Abstract
Information Systems (IS) is the study of complementary networks of hardware and software that people and organizations use to collect, filter, process, create, and distribute data. The study bridges business and computer science using the theoretical foundations of information and computation to study various business models and related algorithmic processes within a computer science discipline. In today's world in which most of the economic transactions are mediated by computers, Information Systems have become an integrated part of the decision-making process of most enterprises, organizations, and institutions. However, in contrast to the fields of Economics and Management, Information Systems is an area still in its infancy. This chapter is designed in order to present the main elements of the origin, evolution, and establishment of the historical interpretations, theories, and models that govern the Information Systems view of enterprises, organizations, and institutions, with a particular focus on the structure and dynamics of enterprises.
Top2. Background
As properly stressed by Professor Hal Varian, former and retired Professor of the University of California, at Berkeley/USA, and now Chief Economist Officer of Google Inc., nowadays, most economic transactions involve a computer. Sometimes the computer takes the form of a smart cash register, sometimes it is part of a sophisticated point of sale system, and sometimes it is a web site. In each of these cases, the computer creates a record of the transaction. The record-keeping role was the original motivation for adding the computer to the transaction. Creating a record of transactions is the first step in building an accounting system, thereby enabling arms to understand how its business is doing (Varian, 2010).
But now that these computers are in place, they can be used for many other purposes. In his paper Varian (2010) explores some of the ways that computer mediation can affect economic transactions. He argues that these computer mediated transactions have enabled significant improvements in the way transactions are carried out and will continue to impact the economy for the foreseeable future.