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 Management
Information Systems
Moving Business Forward

Fourth Edition

KELLY RAINER

BRAD PRINCE

HUGH WATSON

with contributions by
Alina M. Chircu, Bentley University
Marco Marabelli, Bentley University
VICE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR George Hoffman
DIRECTOR Veronica Visentin
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Darren Lalonde
ASSISTANT DEVELOPMENT EDITOR Emma Townsend-Merino
SENIOR CONTENT MANAGER Dorothy Sinclair
SENIOR PRODUCTION EDITOR Jane Lee Kaddu
SENIOR MARKETING MANAGER Chris DeJohn
ASSOCIATE PRODUCT DESIGNER Wendy Ashenberg
SENIOR DESIGNER Maureen Eide
SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR Billy Ray
COVER DESIGNER Maureen Eide
PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT SERVICES Thomson Digital
COVER CREDIT Aleksandarvelasevic © Getty Images

This book was set in Source Sans Pro 9.5/12.5 by Thomson Digital and printed and bound by Courier/
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This book is printed on acid free paper.

Founded in 1807, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., has been a valued source of knowledge and understanding
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ISBN-13: 978-1-119-32109-5

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Rainer, R. Kelly, Jr., 1949-
Title: Management information systems / R. Kelly Rainer, Jr., Brad Prince, Hugh Watson.
Description: Fourth edition. | Hoboken, NJ : John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2017. | Includes bibliographical
references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016034800 (print) | LCCN 2016035388 (ebook) | ISBN
9781118890486 (paperback : acid-free paper) | ISBN 9781118890431 (pdf) |
ISBN 9781119321095 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Management information systems.
Classification: LCC HD30.213 .R35 2017 (print) | LCC HD30.213 (ebook) | DDC 658.4/038011--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016034800

Printed in the United States of America.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
 To The Student
Dear Student, 1. To help you be immediately successful when you join your
Why are you here? We are not asking you a philosophical ques­ organization
tion—that is a different course. We are asking, “Why are you 2. To help you understand the importance of information sys­
about to spend an entire term learning about information sys­ tems for individuals, organizations, and society as a whole
tems? Why are you—an accounting major, or a marketing or
3. To enable you to become informed users of your organiza­
management major—being required to study this topic?” You
tion’s information systems
may be asking, “What’s in IT for me?” The short answer is that
“IT’s About Business,” and the longer answer is the goal of this To accomplish these goals, we have tried to provide the essen­
book. tial, relevant knowledge that you need to understand to effec­
Information systems are making the world a very small tively use information systems in your careers.
place and are contributing to rapidly increasing global competi­ The way we propose to do this is by keeping you actively
tion. As a result, organizations are constantly trying to find ways involved in the material. Every section of the chapters has an
to gain a competitive advantage—by achieving operational activity that asks you to do something beyond just reading the
excellence, developing new products and services, developing textbook that will help you see why the content is useful for
new business models, providing superb customer service, im­ your future business career.
proving decision making, and so on. It should be obvious, then, We hope you will enjoy this active approach and success­
that an introductory course in information systems is critically fully complete the course with a richer understanding of what’s
important for success in your chosen career. in IT for you.
Rapid advances in information systems mean that, as
business students, change will be the only constant you will KELLY RAINER, BRAD PRINCE, AND HUGH WATSON
encounter in today’s dynamic digital business environment.
We wrote this book for business students of all majors who will
soon become business professionals. We have three goals in
mind:
To The Instructor
Dear Instructor, and capitalizing on opportunities. Every section of every chap­
We are like you. All of us who teach the introductory course in ter includes extensive hands-on exercises, activities, and mini-
information systems realize that it is difficult for students to cases. End-of-chapter material also includes exercises that
understand the importance and relevance of the topics in the require students to use software application tools. Through
course. As a result, students often memorize the content just these activities, we enable students to understand how to do
before the exam, and then forget it as soon as the exam is over. something with the concepts they learn, such as meet business
We all want to engage students at a much deeper level. We goals using information systems, configure products, and use
know that the best way to accomplish this objective is through spreadsheets and databases to facilitate problem solving.
hands-on active learning, leading to increased student engage­ The preface on the next page further outlines the goals,
ment in our course content. features, and support material provided with our new text. We
Accordingly, active learning and student engagement hope you will enjoy teaching with this approach!
are key principles of our new book. We recognize the need to
actively involve students in problem solving, creative thinking, KELLY RAINER, BRAD PRINCE, AND HUGH WATSON
Preface
Chapter Organization • Examples: Interspersed throughout the text, these high­
light the use (and misuse) of information systems by re­
Each chapter contains the following elements: al-world organizations, thereby illustrating the concepts dis­
cussed in the chapter.
• Chapter Outline: Lists the major concepts covered in each
• What’s in IT for Me?: A unique end-of-chapter summary
chapter.
that demonstrates the relevance of each key chapter topic
• Learning Objectives: Provide an overview of the key to different functional areas, including accounting, finance,
learning goals that students should achieve after reading the marketing, production/operations management, human
chapter. resources management, and management information sys­
• Chapter-Opening Case: A short case that focuses on a tems. This cross-functional focus makes the book accessible
small or start-up company that is using information systems for students from any major.
to solve a business problem. Cases in introductory informa­ • Summary: Keyed to the Learning Objectives listed at the
tion systems textbooks typically involve very large organiza­ beginning of the chapter, the summary enables students to
tions. In contrast, our chapter-opening cases demonstrate review major concepts covered.
that small and start-up companies also have business prob­
• Discussion Questions and Problem-Solving Activities:
lems that they address using information systems. Students
Provide practice through active learning. These exercises are
will see that small firms usually have to be quite creative in
hands-on opportunities to apply the concepts discussed in
building and implementing IS solutions, because they do not
the chapter.
have MIS departments or large budgets. These small-busi­
ness cases also add an entrepreneurial flavor to each chapter • Collaboration Exercises: Team exercises that require stu­
for students who are planning to start their own businesses. dents to take on different functional roles and collaborate to
solve business problems using Google Drive. These exercises
• Apply the Concept Activities: This book’s unique peda­
allow students to get first-hand experience solving business
gogical structure is designed to keep students actively en­
problems using Cloud-based tools while also experiencing
gaged with the course material. Reading material in each
an authentic business team dynamic.
chapter subsection is immediately followed by an “Apply the
Concept” activity that is directly related to a chapter objec­ • Closing Cases: Each chapter concludes with two cases
tive. These activities include links to online videos and arti­ about business problems faced by actual companies and
cles and other hands-on activities that require students to how they used IS to solve those issues. The cases are broken
immediately apply what they have learned. Via WileyPLUS, down into three parts: a description of the problem, an over­
instructors can assign a section of text along with an Apply view of the IS solution implemented, and a presentation of
the Concept activity. Each Apply the Concept has the follow­ the results of the implementation. Each case is followed by
ing elements: discussion questions, so that students can further explore
the concepts presented in the case.
• Background (places the activity in the context of relevant
reading material) • Spreadsheet Activity: Every chapter includes a hands-on
spreadsheet project that requires students to practice their
• Activity (a hands-on activity that students carry out)
Excel skills within the context of the chapter material. Wiley-
• Deliverable (various tasks for students to complete as they PLUS Learning Space includes an Excel Lab Manual for stu­
perform the activity) dents who need introductory coverage or review.
• IT’s About Business: Short cases that demonstrate real- • Database Activity: Every chapter includes a hands-on da­
world applications of IT to business. Each case is accompa­ tabase project that requires students to practice their Access
nied by questions relating the case to concepts covered in skills while using concepts learned in the chapter. WileyPLUS
the chapter. Icons relate these boxes to the specific function­ Learning Space includes an Access Lab Manual for students
al areas. who need introductory coverage or review.
• IT’s Personal: Sprinkled throughout the chapters, these • Internship Activity: Every chapter includes an Internship
short vignettes explain the relevance of MIS concepts to stu­ Activity which presents a business problem found in one of
dents’ daily lives. four recurring industries (healthcare, banking, manufactur­
• Before You Go On: End-of-section reviews prompt stu­ ing, and retail.) STUDENTS are directed to various software
dents to pause and test their understanding of concepts be­ demos that provide useful tools for addressing the business
fore moving on to the next section. problem. Then the students must act as interns and apply
viii P REFACE

the concepts they learned in the chapter to provide a solu­ of lessons that can be learned from such failures. Misuse of in­
tion to the business problem. formation systems can be very expensive.
• Glossary: A study tool that highlights vocabulary within
the chapters and facilitates studying. Global Focus An understanding of global competition,
partnerships, and trading is essential to success in a modern
business environment. Therefore, we provide a broad selec­
tion of international cases and examples. We discuss the role
Key Features
of information systems in facilitating export and import, the
Student Engagement As discussed in the note addressed management of international companies, and electronic trad­
to instructors at the beginning of this preface, one of the chief ing around the globe.
goals of this text is to engage students at a level beyond recog­
nition of key terms. We believe the best way to achieve this goal Innovation and Creativity In today’s rapidly changing
is through hands-on, active learning that will lead to increased business environment, creativity and innovation are necessary
student engagement with the course and its content. for a business to operate effectively and profitably. Throughout
Accordingly, every section of every chapter provides re­ our book, we demonstrate how information systems facilitate
sources that actively involve students in problem solving, crea­ these processes.
tive thinking, and capitalizing on opportunities. Every chapter
includes extensive hands-on exercises, activities, and mini- Focus on Ethics With corporate scandals appearing in the
cases, including exercises that require students to solve busi­ headlines almost daily, ethics and ethical questions have come
ness problems using Excel and Access. to the forefront of business people’s minds. In addition to de­
voting an entire chapter to ethics and privacy (Chapter 6), we
Cross-Functional Approach We emphasize the importance have included examples and cases throughout the text that fo­
of information systems by calling attention in every chapter to cus on business ethics.
how that chapter’s topic relates to each business major. Icons
guide students to relevant issues for their specific functional
area—accounting (ACC), fi nance (FIN), marketing (MKT), pro­ A Guide to Icons in This Book
duction operations management (POM), human resources man­
As you read this book, you will notice a variety of icons inter­
agement (HRM), and management information systems (MIS).
spersed throughout the chapters.
Chapters conclude with a detailed summary (entitled “What’s in
These icons highlight material relating to different
IT for Me?”) of how key concepts in the chapter relate to each
functional areas. MIS concepts are relevant to all business ca­
functional area.
reers, not just careers in IT. The functional area icons help stu­
ACCT FIN MKT POM HRM MIS dents of different majors quickly pick out concepts and exam­
ples of particular relevance to them. Below is a quick reference
Diversified and Unique Examples from Different In­ of these icons.
dustries Extensive use of vivid examples from large corpo­
rations, small businesses, and government and not-for-profit ACCT For the Accounting Major highlights content rele­
organizations enlivens the concepts from the chapter. Th e ex­ vant to the functional area of accounting.
amples illustrate everything from the capabilities of informa­
tion systems, to their cost and justification and the innovative FIN For the Finance Major highlights content relevant
ways that corporations are using IS in their operations. Small to the functional area of finance.
businesses have been included in recognition of the fact that
many students will work for small-to mid-sized companies, and
MKT For the Marketing Major highlights content rele­
some will even start their own small business. In fact, some
vant to the functional area of marketing.
students may already be working at local businesses, and the
concepts they are learning in class can be readily observed or
POM For the Production/Operations Management
put into practice in their part-time jobs. Each chapter constant­
ly highlights the integral connection between business and IS. Major highlights content relevant to the functional area of
This connection is especially evident in the chapter-opening production/operations management.
and closing cases, the “IT’s About Business” boxes, and the
highlighted examples. HRM For the Human Resources Major highlights con­
tent relevant to the functional area of human resources.
Successes and Failures Many textbooks present examples
of the successful implementation of information systems, and MIS For the MIS Major highlights content relevant to the
our book is no exception. However, we go one step beyond by functional area of MIS.
also providing numerous examples of IS failures, in the context
 P R EFACE ix

What’s New in the Fourth Edition? short answer, and essay questions. In addition, each chapter
includes “Apply Your Knowledge” questions that require more
Content changes include: creative thought to answer. Each multiple choice and true/false
• Chapter 5: Completely rewritten chapter on Business Analyt­ question is labeled to indicate its level of difficulty: easy, medi­
ics. Chapter provides a visual overview of the Analytics pro­ um, or hard.
cess (Figure 5.3), and extensive coverage of descriptive ana­ The test bank is available for use in Respondus’ easy-to­
lytics, predictive analytics, and prescriptive analytics. use software. Respondus® is a powerful tool for creating and
managing exams that can be printed or published directly to
• Plug IT In 5: Completely rewritten Plug IT In on Artificial In­
Blackboard, WebCT, Desire2Learn, eCollege, ANGEL, and other
telligence. This Plug In differentiates between weak AI and
learning systems. For more information on Respondus® and the
strong AI and then addresses AI technologies such as expert
Respondus Test Bank Network, please visit www.respondus
systems, machine learning, deep learning, and neural net­
.com.
works. The Plug In continues with a discussion of AI applica­
tions, including machine vision, natural language process­
Reading Quizzes These multiple choice conceptual ques­
ing, robotics, speech recognition, and intelligent agents.
tions can be used by instructors to evaluate a student’s under­
• Chapter 3 contains expanded coverage of Big Data. standing of the reading. They are available in Respondus, the
• Plug IT In 1 provides expanded coverage of business processes. WileyPLUS course, and the Book Companion Site.
• All new or updated IT’s About Business, chapter-opening and
closing cases, and examples. PowerPoint Presentations The PowerPoint Presentations
consist of a series of slides for each chapter. The slides are de­
• Pedagogical changes include:
signed around each chapter’s content, incorporating key points
• Revised and streamlined “Apply the Concept” activities from the chapter and chapter illustrations as appropriate, as
now relate directly to chapter objectives. well as real-life examples from the Web.
• New “Internship Activities” replace the Ruby’s Club ac­
tivities from previous editions. Each Internship Activity Image Library All textbook figures are available for down­
includes a software demo that requires students to apply load from the Web site. These figures can easily be added to
new tools to business problems. PowerPoint presentations.
• Revised “Collaboration Exercises” now each require use of
Google Drive. Weekly Updates (http://wileyinformationsystemsupdates
• Revised and streamlined database and spreadsheet ex­ .com)
ercises for every chapter. These include references to les­ Weekly updates, harvested from around the Internet by David
sons in the WileyPLUS lab manual for students who need Firth of the University of Montana, provide you with the latest
instruction or review. IT news and issues. These are posted every Monday morning
throughout the year at http://wileyinformationsystemsupdates
.com/. They include links to current articles and videos as well as
Online Resources discussion questions to assign or use in class.

www.wiley.com/college/rainer
OfficeGrader Office GraderTM is an Access-Based VBA Macro
Our book also facilitates the teaching of an Introduction
that enables automatic grading of Office assignments. The
to Information Systems course by providing extensive support
macros compare Office files and grade them against a master
materials for instructors and students. Visit www.wiley.com/
file. OfficeGraderTM is available for Word, Access, Excel, and Pow­
college/rainer to access the Student and Instructor Companion
erPoint for Office 2010 and 2013. For more information, contact
Sites.
your Wiley sales representative or visit http://www.wiley.com
/college/sc/office2013/officegrader.html.
Instructor’s Manual The Instructor’s Manual includes a
chapter overview, teaching tips and strategies, answers to all
end-of-chapter questions, supplemental mini-cases with essay WileyPLUS Learning Space
questions and answers, and experiential exercises that relate
to particular topics. It also includes answers and solutions to WileyPLUS Learning Space is an easy way for students to learn,
all spreadsheet and database activities, along with a guide to collaborate, and grow. With WileyPLUS Learning Space, stu­
teaching these exercises, and links to the separate Excel and Ac­ dents create a personalized study plan, assess progress along
cess starter and solutions files. the way, and make deeper connections as they interact with
the course material and each other. Through a combination of
Test Bank The test bank is a comprehensive resource for test dynamic course materials and visual reports, this collaborative
questions. Each chapter contains multiple choice, true/false, learning environment gives you and your students immediate
x P REFACE

insight into strengths and problem areas in order to act on ORION Included in WileyPLUS Learning Space, ORION helps
what’s most important. gauge students’ strengths and weaknesses so that instructors
can tailor instruction accordingly. Instructor reports track ag­
• This online teaching and learning environment integrates the gregate and individual student proficiency at the objective or
entire digital textbook with the most effective instructor and chapter level, to show exactly where students excel as well as
student resources to accommodate every learning style. the areas that need reinforcement.
• Students achieve concept mastery in a rich, structured envi­ Based on cognitive science, WileyPLUS with ORION is a
ronment that is available 24/7. personalized, adaptive learning experience that helps students
• Instructors personalize and manage their course more ef­ build proficiency on topics while using their study time most
fectively with assessment, assignments, grade tracking, and effectively.
more. You can even add your own materials to your Wiley- For more information and a demo, visit here: http://www
PLUS course .wiley.com/college/sc/ oriondemo/.
• With WileyPLUS Learning Space you can identify students
who are falling behind and intervene accordingly, without
having to wait for them to come to office hours.
WILEY Flex
In addition to WileyPLUS Learning Space, Wiley provides a wide
• WileyPLUS Learning Space can complement the textbook or variety of printed and electronic formats that provide many
replace the printed textbook altogether. choices to your students at a wide range of price points. Con­
WileyPLUS Learning Space for Rainer MIS 3e includes the fol­ tact your Wiley sales representative for more details on any of
lowing resources to support teaching and learning: the below.

• New author lecture videos for every section of every chapter Wiley E-Text Powered by VitalSource Wiley E-Texts are
will facilitate switch to “flipped classrooms” and/or will pro­ complete digital versions of the text that help students study
vide additional learning support for students. more efficiently. Students can access content online and offline
• Orion, an adaptive, personal learning experience that helps on their desktops, laptops, and mobile devices; search across
students highlight their strengths and problems areas and the entire book content, take notes and highlight, and copy and
navigate through their studies to get optimal results in the paste or print key sections.
most efficient amount of time. (See more information below.).
Wiley Binder Version A three-hole-punched, loose-leaf ver­
• Group chat function facilitates student discussion about ac­
sion allows students to carry only the content they need, insert
tivities and cases.
class notes and hand-outs, and keep all materials in one place.
• Complete eText allows searching across all chapters,
note-taking, highlighting, and the ability to copy and paste or Wiley Custom This group’s services allows you to adapt ex­
print key sections. isting Wiley content and combine text materials, incorporate
• Lab Manual for Microsoft Office 2010 and Office 2013. and publish your own materials, and collaborate with Wiley’s
• Automatically graded practice questions team to ensure your satisfaction.
• Vocabulary flash cards and quizzes
Wiley Custom Select Wiley Custom Select allows you to
• Library of additional “IT’s About Business” cases.
build your own course materials using selected chapters of any
For more information and a demo, visit here: http://www Wiley text and your own material if desired. For more informa­
.wiley.com/college/sc/wpls/ tion, visit http:// customselect.wiley.com.

Acknowledgments
Creating, developing, and producing a text for the introduction to in­ Bob Gehling for working on the Instructor’s Manual, and Carole
formation systems course is a formidable undertaking. Along the way, Hollingsworth for designing Wiley PLUS activities.
we were fortunate to receive continuous evaluation, criticism, and di­
Special thanks to contributors Dawna Dewire, Joan Lumpkin, Kevin
rection from many colleagues who regularly teach this course.
Lertwachara, Roy DeJoie, and Kala Seal for working on the original
Special thanks to the following contributors: Ken Corley for designing Apply the Concept activities that appeared in prior editions. Thanks
the PowerPoint slides, Jennifer Gerow for writing test bank questions, also to Efrem Mallach for creating the original database activities in
 P R EFACE xi

the prior editions. Many thanks also to Alina M. Chircu and Marco Mar­ Roger Finnegan, Metropolitan State University
abelli of Bentley University for developing new material that enhances Thomas Fischer, Metropolitan State University
our coverage of business processes and ERP. We are grateful for the Jerry Flatto, University of Indianapolis
dedication and creativity of all these contributors in helping us craft Jonathan Frankel, University of Massachusetts, Boston
this new text. Judith Gebauer, University of North Carolina, Wilmington
Jennifer Gerow, Virginia Military Institute
We would like to thank the Wiley team: Darren Lalonde, Executive
Matt Graham, University of Maine
Editor; Emma Townsend-Merino, Assistant Development Editor;
Katie Gray, University of Texas, Austin
Wendy Ashenberg, Associate Product Designer; and Chris DeJohn,
Penelope (Sue) Greenberg, Widener University
Senior Marketing Manager. We also thank the Content Management
Naveen Gudigantala, University of Portland
team, including Dorothy Sinclair, Content Manager; Jane Lee Kaddu,
Saurabh Gupta, University of North Florida
Senior Production Editor; and Abhishek Sarkari of Thomson Digital.
Bernard Han, Western Michigan University
And thanks to Maureen Eide, Senior Designer; and Billy Ray, Senior
Hyo-Joo Han, Georgia Southern College
Photo Editor. We would also like to thank Robert Weiss for his skillful
John Hagle, Texas State Technical College
and thorough editing of the manuscript.
Peter Haried, University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse
Finally, we would like to acknowledge the contributions made by the Ranida Harris, Indiana University Southeast
individuals listed below who participated in focus groups, teleses­ Roslin Hauck, Illinois State University
sions, surveys, chapter walkthroughs, class tests, user feedback sur­ Bernd Haupt, Penn State University
veys, and reviews. Jun He, University of Michigan, Dearborn
Richard Herschel, St. Joseph’s University
KELLY RAINER
Bogdan Hoanca, University of Alaska
BRAD PRINCE
Mary Carole Hollingsworth, Georgia Perimeter College, Clarkston Campus
HUGH WATSON
Terri Holly, Indian River State College
Monica Adya, Marquette University Derrick Huang, Florida Atlantic University
Lawrence Andrew, Western Illinois University, Macomb Maggie Hutchison, Flagler College
Orakwue (Bay) Arinze, Drexel University Mark Hwang, Central Michigan University
Laura Atkins, James Madison University Lynn Isvik, Upper Iowa University, Fayette
Nick Ball, Brigham Young University Curtis Izen, Baruch College, City University of New York
Nicholas Barnes, Nicholls College Radhika Jain, Baruch College, City University of New York
Susan Barzottini, Manchester Community College Arpan Jani, University of Wisconsin, River Falls
Kristi Berg, Minot State University Jonathan Jelen, St. John’s University
Andy Borchers, Lipscomb University Hong Jiang, Benedict College
David Bouchard, Metropolitan State University Nenad Jukic, Loyola University
Dave Bourgeois, Biola University Elene Kent, Capital University
Mari Buche, Michigan Tech University Stephen Klein, Ramapo College
Richard Burkhard, San Jose State University Brian Kovar, Kansas State University
Ashley Bush, Florida State University Subodha Kumar, Texas A&M
Frank Canovatchel, Champlain College Diane Lending, James Madison University
Donald Carpenter, Mesa State College Kevin Lertwachara, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Teuta Cata, Northern Kentucky University Terry Letsche, Wartburg College
Wendy Ceccucci, Quinnipiac University Victor Lipe, Trident Tech
Amita Chin, Virginia Commonwealth University Chuck Litecky, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Susan Chinn, University of Southern ME, Portland Joan Lumpkin, Wright State University
Richard Christensen, Metropolitan State University Nicole Lytle, Cal State, San Bernardino
Dmitriy Chulkov, Indiana University Kokomo George Mangalaraj, Western Illinois University
Phillip Coleman, Western Kentucky University Parand Mansouri-Rad, University of Texas, El Paso
Emilio Collar, Western CT State University Michael Martel, Ohio University
Daniel Connolly, University of Denver Nancy Martin, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Lee Cornell, Minnesota State University, Mankato Richard McMahon, University of Houston, Downtown
David Croasdell, University of Nevada, Reno Tony McRae, Collin College
Jakov Crnkovic, University at Albany, SUNY Vishal Midha, University of Texas, Pan American
Reet Cronk, Harding University Esmail Mohebbi, University West Florida
Marcia Daley, Clark, Atlanta Luvai Motiwalla, University Mass Online
Donald Danner, San Francisco State University Mahdi Nasereddin, Penn State, Berks
Roy DeJoie, Purdue University Sandra K. Newton, Sonoma State University
Dawna Dewire, Babson College Ann O’Brien, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Kevin Duffy, Wright State University Sungjune Park, University of North Carolina, Charlotte
Lauren Eder, Rider University Yang Park, Georgia Southwestern State University
Sean Eom, Southeast Missouri State University Alan Peace, West Virginia University
Ahmed Eshra, St. John’s University Jacqueline Pike, Duquesne University
xii P REFACE

Tony Pittarese, East Tennessee State University Jo Lynne Stalnaker, University of Wyoming
Jennifer Pitts, Columbus State University Cynthia Stone, Indiana University
Richard Platt, University of West Florida Nathan Stout, University of Oklahoma
Larisa Preiser, Cal Poly Pomona Yi Sun, Cal State, San Marcos
Michelle Ramim, Nova Southeastern University Winston Tellis, Fairfield University
Alison Rampersad, Lynn University Doug Francis Tuggle, Chapman University
Ralph Reilly, University of Hartford Wendy Urban, Temple University
Wes Rhea, Kennesaw State University Darlene de Vida, Lower Columbia College
Julio Rivera, University of Alabama, Birmingham James Villars, Metropolitan State University
Thomas Roberts, William Patterson University Padmal Vitharana, Syracuse University
Cynthia Ruppel, Nova Southeastern University Haibo Wang, Texas A&M International University
James Ryan, Troy University Hong Wang, North Carolina A&T State University
Russell Sabadosa, Manchester Community College June Wei, University of West Florida
Jim Samuel, Baruch College, City University of New York Melody White, University of North Texas
Tom Sandman, Cal State, Sacramento Rosemary Wild, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Kala Seal, Loyola Marymount Tom Wilder, Cal State, Chico
Tod Sedbrook, University of Northern Colorado Karen Williams, University of Texas, San Antonio
Elaine Seeman, East Carolina University Marie Wright, Western Connecticut State University
Richard Segall, Arkansas State University Yaquan Xu, Virginia State University
Lee Sellers, Eastern Oregon University—Mt. Hood Metro Center Benjamin Yeo, Loyola Marymount University
Judy Ann Serwatka, Purdue University, North Central Bee Yew, Fayetteville State University
John Seydel, Arkansas State University Jigish Zaveri, Morgan State University
Jollean Sinclaire, Arkansas State University Grace Zhang, Augusta State University
Vivek Shah, Texas State University, San Marcos Wei Zhang, University of Massachusetts, Boston
Mehrdad Sharbaf, Loyola Marymount University Zuopeng Zhang, SUNY, Plattsburgh
Suengjae Shin, Mississippi State University, Meridian Fan Zhao, Florida Gulf Coast University
Todd Stabenow, Hawkeye Community College Robert Zwick, Yeshiva University
 Brief Contents
PREFACE vii 13 Supply Chain Management 352

1 Introduction to Information Systems 1 14 Acquiring Information Systems and

Applications 370
2 Organizational Strategy, Competitive
Advantage, and Information Systems 33 P LUG IT IN 1 Business Processes
and Business Process
3 Data and Knowledge Management 56 Management 398
4 Telecommunications and Networking 91 P LUG IT IN 2 Hardware and Software 411
5 Business Analytics 127 P LUG IT IN 3 Fundamentals of Relational
6 Ethics and Privacy 155 Database Operations 431

7 Information Security 176 P LUG IT IN 4 Cloud Computing 441

8 Social Computing 209 P LUG IT IN 5 Artificial Intelligence 464

9 E-Business and E-Commerce 244 P LUG IT IN 6 Project Management 477

10 Wireless, Mobile Computing, and Mobile P LUG IT IN 7 Protecting Your Information

Commerce 274 Assets 488

11 Information Systems within the INDE X 507

Organization 306

12 Customer Relationship Management 331

xiii
Contents
PREFACE vii Discussion Questions 87
Problem-Solving Activities 87
1 Introduction to Information Closing Case 1 88
Closing Case 2 89
Systems 1

Opening Case 1 4 Telecommunications

Introduction 2 and Networking 91
1.1 Why Should I Study Information Systems? 3
1.2 Overview of Computer-Based Information Opening Case 91
Systems 9 Introduction 93
1.3 How Does IT Impact Organizations? 17 4.1 What Is a Computer Network? 94
1.4 Importance of Information Systems to Society 23 4.2 Network Fundamentals 97
Summary 27 4.3 The Internet and the World Wide Web 102
Chapter Glossary 28 4.4 Network Applications: Discovery 107
Discussion Questions 29 4.5 Network Applications: Communication 110
Problem-Solving Activities 29 4.6 Network Applications: Collaboration 113
Closing Case 1 30 4.7 Network Applications: Educational 117
Closing Case 2 31 Summary 120
Chapter Glossary 121
2 Organizational Strategy, Discussion Questions 123
Problem-Solving Activities 123
Competitive Advantage, and Closing Case 1 124
Information Systems 33 Closing Case 2 125

Opening Case 33
Introduction 34
5 Business Analytics 127

2.1 Business Pressures, Organizational Responses, and Opening Case 127

Information Technology Support 35 Introduction 128
2.2 Competitive Advantage and Strategic Information
5.1 Managers and Decision Making 129
Systems 44
5.2 The Business Analytics Process 133
Summary 51
5.3 Business Analytics Tools 137
Chapter Glossary 52
5.4 Business Analytics Models: Descriptive
Discussion Questions 52 Analytics, Predictive Analytics, and Prescriptive
Problem-Solving Activities 53 Analytics 141
Closing Case 1 53 Summary 150
Closing Case 2 54 Chapter Glossary 150
Discussion Questions 151
3 Data and Knowledge Closing Case 1 151
Management 56 Closing Case 2 153

Opening Case 56 6 Ethics and Privacy 155

Introduction 57
3.1 Managing Data 60 Opening Case 155
3.2 The Database Approach 62 Introduction 156
3.3 Big Data 66 6.1 Ethical Issues 157
3.4 Data Warehouses and Data Marts 75 6.2 Privacy 163
3.5 Knowledge Management 81 Summary 171
Summary 86 Chapter Glossary 171
Chapter Glossary 86 Discussion Questions 172
 Contents xv

Problem-Solving Activities 172 Summary 268

Closing Case 1 173 Chapter Glossary 268
Closing Case 2 174 Discussion Questions 269
Problem-Solving Activities 270
7 Information Security 176 Closing Case 1 271
Closing Case 2 272
Opening Case 176
Introduction 177 10 Wireless, Mobile Computing, and
7.1 Introduction to Information Security 178 Mobile Commerce 274
7.2 Unintentional Threats to Information
Systems 180 Opening Case 274
7.3 Deliberate Threats to Information Systems 183 Introduction 275
7.4 What Organizations Are Doing to Protect 10.1 Wireless Technologies 276
Information Resources 189
10.2 Wireless Computer Networks and Internet
7.5 Information Security Controls 191 Access 284
Summary 201
10.3 Mobile Computing and Mobile Commerce 291
Chapter Glossary 202
10.4 The Internet of Things 296
Discussion Questions 204 Summary 301
Problem-Solving Activities 204 Chapter Glossary 302
Closing Case 1 205 Discussion Questions 302
Closing Case 2 207 Problem-Solving Activities 303
Closing Case 1 303
8 Social Computing 209 Closing Case 2 304

Opening Case 209

Introduction 211
11 Information Systems within the
8.1 Web 2.0 212
Organization 306
8.2 Fundamentals of Social Computing
Opening Case 306
in Business 219
Introduction 307
8.3 Social Computing in Business: Shopping 225
11.1 Transaction Processing Systems 308
8.4 Social Computing in Business: Marketing 229
11.2 Functional Area Information Systems 309
8.5 Social Computing in Business: Customer
Relationship Management 232 11.3 Enterprise Resource Planning Systems 316
11.4 ERP Support for Business Processes 322
8.6 Social Computing in Business: Human Resource
Summary 327
Management 235
Chapter Glossary 327
Summary 238
Discussion Questions 328
Chapter Glossary 239
Problem-Solving Activities 328
Discussion Questions 240
Closing Case 1 329
Problem-Solving Activities 240
Closing Case 2 329
Closing Case 1 240
Closing Case 2 242
12 Customer Relationship
9 E-Business and E-Commerce 244 Management 331

Opening Case 244 Opening Case 331

Introduction 245 Introduction 332
9.1 Overview of E-Business and E-Commerce 247 12.1 Defining Customer Relationship Management 333
9.2 Business-to-Consumer (B2C) Electronic 12.2 Operational Customer Relationship Management
Commerce 254 Systems 338
9.3 Business-to-Business (B2B) Electronic 12.3 Other Types of Customer Relationship Management
Commerce 261 Systems 343
9.4 Ethical and Legal Issues in E-Business 264 Summary 347
Chapter Glossary 347
xvi CONTEN TS

Discussion Questions 348

Problem-Solving Activities 348
Plug IT In 2 Hardware and
Closing Case 1 349 Software 411
Closing Case 2 350
Introduction 411
PI2.1 Introduction to Hardware 411
13 Supply Chain Management 352
PI2.2 Introduction to Software 422
Summary 428
Chapter Opening Case 352
Glossary 428
Introduction 353
Discussion Questions 430
13.1 Supply Chains 354 Problem-Solving Activities 430
13.2 Supply Chain Management 356
13.3 Information Technology Support for Supply Chain
Management 361 Plug IT In 3 Fundamentals
Summary 365 of Relational Database
Chapter Glossary 366 Operations 431
Discussion Questions 366
Problem-Solving Activities 366 Introduction 431
Closing Case 1 367
PI3.1 Query Languages 431
Closing Case 2 368
PI3.2 Entity–Relationship Modeling 432
PI3.3 Normalization and Joins 435
14 Acquiring Information Systems and Summary 440
Applications 370 Glossary 440
Discussion Questions 440
Opening Case 370
Introduction 371 Plug IT In 4 Cloud
14.1 Planning for and Justifying IT Applications 372 Computing 441
14.2 Strategies for Acquiring IT Applications 376
14.3 Traditional Systems Development Life Cycle 381 PI4.1 Introduction 441
14.4 Alternative Methods and Tools for Systems PI4.2 What Is Cloud Computing? 443
Development 387 Different Types of Clouds 447
PI4.3
Summary 392 Cloud Computing Services 449
PI4.4
Chapter Glossary 393 The Benefits of Cloud Computing 453
PI4.5
Discussion Questions 394 Concerns and Risks with Cloud Computing 455
PI4.6
Problem-Solving Activities 394 Web Services and Service-Oriented
PI4.7
Closing Case 1 395 Architecture 459
Closing Case 2 396 Summary 462
Glossary 463
Plug IT In 1 Business Discussion Questions 463
Processes and Business Process Problem-Solving Activities 463
Management 398
Plug IT In 5 Artificial
PI1.1 Business Processes 398 Intelligence 464
PI1.2 Business Process Improvement, Business
Process Reengineering, and Business Process PI5.1 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence 464
Management 404 PI5.2 Artificial Intelligence Technologies 466
Summary 409 PI5.3 Artificial Intelligence Applications 470
Chapter Glossary 410 Summary 475
Discussion Questions 410 Chapter Glossary 476
Discussion Questions 476
Problem-Solving Activities 476
 CON TEN TS xvii

Plug IT In 6 Project Plug IT In 7 Protecting Your

Management 477 Information Assets 488
PI6.1 Project Management for Information Systems PI7.1 How to Protect Your Assets: The Basics 488
Projects 477 PI7.2 Behavioral Actions to Protect Your Information
PI6.2 The Project Management Process 479 Assets 489
PI6.3 The Project Management Body PI7.3 Computer-Based Actions to Protect Your
of Knowledge 482 Information Assets 492
Summary 485 Summary 504
Glossary 485 Discussion Questions 505
Discussion Questions 485 Problem-Solving Activities 506
Collaboration Exercise PI6.1 486
Problem-Solving Activities 486 INDE X 507
Management
Information Systems
Fourth Edition
 CHAPTER 1

STOCK4B-RF/Getty Images

Introduction to Information
Systems
CHAPTER OUTLINE L E ARNI NG O BJ E CTI VE S

1.1 Why Should I Study Information

1.1 Identify the reasons why being an informed user of information systems is important
Systems?
in today’s world.
1.2 Overview of Computer-Based Infor­
1.2 Describe the various types of computer-based information systems in an organization.
mation Systems
1.3 Discuss ways in which information technology can affect managers and nonmanage­
1.3 How Does IT Impact Organizations?
rial workers.
1.4 Importance of Information Systems
1.4 Identify positive and negative societal effects of the increased use of information
to Society
technology.

Opening Case The law, however, exempts fantasy sports because they are con­
sidered a game of skill, not luck. To maintain legal status, the
operator of a fantasy sports business must follow four rules: (1)
MKT FanDuel publish prize amounts before the games begin, (2) make prize
amounts independent of the number of players in the game,
POM Founded in 2009, FanDuel (www.fanduel.com) operates a
Web-based fantasy sports game. It is the largest company in (3) level the playing field by allowing anyone in a league to draft
the daily fantasy sports business. In May 2016, FanDuel was legal in 39 any player they want, and (4) disregard point spreads and game
states, taking advantage of an exclusion in the 2006 Unlawful Internet scores.
Gambling Enforcement Act. This statute bans credit card issuers and FanDuel delivers simple and fast fantasy betting. After pay­
banks from working with poker and sports-betting Web sites, effec­ ing an entry fee, players become eligible to win daily cash payouts
tively preventing U.S. customers from participating in those industries. based on the statistical performance of athletes in games played

1
2 CH A PTER 1 Introduction to Information Systems

that day. Traditional fantasy sports often frustrate players because the where it is permitted to do so. Users who attempt to circumvent this
experience lasts for an entire season. If a player drafts a bad team, then decision could see their accounts terminated and FanDuel refuse to
he or she is stuck with that team for several months. In addition, seri­ pay out any winnings.
ous fantasy league players analyze large amounts of statistics, roster On the other hand, DraftKings, which is based in Massachusetts,
changes, and injury reports. Many casual players do not have time for sent an e-mail to its New York customers assuring them that they could
such analyses. In contrast to these leagues, FanDuel allows customers continue submitting entries. DraftKings told its New York customer
to play for just a day, a weekend, or a week. that their right to play in New York will remain unchanged unless a New
FanDuel lets players participate for free or bet up to $5000 to draft York court decides otherwise.
a team of players in the National Football League (NFL), the National Interestingly, in the spring of 2016, FanDuel suspended contests
Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), and the on college sports in all states as part of a negotiation with the National
National Hockey League (NHL), plus college football and basketball. Collegiate Athletic Association.
Players can compete head-to-head against another individual or in a And the bottom line? The legal battle continues.
league with up to 125,000 teams. The winner is the one with the best
player statistics, which translate into fantasy points. FanDuel takes an Sources: Compiled from D. Purdum, “DraftKings, FanDuel to Stop Offering
average of 9 percent of each prize. College Fantasy Games,” ESPN.com, March 31, 2016; M. Brown, “FanDuel
Lays Off Workers as Legal Pressure Mounts,” Forbes, January 20, 2016;
MIS By May 2016, FanDuel claimed more than 1 million customers R. Axon, “Facing Threat from N.Y. Attorney General, FanDuel Suspends
and operated in 39 states. However, the company was not yet
Entries in State,” USA Today, November 17, 2015; L. Baker, “FanDuel,
profitable. It has to spend millions of dollars on computing power from
DraftKings Vow to Fight New York’s Halt on Bets,” Reuters, November
Amazon Web Services to manage, as only one example, the increase in
12, 2015; D. Alba, “DraftKings and FanDuel Scandal Is a Cautionary
Web traffic just before Sunday’s NFL kickoff. At that time, FanDuel must Startup Tale,” Wired, October 9, 2015; D. Roberts, “Are DraftKings and
manage 150,000 simultaneous users, who make 250,000 roster changes FanDuel Legal?” Fortune, September 24, 2015; K. Wagner, “DraftKings
per hour. The company also provides 15 million live scoring updates per and FanDuel Are Battling over Your Favorite Teams,” www.recode.net,
minute during games, meaning that it must manage 6 terabytes of net­ July 17, 2015; R. Sandomir, “FanDuel and DraftKings, Leaders in Daily
work traffic during game day. (A terabyte equals 1 trillion bytes.) Fantasy Sports, Are Quickly Gaining Clout,” The New York Times, July 13,
2015; S. Rodriguez, “Yahoo Enters World of Daily Fantasy Sports, Takes
Professional sports have noted that FanDuel, with its easy-to-use
on DraftKings and FanDuel,” International Business Times, July 8, 2015; B.
app, appeals to young and mobile sports fans. Further, these fans have Schrotenboer, “FanDuel Signs Deals with 15 NFL Teams, Escalating Daily
money at stake, so they are more inclined to watch games on televi­ Fantasy Integration,” USA Today, April 21, 2015; D. Primack, “DraftKings
sion than they otherwise would be. An increase in viewers leads to an and FanDuel Close in on Massive New Investments,” Fortune, April 6,
increase in advertising rates for the teams. In fact, in 2015 FanDuel 2015; S. Ramachandran and Am Sharma, “Disney to Invest $250 Million in
signed multiyear sponsorship agreements with 15 NFL teams. These Fantasy Site DraftKings,” The Wall Street Journal, April 3, 2015; M. Kosoff,
deals generally include stadium signage, radio and digital advertising, “Fantasy Sports Startup FanDuel May Soon Be Worth $1 Billion,” Business
Insider, February 18, 2015; D. Heitner, “DraftKings Reports $304 Million on
and other promotions. Interestingly, the NBA owns an equity stake in
Entry Fees in 2014,” Forbes, January 22, 2015; S. Bertoni, “Fantasy Sports,
FanDuel. Real Money,” Forbes, January 19, 2015; B. Schrotenboer, “Fantasy Sports
Despite continued success, daily fantasy sports companies face a Debate: Gambling or Not Gambling?” USA Today, January 12, 2015; “The
substantive problem. They can operate only as long as the federal gov­ FanDuel Scam,” The Daily Roto, December 19, 2014; D. Heitner, “Fantasy
ernment allows them to do so. The government could close the fantasy Sports Service, FanDuel, Secures $11 Million Investment; Includes Money
loophole in the 2006 statute at any time. from Comcast Ventures,” Forbes, January 30, 2013; www.fanduel.com,
www.draftkings.com, accessed July 17, 2015.
Significantly, the federal law does not give daily fantasy sports
businesses immunity from state laws. In October 2015, New York Attor­ Questions
ney General Eric Schneiderman launched an inquiry into FanDuel and
1. Describe how information technology is essential to FanDuel’s op­
its chief rival DraftKings. Shortly thereafter, he ruled that the two com­
erations.
panies were operating illegally and issued a cease and desist order,
ordering the two companies to stop taking bets in New York State. 2. Discuss the nontechnological problems that FanDuel faces.
FanDuel, which is based in New York, said that it would check the 3. Describe FanDuel’s information technology infrastructure. Now
locations of its users to ensure that they submitted entries from states discuss possible technological problems that FanDuel might face.

Introduction
Before we proceed, we need to define information technology and information systems. Infor­
mation technology (IT) refers to any computer-based tool that people use to work with infor­
mation and to support the information and information-processing needs of an organization.
An information system (IS) collects, processes, stores, analyzes, and disseminates informa­
tion for a specific purpose.
IT has far-reaching effects on individuals, organizations, and our planet. Although this text
is largely devoted to the many ways in which IT has transformed modern organizations, you
will also learn about the significant impacts of IT on individuals and societies, the global econ­
omy, and our physical environment. In addition, IT is making our world smaller, enabling more
 W h y Sh o u l d I Stu d y I nfo r m at io n S yste m s? 3

and more people to communicate, collaborate, and compete, thereby leveling the competitive
playing field.
When you graduate, you either will start your own business or you will work for an organi­
zation, whether it is public sector, private sector, for-profit, or not-for-profit. Your organization
will have to survive and compete in an environment that has been radically transformed by
information technology. This environment is global, massively interconnected, intensely com­
petitive, 24/7/365, real-time, rapidly changing, and information-intensive. To compete success­
fully, your organization must use IT effectively.
As you read this chapter and this text, keep in mind that the information technologies you
will learn about are important to businesses of all sizes. No matter what area of business you
major in, what industry you work for, or the size of your company, you will benefit from learning
about IT. Who knows? Maybe you will use the tools you learn about in this class to make your
great idea a reality by becoming an entrepreneur and starting your own business! In fact, as
you see in the chapter opening case and in chapter closing case 2, you can use information
technology to help you start your own business.
The modern environment is intensely competitive not only for your organization, but for
you as well. You must compete with human talent from around the world. Therefore, you will
also have to make effective use of IT.
Accordingly, this chapter begins with a discussion of why you should become knowledge­
able about IT. It also distinguishes among data, information, and knowledge, and it differenti­
ates computer-based information systems from application programs. Finally, it considers the
impacts of information systems on organizations and on society in general.

1.1 Why Should I Study Information Systems?

You are part of the most connected generation in history: You have grown up online; you are,
quite literally, never out of touch; you use more information technologies (in the form of digital
devices), for more tasks, and are bombarded with more information, than any generation in
history. The MIT Technology Review refers to you as Homo conexus. Information technologies
are so deeply embedded in your lives that your daily routines would be almost unrecognizable
to a college student just 20 years ago.
Essentially, you practice continuous computing, surrounded by a movable information
network. This network is created by constant cooperation between the digital devices you
carry (for example, laptops, tablets, and smartphones); the wired and wireless networks that
you access as you move about; and Web-based tools for finding information and communicat­
ing and collaborating with other people. Your network enables you to pull information about
virtually anything from anywhere, at any time, and to push your own ideas back to the Web,
from wherever you are, via a mobile device. Think of everything you do online, often with your
smart phone: register for classes; take classes (and not just at your university); access class syl­
labi, information, PowerPoints, and lectures; research class papers and presentations; conduct
banking; pay your bills; research, shop, and buy products from companies or other people; sell
your “stuff”; search for, and apply for, jobs; make your travel reservations (hotel, airline, rental
car); create your own blog and post your own podcasts and videocasts to it; design your own
page on Facebook; make and upload videos to YouTube; take, edit, and print your own digital
photographs; “burn” your own custom-music CDs and DVDs; use RSS feeds to create your per­
sonal electronic newspaper; text and tweet your friends and family throughout your day; send
Snaps; and many other activities. (Note: If any of these terms are unfamiliar to you, don’t worry.
You will learn about everything mentioned here in detail later in this text.)

The Informed User—You!

So, the question is: Why you should learn about information systems and information technol­
ogies? After all, you can comfortably use a computer (or other electronic devices) to perform
4 CH A PTER 1 Introduction to Information Systems

many activities, you have been surfing the Web for years, and you feel confident that you can
manage any IT application that your organization’s MIS department installs.
The answer lies in you becoming an informed user; that is, a person knowledgeable about
information systems and information technology. There are several reasons why you should be
an informed user.
MIS In general, informed users tend to get more value from whatever technologies they use.
You will enjoy many benefits from being an informed user of IT, including:

• You will benefit more from your organization’s IT applications because you will understand
what is “behind” those applications (see Figure 1.1). That is, what you see on your computer
screen is brought to you by your MIS department, who are operating “behind” your screen.
• You will be in a position to enhance the quality of your organization’s IT applications with
your input.
• Even as a new graduate, you will quickly be in a position to recommend—and perhaps help
select—the IT applications that your organization will use.
• Being an informed user will keep you abreast of both new information technologies and
rapid developments in existing technologies. Remaining “on top of things” will help you to
anticipate the impacts that “new and improved” technologies will have on your organiza­
tion and to make recommendations on the adoption and use of these technologies.
• You will understand how using IT can improve your organization’s performance and team­
work as well as your own productivity.
• If you have ideas of becoming an entrepreneur, then being an informed user will help you
use IT when you start your own business.

Going further, managing the IS function within an organization is no longer the exclusive
responsibility of the IS department. Rather, users now play key roles in every step of this pro­
cess. The overall objective in this text is to provide you with the necessary information to con­
tribute immediately to managing the IS function in your organization. In short, the goal is to
help you become a very informed user!

IT Offers Career Opportunities

MIS Because IT is vital to the operation of modern businesses, it offers many employment oppor­
tunities. The demand for traditional IT staff—programmers, business analysts, systems ana­
lysts, and designers—is substantial. In addition, many well-paid jobs exist in areas such as the
Internet and electronic commerce (e-commerce), mobile commerce (m-commerce), network
security, telecommunications, and multimedia design.

FIGURE 1.1 IT skills open many

doors because IT is so widely used.
 W h y Sh o u l d I Stu d y I nfo r m at io n S yste m s? 5

The IS field includes the people in various organizations who design and build information
systems, the people who use those systems, and the people responsible for managing those
systems. At the top of the list is the chief information officer (CIO).
The CIO is the executive who is in charge of the IS function. In most modern organizations,
the CIO works with the chief executive officer (CEO), the chief financial officer (CFO), and other
senior executives. Therefore, he or she actively participates in the organization’s strategic plan­
ning process. In today’s digital environment, the IS function has become increasingly strategic
within organizations. As a result, although most CIOs still rise from the IS department, a grow­
ing number are coming up through the ranks in the business units (e.g., marketing, finance).
Regardless of your major, you could become the CIO of your organization one day. This is
another reason to be an informed user of information systems!
Table 1.1 provides a list of IT jobs, along with a description of each one. For further details
about careers in IT, see www.computerworld.com/careertopics/careers and www.monster.com.
Career opportunities in IS are strong and are projected to remain strong over the next ten
years. In fact, the U.S. News & World Report listed its “25 best jobs of 2015,” Money listed its “best
jobs in America for 2015,” and Forbes listed its “10 best jobs” for 2015. Let’s take a look at these
rankings. (Note that the rankings differ because the magazines used different criteria in their

TA B LE 1 .1 Information Technology Jobs

Position Job Description

Chief Information Officer Highest-ranking IS manager; responsible for all strategic

planning in the organization
IS Director Manages all systems throughout the organization and the
day-to-day operations of the entire IS organization
Information Center Manager Manages IS services such as help desks, hot lines, train­
ing, and consulting
Applications Development Manager Coordinates and manages new systems development
projects
Project Manager Manages a particular new systems development project
Systems Manager Manages a particular existing system
Operations Manager Supervises the day-to-day operations of the data and/or
computer center
Programming Manager Coordinates all applications programming efforts
Systems Analyst Interfaces between users and programmers; determines
information requirements and technical specifications
for new applications
Business Analyst Focuses on designing solutions for business problems;
interfaces closely with users to demonstrate how IT can
be used innovatively
Systems Programmer Creates the computer code for developing new systems
software or maintaining existing systems software
Applications Programmer Creates the computer code for developing new applica­
tions or maintaining existing applications
Emerging Technologies Manager Forecasts technology trends; evaluates and experiments
with new technologies
Network Manager Coordinates and manages the organization’s voice and
data networks
Database Administrator Manages the organization’s databases and oversees the
use of database-management software
Auditing or Computer Security Manager Oversees the ethical and legal use of information systems
Webmaster Manages the organization’sWeb site
Web Designer Creates Web sites and pages
6 CH A PTER 1 Introduction to Information Systems

research.) As you can see, jobs suited for MIS majors rank extremely high in all three lists. The
magazines with their job rankings are as follows:

U.S. News & World Report (out of 25)

#3 Software Developer
#7 Computer System Analyst
#8 Information Security Analyst
#11 Web Developer
#21 IT Manager

Money
#1 Software Architect
#2 Video Game Designer
#8 Database Developer
#9 Information Assurance (Security) Analyst
#11 Clinical Applications Specialist (IT in healthcare)
#14 User Experience Designer
#17 IT Program Manager

Forbes (out of 10)

#8 Software Engineer
#10 Computer Systems Analyst

Not only do IS careers offer strong job growth, but the pay is excellent as well. The Bureau of
Labor Statistics, an agency within the Department of Labor that is responsible for tracking and
analyzing trends relating to the labor market, notes that the median salary in 2015 for “com­
puter and information systems managers” was approximately $130,000, and predicted that the
profession would grow by an average of 15 percent per year through 2022.

Managing Information Resources

Managing information systems in modern organizations is a difficult, complex task. Several fac­
tors contribute to this complexity. First, information systems have enormous strategic value
to organizations. Firms rely on them so heavily that, in some cases, when these systems are
not working (even for a short time), the firm cannot function. (This situation is called “being
hostage to information systems.”) Second, information systems are very expensive to acquire,
operate, and maintain.
A third factor contributing to the difficulty in managing information systems is the evo­
lution of the management information systems (MIS) function within the organization. When
businesses first began to use computers in the early 1950s, the MIS department “owned” the
only computing resource in the organization, the mainframe. At that time, end users did not
interact directly with the mainframe.
In contrast, in the modern organization, computers are located in all departments, and
almost all employees use computers in their work. This situation, known as end user com­
puting, has led to a partnership between the MIS department and the end users. The MIS
department now acts as more of a consultant to end users, viewing them as customers.
In fact, the main function of the MIS department is to use IT to solve end users’ business
problems.
 W h y Sh o u l d I Stu d y I nfo r m at io n S yste m s? 7

As a result of these developments, the responsibility for managing information resources MIS
is now divided between the MIS department and the end users. This arrangement raises several
important questions: Which resources are managed by whom? What is the role of the MIS
department, its structure, and its place within the organization? What is the appropriate rela­
tionship between the MIS department and the end users? Regardless of who is doing what, it is
essential that the MIS department and the end users work in close cooperation.
There is no standard way to divide responsibility for developing and maintaining informa­
tion resources between the MIS department and the end users. Instead, that division depends
on several factors: the size and nature of the organization, the amount and type of IT resources,
the organization’s attitudes toward computing, the attitudes of top management toward com­
puting, the maturity level of the technology, the amount and nature of outsourced IT work, and
even the countries in which the company operates. Generally speaking, the MIS department
is responsible for corporate-level and shared resources, and the end users are responsible for
departmental resources. Table 1.2 identifies both the traditional functions and various new,
consultative functions of the MIS department.

TA B LE 1 .2 The Changing Role of the Information Systems Department

Traditional Functions of the MIS Department

Managing systems development and systems project management

• As an end user, you will have critical input into the systems development process. You will learn
about systems development in Chapter 13.
Managing computer operations, including the computer center
Staffing, training, and developing IS skills
Providing technical services
Infrastructure planning, development, and control
• As an end user, you will provide critical input about the IS infrastructure needs of your department.
New (Consultative) Functions of the MIS Department
Initiating and designing specific strategic information systems
• As an end user, your information needs will often mandate the development of new strategic infor­
mation systems.
You will decide which strategic systems you need (because you know your business needs better than
the MIS department does), and you will provide input into developing these systems.
Incorporating the Internet and electronic commerce into the business
• As an end user, you will be primarily responsible for effectively using the Internet and electronic
commerce in your business. You will work with the MIS department to accomplish this task.
Managing system integration including the Internet, intranets, and extranets
• As an end user, your business needs will determine how you want to use the Internet, your corpo­
rate intranets, and extranets to accomplish your goals. You will be primarily responsible for advis­
ing the MIS department on the most effective use of the Internet, your corporate intranets, and
extranets.
Educating the non-MIS managers about IT
• Your department will be primarily responsible for advising the MIS department on how best to edu­
cate and train your employees about IT.
Educating the MIS staff about the business
• Communication between the MIS department and the business units is a two-way street. You will
be responsible for educating the MIS staff on your business, its needs, and its goals.
Partnering with business-unit executives
• Essentially, you will be in a partnership with the MIS department. You will be responsible for seeing
that this partnership is one “between equals” and ensuring its success.
(Continued )
8 CH A PTER 1 Introduction to Information Systems

Managing outsourcing
• Outsourcing is driven by business needs. Therefore, the outsourcing decision resides largely with
the business units (i.e., with you). The MIS department, working closely with you, will advise you on
technical issues such as communications bandwidth, security, as well as other issues.
Proactively using business and technical knowledge to seed innovative ideas about IT
• Your business needs often will drive innovative ideas about how to effectively use information sys­
tems to accomplish your goals. The best way to bring these innovative uses of IS to life is to partner
closely with your MIS department. Such close partnerships have amazing synergies!
Creating business alliances with business partners
• The needs of your business unit will drive these alliances, typically along your supply chain. Again,
your MIS department will act as your advisor on various issues, including hardware and software
compatibility, implementing extranets, communications, and security.

So, where do the end users come in? Take a close look at Table 1.2. Under the traditional
MIS functions, you will see two functions for which you provide vital input: managing systems
development and infrastructure planning. Under the consultative MIS functions, in contrast,
you exercise the primary responsibility for each function, while the MIS department acts as
your advisor.

Before you go on…

1. Rate yourself as an informed user. (Be honest; this isn’t a test!)
2. Explain the benefits of being an informed user of information systems.
3. Discuss the various career opportunities offered in the IT field.

Apply the Concept 1.1

LEARNING OBJECTIVE 1.1 Identify the reasons why work effectively with computers, regardless of the industry you
being an informed user of information systems is important in find yourself employed in.
today’s world.
STEP 2: Activity (Here is what you do.)
STEP 1: Background (Here is what you are learning.) Visit the Web sites of three local businesses: a bank, a dentist,
Section 1.1 discussed how businesses are utilizing modern and a retail shop. Examine their information to see if you can
technologies to become more productive by connecting to determine what types of information systems they use to support
their customers, suppliers, partners, and other parties. Those their operations. It is likely that you will find some similarities
connections, however, do not exist simply to support the and differences among the three. Also, see if they have any open
businesses. Do you realize how connected you are? Computers positions. If they do, what technical skills do these positions
and information systems have become an essential feature of require? Summarize your findings in a paragraph or two.
our everyday lives. Most of you have a cell phone within reach
and have looked at it within the past 5 minutes. No longer is a STEP 3: Assignment (Here is what you turn in.)
phone just a phone; rather, it is your connection to family, friends,
Based on your research, identify five reasons why it is important
shopping, driving directions, entertainment (games, movies,
for you to be an informed user of information technology.
music, etc.), and much more.
Reference your summarized findings to support your reasoning.
When you embark on your career, you likely will have to interface Submit this list to your instructor, but also keep it in mind. You
with information systems to post transactions and search for or have just looked into the real world (your local world, in fact) and
record information. Accomplishing these tasks will require you to identified a reason for taking this course!
 Ov e r v i ew o f Co m p u te r- B as e d I nfo r m at io n S yste m s 9

1.2Overview of Computer-Based
Information Systems
Organizations refer to their management information systems functional area by several
names, including the MIS Department, the Information Systems (IS) Department, the Informa­
tion Technology (IT) Department, and the Information Services Department. Regardless of the
name, however, this functional area deals with the planning for—and the development, man­
agement, and use of—information technology tools to help people perform all the tasks related
to information processing and management. Recall that information technology relates to
any computer-based tool that people use to work with information and to support the informa­
tion and information-processing needs of an organization.
As previously stated, an information system collects, processes, stores, analyzes, and
disseminates information for a specific purpose. The purpose of information systems has
been defined as getting the right information to the right people, at the right time, in the right
amount, and in the right format. Because information systems are intended to supply useful
information, we need to differentiate between information and two closely related terms: data
and knowledge (see Figure 1.2).
Data items refer to an elementary description of things, events, activities, and transac­
tions that are recorded, classified, and stored but are not organized to convey any specific
meaning. Data items can be numbers, letters, figures, sounds, and images. Examples of data
items are collections of numbers (e.g., 3.11, 2.96, 3.95, 1.99, 2.08) and characters (e.g., B, A, C,
A, B, D, F, C).
Information refers to data that have been organized so that they have meaning and value
to the recipient. For example, a grade point average (GPA) by itself is data, but a student’s name
coupled with his or her GPA is information. The recipient interprets the meaning and draws

FIGURE 1.2 Data, Information,

and Knowledge
10 CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Information Systems

conclusions and implications from the information. Consider the examples of data provided in
the preceding paragraph. Within the context of a university, the numbers could be grade point
averages, and the letters could be grades in an Introduction to MIS class.
Knowledge consists of data and/or information that have been organized and processed
to convey understanding, experience, accumulated learning, and expertise as they apply to a
current business problem. For example, suppose that a company recruiting at your school has
found over time that students with grade point averages over 3.0 have experienced the great­
est success in its management program. Based on this accumulated knowledge, that company
may decide to interview only those students with GPAs over 3.0. This example presents an
example of knowledge because the company utilizes information—GPAs—to address a busi­
ness problem—hiring successful employees. As you can see from this example, organizational
knowledge, which reflects the experience and expertise of many people, has great value to all
employees.
Consider this example:

Data Information Knowledge

[No context] [University context]
3.16 3.16 + John Jones = GPA * Job prospects
2.92 2.92 + Sue Smith = GPA * Graduate school prospects
1.39 1.39 + Kyle Owens = GPA * Scholarship prospects
3.95 3.95 + Tom Elias = GPA

Data Information Knowledge

[No context] [Professional baseball pitcher
context]
3.16 3.16 + Ken Rice = ERA
2.92 2.92 + Ed Dyas = ERA * Keep pitcher, trade pitcher, or
send pitcher to minor leagues
1.39 1.39 + Hugh Carr = ERA * Salary/contract negotiations
3.95 3.95 + Nick Ford = ERA
GPA = Grade point average (higher is better)
ERA = Earned run average (lower is better); ERA is the number of runs per nine innings that a pitcher
surrenders.

You see that the same data items, with no context, can mean entirely different things in differ­
ent contexts.
Now that you have a clearer understanding of data, information, and knowledge, let’s shift
our focus to computer-based information systems. As you have seen, these systems process
data into information and knowledge that you can use.
A computer-based information system (CBIS) is an information system that uses com­
puter technology to perform some or all of its intended tasks. Although not all information
systems are computerized, today most are. For this reason the term “information system” is
typically used synonymously with “computer-based information system.” The basic compo­
nents of computer-based information systems are listed below. The first four are called infor­
mation technology components. Figure 1.3 illustrates how these four components interact
to form a CBIS.

• Hardware consists of devices such as the processor, monitor, keyboard, and printer.
Together, these devices accept, process, and display data and information.
• Software is a program or collection of programs that enable the hardware to process data.
• A database is a collection of related files or tables containing data.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
„Hier ist ein Europäer, der sich als Burjate verkleidet hat, um nach
Lhasa zu gelangen, und hier ist ein Lama, der seine Studien in
Lhasa gemacht hat und jetzt als Führer des ersteren auftritt; laßt uns
ein für allemal ein Exempel statuieren und den beiden zeigen, daß
solche Versuche übel ablaufen!“ Noch am 9. August ahnten wir
nichts von unserem Schicksal; das einzige, was man uns mit
absoluter Sicherheit gesagt hatte, war, daß man uns unter keinen
Umständen erlauben würde, uns nach der Hauptstadt zu begeben.
Jetzt grübelten wir auch darüber nach, ob die heutigen
Vorbereitungen und die Unruhe, die unter den Tibetern geherrscht
hatte, etwas Besonderes zu bedeuten hätten. War die Einladung ein
Versuch, uns in eine Falle zu locken? Zu einem Gastmahl geht man
unbewaffnet; sollten die Tibeter nur einen Vorwand suchen, um uns
von unseren Waffen, vor denen sie gehörigen Respekt hatten, zu
trennen? W e n n es wirklich ihre Absicht war, uns nicht lebendig aus
der Gefangenschaft kommen zu lassen, so wollten wir wenigstens
erst die fünfzig scharfen Patronen, die wir bei uns hatten, benutzen.
Es waren schon Europäer in Tibet verschwunden — zuletzt Dutreuil
de Rhins und Rijnhard — wenn auch nicht so nahe bei Lhasa, wie
wir uns jetzt befanden. Ein verkleideter Europäer mußte noch viel
größeren Gefahren ausgesetzt sein; denn sollten die Tibeter
hinterher je zur Rechenschaft gezogen werden, so konnten sie mit
vollem Recht sagen. „Wir haben nicht gewußt, daß er ein Europäer
war; er sagte selbst, er sei ein Burjate.“
Von diesem Gesichtspunkte aus hielt ich unsere Lage für
ziemlich unsicher, obgleich mehrere unserer neuen Freunde uns
versichert hatten, daß wir für Leib und Leben nichts zu fürchten
hätten. Da ich mich aber keinen Augenblick bedacht hatte, mein
Leben einer so großen Gefahr inmitten eines den Europäern
feindlich gesinnten Volkes auszusetzen, da ich das Abenteuer bis
auf die Spitze getrieben hatte und so weit gegangen war, wie es
überhaupt möglich war, wollte ich das Spiel auch auf ehrenvolle
Weise beenden!
Unseren eigenen Betrachtungen überlassen, saßen wir ein paar
Stunden am Feuer und tauschten unsere Ansichten über die
kritische Lage aus. Keine Menschen zeigten sich in unserer Nähe,
nur in dem Zeltdorfe des Gouverneurs herrschte Leben und
Bewegung; dort wurde augenscheinlich über uns Rat gehalten. Aber
was sagte man, in welcher Richtung gingen die Beschlüsse? Wir
ahnten, daß eine Entscheidung nahe bevorstand. Vielleicht hatte
unsere unhöfliche Antwort Kamba Bombo beleidigt, und er schickte
sich jetzt an, uns eine ordentliche Lektion zu geben. Es war ein
entsetzlich unbehagliches Warten; ich erinnere mich dieser langen
Stunden, als wäre es gestern gewesen.
Zwei volle Stunden waren vergangen, als es um die weißen Zelte
wieder lebendiger wurde; es gab ein Laufen und Hinundherreiten,
die Tibeter bewaffneten sich und stiegen zu Pferd. Ein ganzer Wald
von Reitern sprengte in einer schwarzen Linie auf uns los (Abb.
257). Es regnete nicht, und wir konnten dieses in Wahrheit prächtige
Schauspiel ungestört genießen. Sie näherten sich in schnellem
Tempo, die Pferde liefen in starkem Galopp. Ein undeutliches
Sausen ertönt, bald unterscheidet man das schnelle Aufschlagen der
Pferdehufe. Wir hatten das Gefühl, als stürze eine Lawine auf uns
herab, um uns im nächsten Augenblick zu begraben. Die Gewehre
und der Revolver lagen geladen bereit, wir aber standen vor dem
Zelt, und keiner sollte die Unruhe ahnen, die sich unserer bemächtigt
hatte.
Die Tibeter ritten in einer Linie heran. In der Mitte ritt der
Gouverneur auf einem großen, schönen Maulesel; sonst ritten alle
Pferde. Er war von seinem Stabe begleitet, der aus Militär-, Zivil- und
geistlichen Beamten in prachtvollen Festgewändern bestand. Die
Flügel bildeten Soldaten, die bis an die Zähne mit Gewehren, Säbeln
und Lanzen bewaffnet waren, als handle es sich um einen Feldzug
gegen einen feindlichen Stamm. Wir konnten 67 Mann zählen.
Jetzt trennten sich einige Reiter von der Schar, erhöhten die
Geschwindigkeit und gewannen einen Vorsprung von einigen
Minuten, dann saßen sie ab und grüßten. Einer von ihnen war unser
Freund, der Dolmetscher, der nur anmeldete, daß Kamba Bombo
uns in höchsteigener Person mit einem Besuche beehre. Als dieser
in der Nähe des Zeltes anhielt, sprangen einige des Gefolges aus
dem Sattel und breiteten auf der Erde einen Teppich aus, auf dem
der Gouverneur abstieg. Dann nahm er auf gleichfalls
bereitgehaltenen Kissen und Decken Platz, und Nanso Lama, ein
vornehmer Priester aus Nakktschu, setzte sich neben ihn.
Jetzt ging ich ruhig zu ihm heran und bat ihn, ins Zelt zu treten,
wohin er sich sofort begab und wo er nach einigem Zieren den
Ehrenplatz — auf einem nassen Maissack — unter unseren
übelriechenden, beinahe schimmeligen Effekten annahm. Er sah
listig und schelmisch aus, blinzelte mit den Augen und lächelte oft.
Er mochte 40 Jahre alt sein, war klein und bleich, sah abgezehrt und
müde, aber doch entzückt aus, daß er uns jetzt endlich in der Falle
hatte; er wußte ganz genau, daß er in Lhasa großen Ruhm ernten
würde, wenn er seinen geschickten Schachzug dorthin berichtete.
Sein Anzug war geschmackvoll und elegant; er hatte ihn
entschieden eigens für die Visite angelegt, denn er war ganz neu
und fleckenlos. Die Überkleider, einen großen roten Radmantel und
ein rotes Baschlik, nahmen ihm die Diener ab. Nachdem dies
geschehen war, präsentierte er sich in einem kleinen blauen
chinesischen Käppchen und in einem weitärmeligen Gewande von
schwerer gelber Seide; er trug grüne mongolische Samtstiefel und
war mit einem Wort wie zu einem Feste geschmückt.
257. Tibetische Kavallerie. (S. 223.)
 258. Tibetische Soldaten. (S. 231.)

Nun wurde dem Kamba Bombo ein Tintenfaß, Feder und Papier
gebracht, worauf das Verhör begann. Für uns interessierte er sich
weniger als für das Hauptquartier und die Stärke der Karawane. Alle
Antworten notierte er selbst, denn er sollte einen ausführlichen
Bericht nach Lhasa schicken. Dann wurden unsere Habseligkeiten
untersucht, aber merkwürdigerweise sprach er nicht einmal den
Wunsch aus, unsere Kisten besichtigen zu dürfen. Die Mitteilung,
daß sie Proviant enthielten, genügte ihm vollständig. Über mich
schien er ganz im reinen zu sein und er hielt es sogar für überflüssig,
mir persönliche Fragen vorzulegen. Schagdur gebärdete sich, als er
gefragt wurde, wie ein Feldmarschall; er sei russischer Untertan,
aber auch Burjate und berechtigt, nach Lhasa zu reisen. Die
russischen Behörden würden es als eine Beleidigung betrachten,
wenn man uns friedliche Pilger hindere, die Wallfahrt zu machen;
niemand, wer es auch sei, dürfe uns antasten. Doch Kamba Bombo
erwiderte lachend:
 „Du glaubst, mir Furcht einjagen zu können; ich tue meine Pflicht,
gerade hinsichtlich eurer habe ich meine Befehle vom Dalai-Lama
erhalten und weiß selbst am besten, was ich zu tun habe. Nach
Lhasa dürft ihr nicht reisen, nicht einen Tag mehr in dieser Richtung,
nein! Einen Schritt weiter, — und es kostet euch den Kopf!“ (Titelbild
zum 2. Band.) Und dabei fuhr er mit der flachen Hand, die er wie
eine Klinge hielt, um den Hals herum. Und er fügte hinzu, daß es
ihm selbst ebenfalls ans Leben gehen würde, wenn er uns
durchließe:
„Es ist ganz einerlei, wer ihr seid und woher ihr kommt, aber ihr
seid im höchsten Grade verdächtig; ihr seid auf einem Schleichweg
hierhergekommen und ihr sollt nach eurem Hauptlager
zurückkehren.“
Wir sahen ein, daß hiergegen nichts zu machen war. Schagdur
erzählte nun von dem Pferdediebstahl. Anfangs machte Kamba
Bombo Ausflüchte und sagte, er sei für das, was außerhalb der
Grenzen seiner Provinz passiere, nicht verantwortlich. Schagdur
erwiderte:
„So, dies ist also nicht euer Land; ist es denn vielleicht russisches
Gebiet?“ Da wurde aber Kamba Bombo ärgerlich und erklärte, daß
das ganze Land dem Dalai-Lama gehöre. Schagdur war nachher
sehr stolz auf seine Erwiderung. Nun erhob sich der Gouverneur,
nahm Schagdur mit und setzte sich draußen auf den Kissen nieder;
nach einer Weile wurde ich zu ihm gerufen. Er sei bereit, sagte er,
uns zwei neue Pferde zu besorgen, eines davon müsse ich aber
bezahlen. Ich lachte ihm gerade ins Gesicht und ging wieder ins Zelt
hinein, nachdem ich ihm geantwortet hatte, daß wir derartige
Geschenke nicht annähmen: entweder zwei Pferde oder gar keins.
Da versprach der Bombo, daß er uns am folgenden Morgen zwei
Pferde für die gestohlenen schenken würde.
Schließlich erklärte Kamba Bombo, daß wir aufbrechen könnten,
wann wir wollten, daß er jedoch Dschallokk nicht eher zu verlassen
gedenke, als bis wir fort seien. Um keine Zeit zu verlieren,
beschlossen wir, den Rückweg schon am folgenden Morgen
anzutreten. Eine besondere Eskorte sollte uns bis zur Grenze am
Satschu-sangpo begleiten, und als wir, um nicht der Tiere wegen
nachts Wache halten zu müssen, darum baten, von der Eskorte bis
ins Hauptquartier gebracht zu werden, versprach er uns dies.
Während der Reise sollte uns alles, was wir an Proviant brauchten,
kostenlos zur Verfügung gestellt werden. Auch jetzt schenkte uns
Kamba Bombo eine ganze Menge nützliche Eßwaren.
Im großen ganzen war er sehr freundlich und artig und gar nicht
ärgerlich darüber, daß er durch uns Arbeit und Mühe gehabt und
selbst hatte hierherreiten müssen. Er war ein rechtlich denkender
und handelnder Mensch und wußte genau, was er wollte. Wer ich
war, ist ihm wohl nie völlig klar geworden; doch muß er wohl
geglaubt haben, daß hinter meiner abgetragenen mongolischen
Tracht etwas Außergewöhnliches verborgen sei, sonst wäre er
schwerlich mit solchem Pompe und Hofstaate angezogen
gekommen. Mit China stehen die Tibeter beständig in Berührung; ihr
Land ist nominell ein Vasallenstaat jener Macht, die in Lhasa einen
Vertreter und ein „Yamen“ hat, welches in der Nähe von Potala, dem
Tempelpalaste des Dalai-Lama, liegt. Ohne Zweifel hatten die
Behörden in Lhasa Kenntnis von allem, was kürzlich in China
geschehen war, und wußten, wie schwer der Mord des deutschen
Gesandten von Ketteler in Peking bestraft worden war. Sie mochten
sich daher sagen, daß es klüger sei, sich nicht an einem Europäer
zu vergreifen.
Während der Unterhaltung drängten sich die anderen Tibeter um
uns und machten ihre Bemerkungen und Beobachtungen. Sie trugen
Säbel in reich mit Silber beschlagenen Scheiden, die mit Korallen
und Türkisen besetzt waren, Gavo (Amulettfutterale) von Silber,
Armbänder, Rosenkränze, bunte Schmucksachen in ihren langen
Zöpfen und waren entschieden mit dem Feinsten, was sie
anzuziehen hatten, ausstaffiert. Die Vornehmeren trugen große,
weiße Hüte mit Federn, andere Binden um den Kopf, die gemeinen
Soldaten gingen barhäuptig.
Schereb Lama war von all dieser Pracht ganz überwältigt. Er lag
vornübergebeugt auf den Knien, starrte auf die Erde und konnte sich
nicht entschließen, dem Blicke Kamba Bombos zu begegnen, als
dieser ihn scharf verhörte. Er gab kurze, hastige Antworten, als ob er
kein Geheimnis mehr zu wahren hätte. Was er sagte, verstanden wir
nicht, denn sie sprachen tibetisch. Nachher sagte er uns, daß der
Bombo ihm schwere Vorwürfe darüber gemacht habe, daß er uns
begleitet habe, da er doch habe wissen müssen, daß Europäer in
Lhasa nicht geduldet würden. Sein Name sei in die Tempelbücher
eingetragen, und er werde nie wieder die Erlaubnis erhalten, das
Gebiet der heiligen Stadt zu betreten! Versuche er, sich dort mit
einer Pilgerkarawane einzuschleichen, so werde es ihm schlimm
ergehen. Er sei seiner Priesterwürde untreu geworden und sei ein
Verräter!
Zuletzt schlug ich Kamba Bombo noch vor, ich wolle selbst mit
Hilfe des Lamas und des Dolmetschers einen Brief an den Dalai-
Lama aufsetzen, der uns, wenn er erfahre, wer wir seien, gewiß mit
Vergnügen empfangen würde; der Bombo aber antwortete, dies sei
ganz unnötig, da er ja seine Befehle über unsere Behandlung täglich
direkt von Lhasa erhalte; auch könne er sich in seiner Stellung nicht
erlauben, dem Dalai-Lama Ratschläge zu geben; dies würde ihm im
besten Falle sein Amt kosten.
Darauf sagte er artig Lebewohl, schwang sich in seinen
reichgeschmückten Sattel und ritt, von seinem großen Stabe gefolgt,
schnell davon. Die Dämmerung hatte sich schon auf die Gegend
herabgesenkt, die Reiterschar entschwand bald unseren Blicken und
mit ihr meine Hoffnung, das Mekka des Lamaismus zu schauen! Hell
glänzten die Sterne über Lhasa, kein Lüftchen regte sich an diesem
stillen Abend, nur dann und wann hörte man in der Ferne einen
Hund bellen.
 Achtzehntes Kapitel.
Rückzug unter Bewachung.

A n diesem Abend saßen wir noch lange plaudernd in unserem

Zelt. Der Lama war wortkarg und niedergeschlagen, aber
Schagdur und ich waren vergnügt. Allerdings war uns unser
Versuch, Lhasa zu erreichen, mißlungen, aber wir hatten doch
immerhin die Befriedigung, das Abenteuer bis auf seine äußerste
Spitze getrieben zu haben. Wenn man auf unüberwindliche
Hindernisse stößt, ist es Zeit, umzukehren, und man kann dies mit
gutem Gewissen tun. Seltsam war es aber, daß uns die Tibeter ohne
ein unfreundliches Wort aus der Gefangenschaft freigaben.
Am Morgen des 10. August befahlen wir unseren nächsten
Wächtern, unsere zwei Pferde und fünf Maulesel nach dem Zelte zu
treiben, denn wir hatten beschlossen, den Rückzug diesen Morgen
anzutreten. Ohne Abschied konnten wir uns nicht auf den Weg
machen, aber von Kamba Bombos Zelten kamen keine Boten. So
beschloß ich denn, allein dorthin zu reiten, obwohl Schagdur und der
Lama mich warnten und meinten, wir müßten wie bisher
beisammenbleiben.
Ich ritt also in langsamem Trab zwischen den Sümpfen hindurch
nach Kamba Bombos weißblauem Zeltdorfe. Als ich den halben Weg
zurückgelegt hatte, wurde ich von einer aus etwa zwanzig Mann
bestehenden Schar bis an die Zähne bewaffneter Reiter umringt. Sie
sagten kein Wort, sondern ritten schweigend vor und hinter mir.
Ungefähr einen Kilometer vor den Zelten machten sie Halt und
bildeten einen Ring um mich, dann saßen sie ab und gaben mir zu
verstehen, daß ich dasselbe tun solle.
Kaum eine Viertelstunde brauchten wir zu warten, bis sich
dieselbe große Reiterschar wie gestern vom Zeltplatze aus in
Bewegung setzte und sich uns im Galopp näherte. In der Mitte ritt
wieder Kamba Bombo in seinem gelben Gewande. Ein Teppich und
Kissen wurden auf der Erde ausgebreitet, und er lud mich ein, neben
ihm Platz zu nehmen. Der Dolmetscher war zugegen, und nun
unterhielten wir uns eine gute Weile.
Diese Art, mich nicht in seinem Zelte, sondern auf neutralem
Gebiete zu empfangen, war ein Zug von Etikette, der vollkommen
berechtigt und taktvoll war. Ich hatte mich ja gestern geweigert,
seiner Einladung zu folgen, und nun dachte er wohl: „Ich will ihm
zeigen, daß er sich mit Visitenmachen nicht anzustrengen braucht.“
Er hatte auch gesagt: „Keinen Schritt weiter in der Richtung nach
Lhasa“ und wollte mich daher auch jetzt zurückhalten.
Alle Überredungskunst von meiner Seite war gerade so
vergeblich wie das erstemal.
„Ich habe keine Lust, euretwegen den Kopf zu verlieren“, sagte
er. „Mir persönlich ist es einerlei, ob ihr nach Lhasa reiset oder nicht,
aber den Befehlen, die ich von dort erhalten habe, muß ich
gehorchen.“
Zum Scherz sagte ich ihm, wir beide könnten ja auf ein paar Tage
allein dorthin reiten, niemand werde eine Ahnung davon haben; doch
er lachte nur darüber und schüttelte den Kopf.
„Zurück, zurück, nach Norden!“
Auf einmal blinzelte er mit den Augen, zeigte auf mich, sagte das
eine Wort „Sahib“ (so werden in Indien die Engländer und die
Europäer im allgemeinen genannt) und zeigte dann nach Süden in
der Richtung des Himalajagebirges.
Auch ohne Hilfe des Dolmetschers verstand ich, daß er sagen
wollte: „Ihr seid ein Engländer aus Indien“. Trotz allen
Hinundherredens war ihm diese Überzeugung nicht aus dem Kopfe
zu bringen. Ich nahm die Maske ganz und gar ab und sagte ihm, daß
ich allerdings ein Europäer, aber kein Engländer sei und aus einem
Lande im Norden weit hinter Rußland komme; er lächelte jedoch und
wiederholte sein „Sahib, Sahib“. Nun erzählte ich ihm, daß ich zwei
burjatische und zwei russische Kosaken bei mir habe, die mir vom
russischen Kaiser zur Verfügung gestellt worden seien, und fragte
ihn, ob er denn glaube, daß Engländer mit russischen Kosaken
reisten, und ob er es für wahrscheinlich halte, daß Engländer von
Norden kämen, da ihr indisches Reich ja südlich von Tibet liege.
Diese Einwendung begegnete demselben Zweifel; er sagte nur: „Ihr
seid alle Sahibs; ist es euch gelungen, einen mongolischen Lama
mit euch zu bekommen, so könnt ihr auch einen Burjaten dazu
bewegen.“
Jetzt wurden zwei Pferde, ein Falbe und ein Schimmel,
vorgeführt, die mir Kamba Bombo, wie er sagte, schenken wolle.
„Laßt zwei eurer Leute aufsitzen und im Galopp vor uns im
Kreise reiten“, sagte ich. Dies geschah; aber die Pferde, die recht
mager waren, stolperten und sahen wenig nach Vollblut aus. Ich
wandte mich an Kamba Bombo und fragte ihn, wie er, ein so reicher
und vornehmer Mann, mir, der ich mindestens ebenso vornehm sei,
zwei so elende Gäule schenken könne; ich wolle sie nicht haben,
sondern sie ihm für seine eigene Kavallerie lassen.
Anstatt diese offenherzige Kritik übelzunehmen, ließ er sofort
zwei andere Pferde holen, die gut und wohlgenährt waren und nach
abgehaltener Prüfung angenommen wurden.
Darauf ritten wir alle nach meinem Zelte, und hier blieb Kamba
Bombo wieder eine gute Weile sitzen. Er aß Rosinen, wie ein Pferd
Hafer frißt, und wurde mit Tee, Tsamba und Tabak bewirtet. Der
ganze Stab umgab uns. Die Sonne beleuchtete dieses farbenreiche
Bild. Die Tibeter sahen vorzüglich aus in ihren phantastischen
Trachten mit Kopfbedeckungen wie Damenhüte mit Federn, mit
kriegerischen Lanzen und Schwertern in brüderlichem Vereine. Alle
lachten pflichtschuldigst über die Witze des Gouverneurs.
Nun wechselten wir uns tibetisches Silbergeld gegen chinesische
Jamben ein, die der Bombo sorgfältig auf seiner mitgebrachten
Wage wog; dann zeigten wir ihm unsere Waffen, die sichtlich tiefen
Eindruck auf ihn machten. Ich sagte ihm, daß das
Zusammentrommeln so vieler Soldaten, wie es hier geschehen sei,
gar nichts nütze; mit ihren erbärmlichen Vorderladegewehren
schreckten sie uns nicht ein bißchen. Wollten sie Krieg anfangen, so
möchten sie erst bedenken, daß wir 36 von ihnen niederschießen
könnten, ehe sie überhaupt mit dem Laden fertig würden. Er
versicherte, es sei durchaus nicht seine Absicht, Krieg anzufangen,
sondern nur, die Grenzen gegen unzulässige Fremdlinge zu
bewachen.
Nun fragte ich ihn geradezu, weshalb er nicht wage, in mein Zelt
zu kommen, ohne sich von einer 67 Mann starken Eskorte begleiten
zu lassen; ob er wirklich so entsetzliche Angst vor mir habe.
„Nein“, antwortete er, „aber ich weiß, daß ihr ein vornehmer
Sahib seid, und ich habe Befehl von Lhasa erhalten, euch dieselbe
Ehrerbietung zu bezeigen, die die höchsten Beamten unseres
eigenen Landes beanspruchen können!“
Nachdem ich lange genug vergeblich auf den Engel gewartet
hatte, der vom Himmel herabsteigen und uns mit einem feurigen
Schwerte den Weg bahnen würde, erhob ich mich und gab Befehl
zum Beladen der Tiere. Mit Hilfe der Tibeter war dies im
Handumdrehen getan. Kamba Bombo stellte mir eine Eskorte von
drei Offizieren und zwanzig Mann vor, die uns nordwärts bis über die
Grenze der Provinz Nakktschu bringen sollte. Er versicherte, daß wir
uns so lange, wie wir uns in Begleitung dieser Eskorte befänden, um
gar nichts zu kümmern brauchten; sie würde für unsere Tiere
einstehen und uns mit allem nötigen Proviant versehen, wofür wir
nichts zu bezahlen hätten. Er schenkte mir 6 Schafe und eine Menge
Lebensmittel in Näpfen und Schüsseln.
So nahmen wir denn Abschied von diesem hochgestellten
Beamten, der so freundlich und so ungastfreundlich gewesen war
und uns so unerschütterlich den Weg versperrt hatte, und ritten in
der Richtung zurück, aus der wir gekommen waren.
„Ja, lieber Schagdur“, sagte ich zu meinem prächtigen Kosaken,
dessen Mut und Treue nicht einen Augenblick gewankt hatte, „Lhasa
zu sehen, war uns nicht beschieden, aber am Leben sind wir noch,
und wir haben allen Grund, dafür dankbar zu sein!“
In einiger Entfernung wandte ich mich im Sattel um und sah
Kamba Bombo und seine Leute wie Mäuse auf dem Platze, wo
unser Zelt gestanden hatte, umherschnuppern. Einige
Stearinlichtstücke und Zigarettenstummel werden sie gewiß in der
Überzeugung, daß sie es mit Europäern zu tun gehabt, noch
bestärkt haben. Erst nachdem wir eine gute Stunde geritten waren,
konnten wir die Lage überblicken und sehen, wie viele zu unserer
Eskorte gehörten, denn bis dahin war bald der eine, bald der andere
wieder umgekehrt, zuletzt unser Freund, der Dolmetscher, der die
ganze Zeit über um Branntwein gebettelt hatte.
Unser Gefolge bestand aus zwei Offizieren, Solang Undü und
Anna Tsering, einem Unteroffizier und 14 Soldaten mit Säbeln, Piken
und Flinten (Abb. 258). Außerdem waren sechs Männer dabei, die
keine Soldaten waren; sie hatten die Aufgabe, die Proviantpferde der
Truppe zu führen und eine Herde von 10 Schafen zu treiben. Wir
ritten ziemlich schnell und es war lustig, die Marschordnung der
Tibeter zu beobachten. Sie ritten vor, hinter und neben uns und
ließen uns keinen Augenblick aus den Augen; hätten sie es gekonnt,
so wären sie auch wohl über und unter uns geritten, um uns zu
verhindern, in den Himmel zu steigen oder in die Unterwelt zu
fliehen!
Es war schon spät geworden, denn wir waren erst um 2 Uhr
aufgebrochen. Wiederholt hielten die Tibeter an und schlugen vor,
daß wir lagern sollten; sie beabsichtigten wahrscheinlich nicht, sich
sehr zu beeilen. Doch jetzt war ich derjenige, welcher zu befehlen
hatte, und ich ritt, ohne mich um unsere Lasttiere zu bekümmern, mit
dem Lama und Schagdur bis in die Nähe des Sees Tso-nekk. Für
unsere Habe hatten ja die Tibeter einzustehen versprochen, und sie
ritten auch artig mit, ohne zu murren. In der Dämmerung lagerten
wir. Sie hatten zwei schwarze Zelte, die sie auf jeder Seite des
unserigen und ganz dicht neben diesem aufschlugen. Sobald das
Lager in Ordnung war, wurden alle Tiere auf die Weide getrieben
und dort von einigen Tibetern bewacht. Ich ging zu Solang Undü und
Anna Tsering und aß mit ihnen zu Abend. Letzterer war ein
außergewöhnlich liebenswürdiger, sympathisch aussehender junger
Mann. Beide waren wie die meisten Tibeter bartlos, und Anna
Tsering glich einem jungen Mädchen mit langherabhängenden
schwarzen Haaren.
Abends ertönte eine Weile ein summendes, murmelndes
Geräusch aus ihren Zelten; sie sprachen ihr Abendgebet. Der Lama
erinnerte sich melancholisch desselben, wenn auch unendlich viel
kräftigeren Summens von Lhasa her, wo in allen Tempeln stetig
Gebete gesprochen werden und wo es wie in einem riesenhaften
Bienenkorbe summt. Er würde es wohl nie wieder hören!
Die ganze Nacht goß es, wir aber schliefen ruhig und ungestört.
Am Morgen standen alle Tiere, von ihren Wächtern dorthin gebracht,
festgebunden an ihrem Platze. Doch alles war schwer und
durchnäßt, und der Erdboden schlüpfrig und glatt. Während des
Tages (11. August) regnete es jedoch nicht, obwohl der Himmel
drohend aussah. Wenn die Sonne scheint, ist es beinahe drückend
heiß, so daß es durch meine dünne Chinesenmütze brennt. Die
meisten unserer Wächter tragen nur ein grobes Hemd, einen
Schaffellpelz und Stiefel. Wenn die Sonne scheint, lassen sie Pelz
und Hemd von dem rechten Arme und dem Oberkörper, die dann
nackt bleiben, herabgleiten, sobald es aber kalt wird, schlüpfen sie
wieder hinein. Das ist sehr bequem und praktisch.
Ihre kleinen, langhaarigen, feisten Pferde laufen ziemlich schnell
und machen kleine, trippelnde Schritte. Sie sind jedoch oft
ungeberdig, werfen ihre Lasten ab und gehen damit durch, bis diese
an der Erde schleppen. Die Männer bringen jedoch bald alles wieder
ins rechte Geleise, sind aufgeweckt und achtsam und, wie man sich
denken kann, an Karawanenreisen gewöhnt.
Einer der Offiziere hatte einen gelben, langhaarigen, mit blauen
Bändern und Schellen geschmückten Windhund mitgenommen. Ich
riet ihm schon beim Aufbruch, das Tier lieber zu Hause zu lassen; er
wollte aber den Hund durchaus mithaben. Wir waren auch noch
nicht weit gekommen, als Jollbars sich über den Ärmsten hermachte
und ihn schrecklich zurichtete. Blutend, hinkend und heulend, mußte
der Hund von einem Reiter zurückgebracht werden. Vor unseren
beiden Hunden hatten unsere Reisegefährten ganz gewaltigen
Respekt. Sogar, wenn sie zu Pferde saßen, ritten sie sofort beiseite,
wenn Jollbars in ihre Nähe kam, und auf den Lagerplätzen wagten
sie nicht eher abzusteigen, als bis die Hunde angebunden waren.

259. Tibetische Soldaten. (S. 233.)

260. Von Sirkin erlegter Kökkmek. (S. 252.)

261. Gefrorenes Wild. (S. 252.)

 262. Hirten von Dschansung im Gespräch mit dem Lama im Lager. (S. 254.)

Es war zum Sterben langweilig, denselben Weg wieder

zurückzureiten, aber ich sehnte mich doch nach dem Hauptquartier
zurück, um mit der ganzen Karawanenmannschaft neuen
Erfahrungen entgegenzugehen. Ich zählte die Stunden und
bezeichnete auf meinen schon fertigen Kartenblättern die Strecken,
die wir an jedem Tage zurücklegten. Die tibetische Eskorte sorgte
inzwischen für unsere Zerstreuung. Man kann sich nicht satt sehen
an diesen Wilden, ihren malerischen Trachten und ihrer Art zu
reisen, zu reiten, mit den Pferden umzugehen, zu rasten, zu lagern,
Feuer anzumachen und Essen zu kochen. Abgesehen von den
Offizieren sehen die anderen wie Straßenräuber aus (Abb. 259).
Unterwegs haben mehrere ihre Zöpfe zusammengerollt unter die
hohen, breitrandigen Hüte gesteckt. Ein paar Greise, Lamas, tragen
das Haar kurzgeschoren; diese drehen während des Reitens
unausgesetzt ihre Korle (Gebetmühlen) und murmeln unermüdlich in
anschwellenden und abnehmenden, monoton singenden,
einschläfernden Tönen ihr „Om mani padme hum“. Wir sind schon
ganz intim mit ihnen, und die Bewachung ist weniger streng. Alle
plaudern und lärmen und freuen sich sichtlich über die kleine
Vergnügungsreise, die ihnen zuteil geworden ist. Schagdur ist von
einer Gruppe Soldaten umgeben, mit denen er lustig scherzt. Sie
lachen bis zum Ersticken über seine Versuche, die fremden
Ausdrücke zu lernen und anzuwenden.
Solang Undü trägt über der Achsel ein rotes Zeugband, auf
dessen Rückseite vier große silberne Gavo festgenäht sind, und am
Gürtel Säbel, Messer, Feuerzeug, Tabaksbeutel, Pfeife und
verschiedene andere Kleinigkeiten, die um ihn herumbaumeln und
klappern. Unter diesen Utensilien befindet sich eine kleine Zange,
mit der er sich wiederholt Barthaare, die sich zeigen, ausreißt; er ist
auch völlig bartlos und sieht infolge der Runzeln, die sein Gesicht
durchfurchen, wie ein altes Weib aus. Seinen Zopf hat er sorgfältig in
ein rotes Tuch gewickelt und um den Kopf gewunden. Obendrauf
thront der Filzhut mit einer großen Feder.
Nach dreieinhalbstündigem Ritt hielten die Tibeter an und
fragten, ob wir etwas gegen eine Rast zum Teetrinken hätten. Meine
beiden Reisegefährten stimmten für Weiterreiten, ich zog es aber
vor, den Tibetern den Willen zu lassen, um ihre Reisegewohnheiten
zu studieren. Sie sagten, sie hätten am Morgen noch kein Frühstück
essen können, und der Appetit, mit dem sie die Speisen vertilgten,
bestätigte ihre Worte.
Mit ihren Säbeln schnitten sie gruppenweise drei Erdschollen aus
dem weichen Rasen; zwischen diese wurden die Töpfe gestellt, in
denen das Teewasser gekocht wird. Trockenen Argol hatten sie bei
sich, und bald brannten die Feuer. Aus Zeugstücken wurden
Brocken von gekochtem Schaffleische ausgewickelt, und die
Tsamba mit diesen, Fett, Butter und Tee bereitet. Wir begnügten uns
mit sauerer Milch.
Während des Frühstücks wurde uns mitgeteilt, daß die Eskorte
uns nur bis an die Grenze des Bombo von Nakktschu am Flusse
Gartschu-sängi begleiten werde; wo wir dann blieben, schien sie
nicht das geringste zu kümmern. Wir baten sie, bis ans
Hauptquartier mitzukommen, dazu hatten sie aber durchaus keine
Lust; sie hatten nur ihren Befehlen zu gehorchen und hegten
überdies sichtlich einen gewissen Respekt vor unserer Karawane
und der uns dort erwartenden Mannschaft. Gerade auf der Strecke
des Weges, die ich die Räuberzone nennen möchte, sollten wir also
für uns selbst sorgen. Wir sehnten uns nicht danach, da uns jetzt
nachts undurchdringliches Dunkel umgab, während wir auf der
Hinreise Hilfe vom Monde gehabt hatten.
Der Boden ist hier von all dem Regen womöglich noch nasser,
als er es schon war, wie wir zuerst über ihn hinwegritten. Die Pferde
sinken und stolpern bei jedem Schritt. Bei den Zeltdörfern zeigen
sich selten Menschen, und unsere Begleiter scheinen ihnen beinahe
auszuweichen. Wir lagern nicht in ihrer unmittelbaren Nähe, sondern
immer in einiger Entfernung. Der nötige Proviant wird im Vorbeireiten
von dem einen oder anderen Reiter geholt.
Auf dem heutigen Lagerplatze hatten sie sich noch zwei Zelte
besorgt, und die Eskorte war durch sechs Mann verstärkt worden.
Der Abend war schön und windstill, die Sterne glänzten wie durch
einen leichten Wolkenschleier. Die Dungfeuer flammen unter dem
abgemessenen, schweren Hauche der Blasebälge auf wie das
Drehfeuer eines Leuchtturmes. Auch in den Zelten sind Feuer, deren
Rauch durch eine längliche Ritze in der Zeltdecke entweicht. Das
Lager ist selbst am Abend malerisch und lebhaft, und auf allen
Seiten hört man die Tibeter scherzen und plaudern. Der lebende
Proviant besteht aus 14 Schafen, die nachts zwischen zwei Zelten
angebunden werden, weil die Gegend reich an Wölfen sein soll.
Kamba Bombo sollte jetzt Wasser auf seine Mühle bekommen,
denn die Tibeter sahen mich Uhr und Kompaß studieren. Sie
konnten das Ticken der Uhr gar nicht begreifen und baten
unausgesetzt, horchen zu dürfen. Ich sagte, es sei ein Gavo mit
einem lebendigen kleinen Burchan (Götzenbild). Die kleine
Veraskopkamera konnte ich ungeniert benutzen, nachdem ihnen klar
geworden war, daß in ihr kein Revolver oder sonst eine
unbegreifliche Höllenmaschine stecke. Der Lagerplatz hieß S ä r i -
kari.
 12. August. Sie wecken uns früh, machen aber kurze Tagereisen,
um die Annehmlichkeiten des Lagerlebens so lange wie möglich
genießen zu können. Unsere Wächter lassen uns immer mehr
Freiheit, je mehr wir uns der Grenze der Provinz nähern. Wir dürfen
jetzt oft eine ganze Strecke hinter der Haupttruppe allein reiten und
glauben uns unbewacht, merken aber bald, daß sich hinter uns stets
noch einige Reiter befinden.
Heute ging es über das große, offene Tal, in dem wir die
Teekarawane zuerst gesehen hatten. Es regnete nicht, und der
Boden trug unsere Pferde. Als wir ganz in der Nähe unseres
ehemaligen Lagerplatzes Nr. 51 waren, bogen die Tibeter rechts in
eine kleine Talmündung namens D i g o ein und machten dort Halt in
hohem, üppigem, duftendem Grase, das für unsere mageren Tiere
ein leckeres Fressen war.
Wir waren nur 4½ Stunden geritten, und ich glaubte, daß es sich
nur um eine Teerast handle. Es wurden aber die Zelte
aufgeschlagen und, an die Karawanentiere denkend, machte ich
keine Einwendungen. Es ist ein eigentümliches ruhiges Gefühl, nicht
seine Freiheit zu haben und nicht über seinen Weg und seine Zeit
bestimmen zu können; man muß ruhen, und für müde Pilger ist es
schön, ausschlafen zu dürfen. Solange wir die Eskorte hatten,
konnten wir die Sache ruhig mit ansehen, nachher aber, wenn wir
wieder unserer eigenen Wachsamkeit überlassen waren, würden wir
wieder lange Tagemärsche machen müssen.
Man wird während des Rittes fast schläfrig, wenn man von allen
diesen Soldaten umgeben ist, deren Pferde Schellenringe um den
Hals tragen. Es ist ein ewiges, eintöniges Glockengeläute, das in
den Ohren widerhallt und an eine große Schlittenpartie an einem
nordischen Wintertage erinnert. Malerisch ist diese Gesellschaft, die
so schnell in unserem friedlichen Gebirge aufgetaucht ist und uns
umringt hat, wir mochten es wollen oder nicht. Heute waren keine
Zelte zu sehen, so daß wir unseren Milchvorrat nicht verstärken
konnten.
Der Tag war, wie der Lagerplatz, herrlich. Wir ließen unser Zelt
nach Norden offen, um die leichten Winde hineinzulassen, die von