Investigate the contemporary organisational requirements in terms of data, information and knowledge, and discuss how these can be improved for better organisational performance.
Unit Learning Outcomes Assessed.
1. Explain the basic principles of organisational design.
2. Identify the need for integrated information systems.
Assignment Details and Instructions
Organisations’ use of Information Technology has increased dramatically in the last few years. As a result, modern organisations store a phenomenal amount of data on a daily basis, and are constantly looking for ways to improve their data storage and manipulation practices. Furthermore, there is a constant need for organisations to be able to extract the right information from their data in order to improve their competitive performance. This is also strongly linked to the need to develop and manage the right knowledge necessary to interpret the information effectively.
You should write a 2000-word essay in which you accomplish the following:
• Provide an in-depth explanation of the three key concepts: data, information, and knowledge. An in-depth literature review should be conducted to gain the required insight for this task. This should be based on academic sources.
• Take an organisation of your choice, or the one that you work for, and evaluate the following:
o The current data manipulation practices. Although there are no limits to what you can cover in this part, it is advisable to select a specific business process and investigate the corresponding data manipulation practices.
o The information required by the company for its operational, tactical, and strategic activities. As this task is strongly linked to the previous one, and depending on the chosen business process, you do not have to cover all the three types of activities; choose your focus rationally in relation to the chosen business process.
o The key knowledge characteristics required for the effective interpretation of the information identified above.
o The main improvements you see necessary for the organisation in order to improve its future performance.
Plagiarism:
Students will be penalised if they copy material or re-use the work of others without full acknowledgement (your work must be written in your own words and referenced appropriately). Please refer to the university’s regulations for more details on plagiarism (https://www.celt.mmu.ac.uk/plagiarism/index.php)
Please ensure to reference all work using the Harvard Referencing System (H.R.S). If you are unsure about using the H.R.S., details can be located at the Library or via Moodle. Assignments that fail to use the H.R.S. will be penalised.
Please refer to the university’s library for more details on H.R.S. (libguides.mmu.ac.uk/refguide/mmuharvard)
Resources
The following books are a good starting point for your research, but you need to look for more sources of literature to complete your work.
Curtis, G. and Cobham, D. (2008) Business Information Systems: Analysis, Design and Practice, 6th Edition, Financial Times Press.
Laudon, K. C. and Laudon, J. P. (2015) Management Information Systems, 14th Edition, Person.
Marking Criteria *
86-100%
An outstanding essay in several ways. The reviewed literature is outstanding, with a good spectrum of literature sources covering a large number of interrelated themes. The presented arguments are very sophisticated, demonstrating an excellent grasp of the subject. Outstanding analysis of the identified organisation with a wide coverage of several aspects of their use of data, information, and knowledge. The suggested improvements are excellent, demonstrating a good understanding of new technologies as well as their applicability to the chosen case study.
