Organizations
Information systems are an integral part of organizations. Indeed, for some companies, such as credit
reporting firms, without the information system there would be no business. The key elements of an
organization are its people, structure, operating procedures, politics, and culture. We introduce these
components of organizations here and describe them in greater detail in Chapter 3. Organizations are
composed of different levels and specialties. Their structures reveal a clear-cut division of labor. Experts are
employed and trained for different functions. The major business functions, or specialized tasks performed
by business organizations, consist of sales and marketing, manufacturing and production, finance,
accounting, and human resources