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Glossary
Q 18.C supplement
Self-test Questions

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Object-Oriented Systems Analysis and Design Using UML, 2/e
Simon Bennett, Systems Architect with GEHE UK
Steve McRobb, Senior Lecturer, De Montfort University
Ray Farmer, Associate Dean, Coventry University

Information Systems: What Are They?

Self-test Questions



1

Which of the following is not a primary concern in the academic field of information systems?
A)How to establish the business requirements for a new system.
B)What effects a new system will have on the organization.
C)How to configure the hardware of a new system for greatest efficiency.
2

Which of the following is least likely to serve as information from the perspective of your teacher?
A)Your score for this multiple choice test.
B)Your height on your 10th birthday.
C)Which class you belong to.
3

Which of the following is a good reason for considering a railway signalman as an information worker?
A)His job depends on knowledge and communication.
B)His job could be easily automated.
C)His job affects the safety of people he doesn’t know.
4

Which of the following is a characteristic of all systems?
A)A limitation.
B)A boundary.
C)A threshold.
5

Which of the following statements is not true?
A)No useful information system could exist without modern information technology.
B)Many information systems existed in a different form before the invention of modern information technology.
C)Some information systems are only possible because of modern information technology.
6

Which of the following is the best description of emergent properties?
A)Properties that emerge over time as a system matures, but are not there at the beginning.
B)Properties that emerge as soon as a system is switched on, but are not there when it is switched off.
C)Properties that are shown only by the system as a whole, but are not shown by its parts.
7

Which of the following is an example of positive feedback?
A)Rewarding a student for passing an assignment.
B)Telling a student how to pass an assignment.
C)Punishing a student for failing an assignment.
8

Which of the following statements best describes negative feedback?
A)Control signals that act to maintain a pre-determined level of output.
B)Control signals that act to reduce overall output.
C)Control signals that act to oppose hostile forces in the environment.
9

Which of the following is a reasonable definition of ‘subsystem’?
A)Something that is controlled by another system.
B)Something that provides an input to a system.
C)A part of a system that can be regarded as a system in its own right.
10

Which of these diagrams illustrates a feedback control loop?
A)
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B)
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C)
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11

Which of the following statements gives the best general description of the purpose of control subsystems?
A)To switch a system on or off so that a constant level of output is achieved.
B)To adjust the functioning of a system so that it produces the maximum possible quantity of output.
C)To adjust the functioning of a system so as to keep some measurement of its performance or of its outputs within a predetermined range.
12

Systems analysis often begins by defining the boundary of the system that is under investigation. This is so that:
A)The analyst does not waste time or effort on matters that are not relevant to the present study.
B)The analyst does not get into fights with the managers of other departments.
C)The analyst does not get out of his or her depth by studying things that are too hard to understand.
13

Which of the following best describes the views of Peter Checkland?
A)Systems are a mental construct and do not exist in the real world.
B)Regardless of whether or not a system is real, it is often useful to think about a problem situation as if it were a system.
C)Systems are out there in the real world waiting to be discovered.
14

Which of the following statements best describes an interface in General Systems Theory?
A)A screen that allows users to perform functions and to access the data within a system.
B)An electronic connection between two systems that are located in different places.
C)Any form of communication between different systems or subsystems.
15

Which of the following is not an example of purposeful control in a system?
A)An alteration in the Bank of England base lending (interest) rate.
B)A sudden change in the weather that damages a crop just before it becomes ready for harvest.
C)A change in the tactics of a football team when a successful goal takes them into the lead.
16

Which of the following statements correctly distinguishes information from data?
A)Information is directly relevant to an action or decision in some situation, whereas data has no specific must first be organised in some way to make it useful.
B)Information is quite rare whereas there is always a lot of data available.
C)Information is sorted into alphanumerical sequence whereas data is random.
17

What is the main purpose of an operational system?
A)To assist a surgeon in carrying out an operation such as keyhole surgery.
B)To help tactical managers to make decisions about current operations.
C)To automate the routine tasks and activities in an organization.
18

Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of a management support system?
A)To relieve managers of work.
B)To replace managers.
C)To help managers to do their work.
19

Which of the following statements best agrees with the approach taken by the authors of this book?
A)Managers should always make sure that their organization has information systems that make the best use of the very latest in information technology.
B)Managers should only install information technology that is needed to implement information systems that their organization really needs.
C)Managers should make sure that the information systems and information technology in their organization are always at the leading edge of their industry.
20

Which of the following statements best describes business strategy?
A)A business strategy identifies the long-term business goals and the main steps that will help to achieve them.
B)A business strategy identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the business and what can be done about them.
C)A business strategy identifies the steps that add value to the business and how to carry them out most profitably.
21

Which of the following does not describe a legitimate concern in the relationship between business and information strategies?
A)A clear business strategy identifies how much the organization can afford to spend on software and IT.
B)A clear business strategy helps IS managers to persuade business managers to support leading edge IT projects.
C)A clear business strategy helps managers to understand what kinds of IS and IT will help the business to fulfil its goals.