FIT2052 Electronic business - Semester 1 , 2007 unit guide

Semester 1, 2007

Chief Examiner

Linda Dawson

Lecturers

Caulfield : Linda Dawson

Outline

This unit introduces students to the ways organisations and businesses use the Internet and related technologies to securely conduct business activities. Students will acquire an understanding of the way e-business is carried out across all kinds of organisations for transactions and other business purposes. Students will analyse and design an e-business solution as part of a preliminary business case in order to gain an understanding of how e-business concepts can be applied to specific organisational and business environments.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will demonstrate an understanding of:

C1. To understand the concept of e-business, that is, how organizations and businesses organise their activities using the Internet and associated technologies to communicate, carry out and record transactions both internally and externally

C2. To understand the nature of e-business activities across business, government, community and not-for-profit sectors

C3. To understand core e-business activities and processes e.g. change management, EDI, electronic record keeping, negotiation

C4. To understand the legal, privacy and security issues and implications of using the internet to conduct e-business.

C5. To understand the implications for businesses and organisations of trends in e-business.

C6. To understand the need for the integration of web interfaces with back office systems and other business processes

Attitudes, Values and Beliefs

A1. To appreciate the complexity of legal, privacy and security issues and their implications for conducting e-business

A2. To appreciate the impetus of the internet and related technologies in driving internal integration and external business relationships and service provision (including mobile systems and web services)

Practical Skills

P1. To be able to analyse the potential for an e-business approach in a specific business or organisational environment and to prepare a simple e-business case

Relationships, Communication and TeamWork

S1. To be able to work in a small team to analyse the potential for an e-business approach in a specific business or organisational environment and to contribute to the preparation of a simple e-business case

Prerequisites

Before attempting this unit you must have satisfactorily completed FIT1003 or IMS1704 or equivalent.

Unit relationships

FIT2052 is a core unit in the IS major of the BITS.

Before attempting this unit you must have satisfactorily completed FIT1003 or IMS1704 or equivalent.

You may not study this unit and IMS2704, ELC1000, IMS3280, BEW1601, CPE3008, GCO2803, FIT1009 (Translation for IMS2704) or units deemed to be equivalent in your degree.

Texts and software

Required text(s)

See recommended reading.

Textbook availability

Text books are available from the Monash University Book Shops. Availability from other suppliers cannot be assured. The Bookshop orders texts in specifically for this unit. You are advised to purchase your text book early.

Software requirements

To access weekly lecture/class materials, you will need an Adobe Acrobat reader, and Microsoft Office software (PowerPoint, Word, and Excel).

Hardware requirements

Students may use the facilities available in the computing labs. Information about computer use for students is available from the ITS Student Resource Guide in the Monash University Handbook. You will need to allocate up to 6 hours per week for use of a computer, including time for newsgroups/discussion groups.

Recommended reading

Schneider, G (2007). Electronic Commerce. (7th ed.), Thomson Learning, ISBN 1-4188-3703-2.

Turban, E, King, D., Viehland, D, and Lee, J. (2006) Electronic Commerce: A Managerial Perspective (4th ed.), Pearson Education, ISBN 0-13-197667-2.

 

Library access

You may need to access the Monash library either personally to be able to satisfactorily complete the subject.  Be sure to obtain a copy of the Library Guide, and if necessary, the instructions for remote access from the library website.

Study resources

Study resources for FIT2052 are:

Lecture notes/PowerPoint slides and other relevant materials and links will be posted on the web site each week.

Unit website

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/FIT2052/

Structure and organisation

Week Topics Key Dates
1 Introduction to e-Business Feb 28
2 Technology Infrastructure: The Internet and the World Wide Web Mar 7
3 Business Models for e-Business Mar 14
4 Electronic Marketing and Internet Customer Management Mar 21
5 Web Site Development Issues for e-Business Mar 28
6 Business-to-Business and Electronic Supply Chain Management April 4
Non teaching week
7 Electronic Payment Systems April 18
8 ANZAC DAY - no lecture April 25
9 Electronic Commerce Security May 2
10 Mobile Business May 9
11 Legal and Ethical Issues May 16
12 Trends in e-business May 23
13 Review May 30

Timetable

The timetable for on-campus classes for this unit can be viewed in Allocate+

Assessment

Assessment weighting

Assessment for the unit consists of 2 assignments and a tutorial mark with a weighting of 50% and an examination with a weighting of 50%.

Assessment Policy

To pass this unit you must:

gain all of the following:
• at least 40% of the marks available for the every deliverable component including the presentation
• at least 50% of the total marks for the unit


In order to obtain a credit or better for this unit, a student must also gain the following:
• at least 45% of the marks available for the exam

Your score for the unit will be calculated by:

Examination: 50%
Tutorial participation 5%
Assignment 1: (Individual) 15%
Assignment 2: (Group) 30%


Assessment Requirements

Assessment Due Date Weighting
Assignment 1 (Individual) April 4 15%
Assignment 2 (Group) May 23 30 %
Tutorial Participation May 23 5 %
The exam is 3 hours long and is closed book. Exam period (S1/07) starts on 07/06/07 50 %

Assignment specifications will be made available FIT2052 Unit Web Site Assignment Page.

Assignment Submission

Assignments will be submitted by paper submission in tutorials with the appropriate cover sheet correctly filled out and attached.

Extensions and late submissions

Late submission of assignments

If you believe that your assignment will be delayed because of circumstances beyond your control such as illness, you should apply for an extension prior to the due date. All applications for extensions must be made in writing to your lecturer. Medical certificates or other supporting documentation will be required.
Late assignments submitted without an approved extension may be accepted (up to one week late) at the discretion of the lecturer, but will be penalised at the rate of 10% of total assignment marks per day (including weekends). Assignments received later than one week after the due date will not normally be accepted.

This policy is strict because comments or guidance will be given on assignments as they are returned, and sample solutions may also be published and distributed, after assignment marking or with the returned assignment. 

Extensions

It is your responsibility to structure your study program around assignment deadlines, family, work and other commitments. Factors such as normal work pressures, vacations, etc. are seldom regarded as appropriate reasons for granting extensions. 

If you believe that your assignment will be delayed because of circumstances beyond your control such as illness, you should apply for an extension prior to the due date. All applications for extensions must be made in writing to your lecturer. Medical certificates or other supporting documentation will be required.
Late assignments submitted without an approved extension may be accepted (up to one week late) at the discretion of the lecturer, but will be penalised at the rate of 10% of total assignment marks per day (including weekends). Assignments received later than one week after the due date will not normally be accepted.

Grading of assessment

Assignments, and the unit, will be marked and allocated a grade according to the following scale:

Grade Percentage/description
HD High Distinction - very high levels of achievement, demonstrated knowledge and understanding, skills in application and high standards of work encompassing all aspects of the tasks.
In the 80+% range of marks for the assignment.
D Distinction - high levels of achievement, but not of the same standards. May have a weakness in one particular aspect, or overall standards may not be quite as high.
In the 70-79% range.
C Credit - sound pass displaying good knowledge or application skills, but some weaknesses in the quality, range or demonstration of understanding.
In the 60-69% range.
P Pass acceptable standard, showing an adequate basic knowledge, understanding or skills, but with definite limitations on the extent of such understanding or application. Some parts may be incomplete.
In the 50-59% range.
N Not satisfactory failure to meet the basic requirements of the assessment.
Below 50%.

Assignment return

We will aim to have assignment results made available to you within two weeks after assignment receipt.

Feedback

Feedback to you

You will receive feedback on your work and progress in this unit. This feedback may be provided through your participation in tutorials and class discussions, as well as through your assignment submissions. It may come in the form of individual advice, marks and comments, or it may be provided as comment or reflection targeted at the group. It may be provided through personal interactions, such as interviews and on-line forums, or through other mechanisms such as on-line self-tests and publication of grade distributions.

Feedback from you

You will be asked to provide feedback to the Faculty through a Unit Evaluation survey at the end of the semester. You may also be asked to complete surveys to help teaching staff improve the unit and unit delivery. Your input to such surveys is very important to the faculty and the teaching staff in maintaining relevant and high quality learning experiences for our students.

And if you are having problems

It is essential that you take action immediately if you realise that you have a problem with your study. The semester is short, so we can help you best if you let us know as soon as problems arise. Regardless of whether the problem is related directly to your progress in the unit, if it is likely to interfere with your progress you should discuss it with your lecturer or a Community Service counsellor as soon as possible.

Plagiarism and cheating

Plagiarism and cheating are regarded as very serious offences. In cases where cheating  has been confirmed, students have been severely penalised, from losing all marks for an assignment, to facing disciplinary action at the Faculty level. While we would wish that all our students adhere to sound ethical conduct and honesty, I will ask you to acquaint yourself with Student Rights and Responsibilities and the Faculty regulations that apply to students detected cheating as these will be applied in all detected cases.

In this University, cheating means seeking to obtain an unfair advantage in any examination or any other written or practical work to be submitted or completed by a student for assessment. It includes the use, or attempted use, of any means to gain an unfair advantage for any assessable work in the unit, where the means is contrary to the instructions for such work. 

When you submit an individual assessment item, such as a program, a report, an essay, assignment or other piece of work, under your name you are understood to be stating that this is your own work. If a submission is identical with, or similar to, someone else's work, an assumption of cheating may arise. If you are planning on working with another student, it is acceptable to undertake research together, and discuss problems, but it is not acceptable to jointly develop or share solutions unless this is specified by your lecturer. 

Intentionally providing students with your solutions to assignments is classified as "assisting to cheat" and students who do this may be subject to disciplinary action. You should take reasonable care that your solution is not accidentally or deliberately obtained by other students. For example, do not leave copies of your work in progress on the hard drives of shared computers, and do not show your work to other students. If you believe this may have happened, please be sure to contact your lecturer as soon as possible.

Cheating also includes taking into an examination any material contrary to the regulations, including any bilingual dictionary, whether or not with the intention of using it to obtain an advantage.

Plagiarism involves the false representation of another person's ideas, or findings, as your own by either copying material or paraphrasing without citing sources. It is both professional and ethical to reference clearly the ideas and information that you have used from another writer. If the source is not identified, then you have plagiarised work of the other author. Plagiarism is a form of dishonesty that is insulting to the reader and grossly unfair to your student colleagues.

Communication

Communication methods

Appointments and other requests should be arranged using email.

Your Tutor should be your first port of call if you are having difficulties with the unit. If your problems are not able to be solved by your Tutor, you should then consult the unit leader.

Notices

Notices related to the unit during the semester will be placed on the Unit Website. Check this regularly. Failure to read the Notices is not regarded as grounds for special consideration.

Consultation Times

Consultation may be arranged by email.

If direct communication with your unit adviser/lecturer or tutor outside of consultation periods is needed you may contact the lecturer and/or tutors at:

Dr Linda Dawson
Senior Lecturer
Phone +61 3 990 32415
Fax +61 3 9903 1007

All email communication to you from your lecturer will occur through your Monash student email address. Please ensure that you read it regularly, or forward your email to your main address. Also check that your contact information registered with the University is up to date in My.Monash.

Last updated: Feb 19, 2007