Answer: Management information systems are a broad class of systems that provide decision makers with the information necessary to make effective decisions in a world that has almost overnight become an “electronic showroom”. Such systems are competitive tools that allow organizations to create new, innovative products and service quickly, efficiently, and effectively. For an example, computer and information systems are playing a vital role in the growth of Pioneer Hi-Bred into one of the most successful agricultural companies in the world. They are helping the company in many ways, such as reducing the time it takes to bring goods to market and improving inventory management.

The field or scopes of management information systems:
The field of management information systems (MIS) is the study of information and its impact on the individual, the organization, and society. Quite often, when we think about information systems we think of computers. Although computers are at the heart of today’s information systems, a number of important social, organizational, behavioral, and ethical issues also surround the study of information systems. An appropriate analogy is the field of medicine. Medicine and its branches revolve around the human body and its various parts are functions. Areas that continue to influence the field of MIS include;

1. Computer science: Computer science theories and methods of computation, efficient data storage and access and their impact on information.
2. Political science: The political impact and uses of information both within and outside the organization.
3. Psychology: Psychology is the cognitive models of human reasoning and behavior as they relate to information.
4. Operations research: Operation research is the scientific models that enhance decision making and make use of information to solve complex problems.
5. Linguistics: Linguistics is the languages and human communications and other influence on the creation and use of information.
6. Sociology: Sociology is the principles governing society as it relates to shaping information policies and principles.
7. Organization theory and behavior: Organization theory and behavior is the nature and characteristics of organizations and their effect on the way human brings use information to make decisions.

MIS is a system that creates, processes, stores, and generates information within and outside an organization. A system is a collection of parts that work together to achieve a common goal.