Final answer:
A firm investing in an information system is seeking the business objective of survival in a competitive market to ensure its ongoing operations, adaptability, and ability to attract investment.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a firm invests in an information system because it is a necessity for conducting business, it is primarily seeking to achieve the business objective of survival. In a fiercely competitive marketplace, an information system can be integral to ensuring that a business stays operational, adapts to market requirements, meets customer expectations, and remains at par with or ahead of its competitors. Adopting new technologies may be indispensable for maintaining market presence and ensuring the firm does not cease to exist because of the inability to keep up with technological advancements or efficiency standards set by competitors.
Furthermore, as more information regarding a company's products, revenues, costs, and profits becomes widely available, firms gain the ability to attract outside investors like bondholders and shareholders. This accessibility to financial capital supports the firm's potential to continue operations and strive towards profitability, which is crucial because profits are the measurement that determines whether a business remains operating or not. Firms invest resources with the aim of profitability, and failure to stay profitable often leads to businesses exiting the industry.