COMM 301: Introduction to Management Information Systems
Homework Assignments

 Thanks to Anne Beaudry and Eva Chen for being the source of some of these assignments.

Assignment 1: IS Competencies in Real Job Listings

Due 2:45 pm on Wednesday February 4 by e-mail

This assignment is designed to help you explore the value of information systems skills in your major, as expressed in real job listings.

Browse real job listings for eight job openings directly related to your own JMSB major, and two jobs related to information systems/MIS. (MIS majors: see details below.) Good sources of job listings are Web job databases such as monster.ca, workapolis.com, and working.com; government sources such as Emploi Québec; or you could just google “Montreal jobs.”

1. List the ten job postings using the template document. Include the job title, employer, job location (city), source of the listing (URL, that is, web address), and date of the listing. The jobs must meet the following requirements:
   1. Eight jobs must require at least a bachelor’s degree that includes your major, with no more than three years of experience required. For instance, if the job requires “any degree in business,” then it is suitable, as long as the work is related to your major. If your major is MIS, then in this category, list only two jobs from any of the majors that JMSB offers.
   2. Two jobs must require at least a bachelor's degree that includes MIS, with no more than three years of experience required. For instance, if the job requires "any computer-related degree," then it is suitable, as long as the work is related to information systems. If your major is MIS, then list eight jobs in this category.
2. All jobs must be in Canada. At least four of the ones for your own major must be in the greater Montreal area. English or français is OK.
3. For each job posting, copy and paste all the required skills and knowledge. You don’t need to include the job description, unless the posting does not list these separately.
4. Highlight the specified skills and knowledge requirements based on the major:
   1. Non-MIS jobs: You must highlight the skills and knowledge requirements pertaining to IS/IT, except for Microsoft Office skills or generic PC skills or “computer literacy” (almost everyone requires those).
   2. MIS jobs: You must highlight the skills and knowledge requirements pertaining to other majors in the business school.
5. Write a concluding paragraph in which you analyze your findings. For example, identify common skills and knowledge requirements to all job titles and skills and knowledge requirements from other areas than your major. Add any other relevant or interesting concluding comments. In particular, comment on the apparent relevance or irrelevance of information systems (or for MIS majors, of non-MIS business requirements) in the job listings you found. (It is perfectly OK to say that it was irrelevant, if that was what you found.)

Submission

To submit the assignment, do the following:

• Put your name and major on the top of your Word document. Do not use a cover sheet. Use the template document to list the jobs you find. Rename the file:
  "FirstName LastName Assignment 1".
• E-mail the document to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it no later than 2:45 pm on Wednesday February 4. For any late e-mails, the late penalty applies.
• This assignment counts as 6% of your course grade.

Assignment 2: Electronic negotiations

(1) Sign up for e-negotiation session ASAP; (2) Report due 11:59 pm on Monday March 30 by e-mail

This assignment is designed to give you hands-on experience with an actual group decision support system: an electronic negotiation system. The system that you will use will be introduced in class on Wednesday March 4. This assignment consists of two things that you will have to do:

1. Sign up for and participate in one of the e-negotiation sessions (80% of assignment grade). The session will last around 2 hours. You must first register online for a session, and then attend the session you signed up for:
   1. Sign up at http://invite.concordia.ca/echen/inspire_reg1/index.php?reg=single&case=inspire&mode=createname. The available times are:
      • Friday, March 13th 13h-15h
      • Friday, March 13th 15h-17h
      • Tuesday, March 17th 8h-10h
      • Tuesday, March 17th 10h-12h
      • Saturday, March 21st 13h-15h
   2. Attend the session for which you signed up. Attending and completing the session will give you 40% of the assignment grade. The remaining 40% depends on how well you perform in the negotiation. Detailed instructions of what you will actually do will be given to you when you go to the session.
2. Write a report (only one or two typed pages) in which you answer the following two questions (20% of the assignment grade):
   1. You are hired as a consultant for a new mobile service provider. The new company, Realtime, wants to implement an electronic negotiation system that allows customers to create their own plan and even bargain over how much they will pay for such a plan. Name four distinct issues (other than price) that are important for customers in the negotiation with Realtime. Describe these issues and why they would be important to negotiations.
   2. In their negotiations with customers, Realtime needs to decide if the firm should adopt a competitive approach (meaning that the firm’s primary goal is to make the most profit at each transaction) or a collaborative approach (meaning that the firm is trying to reach agreements that are beneficial for both the customer and itself). From Realtime’s perspective (not the customers’ perspective), name two advantages and two disadvantages for each approach.

Submission

To submit the assignment, do the following:

• Put your full name on the top of your Word document. Do not use a cover sheet. Name the file:
  "FirstName LastName Assignment 2".
• E-mail the document to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it no later than 11:59 pm on Monday March 30. For any late e-mails, the late penalty applies.
• This assignment counts as 8% of your course grade.

Assignment 3: Blog on emerging IT for business

Due 11:59 pm on Wednesday April 8 by e-mail

You will complete this assignment individually.

This assignment consists of creating a blog that will discuss a relatively new or emerging information technology and its impacts for organizations. This assignment has 4 objectives:

• Familiarize yourself with blogs
• Practice and develop your Internet search skills
• Increase your knowledge of a new information technology
• Appreciate the pros and cons of that information technology for organizations.

1. Creating a blog

• As a first step, you will need to create an account on blogger.com, or any other blog website of your choice. Blogger.com allows you to create a blog for free.

2. Identifying the information technology

• Choose from any one of the following new or emerging information technologies: any biometric device, SmartDust, Wearable computers, Virtual retinal display, Quantum cryptography, 3D printing, Solid-state drive, Memristor, Optical computing, Semantic Web, Organic light-emitting diode, Machine translation, Exocortices, Swarm Robotics, 3D optical/holographic data storage, Spintronics, 3D displays, Quantum computing, Nanowire battery, Ultracapacitor.
• If you want to do your assignment on another information technology than one listed here, you must first check with me to make sure it is acceptable.

3. Adding content to your blog

Finding information:

• You will have to search the Internet to find information on the IT you selected as well as on their organizational impacts (pros and cons for organizations).
• You cannot directly copy information from other sites. You should gather information from different sources and write your text in your own words to avoid not plagiarizing (i.e., make sure to adhere to Concordia University rules and Blogger’s terms and conditions).

Posting information on your blog:

• You need to create four postings on your blog:
  1. The first posting will define the IT you chose, explain what this IT is and what it does. You will also include at least one picture or illustration.
  2. The second posting will discuss and explain what other technology, tool, or technique this new IT replaces or has the potential to replace. Again, include pictures where appropriate.
  3. The third posting will discuss actual and/or potential advantages for organizations to use this IT. You should strive to discuss advantages for as many various industries or functional areas as possible.
  4. The fourth posting will discuss actual and/or potential disadvantages for organizations to use this IT. Again, make sure to address the disadvantages of using this technology for various industries or functional areas.
• For each posting, you need to identify your sources of information. You will need a minimum of 3 references (hyperlinks to other web pages) for each post. Although for each individual posting you must use three separate references, you can use the same three for all four postings.
• Note that blogs normally display postings in reverse chronological order. Therefore, it is OK if the postings end up being listed backwards (4, 3, 2, 1).
• Your blog needs to be aesthetic, to have good “look and feel,” and has to be written in proper English.
• Each missing requirement from the instructions above will be subject to a mark deduction.

Submission

• To submit the assignment, e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with the following information:
• 1. Your name and student id.
  2. The URL for your blog. I must be able to click the link in your e-mail and immediately go to your blog page.
• E-mail the document no later than 11:59 pm on Wednesday April 8. For any late e-mails, the late penalty applies.
• This assignment counts as 8% of your course grade.

Grades

You can view your detailed feedback on the assignment in this spreadsheet.