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Cover of Information Systems: A Manager's Guide to Harnessing Technology v8.0
Published: 
December 2019
Page Count: 
664
ISBN (Digital): 
978-1-4533-9788-6

Information Systems: A Manager's Guide to Harnessing Technology

Version 8.0
By John Gallaugher

Key Features

  • Unique approach to information systems by leading with strategic thinking before diving into technical topics
  • Current and engaging case studies that challenge students to apply what they’ve learned
  • Coverage of not only strategy and technology basics, but also of critical concepts including data analytics, security, social media, the sharing economy, disruptive innovation, network effects and more
  • In-depth profiles on widely known firms such as Facebook, Amazon, Google, Netflix, Rent the Runway, and Zara
  • Customizable

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Online Access Price:  $39.95 ($50.74 CAD) Color Printed Textbook with Online Access Price:  $64.95 ($82.49 CAD)
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Information Systems: A Manager’s Guide to Harnessing Technology is suitable for undergraduate or MBA-level courses on business or management information systems taught in two- or four-year schools that are often called Introduction to Information Systems, Strategic Information Systems, Capstone Information Systems course, Technology Entrepreneurship, Digital Organization/Digital Leadership, Management Information, Information Technology or similar.

Information Systems: A Manager’s Guide to Harnessing Technology is updated regularly. In doing so, its primary goal is to strike a balance between core content and new developments in a rapidly evolving field. The result is a narrative grounded in relevant management theory and practice that features current, fresh, and engaging case studies and applications. Nearly all chapters receive at least some refresh of examples, statistics, and other data, while also ensuring the book’s underlying framework remains consistent and reflective of management best practices for using and successfully leveraging technology for individual and company success.

New in This Version

  • Includes new or updated discussions on: artificial intelligence (AI) (Chapter 1); tech’s role in commoditization and differentiation (Chapter 2); robotic distribution and AR in fashion (Chapter 3); Netflix’s newest challenges (Chapter 4); cloud, high-performance computing, and e-Waste (Chapter 5); cryptocurrencies and blockchain (Chapter 6); Amazon logistics, Amazon’s use of machine learning, and antitrust concerns (Chapter 7); tech giants’ power (Chapter 8), new popular players in the social landscape (Tik Tok, Fortnite, and Tinder) and Microsoft's acquisition of GitHub (Chapter 9); bad investments versus bad models (Chapter 10); Facebook’s ethics challenges and the Libra cryptocurrency effort (Chapter 11); Caastle and LeTote/Lord & Taylor compete with profitable “Unicorn” Rent the Runway (Chapter 12); security mistakes in Big Data, third-party data sales, unintended consequences of general data protection regulation (GDRP), differences in privacy laws between the US and other countries, McDonald’s AI play, high rates of artificial intelligence failures, and crafting ethical practices in data, machine learning, and other business technologies (Chapter 15); updates regarding trademark cases and other legal proceedings of note, 5G explained and implications explored, and satellite tech (Chapter 16); updates on cybersecurity breaches (Chapter 17); and downloading your Google data and Google+ shutdown (Chapter 18)
  • Introduces new concepts and terminology: local focus strategy (Chapter 3); exclusive licensing arrangements, transfer pricing, on-again-of-again digital subscribers, and microservices (Chapter 4); high-power computing, microcontrollers, and smart license plates (Chapter 5); Amazon’s computer vision/AI and new packaging standards (Chapter 7); Facebook’s violations of Apple terms-of-service violations, Facebook home assistant, Facebook-backed Libra cryptocurrency, and microtransactions (Chapter 11); serverless computing, data lakes, and the technology behind big data (Chapter 15); redefining LEO, MEO, and GEO (Chapter 16); and Google’s Stadia Gaming (Chapter 18)
  • Updated call-out boxes and graphics: transfer pricing and digital products/marginal costs (Chapter 4); server farms as power sources and their cooling costs (Chapter 5); Amazon’s evolving logistics strategies (Chapter 7); debates surrounding size and influence of big tech firms (Chapter 8); understanding the competition (Chapter 12); consumers unwittingly training artificial intelligence and the ethical use of artificial intelligence (Chapter 15), URLs and security (Chapter 16), debates over appropriate size and influence of tech firms (Chapter 18)
  • New or updated cases and examples: FreshDirect, Dell computer, Apple Music v. Spotify, Walmart’s and Jet.com (Chapter 2); Zara (Chapter 3); Netflix (Chapter 4); AdhereTech (Chapter 5); Amazon (Chapter 7); Tumblr (Chapter 9); Uber (Chapter 10); Facebook (Chapter 11); Rent the Runway, Caastle, and Nuuly (Chapter 12); and Google (Chapter 17)
  • New video links: Artificial Intelligence (AI) (Chapter 1); Zara AR Studio Collection (Chapter 3); Somaliland’s transformational cashless economy, e-Waste pollution, and Apple’s recycling efforts (Chapter 5); Amazon’s delivery drone, wheeled delivery robot, Echo, and overall use of AI (Chapter 7); Facebook’s 2019 Keynote address, Libra/cryptocurrency, and TenCent/WeChat (Chapter 11); Airbnb and data science (Chapter 15); 5G networks (Chapter 16); and Google’s Stadia Gaming announcement and Google CEO’s Keynote at Google’s 2019 developer conference (Chapter 18)
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Instructor’s Manual

Instructor’s Manual

The Instructor’s Manual guides you through the main concepts of each chapter and important elements such as learning objectives, key terms, and key takeaways. Can include answers to chapter exercises, group activity suggestions, and discussion questions.

Instructor’s Manual

PowerPoint Lecture Notes

PowerPoint Lecture Notes

A PowerPoint presentation highlighting key learning objectives and the main concepts for each chapter are available for you to use in your classroom. You can either cut and paste sections or use the presentation as a whole.

PowerPoint Lecture Notes

Test Generator - powered by Cognero

Test Generator - powered by Cognero

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Test Bank Files for Import to Learning Management Systems

Test Bank Files for Import to Learning Management Systems

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Test Item File

Test Item File

Need assistance in supplementing your quizzes and tests? Our test-item files (in Word format) contain many multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and short-answer questions.

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John Gallaugher Boston College

John Gallaugher (PhD Syracuse University School of Management) is Associate Professor of Information Systems (IS) at Boston College’s Carroll School of Management where he teaches managerial, software development, and physical computing courses. As founding faculty for the Boston College TechTrek programs, and the former co-lead of the school’s graduate field studies in Europe and Asia, John has had remarkable access to studying technological growth and impact worldwide. He and his students spend several weeks each year visiting with technology executives, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Seattle, Boston, New York, and Ghana. John and his students were present at the launch of the iPhone, were at Sequoia Capital the day LinkedIn went public, and are regularly hosted in master-class sessions at firms from Amazon to Zynga. This unique opportunity helps provide his teaching and writing with a broad, deep, and continually refreshed perspective on key industry trends and developments. John also works closely with collegiate entrepreneurs and is co-advisor to the Boston College Venture Competition, an organization whose affiliated businesses have gone on to gain admittance to elite accelerator programs (Y-Combinator, TechStars, MassChallenge, Summer@Highland), launch multiple products, and raise millions in capital. Former students of his have created at least three firms considered "unicorns," valued at greater than $1 billion. A dedicated teacher and active researcher, John has been recognized for excellence and innovation in teaching by several organizations, including Boston College, BusinessWeekEntrepreneur Magazine, and the Decision Sciences Institute, and his research has been published in the Harvard Business ReviewMIS Quarterly, and other leading IS journals. John has been a featured speaker at Apple Inc.’s AcademiX educator conference and was the international keynote speaker at AIBUMA (the African International Business and Management Conference) in Nairobi Kenya. He has consulted for and taught executive seminars for several organizations, including Accenture, Alcoa, Duke Corporate Education, ING, Partners Healthcare, Staples, State Street, the University of Ulster, and the U.S. Information Agency. John’s comments on business and technology have appeared in the New York TimesNational Public RadioBusinessWeek, the Boston GlobeWired, the Associated Press, Chronicle (WCVB-TV), The Daily Yomiuri (Japan), and the Nation (Thailand), among others. He publishes additional content related to his teaching and research at http://gallaugher.com, YouTube: https://youtube.com/profgallaugher, and is also active on Twitter at @gallaugher.

Additions & Errata

3/4/20:

Section 11.1, corrected title of Figure 11.1 to "Largest Firms by Market Cap (in billions of $USD)".

7/31/21:

Section 2.1, updated FreshDirect video to: https://youtu.be/E3_3gTkADZY 

Section 4.1, updated Netflix video to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HNnicxtQVQ

Section 6.2, updated blockchain intro video to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QphJEO9ZX6s&t=2s

Section 11.1, changed "Warren Hatch" to "Orrin Hatch."

Section 17.3, updated SolarWinds Hack video to: https://youtu.be/jxTxGlE9X5s

2/3/22:

Section 2.1: The broken link to "The FreshDirect Operation" video was replaced: https://youtu.be/ma3p1uFcdk0.

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