WSU MIS250 Final Exam Prep
An electronic bridge between partner companies in a supply chain that is used to transmit real-time information about orders, inventories, invoices, and other data is known as a(n) ________.
electronic data interchange
Big Dog Running Company uses ________ to analyze data collected from each of its three stores by product line and date, which allows the company to better design its marketing and promotion campaigns.
OLAP
Consumer Reports is a magazine that tests consumer products in its labs and disseminates results so consumers can compare brands. Consumer Reports is an example of a(n) ________.
infomediary
Which of the following is NOT a reason that organizations choose an operating system?
the amount of storage capacity it has
Which of the following is NOT a reason that fiber optic cables are ideal for long-distance transmission?
they are cheap and easy to install
Which of the following is a key advantage of using twisted-pair wires to transmit data?
they are thin and highly flexible
Amy Neff wishes to enroll for Hotmail's free email service. Which of the following would BEST help Hotmail establish that Amy is not a software bot?
Entering a sequence of letters and numbers from an image
Which of the following is a type of intelligence gathering that uses statistical techniques to explore records in a data warehouse, hunting for hidden patterns and relationships that are undetectable in routine reports?
data mining
Devon Degosta is planning the organization's database. The model Devon is developing to identify what kind of information is needed, what entities will be created, and how they are related to one another is called a(n) ________.
data model
The confusion created by ________ makes it difficult for companies to create customer relationship management, supply chain management, or enterprise systems that integrate data from different sources.
data redundancy
At a conference of music professors, users were instructed to use the #musicedu symbol to preface their comments about the conference topics on Twitter so other attendees could easily locate information. This is an example of using a(n) ________.
hashtag
ETX Enterprises offers Software as a Service (SaaS) to companies that lack in-house IT departments. Which of the following describes SaaS?
hosting and managing access to software applications delivered over the internet on a subscription basis
incorrect, Chapter Quiz 5.4.4 Progressive Insurance recently deployed Salesforce.com for its sales agents; it provides real-time web-accessible metrics showing the number of new accounts for each rep, and it automatically sends e-mails to the whole organization to recognize and congratulate the top performers. This approach is based on which of the following?
human motivation
Hibbett Sports offers a reward card that gives customers coupons and incentives for store purchases that they can redeem for additional merchandise. This is an example of a ________.
loyalty program
Iron Bank Coffee Shop recently implemented technology that allows the company to "push" coupons to customer's mobile devices as they get near the store. This type of technology is an example of ________.
m-commerce
The Maryland Motor Vehicle website is structured with multiple links in different services on the right navigation bar and links to various departments on the top navigation bars. This is an example of a(n) _______.
multidimensional website architecture
Devon Degosta is finalizing the database for DD-Designs. The last process involves minimizing the redundant information in the database and eliminating any awkward many-to-many relationships. Which process is Devon performing?
normalization
Yahoo! Canada has implemented agreements with more than 30 ad networks that are designed to follow visitor's tracks as they browse through various websites. This controversial practice is known as ________ and is viewed by some as a potential invasion of privacy.
third-party cookies
What are RFID tags typically used for?
tracking shipments of physical goods
PAWs Humane Society is a private Columbus-based nonprofit organization that fosters and places orphaned cats and dogs. It has decided to create a social networking forum to provide information on the pets that are available to adopt. While selecting a domain name, which of the following top-level domains would best suit their goals?
.org
The Zip Right In convenience store recently upgraded its stores with new paint and lighting. The customer checkout system, however, was still slow and inefficient. What is the most likely consequence of this situation?
A negative impact on the customer relationship
Government funding for technology-based innovation is often the only source of funding available for high-risk projects that private investors may avoid. For which of the following projects is government funding most critical?
A research project on hybrid oil
Dow Chemical launched a social "alumni" network to tap the knowledge and skills of its retirees, employees on maternity leave, and others no longer working at the company by using an internal social network. Which of the following is one of the driving forces behind the increasing use of social networks by organizations?
A shortage of skills and organizational knowledge as baby boomers retire
The ecosystem in which a company is embedded is a(n) ________.
A. economic community that includes related industries
Which of the following illustrates the use of a sequential architecture?
An online counseling website requires a visitor to enter certain information on the home page, which then leads the visitor to a subsequent page, until the visitor is matched with a suitable counselor.
Alibaba.com is a retailer of unique gifts that are sourced from many countries. When the company needs to restock inventory, they compare suppliers' prices and payment terms from suppliers in many different countries. Alibaba.com is using a(n) ________ marketplace to conduct transactions via the Internet.
B2B (business to business)
In the music industry, why were innovations like Apple's iTunes considered to be disruptive innovations?
Because these innovations had a negative effect on existing competitors in the music industry
Which of the following activities would you perform to measure and compare your business processes to similar processes of other companies within your industry?
Benchmarking
BusinessUSA.com allows small-scale producers to post information about their products on the site, and prospective buyers compare the prices and features of the competing products before purchasing them. Which of the following types of e-marketplaces is BusinessUSA.com a member of?
Business to consumer (B2C)
How can human resources professionals use information systems to increase efficiency and effectiveness?
By creating online training manuals and e-learning modules for employees
Software products such as Microsoft Office, Quicken, Adobe Premiere, and Eudora Pro are also called ________.
COTS (commercial off the shelf)
Which of the following is responsible for overseeing an organization's information systems and ensuring that information systems support the organizational strategy?
Chief Information Officer (CIO)
Which of the following real-life functions does an intelligent agent perform?
Classifying and indexing web pages for search engines
Amazon.com offers customers customized recommendations based on previous purchases. Which of the following does this illustrate?
Customer relationship management system
A wireless provider is currently offering customers who buy a new iPhone with a two-year contract a special package that includes a leather case, extra car charger, and earphones. In terms of Porter's Five Forces, what is this company trying to do with this special promotion?
Decrease buyer power
Which of the following is NOT a function of the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)?
Developing free assistive technology products and services
The office manager for Freeman and Associates is concerned that subcontractors are billing the company twice for work that is performed. Which of the following reports would help the manager identify fraudulent transactions?
Exception Report
Fine & Funky is a new e-commerce website that sells home decorating items and offers online decorating services. It wants to build loyalty and trust among its target market group, which are women aged 35dash55. Which of the following measures will most likely help Fine & Funky achieve its objective?
Favorable endorsements from customers' peers
In the highly competitive cell phone market, BlackBerry has positioned its smartphone by focusing its product on the needs of government and corporate business users. Which of Porter's three basic strategies is BlackBerry pursuing with its smartphone?
Focused niche strategy
Navteq is a company that creates digital maps for navigation devices in cars and boats, as well as for walkers and bikers. The technology Navteq uses to create the digital maps is known as ________.
GPS
Professor Dunlap is developing a new online course called "The History of Religion." Which of the following factors should he take into account as he develops his online course?
How students interact in a virtual classroom environment
Which of the following statements about Internet Mail Access Protocol (IMAP) is TRUE?
IMAP maintains emails on a server instead of on a single machine.
Jamal uses Endnote software to create and format the bibliography for his research paper. Jamal is using information systems to do which of the following?
Increase his personal productivity
Freeman and Associates is a medium-sized construction company specializing in high-end custom homes. The bookkeeper handles all orders, approvals, invoices, and payments manually. Which of the following will help the company implement a more streamlined and faster approval system for its financial activities?
Integrating the modules in the financial system
Which one of the following statements is NOT an amplification effect of information systems?
Information stored in the cloud can be easily hacked and stolen by anyone.
Which of the following is the primary function of unified communications?
Integrating multiple applications and communications channels into a single interface
HR Solutions, Inc. provides human resource technology solutions to companies that are seeking ways to reduce costs and improve efficiencies in their operations. Which one of the following functions is NOT a human resource function that would benefit from a technology-based solution?
Interviewing potential job candidates
The executive team at AFLAC, Inc. wants to encourage more productive brainstorming in its product development meetings. Several employees have complained that their opinions are not captured in the minutes of the meetings and that certain individuals dominate the discussions. It has decided to begin using a new group decision support system to facilitate the process. What is one of the key advantages AFLAC will realize using group decision support systems?
It will allow users to express independent viewpoints that may differ from those of others in the group.
Abercrombie Financial Consultants is planning to install a network in its office so employees can work together on client files and documents, manage tax records, access the Internet, and share the company's new printer/copier. The company wants to have control over which employees have access to files, so it will need to have a central server. Which type of network would be most appropriate for Abercrombie?
LAN
Which of the following businesses is an example of where rivalry among existing competitors is strong and buyers have power?
Lawn care business
According to Michael Porter, companies should pick one of the three basic strategies and stick with it. Walmart has followed this theory by focusing its strategy on dominating a broad market. Which strategy is Walmart following?
Low cost leadership
Which of the following disciplines studies how people, technology, processes, and data work together, and is also used to describe a type of information system that supports decision making by supervisors?
Management information systems
Which of the following statements is NOT a key reason that information technology (IT) is essential to managing nonprofit organizations?
Most nonprofit organizations have a concealed profit motive.
Using the collective power of a community to identify and classify content significantly ________ content categorization costs.
lowers
Haliburton Manufacturing Corporation makes industrial air conditioning units for large organizations. Last year the company spent more than $5 million on new technology designed to make its employees more productive and streamline its business processes. The expected return on investment, however, was much lower than the company expected, and production of new air conditioners was not improving. What economic theory helps explain the reason Haliburton is not getting an immediate return on its IT investment?
Productivity paradox
Which of the following represents procurement as part of the support value activities in a value chain analysis?
Purchasing inputs such as raw materials, resources, equipment and supplies
TracSoft, Inc. creates websites for small companies and provides consulting for search engine optimization. Which of the following factors is an important feature that TracSoft should consider to improve the relevance of a company's website in search engines?
Quality of external links to the site from other websites
Which of the following BEST describes a key performance indicator?
Quantifiable metrics most important to the individual's role and the organization's success
Chandler Wright is a student at Georgia Tech University. She is setting up her email for outgoing email using her university email address, which is hosted by Georgia Tech. To set it up, she would enter the name of the ________ server so when she sends an outgoing email, it will first be transmitted to a port on the university's server.
SMTP
Taxpayers who move and do not leave a forwarding address may never receive their tax refunds because the check is returned as undeliverable. To address this problem, the IRS has implemented a process where taxpayers can go online and key in their name, state, and tax year to see if they have a refund that was undeliverable. This is an example of using a ________ to retrieve information from the IRS database.
SQL Query
Pharma, Inc. recently started selling a new, patented drug for high cholesterol called Terazatin. Sales of Terazatin are so successful that Pharma has decided to raise the price from $12 a pill to $20 a pill. Which of the following forces is Pharma using to increase the price of Terazatin?
Supplier power
Which of the following governmental actions will increase the threat of new entrants in a market?
The Federal Reserve reduces the interest rates on credit for small businesses.
Xerox, a company that sells business services and document technology products, sustains its investment in technological innovation, particularly in areas such as color science, digital imaging, and nanotechnology. These strategic investments, made only in specific areas, keep the company ahead of the competition. Which of the following messages does this example convey?
The ability to extract the value of technology requires human imagination and innovation.
When a customer uploads a video on YouTube about their negative experience with a company's product or service, which of the following is responsible for addressing the online threat to the company's reputation?
The crisis management team
One of Zappos' goals is to have high levels of customer satisfaction among its website customers, so they will be likely to return to the website for future purchases. What information is Zappos likely to collect to measure customer satisfaction?
The ratings of individual experiences on the website by the users
Which of the following statements about modern web-based point-of-sale (POS) technology is TRUE?
They often mimic the brick-and-mortar versions.
Which of the following is NOT a reason that IT and group collaboration is a key research topic?
The "people" component of information systems is becoming less important in today's business environment.
Which of Porter's Five Forces is high when it is easy for competitors to enter a market and low when there are high capital investment costs to compete in the market?
Threat of new entrants
Customers at Morgan Financial Services pay a monthly fee to access real-time stock prices for their brokerage accounts. This is an example of which of the following characteristics that makes information valuable?
Timeliness
For what reason would the Payless Shoe Store, which follows a low-cost leadership strategy, post an "All Sales Final" sign on its products?
To reduce the costs incurred in the supply chain
Companies are most likely to use internal social networking sites for which of the following reasons?
To share organizational information and collaborate on projects
"The value chain does not end when the buyer pays for the product or service." Which of the following statements contradicts this judgment?
Total value transfer of tangible goods happens at the point of sale.
________ is not an example of a sustaining technology.
Uber
Which of the following factors BEST explains why it was harder for Amazon.com to build trust in its e-commerce website compared to Walmart?
Unlike Walmart, Amazon.com did not operate out of physical retail locations
The Blue Door is an online apparel retailer that has a low rate of customer retention. Which of the following can help increase its customer retention?
Using CRM to track customer behavior on the Blue Door site
Which of the following refers to the technologies that make voice communications across networks using packets feasible, including over the Internet?
VoIP
Non-profits organizations such as UNICEF use web-based information systems to create inexpensive video messages that relay the plight of children in troubled parts of the world. What are these inexpensive video messages called?
Vodcasts
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) implemented electronic reporting based on ________ to develop a common language for financial reporting, improve transparency, and help eliminate manual processes.
XBLR
The NYC transit system is experimenting with commuters paying for subway fares using their mobile devices, thereby eliminating the need to carry cash. This is an example of ________.
a digital wallet
Columbus Financial Consultants (CFC) is evaluating various options for its enterprise resource planning system. The company has systems running on different platforms and would like to connect the systems and improve consistency. The integration approach that best meets CFC's needs is ________.
a suite with synchronized modules
Joe Roberts, a senior at Georgia State College, is the group leader for an important class project. Group members have difficult schedules to coordinate, so Joe decides to conduct most meetings in a virtual environment. Joe knows that to compensate for the weak norms common in virtual teams, he must make group expectations very clear. Which of the following would best help Joe clarify expectations?
a team charter
Best Buy is expanding its retail outlets to include smaller kiosk-type stores that will be located inside malls. They are recruiting a number of young, tech-savvy employees to work at the kiosks. The company wants to create knowledge storehouses that employees can edit as needed, adding contributions from their own personal experiences with products or updating existing information. Which of the following can the company use to help it organize how-to guides and create a substantial base of knowledge for its new employees?
a wiki
____________ can be used to prevent mobile ads from displaying on mobile devices and using up the phone owners' data allotment.
ad-blockers
GenXTech is a growing company that develops gaming applications for military simulations and commercial clients. As part of its annual strategic planning process, GenXTech is analyzing its current situation and where it should head to achieve its mission. Its focus is on business strategy and the technology infrastructure required to achieve it. What is GenXTech creating?
an enterprise architecture
Christy works as an executive assistant to the president of Wykoff Industries. She spends the majority of her time answering emails, composing letters, and preparing estimates. What type of software is Christy using to complete the tasks in her job?
application
The "Internet of Things" is often considered a major contributor to ________, which also includes information collected from wikis, blogs, social networking sites, and discussion forums.
big data
iTicket, an online event-ticketing site, recently discovered that most of its good seats for a widely anticipated concert were preemptively booked in bulk by brokers. This action resulted in a shortage of tickets that the public could have bought themselves. Which of the following most likely enabled the brokers to book tickets in such large numbers?
bots
Kyle Albright is a database administrator at Regions Bank in Atlanta. He is currently working on problems of information overload on the bank's operational systems. Which of the following actions would BEST help Kyle to speed up the systems and prevent information overload?
building a data warehouse optimized for complex queries
Robert owns and operates a franchise of restaurants that specializes in high-quality organic food. The demand for organic food is growing, and he plans to add a new store. The information he is using to decide where his new store will be located includes customer records combined with external demographic information such as income levels and age. Robert is using ________.
business intelligence
When students use an enrollment system to select and register for classes, they are completing a ________.
business process
Travels by Donna, a travel agency in Georgia, recently created a website to attract travel clientele for the company. It is vital that the company be able to track the time that visitors spend on each page to understand the destinations and offers that interest potential customers. Which of the following will BEST help the company understand customer behavior patterns as well as the URL the visitor just left?
clickstream data
Which of the following enables users to access software applications and information systems remotely over the Internet, rather than locally on an individual PC or from servers in the organization's data center?
cloud computing
Apple iPhone's intelligent personal assistant, Siri, helped Apple get a jump on market share over other smartphone competitors. This is an example of Apple gaining ________.
competitive advantage
Companies with disparate databases that are not shared among employees or departments within the organization often experience ________.
conflicting information
When aggregate or summarized information is in agreement with detailed information, it has which characteristic of high-quality information?
consistency
The web development team for AFLAC, Inc. has grown significantly as the company adds new subsidiaries, each with a unique website. The company will need to implement a(n) ________ to help manage digital information and website development in this collaborative environment.
content management system
An important feature of unified communications is the ________, which lets senders know whether the individual is available to communicate at the moment and which mode he or she prefers.
context indicator
Ryan Carrick, an application programmer for Total Systems, works at home two days a week, but interacts with his project team online, exchanging emails and IM throughout the day. When Ryan takes a break for lunch, what can he use to let his team know he will be unavailable for an hour?
context indicator
When established companies fail to respond to disruptive innovations that capitalize on new technologies, they can become victims of ________.
creative destruction
AFLAC, Inc. is implementing a new sales program to encourage customer service representatives to offer additional insurance products to customers who call for service. This is an example of a CRM strategy to earn more revenue from existing customers by ________.
cross-selling
The Netflix Prize was an open competition for the best collaborative filtering algorithm to predict user ratings for films based on previous ratings without any other information about the users or films. The contest was open to anyone, and a $1 million prize would be given to the person or team that came up with the best solution. In this example, Netflix used ________ to engage a large number of people to complete a task that would ordinarily be handled in-house.
crowdsourcing
Jackson walks into the ACE After-Hours Care clinic complaining of a fever. The nurse takes his temperature and enters the number into the patient information system. John's temperature reading represents a piece of ________.
data
Why do data ownership issues often arise in the workplace?
data is shared by all the stakeholders in the organization
The collection and analysis of vast amounts of customer data that enable companies to target market their products to specific customers has created concerns about the use and misuse of customer information. Which of the following is NOT a reason for the increase in the use of "Big Data" by companies?
data storage costs have decreased significantly
Realtree Outdoors, Inc. maintains a centralized repository of information from internal sources, competitor information, census reports, metadata from documents and multimedia, and other information. This repository is known as a ________.
data warehouse
Professor Jones is accessing information about students currently enrolled in her Management Information Systems course. She wants to print out a class listing so she can take attendance each day. The information about the students in her class is stored in a ________.
database
Craigslist.com is an example of a ________, whereby the company owns the actual database but the records are created and managed by customers.
database without boundaries
The Internet is a disruptive innovation that has affected Porter's Five Forces in all of the following ways EXCEPT ________.
decreasing the threat of substitutes
The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) plays an important role in global trade and investment by doing which of the following?
developing and promoting a single worldwide set of financial reporting standards
Brad Wallace conducts several online sales meetings a year as the district manager for Provident Insurance Company. During the meetings, Brad often comes across to his sales team as arrogant, blunt, and aggressive. This has had a negative impact on morale and increased turnover in his sales force. Brad is exhibiting a characteristic common in online environments know as ________.
disinhibition
To implement the organization's five-year strategic plan, Dick's Sporting Goods has decided to invest in a system that will support its core functional departments including financial and asset management and human resources functions. The type of system Dick's is planning to invest in is called a(n) ________.
enterprise resource management system
Wells Fargo Bank recently implemented an integrated application suite to support the whole organization that includes modules to manage financials, human resources, supply chains, customer relationships, and other business processes, creating a "suite of suites" called ________.
enterprise resource planning
When Apple took steps to identify and correct questionable employment practices on the part of some of its suppliers, it demonstrated ____________ practices across its supply chain.
ethical
A newly opened real estate office, Flournoy & Calhoun Realtors, in Atlanta decides to create a small website that provides an overview of the company, its mission, the contact information and address of the firm, and a list of properties for sale. Which of the following information architectures would be most suitable for this website?
flat website architecture
The business analysts at Blue Bell, a brand of ice cream, recently were asked to assess revenue generated over the past five years to observe seasonal and historical trends. After extensive analysis, they arrive at the conclusion that the sales were highest during the months of July and August, the summer months in the country, and an all-time low during January, the peak of winter. Which of the following tools would have BEST helped them arrive at this conclusion?
forecasting
In Valdosta State University's database, student records in the student table are linked to the university's academic majors table through a common field, which is the major code. In the student table, the major code is a ________.
foreign key
Virtual teams are increasingly common in organizations as new collaborative technologies allow companies to draw on employees' expertise regardless of physical location and also reduce the number of physical meetings that require travel. A key drawback to virtual teams, however, is the lack of nonverbal communication to convey group norms. This can often lead to problems such as ________.
free riding
Which of the following is a web-based e-mail service that was built from the ground up to work within the browser rather than with client software installed on a computer?
gmail
When Pepsi's Chinese operations decided to grow its own potatoes to ensure a reliable supply of potatoes for its Lay's potato chips, which in turn helped sales of its sodas, the company was extending its operations by ________.
going upstream in the supply chain
Robert works for CHS Computer Specialists, which focuses on helping small business owners fix their company computers. Robert works primarily on PC components such as hard drives, DVDs, and monitors. Which of the following does Robert focus on repairing?
hardware
Robert Johnson works for the Chambers County Library as an events coordinator. He is responsible for coordinating the annual book drive with several other agencies in the area as well as various book clubs. Which of the following would enable Robert to establish a meeting schedule for everyone involved in the planning process?
iCalendar
Iron Bank Coffee has three retail stores, each operating independently with their own database of customers and products. The owner, Richard Smith, has decided to consolidate the databases of the three stores into a single database. Which of the following is NOT a benefit Mr. Smith will realize by consolidating the databases?
increases the number of customers for the coffee shops
Columbus Flight Services, Inc. offers charter flights serving small to medium cities. They are evaluating the possibility of expanding into the corporate jet leasing industry. As part of the planning process, they are using Porter's Five Competitive Forces model to evaluate the ________.
industry
Data that has been converted into a meaningful and useful context is called ________.
information
When the number of gallons of milk sold each day by a grocery store is combined with other data, such as the type of milk or quantity of milk sold, and then processed and analyzed, it becomes ________.
information
In an organization where the culture welcomes and encourages ideas from all employees, ________.
innovative new information systems can come from all levels
Information technology (IT) is a strategic enabler when ________.
it focuses on the growth of an organization
The indie band, Whiskey Bent, buys a URL, www. WhiskeyBent.com, for its website, which has a unique, numerical IP address assigned to it. After a year, they move their website to a new server with a different IP address. In this situation what happens to the URL of their website?
it remains the same
Delta Airlines recently updated its ________ to include new measures related to airline safety and customer satisfaction with its online reservation system. These updated and quantifiable metrics will be used by Delta to evaluate its organization against industry standards.
key performance indicators
The Blue Door is a new high-end clothing store catering to college students in a small southern city. It recently launched a new line of accessories with the college logo imprinted. The company has set up a Google Ad account to deliver the link to its website as the top search result to Internet users when they search for words such as "scarves" and "collegiate accessories." Which of the following does this situation illustrate?
keyword advertising
The Acme Company's payroll office maintains its employee pay records within its own computer files, each containing information that is required for processing monthly payroll checks. A separate area of the company handles employee benefits with its own computer system and employee records. Acme Company is limited to comparing and analyzing employee information in these files for which of the following reasons?
lack of data integration
A pharmaceutical company that invests heavily in research and development (R&D) and has several new, patented products ready for market would be operating in an industry with ________.
low threat of new entrants
Paula Watkins was surprised when a job position that she interviewed for and felt sure she had never materialized. She later heard that the company had conducted a search of her social networking profile that made them reconsider hiring her for the position. What should Paula have considered prior to applying for a new job?
managing her online impression
James Coburn is a business analyst at Dillard's, a high-end retail store. James is preparing a report to assess customer data to understand the buying patterns of customers when they purchase multiple items. Which of the following will BEST help James analyze the purchasing habits of customers who bought rain boots along with umbrellas, ties along with shirts, and hair clips along with headbands among other related products?
market basket analysis
Tom Tebeau is a web designer at a publishing firm in Atlanta where he is currently using a process to aggregate a wide array of information like book reviews, customer feedback, awards won, and company details on its public website. Which of the following is he using to bring together all this information from multiple internal and external sources onto the company's customizable web pages?
mashup
Which of the following measures how well a communication medium can reproduce all the nuances and subtleties of the message it transmits?
media richness
The search function of major photo-sharing websites such Flickr.com depend on information that is tagged with each photo including the photographer's name, contact information, release and copyright status, as well as caption and location data. This information is collectively known as ________.
metadata
Brasfield and Gorie, Inc., a large advertising company with offices across the country, began an employee discussion forum on its website to allow employees to develop a sense of identity and solidarity. There were no restrictions on employee postings to allow employees to interact freely. However, a few months later, a few employees began criticizing the company on the forum and undermining morale. The company does not want to limit employee interaction, but at the same time, it would like to limit what employees can write. Which of the following features of a discussion forum will help them achieve this goal?
moderators
Which of the following factors provides an understanding of why computing resources today are more available than in previous decades?
moore's law
The employee database of Synovus Financial Company needs to store the birth date of each employee. In the context of database architecture, this is an example of ________.
one-to-one
Rodney Perkins, who works in the marketing department of the Fairfield Inn, has been given the responsibility of identifying patterns in the preferences of guests who have repeatedly visited the hotel in the past ten years. Which of the following would BEST help him categorize the massive amounts of data to reveal preferences of guests, such as room type and room service?
online analytical processing
The city government of Los Angeles recently upgraded its information technology infrastructure and, for the first time, implemented software in the human resources department that is freely distributed along with the code underlying the program. The type of software the city has implemented in HR is called ________.
open source software
Emily Robertson is an employee at Regions Insurance Company, the largest insurance company in Texas. What type of decisions will she undertake if her responsibilities include receiving customer queries, setting appointments for sales representatives, updating customer records, and tracking potential clients through call records?
operational decisions
Business intelligence is said to be used at the ________ if companies use it to bring meaningful, performance-related information to all employees.
operational level
When Kayla goes through the checkout line at the local grocery store, a(n) ________ captures the barcodes of her groceries and converts them to a digital format to generate the total amount of her groceries.
optical scanner
Chancellor's is a high-end men's clothing store that frequently resorts to discount blowouts to get rid of excess merchandise. Which of the following best explains the reason for these sales?
overestimating demand
Which of the following is typically NOT included in a full-featured financial management system?
payroll
Which type of network treats all processors equally and allows sharing of printers and files without the use of a central server?
peer-to-peer
Macon State University recently implemented a ________ designed to provide a central location for students and faculty to access university information needed for registration, grades, and financial aid, and to provide access to courses, email, and other secure resources.
portal
Which of the following terms refers to a gateway that provides access to a variety of relevant information from many different sources on one screen?
portal
Sun Microsystems uses the ________ feature introduced by instant messaging to show whether technology experts in each of the various divisions of the company are logged in and available to answer a question, pick up the phone, or stop by for a brief meeting.
presence awareness
Sally Weathers is a student at Valdosta State University. Her student ID number is the main number she uses for her school-related activities such as enrollment and meal charges. Sally's student ID number in a table of student records would be referred to as a ________.
primary key
Kia Motor Company is performing a key function of operations management when it ________ for its new line of automobiles.
purchases new parts and supplies
Direct TV captures customer transactions and streams the data instantly to its data warehouse where it can be used to develop targeted promotions to new customers or ones who may be considering canceling their service. This process represents a growing need for ________ to make faster business decisions.
real-time business intelligence
Devon Degosta is updating the employee database with information on a new employee. She enters the employee information into the employee table and then tries to add a department ID for a department that does not exist in the Departments table. The system does not allow her to add the employee record until she creates a Department ID first in the Department table so the employee can then be assigned to it. This is an example of the system enforcing a ________.
referential integrity constraint
A database model that organizes information into tables of records that are connected to one another by linking a field in one table to a field in another table with matching data is called a(n) ________ database.
relational
All of the following are examples of human capital management metrics that can provide a company with valuable information about how well the organization is managing its human capital EXCEPT ________.
retention rates
Which of the following situations is representative of the "last mile" issue in telecommunications?
rural subscribers of an internet service provider (ISP) complain of poor internet speeds compared to those enjoyed by downtown users.
Blue Hen Organic Foods has decided to use a cloud-computing service to manage the company's computer processing and data storage needs. Blue Hen's risk-management team has identified several concerns with implementing a cloud-based computing architecture. Which of the following is NOT a risk associated with cloud computing?
scalability of the system to meet customer demand
________ is an Internet marketing strategy used to increase the quantity and quality of traffic from search engines, often by improving the site's position in result lists.
search engine optimization
When employees create a shadow system, organizations are often faced with many issues, including:
several versions of the "truth"
To support an innovative idea for an important business project, a manager creates a separate database system that is not integrated into the enterprise database. This is an example of a(n) ________.
shadow system
In comparison with primary storage, hard drives are ________.
slower in processing digital information
Zara, a clothing company based in Spain, wants to increase its online presence through online interconnections with a community of its customers. The company would like to create groups of customers who interact with each other as well as the company and generate information that can be used in future products. Which of the following will BEST help them reach out to people who may be interested in their products and tailor ads to reach precise target groups based on their members' profiles?
social networking system
Prewritten, commercially available sets of software programs that eliminate the need for a firm to write its own software programs for certain functions are referred to as ________.
software packages
Amazon.com stores all transaction data about its customers with clearly defined fields for customer name, items purchased, order history, amount spent, etc. This is an example of ________.
structured information
In an ERP suite that includes modules specialized for higher education, which of the following would be used by students to register for classes, check for prerequisites, and obtain course information?
student academic records
Visualization and charting tools provide managers with an effective way to envision future talent needs, termed __________________.
succession planning
Cingular Cell, Inc. charges its customers a high contract termination fee if they cancel their cell phone contract before the expiration date. The termination fee is an example of a ________.
switching cost
Which type of software controls basic operations such as file management, disk storage, hardware interfaces, and security?
system
Emily Harris, a marketing manager at a major advertising firm, undertakes decisions on promotional campaigns, Internet marketing, and brand awareness. At which level of decision making is Emily involved?
tactical
The general manager for Freeman and Associates is reviewing monthly project management reports to determine the best course of action for the next phase of the building project he manages. The types of decisions he is making are ________ decisions.
tactical
Photo-tagging is an increasingly common practice that has raised concerns about privacy for all of the following reasons EXCEPT:
tags in photos of old friends can help a person remember names better
Amy Smith is a recruiter at Total Service Corporation, which handles customer service functions for a credit card processing company. The company recently implemented a system that allows Amy to track each employee's training, performance evaluations, and career development progress. She is also able to help managers with succession planning and training needs. The system Amy is using is known as a(n) ________.
talent management system
Jonathan Hudson is responsible for analyzing web metrics for Blockbuster Video's online movie rental business. Which of the following metrics would he analyze to determine the depth of each visit to the website?
the conversion rate
Microformats introduce meaning to information by attaching semantics to it. Which of the following describes the function of microformats like the hCard in the business world?
the electronic exchange of business card information
Rail Europe is a company that promotes and sells European train travel tickets in the North American market. The company was not achieving good results from its website, and visitors rarely stayed on the website long or purchased a ticket. To increase the ________ of its website, the company added more travel-related advice, interactive maps, and other content to its website.
time spent on site
John Monfort has been hired by Daniel Appliance Company to collect data from customers who returned appliances over the past ten years. The survey asked for the customer's opinion about the kind of service they received. John's survey results are likely to be of little use to the company because the information lacks which of the following characteristics of high-quality information?
timeliness
To compete against larger athletic stores and Internet retailers selling running shoes and equipment, the Big Dog Running Company recently created a Facebook page. Which of the following objectives is Big Dog trying to achieve with the use of a social networking site?
to connect with customers and announce new products
The Huffington Post generates revenue by providing ad-supported content such as news, blogs, entertainment, and commentaries. What is the primary web goal of "HuffPost"?
to inform or entertain its audience
The online book review magazine bookreviewusa.com offers free access to all their reviews and author interviews; however, only those who have purchased premium access can read book extracts from recently published books. What is the primary web goal of this organization?
to inform or entertain the audience
Alyssa Meade is the database administrator for Realtree Outdoors, Inc. She is updating the data warehouse by using zip codes to add demographic data from the U.S. Census Bureau to the company's customer records before loading them into the data warehouse. What is this process called?
transformation process
Pam Flowers is a production assistant for a company that makes documentary films for nonprofit organizations. Pam uses a ________ on her desktop and smart phone to provide quick access to her emails, IM, RSS feeds, conference calls, and video calls, which allows her to be in constant touch with her colleagues.
universal dashboard
Martin & Martin, LLC is a nonprofit organization offering pro-bono legal services using a network of lawyers. The basement of their office is filled with boxes containing the files of hundreds of cases completed over the past ten years. The legal documents stored in the file boxes are an example of ________.
unstructured information
Web designers can evaluate a site's __________ by giving visitors a series of tasks to complete and observing their performance on the tasks.
usability
Andy heads the IT department of a small company based in Chicago that sells customized T-shirts and corporate incentive items over the Internet. The company has seen a surge in popularity and is planning to expand its operational base to four more cities. However, Andy is directed to come up with a strategy to cut down on the costs incurred in maintaining multiple servers in different cities to host the marketing and e-commerce sites. Which of the following measures will help Andy achieve his objective?
using virtualization software to run multiple OSs on a a single server system
Ford Motor Company recently introduced a new app that lets potential customers test drive new models in a graphic 3-D environment using their personal computers. The new application uses ________ to let customers experience many of the car's features in a simulated environment.
virtual reality
Which of the following enables computers to run multiple operating systems and multiple software applications at the same time and creates what seems to be multiple independent machines all on a single computing device?
virtualization
Netflix uses customer surveys to identify delivery delays caused by the U.S. Postal Service. The surveys give Netflix valuable information and improve the company's ________.
visibility in the supply chain
At the headquarters of CitiBank in New York City, the strategic planning department has implemented a new process of co-locating all the team members working on its strategic projects so they are better able to collaborate and work together using white boards and other technologies that facilitate meetings and communication. This is known as a(n) ________.
war room
TracSoft is a website development company that creates websites for small companies that focus on e-mail marketing. The company uses e-marketing information systems that provide extensive tracking capabilities for their clients by embedding in the HTML e-mail a ________, which is a tiny, invisible image, typically a single pixel with a unique identifier.
web beacon
Wells Fargo Bank is considering a new software tool that will help bank executives collaborate synchronously and facilitate online meetings with their branch office via the Internet. Which of the following would meet the company's needs?
web conferencing
The adult education director at St. Francis Hospital uses ________ to evaluate the interactions of variables that contribute to the profitability of various potential seminars.
what-if analysis
________ is a publicly accessible website that allows users to add and edit interlinked web pages and make contributions from their own personal experience to update existing articles with current information.
wikipedia
Acme Pest Control is considering implementing cloud computing to link its three locations to the main office where there is currently just a single PC. The company owner, Mr. Greenleaf, has little technical knowledge and does not have the capital to invest a large amount in technology. Which statement will be true if Mr. Greenleaf implements cloud computing for his company?
with cloud computing, you pay only for what you use, so a small business will save money
Delta Airlines uses an Operational Flight Attendant Scheduler to manage its workforce of flight attendants and to ensure all flights are adequately staffed. Which of the following terms describes this tool?
workforce management module
TripAdvisor.com specializes in providing unbiased customer reviews of travel destinations and encourages customers to post their vacation photos. Which of the following does this situation illustrate?
User-generated content
The Montana Mining Company was required to produce emails and other electronic documents as part of a civil lawsuit over a dispute with landowners. The process by which these documents can be requested and used as legal evidence is called ________.
e-discovery
Web 2.0 and user-generated content (UGC) characterize the ________ component of an information system. In contrast, Web 3.0 and the "Internet of Things" rely on the ________ component of an information system.
people, technology
TracSoft is a web design and hosting company that caters to small- and medium-sized businesses with a variety of different e-commerce solutions. One the most popular solutions for its clients with limited IT budgets is the use of ________, in which the company pays a subscription fee to access a vendor's software remotely via the Internet.
software-as-a-service
