外文翻译--管理信息系统.doc

附录1外文参考文献（原文）ManagementInformationIystemsWriterRaymondMcLeod,JrGeorgeSchellInformationisoneofthemainresourcesavailabletothemanager.Informationcanbemanagedjustasanyotherresource,andinterestinthistopicstemfromtwoinfluences.First,businesshasbecomemorecomplex,andsecond,thecomputerhasachievedimprovedcapabilities.Computerinformationisusedbymanagers,nonmanagers,andpersonsandorganizationswithinthefirmsenvironment.Managersarefoundonallorganizationallevelsofthefirmandinallbusinessareas.Managersperformfunctionsandplayrolestobesuccessfulandtheyneedskillincommunicationandproblemsolving.Managersshouldbecomputerliterate,but,moreimportant,theyshouldbeinformationliterate.Itishelpfulifthemanagerhasanabilitytoseehisorherunitasasystemcomposedofsubsystemsandexistingwithinalargersupersystem.Thefirmisaphysicalsystem,butitismanagedthroughaconceptualsystem.Theconceptualsystemconsistsofaninformationprocessorthattransformsdataintoinformationandrepresentsthephysicalresources.Thefirstmajorcomputerapplicationwasusedtoprocessaccountingdata.Thatapplicationwasfollowedbyfourothersmanagementinformationsystems,decisionsupportsystem,thevirtualoffice,andknowledgebasedsystem.Allfiveoftheseapplicationscomposethecomputerbasedinformationsystem.WhataretheinformationresourcesThefirsteffortstoengageininformationmanagementfocusedondata.Theseeffortsoccurredinconjunctionwithwidespreadadoptiondatabasemanagementsystemsduringthe1970sand1980s.FirmsreasonedthatiftheymanagedtheirdatabyimplementingcomputerbasedDBMSs,theywould,ineffect,managetheirinformation.Abroaderview,however,isthatyoucanmanageinformationbymanagingtheresourcesthatproducetheinformation.Inotherwords,ratherthanconcentrateontheinputthedataandtheoutputtheinformation,attentionshouldalsobegiventotheinformationprocessorthattransformstheinputintotheoutput.Thisprocessorincludesthehardwareandsoftware,aswellanthepersonswhodevelop,operate,andusethesystems.Alsoincludedarethefacilitiesthathousetheresources.MainTypeofResourcesThemanagermanagersfivemaintypeofresourcesPersonnelMaterialMachinesincludingfacilitiesandenergyMoneyInformationincludingdataThetaskofthemanageristomanagetheseresourcesinordertousetheminthemosteffectiveway.Thefirstfourresourcetypesaretangibletheyexistphysicallyandcanbetouched.Weusethetermphysicalresourcetodescribethem.Thefifthresourcetype,information,isnotvaluableformwhatitrepresents.Thatisweusethetermconceptualresourcetodescribeinformationanddata.Managersuseconceptualresourcestomanagephysicalresources.HowInformationisManagedItiseasytoseehowamanagermanagersphysicalresources,butmanagementappliesequallywelltoconceptualrescources.Themanagerensuresthatthenecessaryrawdataisgatheredandthenprocessedintousableinformation.Heorshethenensuresthatappropriateindividualsreceivetheinformationintheproperformatthepropertimesothatitcanbeused.Finally,themanagerdiscardinformationthathasoutliveditsusefulnessandreplacesitwithinformationthatiscurrentandaccurate.Allofthisactivityacquiringinformation,usingitinthemosteffectiveway,anddiscardingitatthepropertimeiscalledinformationmanagement.IncreasingComplexityofBusinessActivityBusinesshasalwaysbeencomplex,butitismoresotodaythaneverbefore.Allfirmsaresubjecttointernationaleconomicinfluencesandcompeteinaworldwidemarketplace,thetechnologyofbusinessisbecomingmorecomplex,thetimeframefortakingactionisshrinking,andtherearesocialconstrains.InternationaleconomicinfluencesFirmsofallsizearesubjecttoeconomicinfluencesthatcanoriginateanywhereintheworld.Suchinfluencecanbeseenintherelativevaluesofthecurrenciesofeachnation.Buyersmakepurchasesinthosecountrieswheretheircurrencieshavethegreatestvalue.Forexample,whenMexicodevalueditspesoduringthelate1980s,touristsdecidedtotaketheirvacationsthere,ratherthaninplacelikeHawaii.WorldwidecompetitionFirmsnolongercompeteinonlytheirowngeographicarea.Rather,competitionexistsonaworldwidescale.Theeffectsofthiscompetitioncanbeseenintheimportsfromforeigncountries.ThedecisionbyGeneralMotorsintheearly1990stoclosemanyofitsplansindicatesthatevenindustrygiantsarenotinsulatedfromtheeffectsofcompetitionwhichcanoriginateanywhereintheworld.Increasingcomplexitytechnology.Weseeexampleoftechnologyinbusinesseverydaybarcodescannersinsupermarkets,computerbasedairlinereservationsystems,automatedtellertechnologythatwedonotseefactoryrobotsandautomatedmerchandisestorageandhandingequipment,forexample.Firmsinvestinthistechnologytoperformnecessaryoperation.JustthinkwhatwouldhappeniftheL.L.BeanmailorderoperationinMaineorHarrodsdepartmentstoreinLondoncouldnolongerusetheircomputerShrinkingtimeframesAllphasesofbusinessoperationsareperformedmorerapidlythaneverbefore.Salesrepresentativesengageintelemarketingtocontacttheircustomerswithinsecondsbytelephone,saleordersaretransmittedelectronicallyfromonecomputertoanother,andmanufacturersschedulerawmaterialdeliveriestoarrivejustintime.SocialconstraintsOddlyenough,notallpressuresfavorproductionsomefavornonproduction.Thisistrueinthecaseofproductsandservicesthatsocietyfindsundesirable.Businessdecisionsmustbebasedoneconomicfactors,butsocialcostsandpayoffsmustbeconsideredaswell.Plantexpansion,newproducts,newproducts,newsalesoutlets,andsimilaractionsmustallbeweighedintermoftheirenvironmentalimpact.Eachoftheseinfluencescontributestothecomplexityofbusiness.PhysicalsystemsandconceptualsystemsThebusinessfirmisaphysicalsystem,composedofphysicalresources.Aconceptualsystem,ontheotherhand,isasystemthatusesconceptualresourcesinformationanddatatorepresentaphysicalsystem.Aconceptualsystemexists,forexample,asmentalimagesinthemanagersmind,asfiguresorlinesonasheetofpaper,orintheelectronicformofthecomputersstorage.Thecomputerisaphysicalsystem,butthedataandinformationstoredinitcanbeviewedasaconceptualsystem.Thedateandinformationrepresentoneormorephysicalsystem.Howthedateandinformationarestoredisunimportant.Whatisimportantiswhatthedataandinformationrepresent.Thephysicalsystemisimportantforwhatitistheconceptualsystemisimportantforitsrepresentationofthephysicalsystem.WhatstimulatedendusercomputingEndusercomputingevolvedbecauseoffourmaininfluences.AnincreaseincomputerliteracyDuringtheearly1980s,goodcomputereducationprogramsatboththecollegeandprecollegelevelbegantohaveanimpact.Managementranks,especiallyonthelowerlevels,begantofillwithcomputerliteratepeople.TheinformationservicesbackingInformationspecialistshavealwayshadmoreworkthantheycanhandle.Thissituationbecamecriticalduringtheearly1980s,whenusersbeganmakingdemandsoninformationservicesforadditionalsystemssupport.Informationservicescouldnotrespondquicklyenough,andbacklogsbuiltup.Someusershadtowaittwoorthereyearfortheirjobstoworktheirwaythroughthebacklog.LowcosthardwareDuringthisperiod,themarketbecomefloodedwithlowcostmicrocomputers.Userscouldobtaintheirownhardwarebyplacinganorderatthelocalcomputerstorebytelephoneandmakingpaymentforthepettycashfund.PrewrittensoftwareBothhardwareandsoftwarefirmsproducedsoftwarethat