The areas studied this week will form the basis for your journal entries. Some of the areas and concepts covered this week include: Information Systems (IS), Management Information Systems (MIS), Computerized Information Systems (CIS), and Decision Support Systems (DSS). We also looked at the relationship of the control function to the other functions of management. Control systems were studied for all major organization departments including Finance, Production, Marketing and Human Resources.

In your journaling, you are to think about the concepts and key phrases learned this week. Listed below are some thought provoking questions to stimulate your thinking. They are there to help you focus on the concepts and management tools you have studied. Use these questions as thought provokers, and journal thoughts that you have already formulated on the material covered up to this point in the course. (If you do not have direct experience in any of these areas you can use situations that you have been told about or observed).

1. Have you encountered Control systems at work or in your background? Were they structured properly? Did they work?
2. How does your organization handle the MIS issue? If not your organization, refer to a situation with which you are familiar.
3. What role do computer systems play in MIS situations you have seen?
4. How would you insure that the control function is related properly with the other functions of management?
5. Are there one or two departments that need the control function more that other departments?
6. Are you exposed to and do you analyze organizational control documents, like financial statements? What about those Annual Reports that can show up in your mailbox?

Directions:

Choose two of the questions listed above and record your personal reflections (at least 1-2 paragraphs) in your journal for future use. Try to choose questions that you have a strong opinion on, or where your opinion has changed as a result of this weeks activities. As the course moves along you will see that the journal will evolve into a cohesive philosophy of management which you will use to complete this course and also use in your role as a manager.