Overview

This unit enables students to analyse and articulate how technology can be used to assist business, without the technology becoming an end in itself. In particular, the unit aims to develop an appreciation for the importance of information to decision-making and how to provide such information to ensure its usefulness to the decision makers. Students gain a strong foundation of business systems fundamentals and are able to evaluate the influence of the Internet on business stakeholders; customers, suppliers, manufacturers, service makers, regulators, managers and employees.

Requisites

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-March-2025
01-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
16-March-2025
Census date
31-March-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
24-April-2025
Results released date
08-July-2025
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
04-August-2025
02-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-August-2025
Census date
31-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
19-September-2025
Results released date
09-December-2025

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Critically analyse and recommend problem solving solutions to complex issues that arise with the adoption/acquisition of technology that enable core business processes and support business strategic goals
  • Critically evaluate the ways in which information technology can contribute to organisational innovation, competitiveness, efficiency and effectiveness specifically through the application of appropriate hardware and software to produce informed business solutions
  • Critically analyse the impact telecommunications and social media have on developing business solutions and the subsequent use of Business Intelligence tools to facilitate competitive advantage for organisations
  • Demonstrate professionalism, integrity, ethical conduct, professional accountability and an awareness of legal and security concerns associated with the use of technology within organisations
  • Demonstrate the ability to work professionally and function as an effective leader or member of a team

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Class		2.00 12 weeks 24
Online
Lecture		1.00 12 weeks 12
Unspecified Activities
Independent Learning		8.50 12 weeks 102
TOTAL138

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Assignment 1Individual 30 - 40% 1,2 
Assignment 2Group 30 - 50% 1,2,4,5 
Online TestsIndividual 20 - 30% 1,2,3,4 

Content

  • Organisations in the digital economy
  • Information Systems (IS): their evolution to current role and purpose in business & society
  • Strategic review of purposes of commercial business, organisational requirements for Information Systems
  • Data and information management in the digital economy; Ethical, legal and security issues; Databases, and their importance to contemporary business
  • Business processes: evolution and support of IS
  • E-Commerce Networks and commercial internet applications
  • IS to support business transactions & processes; Transaction processing systems, supply chain management, customer relationship management; enterprise systems
  • IS to support managerial decision making, business intelligence, decision support, and knowledge management; the nature of IS management
  • Information Systems requirements analysis; Information systems acquisition, development, and implementation

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.