Every Manager's Guide to Information Technology: A Glossary of Key Terms and Concepts for Today's Business Leader [Paperback]

Peter G. W. Keen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1994

Designed for every businessperson who wants to understand how information technology is used in business today. Not an exhaustive or comprehensive list, but a selective guide to 150 key terms and concepts. Provides a vocabulary of core IT terms, and explains their relevance to managers in easily understood language. Also puts these terms into context: instead of elaborating on how bugs and viruses work, cites famous examples of disastrous bugs and explains why they are an unavoidable part of the new technology. Instead of explaining the technical differences in operating systems like the OS/2 or UNIX, describes the key features and advantages of each. Includes an introductory essay that gives an excellent overview of information technology in the organization. Keen shows that just as managers must be familiar with basic accounting techniques or basic marketing principles, so too must they understand the basics of IT. They can no longer afford to simply delegate critical IT strategic decisions to technical professionals.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The author indicates that CEOs need an understanding of the essentials of information technology (IT), and the terms in this guide are certainly selective. However, most business managers attempting to get a handle on specific concepts for his/her area will be disconcerted by the "discussion" method employed here rather than a straightforward definition of terms and concepts. The reader would have to have some knowledge of IT to use even those terms that were defined. Not recommended.
- V.A. Munch, Montville Twp . P.L.,
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Currently, advice on improving organization and competing better emphasizes the so-called lean or downsized company. But what happens when every company becomes as lean as can be? There is no better laboratory in which to study such a situation than Japan, where organizational structure epitomizes leanness. Management professor Cooper conducted a five-year study of the management systems of 20 leading Japanese companies. He found that the key to success is direct confrontation with competitors, with the victor better managing cost, quality, and functionality. Of those three factors, cost is most decisive, and Cooper identifies eight cost management techniques that he determined to be critical. This should prove to be an important book. David Rouse

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 290 pages
• Publisher: Harvard Business Press; Second Edition edition (December 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0875845711
• ISBN-13: 978-0875845715
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,954,805 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Glossary is not Cross Referenced as Advertised, February 6, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Every Manager's Guide to Information Technology: A Glossary of Key Terms and Concepts for Today's Business Leader (Paperback)

Mr. Keen's idea for the format of this book is good and the front cover tauts 40 additional new terms that were not included in the First Edition. The idea behind this book is that if you look up one term in the glossary (95% of this book is a glossary) at the end of the entry for the term you looked up there is a list of additional terms to cross reference for a more in-depth understanding of the concepts presented. For example: You can look up EDI or Electronic Data Interchange. It will cross reference you to an entry for "PLATFORM". You can look up the term "Architecture" and it will also cross reference and guide you to read the entry for "PLATFORM". You can look up the term "Network" and it will also instruct you to cross reference the listing for the term, "PLATFORM". HOWEVER, WHEN YOU GO TO LOOK UP "PLATFORM", IT IS NOT LISTED ANYWHERE IN THE BOOK! IT IS ALSO NOT INCLUDED IN THE INDEX. The copy editors get paid big bucks to check out this kind of thing and they totally blew it!..Especially, Harvard Business School Press as the publisher should know better. You can expect this kind of thing to happen with the first edition must it should not happen in the 2nd edition.