615-253 Globalisation, Cultural Diversity & IS

Note

Credit Points

HECS Band

Coordinator

Prerequisites

615-120 Information Systems in Organisations.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

Topics covered in this course will include, but are not limited to, the technical and managerial aspects of information systems development and implementation in terms of globalisation and different cultural impacts; definitions of globalisation and culture and an analysis of the Hofstede model of cultural impact and behaviour; application of the Hofstede model to information systems development in practice in Asian, African and European contexts to both describe and explain deviation from expected 'western practice'; the impact of culture on all types of information systems including executive information systems, expert systems and decision support systems; the nature of national policy on IT and IS development will frame a detailed development of managerial responses to cultural impact.

At the conclusion of this subject students will have:

• understood the concepts of globalisation and cultural diversity and evaluated the impact of those concepts on information systems development and implementation;

• described and defined the elements of culture that impact on information systems decision making;

• described the impact of culturally formed behavior on the systems development life cycle;

• described and explained how cultural behavior influences the nature of information systems, executive information systems, expert systems and decision support systems;

• practiced workplace simulations reflecting cultural difference in information system development.

Assessment

A 3 hour end of semester exam and assigned project work expected to average 6-8 hours per week. Weighting of the assessment components will be announced at the commencement of the subject.

Prescribed Texts

• Hofstede G, Culture and Organisations: Software of the Mind. McGraw-Hill, London, 1991.
• Readings Booklet, Globalisation, Cultural Diversity and Information Systems. available from DIS.