SBM4203 - Business Information Systems: Reflective Journal Example

This reflective journal delves into personal learning experiences within the SBM4203 Management Information Systems module. It highlights key insights related to the implementation of MIS in various sectors like manufacturing, education, and healthcare. The reflection includes an analysis of ERP systems, specifically SAP R/3, discussing its pros and cons, and explores the role of business intelligence and knowledge management with real-world examples like Unilever's AI-driven recruitment. Furthermore, it addresses ethical and legal considerations of MIS, particularly concerning employee privacy and online monitoring, referencing the Australian Privacy Act 1988 and the issue of cyberslacking. The journal concludes by reflecting on how the module's learning outcomes can be applied to future career endeavors, emphasizing the importance of ethical conduct and strategic technology implementation.

Running Head: IT REFLECTION
0
Business Information Systems
Reflective Journal
(Student details :)
5/13/2019

IT Reflection
1
Contents
Reflection: Business Information Systems................................................................................2
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Reflection...................................................................................................................................2
References..................................................................................................................................4

IT Reflection
2
Reflection: Business Information Systems
Introduction
This reflective journal is based on conducting a self-reflection audit related to my personal
learning during the module SBM4203 management information systems. To do so, I am
going to identify the major issues as well as findings from the learning outcomes reflection
on my learning and progress during future career. In this context, my reflection will majorly
contain learning related to management information systems (referred as MIS) which can be
utilised for present and future business management. Hence, I will discuss how MIS can be
effectively implemented within the manufacturing, education as well as medical field into
reality. Besides, learning occurred from week-3 studies over an implementation of an ERP
system are going to reflected in the form defining its pros and cons for the associated system.
Reflection
After studying this MIS module, I have realized that technology has brought revolution in the
world. I have accessed the details and info about so many organizations which are specialized
in developing new technologies and information systems for the other firms. The main
learning from this module is to study recent trends and technological abilities for providing
outstanding services to the modern consumers (Obrien & Marakas, 2009).
First of all, I am going to reflect my learning related to MIS and its implementation within
medical, manufacturing and educations sectors. In this context, I learnt a lot about different
types of info systems which can be utilised for the modern business management.
Furthermore, my study and exploration about the role and importance of MIS during the
module allowed me to get the different processes of the management. I learnt that the concept
of the MIS has been evolved across a period of time while counting many different facets of
the organizational functions. Besides, I also learnt the different impacts of the implementation
of the MIS in organizations.
In the context of the implementation of the MIS systems within education sector, I have
learnt that when MIS is practically applied within this sector then gives support to all of the
academicians through considering the human mind being a processor of info. Moreover,

IT Reflection
3
application of MIS within education sector allows designing the report format as well as
creating communication channels (Van Der Aalst, 2011). My learning over MIS’s application
into real world suggests that MIS takes behaviour of the managers into account being an
individual and within a group (Obrien & Marakas, 2009). Likewise, I learnt that within the
medical sector MIS is practically applied for the basic organizational functions like
appointment management, maintaining patients’ records, research, preserving data,
maintaining privacy and security of the info, as well as for the better communication amid the
staff, doctors, patients and nurses (Van Der Aalst, 2011). I also learnt that MIS is applied for
monitoring, performance management, evaluation, analysis, decision-making, sales data
analysis, and data processing activities within a manufacturing sector worldwide (Obrien &
Marakas, 2009).
Later then, I learnt the advantages and disadvantages of the implementation of the ERP
system. In this context, I would like to reflect on SAP R/3 software based on my learning
acquired through this module. I believe that SAP R/3 is not the best application for all kind of
business (Abdollahzadeh & Jafarzadeh, 2010). There are so many reasons behind the
statement as this software can manage sales and distribution, finance, material management,
business production and planning and inventory purchasing within the businesses of this era.
Hence, due to lack of communication, lack of change management, lack of ownership, scope
creep, and lack of performance management and most importantly lack of expertise of the IT
professionals makes this software unsuitable for some of the businesses of the international
market (Nazemi et al., 2012).
Based on studies and knowledge gained in week-4, I learnt a lot over business intelligence
and knowledge management. Here, on reflecting upon my understanding over knowledge
management system into making correct decision, I would like to quote an example of the
company Unilever which is using AI techniques for the recruitment and talent management
of their employees and future workforces (Turban et al., 2010). In this context, the company
is using AI tactics to analyse the capabilities of the people in terms of their mental abilities
and personality attributes so that they can hire best expertise human force while utilising AI
to support knowledge in making correct decisions (Abdollahzadeh & Jafarzadeh, 2010).
Furthermore, while considering ethical and legal perspectives of MIS, I have analysed that
monitoring or spying the employees’ online activities and behaviours by the IT executives is
highly unethical. The reason why I believe in the above statement is that employees are

IT Reflection
4
humans before being the employees of an organisation hence their privacy should is
confidential and it should be preserved by the companies. Moreover, from the legal
perspective also IT executives should never spy their employees’ online activities for the sake
of Privacy Act 1988 in the region of Australia (Australian Government, 2019). As per my
best knowledge this privacy act narrates many privacy rights known as the Information
Privacy Principles of the employees working in an organization. Apart from this, if I would
have become a leader of a company then I would not have monitored my employees’ online
activities as I believe that nobody be it a leader or colleague working in an organization owns
the right to breach the privacy rights of an employee as per Privacy Act 1988 (Australian
Government, 2019).
On the other hand, there are numerous real life examples or events where employees have
been caught up for their immoral online behaviours. For an example, as researched by
(Schwartz , 2015), Cyberslackers or Cyberloafers is rising as an emerging problem at
workplace which is observing immoral online behaviours of the employees largely. Recently,
a survey done by Salary.com identified those employees within the organizations surf the
internet while they should be exactly working (Schwartz , 2015). In this context, Salary.com
has revealed that every day minimum of 64 % of the employees surf websites by using
companies’ data and resources which either have been used for their daily work (Schwartz ,
2015). In this way, these are the real life evidences which are showing that employees caught
up for their immoral online behaviour hence if I were the leader in the place then I would
have dealt the situation through counselling, ethical training and motivation for achieving the
mission, vision and goals of my workplace organization. Finally, through answering these
different specific questions by using learning acquired during the module, I have successfully
reflected upon this module of MIS.
References
Abdollahzadeh, S. & Jafarzadeh, S., 2010. An Improvement Model Presented to Reduce the
Required Time for the Implementation of ERP in the Organization. Journal of Environmental
Science and Engineering, 4(5), p.60.
Nazemi, E., Tarokh, M. & Djavanshir, G., 2012. ERP: a literature survey. The international
journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 61(9-12), pp.999-1018.

IT Reflection
5
Obrien, J. & Marakas, G., 2009. Introduction to information systems. London: McGraw-Hill
Inc.
Schwartz , , 2015. The 5 most common unethical behaviors in the workplace. [Online]
Available at: https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/blog/guest-comment/2015/01/most-
common-unethical-behaviors-in-the.html [Accessed 12 May 2019].
Turban, E., Sharda, R. & Delen, D., 2010. Decision Support and Business Intelligence
Systems. UK: Google Scholar.
Van Der Aalst, W., 2011. Process mining: discovery, conformance and enhancement of
business processes. Heidelberg: Springer.