Online Discussion Questions
Online discussion questions – Dec 7
- What kind of jobs are increasingly being replaced by robots and computers?
- What kind of jobs are increasingly being outsourced abroad?
- What kind of jobs will not be replaced by robots and computers in the next 30 years?
- What should you do to survive changes in the job markets made by technologies?
- Why can a successful CIO become a candidate for the CEO position?
- What should be your competitive advantages as MIS majors or minors?
- How would you convince your job interviewer who is skeptical of the value of MIS majors?
Online discussion questions – Nov 28
- What are the examples of platforms with two-sided network effects (other than Uber, Airbnb, eBay)?
- What are the examples of measures in two-sided platforms to protect customers or suppliers?
- What are the measures adopted by Airbnb or Uber to prevent racial discrimination?
Online discussion questions – Nov 14
- How does Uber’s pricing work? How different is it from pricing of traditional taxicabs?
- What would be reasons for city governments to ban AirBnb or Uber? How would you counter them?
- What would be reasons for online education to be valuable to education providers or students?
- Why are technologies of FreshDirect sophisticated and state-of-the-art?
Online discussion questions – Nov 7
- In IT Adventures Ch. 10, why did Mr. Wells, IVK’s legal counsel, request to “pull the plug”?
- What would have happened if Mr. Barton pulled the plug at the request of Mr. Wells?
- What would be the worst possible ramifications from the incidents in Ch. 10?
- How would you explain “set up parallel systems built from development files, then switch over the those” to your non-IT boss?
- What are the reasons for IVK to disclose the security incidents? What would be the reasons not to disclose?
- From IT Adventures Ch. 17, What is Mr. Williams’ point with respect to his poker analogy? What is Mr. Barton’s point with respect to his risk escalator analogy?
Online discussion questions – Oct 31
- In what ways can a relationship between a parent and a tutor go sour? How can a contract prevent or resolve it?
- What are the other examples of “incentive salaries” for restaurant servers?
- How would you explain the difference between a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack and an intrusion to a non-IT boss or colleagues?
- If an intrusion was indeed occurred and it was the intruder who changed the database index file, why would he/she have done it?
Online discussion questions – Oct 24
- If you are running a manufacturing company, when/why would you let outside vendors (e.g. UPS, Fedex) handle logistics and delivery to customers?
- When would you keep delivery/logistics in-house and let your own employees do it?
- What can you explain about information asymmetry and conflicts of interests in any other contractual relationship that you can think of?
- What kind of “homework” or research would be needed in selecting an IT outsourcing vendor?
- What would happen if you did not do enough homework in finding a mechanic, a contractor, or a doctor?
- How should IVK choose a new vendor among VerxaWeb, ServoLith, and HiOSoft?
Online discussion questions – Oct 17
- There is only one person at IVK who knows how the internal IT prices are calculated. What would be the risks? How could he/she abuse the system?
- Why is the slush fund at IVK problematic from the perspective of managerial (cost) accounting?
- If you’re Mr. Barton, how would you make the case for new security project funding to business unit managers?
- Any examples of public goods? (other than what we discussed in-class – defense, fresh air, public park, police, fire dept.)
- Any examples of Prisoner’s Dilemma (other than what we discussed in class)?
- If you are a professor, how would you make sure that everyone in a group project works hard and no one free-rides?
Online discussion questions – Oct 10
- On Page 58, it reads “we’ve run closer to 5 to 6 percent of sales on IT spending. Which, by the way, Davies thought wasn’t enough to keep IT assets from degrading over time..” Why does Mr. Davies mean by degrading?
- What are the examples of IT systems that have high strategic impacts but not operational dependency?
- What are the examples of IT systems that have high operational dependence but not strategic impacts (other than flight scheduling systems)?
Online discussion questions – Oct 3
- How would you quantify the benefits in reduced security risks and improved security compliance from SFO SAFE? How would you put a dollar figure on it?
- How would you quantify the benefits in improved service from OTISLINE? How would you put a dollar figure on it?
Online discussion questions – Sep 26
- What are other examples of M&A between hospitals or between insurance companies. What are the reasons for these M&As?
- What are the other examples of standard we’re enjoying in our everyday life (other than language, currency, railroad, power outlet)?
- What should be changed if the U.S. adopts the Metric System as in other countries?
- Why does a standard stifle innovation and creativity?
- Other examples of a standard payment system such as E-Zpass or SmarTrip?
- What would be a valid business/technical reason for a business unit to use Oracle database while everyone else uses My SQL?
- By adopting one standard technology for all employees/units (e.g. Microsoft Windows, Oracle database, SAP ERP), what would be the risks?
Online discussion questions – Sep 19
- In Otis case page 8, “Traditionally we had focused on the management of physical assets. The next step in our evolution will be the management of information flows between all the participants …” What does it mean by “information management” and why is this important?
- Would the changes with e*Logistics be easy? Who would be unhappy with this change? How do you think Otis managed and overcame these challenges?
- In Otis case page 8, “To achieve continuous transformation, the e*Logistics program makes sure the business process change sticks. … With the e*Logistics program, best practices from SIP are baked into the organization and institutionalized…” What does it mean by “sticks” and “baked”?
- In an industry you are familiar with, which company is playing in Cost Leadership strategy? Who’s in Differentiation? Who’s in Focused?
- What is an interesting recent example of M&A? Why do they merge with each other?
Online discussion questions – Sep 12
- When would buyers have a strong bargaining power vis-a-vis sellers (except the number of buyers, price-sensitivity, and switching costs)?
- What are the examples of switching costs (other than long-term contracts or finding a new doctor/mechanic)?
- In what cases is it easy or inexpensive for you to change a service provider that you’ve been dealing with? (i.e. little switching cost)
- What are the examples of a bundle around us? (other than what discussed in-class – cable/Internet, Xbox/game, elevator/service, Microsoft Office, etc.)