BUSINESS AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SERVICES

INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION III

(IAD300T)

DUE DATE: Monday, 29 MAY 2023 @ 23:59 SAST.

THEORY ASSIGNMENT 1
Chapters 1 - 6

2023

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

In this research assignment, you will:

• Demonstrate your ability to analyse and synthesise theory content.

• Apply basic information literacy search methods.
• Cite and reference sources.

EXECUTE THE ASSIGNMENT ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES:

1. This is an individual assignment.

2. There are five (5) representing Chapter 1– 6.

3. Your assignment should be typed in an MS WORD document. Strictly follow the

numbering scheme as indicated in the question paper.

4. Ensure that you continue to apply the basic formatting rules when answering the
questions: Arial, 11 font size, single line spacing. Marks will be deducted for incorrect
formatting used in the template file.

5. Do not delete any questions as you will lose marks for questions not answered.

6. Answers to the questions are not list and explain but rather synthesised. Answer the
questions as thoroughly and comprehensively as possible.

7. Use the Referencing feature of MS Word to cite/reference the content obtained from
sources. Apply the Harvard Anglia Style in the Citations and Bibliography ribbon. Cite
resources when instructed. Insert the list of References at the end of your assignment.

8. It will take you a minimum of 2 weeks to complete the assignment. Save your work
carefully since it will be difficult to catch up on lost content.

1 | IAD300T THEORY ASSIGNMENT 1 - 2023

9. Your Theory Exam Assignment 1 file will be run through Turnitin at submission. You
are by Copyright Law not allowed to copy and paste content found on the Internet or
any electronic sources directly into your assignment. Rephrase (paraphrase) the
sourced information in your own words. You should avoid plagiarism at all costs. You
will be awarded a zero percent if any evidence of plagiarism is detected.

10. Submit in a soft copy of the assignment as Theory Assignment 1 (Name, Surname,
Student nr) on myTUTor. Follow the Assignment submission link on the Navigation
page to submit. Submit according to your campus and group.

11. The due date for this Theory Assignment 1 is Monday, 29 MAY 2023 @
23:59 SAST
12. No late submissions will be accepted. You receive ample time to complete the
assignment.

13. There is no sick exam opportunity on this assignment. It is an online submission therefore
your assignment can be submitted at any location and any time before and on the due
date.

14. We use a subjective assessment method. This assignment is credit-bearing and counts
5 % of your final mark.

15. You may use the following resources to assist you with your answers.

Book resource: Kroenke, D. & Boyle, R. 2018. Using MIS. 10th ed. Harlow: Pearson.
Video resource: Watch Semester 1: Theoretical Learning Content. Chapters 1 – 6
videos on myTUTor.
Web resource: Google Chrome

17. Remember to answer all the questions on the template file provided. Enter your
credentials in the footer.

2 | IAD300T THEORY ASSIGNMENT 1 - 2023

QUESTION 1: [40]

The evolution of digital technology has altered businesses and become a primary driver of
corporate profitability. Processing power, interconnectivity of devices, storage capacity and
bandwidth are increasing rapidly and businesses are affected by forces that push the digital
revolution. As a business professional you must equip yourself with knowledge and skills on
the management of information in order to function in the digital environment (Boyle &
Kroenke, 2018).

1.1 Discuss in detail why you think it is important to be familiar with the concept of
“Management Information Systems”? (7)

1.2 Recommend two (2) collaboration tools that would apply to manage your team and
provide a practical example of each. (4)

We live in a worldwide world where technology, especially information and communication

technology, is changing the manner in which businesses create and capture value, how and
where we work, and how we interact and communicate. Consider five technologies that are
changing the very foundations of worldwide business and the organisations that drive it:
cloud and mobile computing, big data and machine learning, sensors and intelligent
manufacturing, advanced robotics and drones, and clean-energy technologies. These
technologies are not just helping people to do things improved and quicker, but they are
allowing profound changes in the ways that work is done in organisations (Cascio &
Montealegre, 2016).

1.3 Success in organisations relies on developing strong non-routine cognitive skills.

Indicate which one of the four non-routine cognitive skills you would need to help an
organisation expands its production scale. Why it is important in the situation? (3)

Statistics are a vital foundation of confirmation as it offers clear, objective, numerical data
on significant features of the country comprising of economic growth, job creation,
characteristics of the population, economic performance, social living conditions, and crime
and corruption. Conducting a population census is the major statistical survey any country
and national statistics agency can undertake. The design and development of new and
innovative collection methodologies, with testing and introductory work for developing the
geospatial information frame, is scheduled for 2019/20, which will be followed by the pilot
census in 2020/21 (Stats SA, Annual Report 2019/20). According to UN report: A World
that Count, “Data are the lifeblood of decision-making and the raw material for
accountability. Without high-quality data providing the right information on the right things at
the right time; designing, monitoring and evaluating effective policies becomes almost
impossible”.

1.4 Decisions are only as valid as the information on which they are established and
quality of data depends on the quality of the data you are given. Stats SA makes use
of claims that there are certain data characteristics required for good information.
Explain each of the characteristics. (5)

• Accurate
• Timely
• Relevant
• Just barely sufficient
• Worth its cost

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1.5 Differentiate between a High-tech and Low-tech type of information. (2)

1.6 Define systems thinking, and explain why it is an important skill for business
professionals. (2)

1.7 What new technological innovation do you think will drive the next great era in
humanity? What do you think the defining elements of this era will be? (2)

1.8 Collaboration between The Bomb Factory management and employees will assist
them to work more efficiently and effectively and promote healthy employee
relationships. Based on the case study above, list and explain in details the purpose
of collaboration. (8)
(One (1) marks allocated to each purpose)

1.9 As a manager you have gained knowledge regarding basic problem solving. How can
you assist The Bomb Factory address their lab problems? (6)

QUESTION 2: [20]

Makenzie Stoves™ is a small business owned by Rodger and Dinah Sithole and is based
in Soshanguve, Pretoria. The company sells stoves with a unique burning nozzle that
enables the stove to stay lit in every situation. The stove is lightweight and has a folding
design. The couple manufacture the stoves from their garage and sells it directly to their
customers or over the Internet or by telephone (Boyle & Kroenke, 2018).

2.1 Explain how an analysis of the five competitive forces could help Makenzie Stoves™.
(2)

2.2 What, in your opinion, should the company’s competitive strategies be? (2)

2.3 How in our opinion, is it possible of a business such as Makenzie Stoves™ to have a
competitive advantage via products? (3)

2.4 Summarise how the five (5) primary value chain activities, pertain to Makenzie
Stoves™. (5)
(One (1) mark per explanation)
• Inbound logistics activity
• Operations/Manufacturing activity
• The outbound activity
• The sales and marketing activity
• Customer services activities

2.5 What, in your opinion, are competitive techniques Makenzie Stoves™ can apply to
ensure that their company maintains a competitive advantage? Justify your answers
with a motivation of each competitive advantage techniques. (4)
(Two (2) marks allocated for the competitive advantage and two (2) marks for the
motivation.)

2.6 Describe, in general terms, what contribution does information systems have on a
company’s competitive advantage? (4)

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QUESTION 3: [20]

Consider types of hardware and major operating systems. Hardware consists of electronic
components and related gadgetry that input, process, output and store data according to
instructions encoded in its software. Therefore, every hardware device has an operating
system which is the program that controls the device’s resources. Operating systems create
and manage the user interface, the display, keyboard, mouse, etc. According to a report by
Tech Pro Research, 82 percent of companies have adopted to bring your own device
(BOYD) to work. This decision brought several advantages and disadvantages for the
mobile user as well as BOYD security issues (Boyle & Kroenke, 2018).

3.1 In your opinion, what serious risk implications does BYOD confer on the mobile user?
(Three (3) marks) Mention security strategies to mitigate the risks you mentioned.
(Three (3) marks) (6)

3.2 Differentiate between Swift and Object-oriented programming languages. (2)

3.3 Describe how Native applications are likely to be different from Web applications. (2)

3.4 Two well-known bring you own device (BOYD) policies are “Full VPN access to
organisational systems” and “Organisational services on public internet”. Illustrate the
difference between the two (2) policies. (2)

3.5 Differentiate between Reality, Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Virtual
Reality (VR). (4)

• Reality:
• Augmented Reality (AR):
• Mixed Reality (MR):
• Virtual Reality (VR):

3.6 List two (2) advantages and two (2) disadvantages of employee’s use of mobile
systems at work. (4)

QUESTION 4: [20]

The design of a database depends entirely on how users view their business environment,
therefore user involvement is critical during database development. Database structures
can be complex, so before building a database, the developers construct a logical
representation of the database called a data model. This model describes the data and
relationships that will be stored in the database. An example of a data model is the entity-
relationship (E-R) data model. Developers use it to describe the content of a data model by
defining the things (entities) that will be stored in the database and the relationships among
those entities. After a database was developed it undergoes a normalisation process, where
poorly constructed tables are converted into two or more well-structured tables. Considering
the information above answer the following questions.
(Boyle & Kroenke, 2018).

4.1 Explain the role of users in the database development process. (5)

4.2 Explain in your own words how a database management system processes a
database. (3)

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4.3 Describe entities in the context of data models. (5)

4.4 Data integrity problems are serious. How in your opinion, does normalisation resolve
data integrity problems? (2)

4.5 With the focus on a database construction, define the following terms. (5)
• Database
• Bit
• Byte
• Fields
• Table

QUESTION 5: [20]

Cloud computing refers to an on-demand, self-service Internet infrastructure that enables

the user to access computing resources anytime from anywhere. It is a new model of
delivering computing resources, not a new technology. Examples of commonly used non-
health care applications include Microsoft Hotmail and Google Docs, while some better
known applications in health care include Microsoft HealthVault and Google Health platform
(recently discontinued). However, compared with conventional computing, this model
provides three new advantages: massive computing resources available on demand,
elimination of an up-front commitment by users, and payment for use on a short-term basis
as needed (Boyle & Kroenke, 2018).

5.1 Cloud computing offers enterprises Platform as service (PaaS). Provide five (5)
benefits to illustrate how PaaS can positively enhance business operations. (6)

5.2 A benefit of cloud computing is its Resource elasticity. How, in your opinion, could this
benefit be implemented to the advantage of on organisation? (2)

5.3 List and explain the listed basic network types. (3)
• Personal area network (PAN)
• Local area network (LAN)
• Wide area network (WAN)

5.4 Differentiate between Private cloud and Virtual private cloud. (4)

5.5 What, in your opinion are content delivery networks? (2)

5.6 Base on your own understanding, why do you think cloud hosting is important to an
organisation? (4)

REFERENCES:

Boyle, R. J. & Kroenke, D. M., 2018. Using MIS. 10 ed. Harlow: Pearson.

TOTAL: 120

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