An Introduction to Information Systems - Principles of Information Systems - page 30

monitor the Webcams. In response to possible abuses, a number of laws have been passed
to protect people from invasion of their privacy, including The Privacy Act, enacted in
the 1970s.
Use of information systems also raises work concerns, including job loss through increased
efficiency and some potential health problems from making repetitive motions.
Ergonomics , the study of designing and positioning workplace equipment, can help you avoid
health-related problems of using computer systems.

Computer and Information Systems Literacy
Whatever your college major or career path, understanding computers and information sys-
tems will help you cope, adapt, and prosper in this challenging environment. Some colleges
are requiring a certain level of computer and information systems literacy before students are
admitted or accepted into the college. 64 The University of Chicago's School of Business, for
example, requires entering students be able to use Microsoft Office PowerPoint, a presenta-
tion and graphics program. While at school, you might connect with friends and other
students using a social networking Internet site, such as MySpace ( www.myspace.com ) or
FaceBook ( www.facebook.com ) . 65 When you graduate, you might find yourself interviewing
for a job using the TMP Island in Second Life ( www.second.life.com ). The TMP Island in
Second Life is a site where job candidates and corporate recruiters can meet and conduct a
virtual job interview.

The TMP Island allows you to
conduct a job interview in the virtual
world.
(Source: Courtesy of TMP
Worldwide Advertising &
Communications, LLC.)

A knowledge of information systems will help you make a significant contribution on
the job. It will also help you advance in your chosen career or field. Managers are expected
to identify opportunities to implement information systems to improve their business. They
are also expected to lead IS projects in their areas of expertise. To meet these personal and
organizational goals, you must acquire both computer literacy and information systems
literacy. Computer literacy is a knowledge of computer systems and equipment and the ways
they function. It stresses equipment and devices (hardware), programs and instructions
(software), databases, and telecommunications.
Information systems literacy goes beyond knowing the fundamentals of computer systems
and equipment. Information systems literacy is the knowledge of how data and information
are used by individuals, groups, and organizations. It includes knowledge of computer tech-
nology and the broader range of information systems. Most important, however, it encom-
passes how and why this technology is applied in business. Knowing about various types of
hardware and software is an example of computer literacy. Knowing how to use hardware
and software to increase profits, cut costs, improve productivity, and increase customer
satisfaction is an example of information systems literacy. Information systems literacy can
involve recognizing how and why people (managers, employees, stockholders, and others)
use information systems; being familiar with organizations, decision-making approaches,
management levels, and information needs; and understanding how organizations can use

computer literacy
Knowledge of computer systems
and equipment and the ways they
function; it stresses equipment and
devices (hardware), programs and
instructions (software), databases,
and telecommunications.

information systems literacy
Knowledge of how data and infor-
mation are used by individuals,
groups, and organizations.