Ex. III. Answer the following questions:

1. Where are multiuser information systems usually found?

2. What are personal information systems designed for?

3. What are the three basic functions of an information system?

4. In what way can information systems be useful on the factory floor?

5. Why is it important to possess a basic level of knowledge, understanding and skill in using computers and information systems?

6. What do you understand by “information and computer literacy”?

Ex. IV. Are the following statements true or false?

1. Information systems are used to convert data into information.

2. Personal information systems can be found in most businesses and organizations.

3. Basic tasks performed by information systems are (1) arithmetic functions on numeric data, (2) logical comparison of values, and (3) storage and retrieval of data.

4. Many financial institutions use an information system to determine credit worthiness of a customer.

5. It is the information system that makes a decision whether to give a loan to a customer or deny it.

6. Computer literacy involves judging the value of information and ability to use the information generated wisely.

7. You have to be a computer wizard to know how to turn the computer on and off.

Ex. V. Complete the following sentences from the words in the box:

productivity, ability, delivery, communicate, requirements, accurately, decisions, information, goals

1. Effective information systems can enable organizations to make better …… and reach their ……

2. Because of the move to an economy based on information, your …… to perform on a job depends on how well you receive and use it.

3. If you have ever used a computer, then you have realized its impact on your efficiency and ……

4. A major consumer goods company decided to speed up its customer …… by opening many new warehouses.

5. One of the three basic functions of …… systems is to produce and …… information to users.

6. Information systems can work faster, more ……, and more reliable than people.

7. The new type of this equipment meets our …

Ex. VI. Insert the necessary prepositions:

1. Information systems help banks determine credit worthiness …… a client applying …… a loan.

2. You will need both computer and information literacy to compete …… many jobs.

3. Information systems are vital …… the successful operation …… most businesses and organizations.

4. Almost anyone who takes advantage …… microcomputers, improves his/her productivity.

5. To gain access …… needed information you must know how to use software required …… your job.

Ex. VII. Find the examples of participles in the previous text. State their forms and functions. Translate the sentences into Ukrainian.

Ex. VIII. Discuss the following:

How do computers and information systems affect the creation and management of information?

Part II

Ex. I. Think and answer the following questions:

1. What activities do managers perform?

2. What is the key management responsibility?

Ex. II. Read the following text:

Types of Decisions a Manager Faces

Decision making is a constant and continuous management activity. Although managers perform many other activities such as planning, organizing, communicating, and influencing others, it is the ability to make good business decisions that distinguishes a strong manager from a weak one.

There are many different ways of looking at the decision making process. Frequently, decisions are classified as operational, tactical, or strategic. Each type of decision has different characteristics and requires different types and sources of data.

Fig. 2. A Hierarchy of Decisions

Operational decisions. Operational decisions deal with the routine day-to-day operation of the organization. These “bread and butter” activities that every organization must perform well in order to remain in business — order processing, inventory control, customer billing, production scheduling, and so on. The decisions associated with these activities are delegated to the lowest possible level of the organization, where they can be made quickly and most effectively.

Operational decisions tend to be recurring — the same question comes up again and again. As a result, the decision-making process becomes relatively routine and quite structured. The variables that should be considered in making the decision are identified, their values are known with a high degree of accuracy, and the relationship between variables and the decision is understood.

Operational decisions have an immediate but short-term impact on the firm. For example, should an inventory control clerk fail to reorder a high-turnover item, the item will soon be depleted. However, the firm can recover from the mistake and replenish the item within a short time with no long-lasting effect on profitability.

Tactical decisions Tactical decisions involve allocation and control of the firm’s resources to meet the objectives that support the strategic goals of the business. These decisions are typically made by middle-level managers responsible for implementing the means for meeting the goals and objectives that upper management has established.

Tactical decisions have an immediate impact on the firm. The impact may not be felt for a few weeks, but can affect operations for several weeks or longer. Although it may be very difficult to live with the impact of a poor tactical decision, one such bad decision will not destroy the firm.

Strategic decisions Strategic decisions include setting the goals of the company, defining the basic assumptions on which long-range planning should be based, and identifying the critical success factors of the firm. These decisions form the basis on which the firm will run and provide the basic guidelines for others to follow in making tactical and operational decisions.

Strategic decisions tend to be highly complex, unstructured, and non-recurring. All the variables that need to be considered cannot be identified. Much of the information needed to reach the decision is about things external to the firm — information about competitors, suppliers, customers, and the overall industry in which the firm competes. Due to the lack of precise data and clear cause-and-effect relationships, there is a high degree of uncertainty associated with the outcome of a strategic decision. These are decisions with a high degree of risk that senior management must be prepared to make.

Strategic decisions have a long-range impact on the firm. It may take several months or even years to know the true effect of a strategic decision, and it is very difficult to reverse its impact. One or two incorrect strategic decisions in a single year can ruin a firm.

Active Words and Phrases:

inventory control	управління запасами	objective	мета; ціль
customer	замовник; клієнт; споживач	assumption	допущення
schedule	графік; розклад	guidelines	керуючі принципи
recurring	той, що повторюється	competitor	конкурент
variable	змінна	goal	мета, ціль
impact	вплив	discount	знижка
turnover	оборот	supplier	постачальник
deplete	вичерпувати	high degree of uncertainty	високий ступінь невизначеності
replenish	поповнювати	to meet the objectives	досягати мети
profitability	прибутковість; рентабельність	to set the goals	ставити цілі
allocation	розміщення	cause-and-effect relationships	причинно-наслідкові зв‘язки