expectations of a growing number of
customers in the UK and increasingly overseas. On financial measures it is adding value
to the resources it uses, in large part because it has invested heavily in systems that
provide staff at all levels with accurate and timely information. These help it to make
internal processes efficient, integrate the many functions within the business, and create
electronic links with suppliers. The company has also designed the Clubcard scheme,
which gives it information about individual customers' spending patterns, allowing it to
shape promotional offers that will most appeal to the customer. The case illustrates how
information systems support the competitive position of the business, and how they
affect the work of people at all levels.
Managers in most organisations depend on a similar flow of accurate and timely infor-
mation, so a primary management responsibility is to create high-quality information
systems (IS) to provide this. There are examples of this throughout the book - Siemens,
in Chapter 2, depends heavily on modern IS to link the many separate businesses in the
group to each other, and to the company's many customers. The Royal Bank of Scotland
(Chapter 9) shows how companies in financial services have become ever more depend-
ent on modern IS to manage internal operations efficiently, and to offer new services to
customers. Other examples include Google, Nokia and Intel: in all of these, managers
depend on information to manage the business. They do not delegate the task of design-
ing such systems to IS staff, and use whatever system they advise. Rather, managers work
with IS staff to ensure they develop or acquire systems that serve the needs of the busi-
ness and the people within it.
This responsibility has become more widespread as computer-based information sys-
tems have moved from the background to the foreground of organisations. Technological
developments mean that managers throughout an enterprise are expected to shape the
information systems that affect their performance. Companies in manufacturing or
transport need IS to support their core business. For those in media, communication or
financial services the information systems are the business, since they depend on cus-
tomers paying for information, not physical products.
The chapter begins by outlining the role of information, and how converging tech-
nologies are transforming how many people access information. It then outlines the

5
Chapter 1 Information systems and organisations

model that provides the structure for the book, and introduces the elements which later
chapters develop.

1.1 A dependence on information

We all depend on information. Medical staff treating a patient need information about
their condition, history, and the likely effects of alternative treatments. Those managing
a unit need information about (amongst other things) the demand for services, available
capacity or the cost and effectiveness of alternative treatments. As you manage your
work on an assignment you need information - what your teacher requires, the due date,
advice from previous assignments, and theories and evidence you may choose to use.

Why people need information

The need for information reflects the fact that organisations are open systems, interact-
ing with their environment. They draw resources from the external environment
(inputs), transform them into outputs and pass them back to the environment. These
outputs can be in a tangible, physical form (a Nokia handset) or in an intangible, infor-
mational form (a text message or a video clip received on a handset). Figure 1.1 illustrates
the flow, and shows that the value the organisation obtains for their outputs (money,
reputation, goodwill, etc.) enables them (shown by the feedback arrow from output to
input) to continue attracting resources. If the outputs fail to generate sufficient new
resources, the enterprise cannot continue.
Information about inputs could include the cost and availability of materials or staff;
information about transformation could be about delivery schedules or quality; output
information could show sales or customer satisfaction. Figure 1.1 shows how information
systems support these business activities.

External context

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,, " Organisation ...
''
I
I
I

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- ----- -' ... ... ''
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Input I I
I

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I Output
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• •
I I I
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Peopl e I
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I
Managing I I
I
Goods
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I
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Fi nance I transformation I • Serv ices
•
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• Materials, I
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etc.
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Feedback

Figure 1.1 The role of information systems in organisations

6
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
papa,” she concluded by saying, “you always have told me that one
ought never to be in debt, and so— Are you pleased, papa? Do you
trust me again?”
He kissed her and drew her closer. “Indeed I do, dear child,” he
answered.
“And I may come into the library again?”
“Just as before.”
Mabel gave a little satisfied sigh. It was so good to have all
restrictions taken away.
“Now I must go to work again, daughter,” said her father. “Thank you
very much for getting me the book; and, yes, I think I shall have to
give you the other one. Keep it on your shelves, and perhaps it will
remind you of two or three things.”
“What?”
“Can you guess?”
“One is, not to meddle with what isn’t mine.”
“Yes, that is one.”
“And the other—I can’t guess, papa.”
“That ‘a wrong confessed is half redressed’, and that your father has
very great respect for the honor and justice, and self-sacrifice his
little daughter has shown.”
Then Mabel left him, and trudged upstairs feeling very happy. On her
way down again her mother met her. “Mrs. Lewis was here this
afternoon,” she said, “and she said we must all come to the lawn
party. She told me there seemed to be some coolness between
Marie and you, but she hoped that nothing serious was the matter.”
“Oh, mamma, do you think Marie has said anything about me to her
mother?”
“Perhaps, but if she has, Mrs. Lewis does not seem to attach much
importance to it. If mammas were to take seriously all the little fusses
their children get into, I am afraid they would have a hard time of it.”
Mabel stood patting the baluster softly. She was thinking very
soberly. Presently she looked up, “Mamma, do you mind if I give the
five dollars to the Cuban orphans?” she asked.
“I have not the slightest objection.”
“Won’t the girls be surprised?”
“Do you want them to be?”
“Why, yes, I think so. They were very mean to me, to be sure, and
we have scarcely spoken for weeks. Would you go to the lawn party
if you were I, mamma? I don’t think you know how hateful they
were,” and then she told her story.
“They were very unjust, I admit,” her mother told her, “but I think they
will be very much ashamed of themselves when they see you willing
to help them so generously. Yes, I think you and Alice and Harold
should all go, even if the girls have been unkind. It will not be a
social affair, remember, and if the cause is good the rest does not
matter.”
“But about the money, mamma; I was going to ask you to send it for
me.”
“Wouldn’t you rather spend it at the lawn party? You might give a
part of it to the fund, but you’ll be doing just the same if you buy
things from the girls, and, besides, it will be pleasant for them to feel
that they have such a good customer. What was the reason you
thought you would not spend it there?”
“Because—because—I didn’t want to show off,” Mabel answered,
shyly.
Mrs. Ford put her arm around the child. “I think you have already
sacrificed enough, dear,” she said. “No one doubts that you have the
right feeling. Never mind what the girls think, but go and enjoy
yourself. I promised Mrs. Lewis that I would send a contribution of
biscuits and salad, and several of the neighbors have promised me
something. So I shall probably send you and Harold off foraging to-
morrow; at least, I’ll let you collect some of the articles for me.”
“Mamma, Mrs. Knight has such beautiful flowers; I wonder if she
wouldn’t give us some? She said she would be glad to do anything
she could for us, because we helped her to get Bobby.”
Mrs. Ford considered for a moment. “If you want to go and ask her, I
see no harm in it, but you’d better wait till Friday morning, so the
flowers will be fresh, if you get any.”
Therefore, Mrs. Knight received a second visit from the children, as
she was busy making some of her famous cinnamon-bun, on Friday
morning. Mabel explained their errand and met with a hearty
response.
“Give you some flowers? To be sure, I will, gladly; and you can have
every one in the garden, if you want them.”
“Oh, we couldn’t carry every one,” said Harold, in all seriousness.
Mrs. Knight laughed. “Thee is literal enough for a Friend,” she said.
“Then I will not give thee all my flowers, but how would thee like a
loaf of my bun? I’ll warrant they’ll not have any like it at thy friend’s
party, Mabel. But I give it to thee, and thee must donate it in thy
name.”
“Oh, would that be fair?” asked the little girl.
“Does thee think a Friend would tell thee to do a thing unfair? Then if
thy compunctions are even more tender than mine I will give it to
thee to do with as thee chooses.”
“But, can you spare it, Mrs. Knight?”
“I can make more when I want it,” she returned. “I always keep it on
hand, for I am fond of it myself, thee sees.”
Therefore, with their hands and arms laden, they returned to the city,
and the exclamations of appreciation which met them when their
donations were handed in, warmed their hearts mightily, and made
Mabel, at least, feel much more that she was a welcome guest.
Still, Marie and Ethel had not yet greeted her, and she rather
anxiously waited to find out how they would act when they saw her
there.
 CHAPTER VI.
MARIE LEWIS’ pretty home in West Philadelphia looked very bright
and attractive on the afternoon of the lawn party. Mabel and Harold
stood looking around at the tables and booths.
“That’s the tea-house,” said Mabel, indicating a gay structure at one
end of the grounds. “Ethel is going to help serve the tea, and her
sister is the Rebecca at the Well, where the lemonade is. I think we’ll
get some lemonade first thing, for I am so thirsty.”
They sauntered over to the well, passing the tea pagoda on their
way. Just here Mrs. Lewis stopped them. She had in her hands a
plate of Mrs. Knight’s cinnamon-bun. “Come right in here, Mabel,”
she said. “I’m taking this to the tea-house; it will be so nice to serve
with the tea. Have you seen Marie? Here is Ethel, too.”
The girls looked at each other rather sheepishly as they saw Mabel.
Mrs. Lewis went on: “Just think, girls, how Mabel has worked for us.
She brought those lovely flowers over on the middle table, and
besides those and this delicious bun, she has given three dollars, all
herself, to the fund.”
“Oh!” Marie blushed up to the roots of her hair, and looked at Ethel.
Mrs. Lewis passed on, leaving the four children standing there,
rather embarrassed at the situation.
Harold broke the silence by saying, with a little amused smile: “Come
on, Mabel, we were going to get some lemonade, you know.”
“Oh,” Ethel started forward, “don’t go away yet. I—we—you know we
didn’t know.”
“But we were horrid,” Marie broke in, “and I’m awfully ashamed of
myself, really I am, Mabel, and I think it was sweet of you to come
this afternoon, after the way we behaved. Don’t you, Ethel?”
“Yes, I do,” replied Ethel, a little awkwardly. It was harder for her to
yield than for Marie. “But why didn’t you say, in the first place, that
you were going to give such a lot?” she asked, turning to Mabel.
“You didn’t say you’d save up and give more than any of us.”
Mabel looked down. She couldn’t explain.
But Harold was equal to the occasion. “Because she thought she
had a debt to pay; to make good something that was spoiled, and
until she knew about that she thought she oughtn’t to call the money
hers, you know.”
“Oh, I think that was right,” Marie exclaimed. She gave Mabel a little
squeeze. “I’m so glad,” she said in a low tone. “You’re a dear, just a
dear, Mabel, and I’ll never get mad with you and treat you so again.
Truly, I wanted to be friends. I have missed you so much, all this
time.”
It was not so easy for Ethel to give in, but, finally, she, too, showed
her good will by opening a box of caramels she was carrying. She
offered them to Mabel and Harold. “I know they are good,” she said,
“for my aunt made them. Take a whole lot, Mabel.” And she gave her
a generous supply.
However, glad as Mabel was that all was smooth sailing again, she
did not feel quite happy with the girls, and so she and Harold
wandered off to seek out their own amusements. After they had
eaten all the ice-cream and cake of which they were capable, and
had bought more candy and had had more lemonade than was good
for them, they found a little corner on one of the piazzas, and here
they decided to settle down, for awhile, and watch the people, who
were now beginning to gather rapidly.
“I’m awfully tired,” said Mabel. “I just feel as if my feet didn’t belong
to me. Harold, I was just thinking that your papa will perhaps know
some of the Cuban orphans, if any of his friends get killed.”
Harold’s face took on a serious look as it always did when his father
was mentioned. “I wish I knew about father,” he said, after a pause,
“I haven’t heard for two weeks, and neither has Drake.”
“Oh,” Mabel wished that she had not said anything about Captain
Evans’ friends and their orphans.
“You see,” Harold went on, “the last time we did hear he was still at
camp, but he expected to be ordered to Cuba at any time, and I
suppose he may be on his way there. Of course, I want him to be as
brave as the others, but I get scared sometimes, for fear he will be
killed.”
“Oh, then would you be a Cuban orphan?” Mabel asked, in an awe-
stricken tone.
“Why, not exactly. I don’t know whether it means those who fight in
Cuba, or those who are Cuban people; it might be either way. Don’t
let’s talk about it any more. Aren’t there a lot of people here now? It’s
not been so crowded since we came.”
Just then two gentlemen sauntered up and stood looking at the gay
scene before them. One was Marie’s father, Mabel knew.
“There’s not much chance of our having an occasion like this another
year,” Mr. Lewis remarked: “The war won’t last long.”
Mabel nudged her companion, and they listened with all their ears.
“Too bad, though, the way our fellows have had to be sacrificed at
camp,” returned Mr. Lewis’ friend. “Every day I hear of someone from
here having succumbed to typhoid fever, and the warm weather will
not improve the conditions, I am afraid. By the way, you knew
Captain Evans. I learned at the club on my way uptown, that he was
gone. Poor fellow, as nice a man as I ever knew. Died of typhoid
fever.”
Harold clutched Mabel’s arm and turned very pale. “Did you hear?”
he whispered.
Mabel nodded; she understood. “Perhaps there is some mistake,”
she whispered, in return. “Wait, I want to ask something.”
She went up to Mr. Lewis, who looked down at her kindly. “If you
please, Mr. Lewis,” she said, “That Captain Evans you know, that
you were just talking about, did he have any little boy?”
Mr. Lewis glanced inquiringly at his friend, who nodded. “Yes, I think
so,” he made answer.
“And is his name Harold?” Mabel’s eyes were getting very moist, and
she gave a quick little gasp.
The gentleman seemed to be trying to remember. “Why, let me see;
yes, I am pretty sure he has. I think I’ve heard him call his boy Harry.
Yes, that’s it; Harry.”
Mabel glanced around, but only caught sight of Harold’s retreating
figure. She ran quickly after him; and, taking hold of his hand, she
held it tightly. “We’ll go home and tell mamma,” she whispered.
Harold bit his lip, and tried to keep back the tears, but hurried on.
They were not long in reaching home, and then Harold broke away
from Mabel, and she saw him disappear into his room.
Her sympathetic little heart was too full for speech as she burst into
Mrs. Ford’s room and buried her face in her mother’s lap.
“Why, my little girl,” exclaimed Mrs. Ford; “did the girls treat you
badly, after all? I am so sorry; I hoped it would be all right, and that
you would have no more trouble.”
“It isn’t the girls,” Mabel sobbed; “they were lovely; it’s Harold.”
“Why, dear me, how has he hurt your feelings; you have been getting
along so beautifully together? What has he done?”
“He hasn’t done anything,” Mabel said, between her sobs; “it’s his
father.”
“His father! Has he come back?”
No answer, but a shake of the brown locks.
“Oh, I see; he has sent for Harold. Well, dear; we knew that would
have to be sometime. Don’t cry about it; but try to make Harold
happy while he is here.”
“It isn’t that,” Mabel found voice to say.
“Then, what is it—what has his father done?”
“He’s died, and Harold is a Cuban orphan,” Mabel replied, with a
fresh burst of tears.
“My dear, are you sure? Come, tell me about it; I don’t understand.
We have not heard a word of it. Look up and tell me, child.”
Mabel managed to convey her news, though in a somewhat
disjointed manner.
Mrs. Ford looked grave, and went to Harold’s door; but, receiving no
answer to her gentle knock, she went in, and saw that the little fellow
had flung himself across the bed, and was crying convulsively. He
raised his head as Mrs. Ford entered, and came to the arms she
held out to him.
She gathered him closely to her. “Don’t give up hope, dear child,”
she said. “I think there may be a mistake; and, under any
circumstances, you know we love you, and are glad to keep you with
us.”
Mabel had crept in softly. “Oh, mamma, always?”
“Perhaps.”
“Oh, do say always,” she begged; “and let Harold be my brother;
then I’ll not be the middle one any more, and I’ll try—oh, Harold! I will
try to be as much like a boy as I can, and as mamma will let me. I’ll
play anything you like to have me. I’ll climb trees and all; and I’ll even
try not to be afraid of cows.”
Mrs. Ford could but smile; but she added more comforting words till
Harold at last lifted his head and said: “Where is Don? I want Don.”
And Mabel, delighted to be able to do something, flew to bring the
dear dog, and with Don hugged up close to him Harold, after a while,
fell asleep.
It was warm, mild May weather, and Mabel, too excited to sleep,
crept to the window to watch for her father that night, for she felt that
he would, perhaps, be able to decide upon the truth of the report
they had heard, and besides, her mother had said, that if it were not
too late, he would go down to the club, and gather particulars. But it
was very late; a meeting of some kind had kept him at the university,
and Mabel grew very weary, before she saw his familiar form coming
in at the gate.
She crept softly down stairs, and entered her mother’s room in time
to hear Mr. Ford say, as he looked at his watch: “I am afraid it is too
late to-night to do anything, but I will inquire into the matter the very
first thing in the morning. Poor little fellow. I hope he will sleep
soundly. His father was all in all to him.”
“Don’t say was,” said Mrs. Ford, “for I do not quite believe the
report.”
Mr. Ford shook his head. “I wouldn’t be too sanguine,” he returned.
“You say Harold told you his father generally called him Harry?”
“Yes, that is the part which makes it seem as if there were no
mistake.”
“And can’t Harold stay here always?” Mabel asked, as her father
lifted her to his knee.
“That will be as his aunt says. We have no right to decide upon that.
You will still have to be our boy, I think,” he said, smiling, for it had
always been a joke between Mabel and her father, that of her being
the boy of the family, and Mabel liked to be called “Phil,” for she
always insisted that she ought to have had her father’s name.
“But what are you doing up this time of night?” Mr. Ford asked. “You
should have been in bed and asleep hours ago.”
Mabel gave him a mighty hug, and crept upstairs again, feeling very
sorry for Harold, and wishing that she could do something to comfort
him.
The re-instatement in the favor of her friends seemed a small thing,
compared to this last matter of interest, and after she had cuddled
down again by the side of her sister Alice, she got up and went to the
door leading to Harold’s room, to whisper to him, through the key
hole, “Good-night, Harold, I hope you will sleep well, and I’ll stay
awake all night if you think you will feel lonely.”
But Harold did not hear her, for he had cried himself to sleep long
before, and, though Mabel’s promise to stay awake was made in all
good faith, it was not ten minutes later that she was soundly sleeping
too, little dreaming that she would be the first one to bring comfort to
the boy’s sorrowful heart.
 CHAPTER VII.
WORN out with his grief, Harold slept rather late the next morning,
and Mrs. Ford would not have him disturbed. Since it was Saturday,
Mabel did not have to go to school, and she amused herself as best
she could in the garden. She wished that Harold would come down,
but she concluded that, until he did, she would occupy herself by
playing marbles. The fact that they hurt her knuckles did not deter
her from making up her mind to keep on till she could do as well as
Harold.
“SHE OCCUPIED HERSELF WITH TRYING TO PLAY
MARBLES.”
She was so absorbed in this employment that she did not hear the
gate open, nor see who had entered, till she heard someone close
beside her, say: “That’s a pretty good shot for a little girl,” and
looking up, she saw a gentleman whose face looked rather familiar.
She jumped to her feet and stood gazing at him, her recollection who
it was gradually returning, and then she cried out: “Why, you weren’t
alive yesterday.”
Captain Evans, for it was he, threw back his head and laughed
heartily in such a very alive way that Mabel could not doubt for a
moment that he was flesh and blood. “I feel very much alive to-day,”
he assured her. “Are you Miss Ford?” he asked.
“No,” Mabel returned, “I’m only the middle one, and I’ll not be
anything else, till Alice is married.”
Captain Evans laughed again. Mabel thought he seemed a very jolly
person.
“You’re really Harold’s father,” she said. “Oh, do hurry in and see
him, for he thought he didn’t have a father any more, and he was so
miserable.”
Captain Evans instantly became grave.
“Did he really believe that? My poor little boy,” and he hurried up the
walk.
Mabel, flying ahead of him, ran up the steps crying joyfully, “Harold!
Harold! Quick!” And she almost fell over him as he appeared at the
head of the stairs.
“He is alive! He is! He is!” she cried. “Come down.”
But Harold needed no second bidding, for he had caught sight of a
beloved figure already mounting the stairs, and, with one shout of
joy, he threw himself into his father’s arms, and was fairly lifted off
his feet in the energy of the greeting that his father gave him.
It was all easily enough explained, when one realizes that Evans is
not a very uncommon name, and had there been time to make a few
more inquiries, the fact would have been brought to light that the
Captain Evans who died at camp was another man, whose son
Harry was a a boy of fifteen, with several sisters and brothers.
Harold and Mabel felt very sorry for these other Evanses, even while
they were so happy over the turn affairs had taken.
“Your aunt is still in no state of health to take charge of a restless
little boy,” Captain Evans told his son, “and so I thought I must get
leave to come on for a few days, and look after my son, for we have
imposed long enough upon the kindness of these good friends.”
Harold’s face fell. “And where am I going?” he asked.
“I don’t know just yet, but I am corresponding with someone in the
country, and I hope to make arrangements to send you to a farm for
the summer. You would like that, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes,” replied Harold, “if Mabel could go, too.”
Mabel, listening, took hold of Captain Evans’ fingers and looked into
his face earnestly. “Would it be very far away?” she asked.
“No, only up here in Pennsylvania, a little way.”
“Won’t you please to tell mamma about it?”
“Certainly, I shall be glad to,” returned the captain.
And the outcome was that, not only was the farm found to be the
place for Harold, but for the Ford family, too; with the exception of
Mr. Ford, who was going abroad for the summer.
“It is just the spot for us,” Mrs. Ford declared; “a place where I can
turn the children loose, and know that they are safe.”
Mabel turned a beaming face toward Harold. “Do you hear that?” she
exclaimed. “We’ll be turned loose, and I can go fishing, and I can
climb trees and fences, and play all sorts of boy plays, without
having the girls think I am a tom-boy. Oh, won’t it be fun? And we will
be together all summer, and in the fall—” she looked at Captain
Evans.
“Oh, that’s too far to think about now,” he answered, “but if the war is
over, and if I am spared, I shall be able to make my plans more
readily than I can now.”
“I hope the people will be nice and kind on the farm and will let me
have Don,” said Harold.
“That is the only difficulty,” his father told him. “I’m afraid you cannot
take Don with you, but Drake has promised to take charge of him,
and if all goes well you can have him again when you get back. It is
too bad, I know,” he continued, seeing how disappointed Harold
looked, “but you would have had to leave him anyhow, if you had
gone to your aunt’s, for she would not have received the dog, I
know.”
“Why can’t I take Don to the farm?” inquired Harold, still hoping for
consent.
“Because Mrs. Knight doesn’t allow dogs on the place. She has a
favorite cat, and, at first, was hardly willing to take a boy. For some
reason she doesn’t approve of boys or dogs, but Mrs. Ford seems to
have overcome her objections.”
“Mrs. Knight!” Mabel exclaimed. “Oh, mamma, is it our Mrs. Knight?
Deborah Knight? She was going to move into the country; I
remember. Has she gone? Is it to her house we are going? I do hope
it is.”
“Yes, it is your Deborah Knight,” her mother told her. “I was going to
keep it as a little surprise for you, but it doesn’t matter. As soon as
she is settled on her farm, she is to let us know. When I saw her, and
told her who I was, she immediately remembered you and Harold,
and consented at once to take us all into her home. She has a large
house, and thinks she will be rather lonely there, and seemed really
pleased at the idea of having ‘those two kind and tender children,’ as
she calls you.”
“Is she going to be a farmer herself? How can she, when she is
lame?” Mabel asked.
Mrs. Ford smiled. “No, she has a man and his wife who attend to the
farm for her. They live in a little house on the place. Mrs. Knight has
changed a good many of her plans in order to accommodate us, and
I hope you children will give her no trouble.”
Of course the children protested that they would not; and, indeed,
they were quite as reasonably good as one could expect, and if they
did, once in a while, get into mischief, Mrs. Knight excused it
because of the unfailing respect they showed to Bobby. This
important member of the household seemed to enjoy country life
after he had once become used to the change of residence, and
rested secure from his natural enemies—boys and dogs.
Like the grasshopper, the children played through the summer days.
The fact that Marie Lewis had gone to the White Mountains, and
Ethel Morris was at Bar Harbor, did not, in the least, matter to Mabel,
who would not have exchanged Mrs. Knight’s grove and garden and
barn for all the watering places in the world, and who wanted no
better companion than Harold.
In the midst of summer came the news of peace, and, later on, all
Mrs. Knight’s guests went back to town to see the parades during
the week of the Peace Jubilee celebration. But this did not take place
before Mabel and Harold had a little jubilee of their own, consequent
upon the news that Captain Evans, at Mrs. Ford’s request, would
allow Harold to remain with the Fords for a year, at least, and longer
if his father were still on active duty.
And, will you believe it? Harold, dressed in uniform, marched with his
father’s regiment the day of the military procession. To be sure, he
did not go all the way, but Mabel, up on one of the stands, felt her
heart swell with pride as the regiment swung around the corner of
the Public Buildings, and she saw her little companion bravely trying
to keep step with the soldiers. And when the crowd cheered and
cheered, she thought it must be all for Harold, and she stood up and
waved her handkerchief till her arm was tired.
Harold saw her, and, after the troops had passed in review, his father
sent him to join his friends, and there they sat and looked at the
brave array of infantry, cavalry, artillery and marines.
“When I am grown, I am going to be a soldier,” Harold declared, all
enthusiasm.
Mabel looked sober. That was something a girl couldn’t be, although
she thought it would be fine to march by Harold’s side in such a
grand procession.
But that evening, when the Captain told stories of suffering and
distress, or long marches and weary tramps through rain and sleet,
or under a scorching sun, or the horrors of a battle, Mabel concluded
that, after all, it was rather comforting to know that such things could
not be expected to come into her life, and she felt very sorry for
Harold, who, however, grew only more excited as the dangers were
made more plain.
“But the only heroes are not the men like Dewey and Hobson, and
Schley and Sampson,” Captain Evans said, at last. “I’ve seen the
greatest courage, though of another kind, exhibited in quiet homes
and by those of whom the world never hears. A small duty, which
has no blare of trumpets nor roll of drums to encourage one on to
perform, sometimes requires more real heroism than a charge in
battle.”
Mabel knew that. She knew that everybody must fight something,
and that she, too, could be a soldier, in a quiet way. That to become
weary and to deny oneself, to face danger and temptation, was what
was expected of those who had enlisted under the banner of the
great Captain.
So, she nodded her head gravely, and said, “Yes, I know.”
Harold’s face showed his appreciation, and as if with one voice they
broke out into the martial hymn: “Onward, Christian Soldiers.”
They sang it all through, and then quiet fell upon the group. From a
distance came the roll of drums. A returning regiment going to its
armory. Then all was still again, except for the voice of a cheery little
cricket shrilling out its peaceful song in some quiet corner of the
garden. Mabel snuggled up close to her mother. Don rested his head
lovingly on his little master’s knee. Content filled the hearts of all, for
this evening. The morrow would see Mabel at school, to battle with
more than books; would see Harold, too, fighting his way through his
first Latin lessons.
The year had taught them many things, but most of all, it had taught
them the value of truth and honor and loving forbearance.
 TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:
Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.
Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been
standardized.
Archaic or variant spelling has been retained.
 *** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MABEL'S
MISHAP ***

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