Msc Management of Information Systems

MSc Management of Information Systems: 2010-11

Social and Organizational Impact of IS

CS7022

Rationale

But they are useless. They can only give you answers.

Pablo Picasso, talking about computers

It is often said that we are entering a third phase of technological development for humanity; first the plough, then the loom and now the chip. Do the observations applicable to the first two phases still apply or is this truly a brave new world? Will technology free us or enslave us? Are we building Veblen’s leisure class or Marx’s electronic sweatshops? Is globalisation just another word for the West? Is the nature of work and ultimately society changing in fundamental ways or is this just the same old, same old but faster, bigger, cheaper? What purpose, roles, duties and obligations, if any, do we have as those who work and research within IS as the discipline stands at the crossroads of identity and direction?

Learning and Teaching Approaches

In accordance with the University’s principle of offering a broad curriculum and educating for life, the overarching philosophy of this module is to give you a forum and the time to investigate critically these meta-issues and the alternative paradigms surrounding the application of technology within the workplace and the world. The aim of the module intends to raise more questions than answers and, through discourse and group problem solving, initiate critical thinking within individuals. Students will be expected to participate fully and constructively in the learning process. There will be some ‘capstone’ lectures to give overviews or summations of major themes. A range of multi-media resources will be used. Case histories and case studies will be utilised. Topics for moderated discussion or presentation will be allocated and evidence of research appropriate for Master’s level will be expected in the ensuing critiques.

Methods of Assessment

There will be a terminal exam on this topic which carries 70% of the marks. In addition, there will be group assignments. These will form a portfolio of marks from which an average mark will be taken. This portfolio constitutes the remainder of the marks.

The Harvard Referencing System, sometimes known as ‘Author, Date’ is the preferred method of referencing for this module. Please familiarise yourself with the College’s position on issues of plagiarism. Be aware that plagiarism software is utilised and your work may be submitted to this process. All work, named, dated and numbered on each page, is requested in electronic format and you should, of course, keep a personal copy. Marks will be deducted if this is not followed.

Themes and Streams

The module is divided into three themes: the past, the present, the future. Flowing through these with be universal philosophical perspectives: ethics, politics, economics... While it is not necessary to purchase any of the books listed below, it may be useful to build your own personal reference library. All relevant handouts, articles etc will be provided in class and posted to the appropriate websites.

The Past

The roots and origins of the IS discipline. Fifty years on and the IS world discusses its purpose and what exactly constitutes the domain. This section will introduce students to the founders, thinkers and major contributors and their related theories to the field, trace the development and drivers of technology and hypothesise on the philosophy of IS.

Books you may wish to read

Philosophy of Technology

By: VAL DUSEK

Blackwell Publishing, 2006

ISBN10: 1405111631

Philosophy of Science: A Very Short Introduction

By: Samir Okasha

Oxford, 2002

ISBN: 978 0 19 280283 5

Also available (free) from

Relevant website

The home of Techne, the journal of the Society of Philosophy and Technology

The Present

The ‘invisible hand’ needs a slap on the wrist! Given the current economic climate, this section will look at the impact the market has on the industry, the impact the industry has on the market and ways forward to understand and perhaps to mitigate against recessionary effects.

Compulsory Reading (available through eLibrary at TCD)

The Economist

Better the devil you know!

(and not just because it was founded by a Scot!!!)

Books you may like to read:

Free Lunch: Easily Digestible Economics

David Smith

Profile Books, 2003

ISBN 1 86197 506 6

Relevant Websites

The Irish Computer Society. Are you a member yet?

This is the major website for IS researchers and practitioners – full of information about conferences, articles etc. Students are encouraged to get to know the site and they may wish to subscribe to the listserve (remember it tends to be a bulletin board for academics)

The Technology Review magazine

The Future…

This section will speculate on the future of IS; what will it be, what should it be? What will be the nature of work? How wonderful will the world be? A wide range of topics relevant and pertinent to IS workers and researchers will be discussed. Students will be invited to investigate a potential issue in the technological realm and present their research.

Books you may wish to read:

The Clock of the Long Now: Time and Responsibility:

The Ideas Behind the World's Slowest Computer

Stewart Brand
Basic Books
2000

ISBN: 0465007805

Relevant Websites

Miscellaneous Resources:

As a student of Trinity College, you have access to one of the finest libraries in the world. Please do not waste this opportunity. Without doubt, one of the most useful resources available to you will be the electronic journals in the College Library. Familiarise yourselves with this site:

and in particular, access to these journals

• Association of Computing Machinery: Communications of the ACM
• Association of Computing Machinery: Journal of the ACM
• You can join the ACM portal as a student and you will be able to access a huge range of articles for only a few dollars more
• European Journal of IS
• Information Systems Journal
• Information Systems Research
• Information Technology and People
• MISQ

The appropriate databases to search are:

• ABI/Inform
• IEEE

The Library also subscribes to electronic versions of newspapers, including the Economist,essential reading for anyone in business and technology.

Plus 100’s more which may be of even more relevance to your particular work and interests.

Online book sites abound, but try

Almost as good as free books are nearly free books, try

Amazingly cheap books which ship quite quickly from America. Form a book group to keep down expenses on postage.

Another cheap books site that specialises in 2nd hand and out of print books.

Get off that couch and get back onto it and listen to the radio, particularly those programmes on business, science and technology. See (or should that be listen):

Public Broadcasting at its best!

Of interest will be the following programmes:

Should you miss a programme, there is the useful ‘listen again’ facility – no need for the ‘doh’ factor!

Better still, why not subscribe to the podcasts!

And to repeat, please share with your colleagues and myself any interesting, useful and relevant information that you may discover on your journey…knowledge doesn’t have a shelf-life, in fact, it can get better, bigger and more powerfulwith the sharing…….

Adam and Eve by Cranach the Elder, 1526

MSc MIS/10111CS7022/DianaWilson