Essay on Exposure of the issue about privacy and surveillance on the social network the research of social networks effects on adolescents aged 13-19 years old by Leona LiEssay Writing Service

Essay on Exposure of the issue about privacy and surveillance on the social network the research of social networks effects on adolescents aged 13-19 years old by Leona LiEssay Writing Service Essay on Exposure of the issue about privacy and surveillance on the social network: the research of social networks effects on adolescents aged 13-19 years old by Leona Li Essay on Exposure of the issue about privacy and surveillance on the social network: the research of social networks effects on adolescents aged 13-19 years old by Leona LiSocial media can be used as an effective tool for socialization. Many people prefer to utilize new forms of social media in order to be connected with the society they live in. It is necessary to realize the significance of the relationship between social networks and the society. Special attention should be paid to the way the mediated technologies influence adolescents because their perception of the society can be viewed as initial perception, which requires further development.   As a result, adolescents can be manipulated easily by the social media.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to recent studies, adolescents can be both positively and negatively influenced by the content of the social media, e.g. social networking sites. For example, much information found on the social network carr ies violence because of violent indicators.   In general, adolescents may ignore the information, which plays an important role in providing the control over privacy issues of adolescents. In addition, many adolescents cannot identify the key aspects of the content provided to them. Therefore, I will place emphasis on the exposure to the issue about privacy and surveillance on the social network in my research. I will be focused on adolescents aged 13-19 years old, exploring both negative and positive influences of the social media content based on the issues of privacy and surveillance.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Researchers pay due attention to the privacy issues in their studies, especially if these issues are connected with the social media content. For example, â€Å"the danger of cyberstaking and communicating with strangers online† (Barnes, 2006) may have negative impact on adolescents. Nevertheless, the area of research study should be limited. In o rder to have a better understanding of the above mentioned   privacy issues, it is necessary refer to Danah Boyd’s study regarding the role of adolescents involved in the social media playing field (2007) and the study conducted by Albrechtslund (2008) regarding the role of participatory surveillance from the social networks.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Based on my primary readings and research-based practices, my hypothesis will be the more information is provided to adolescents regarding privacy and surveillance issues on the social networks, the less harm will be made by the existing negative social media content. The most suitable research method for providing a comprehensive research on the required topic will be the quantitative research method. This research method will help to conduct an experiment through quantitative interviews of random adolescents aged13-19 years old as the sample of the experiment. The research question will be: what is the impa ct of the social media networks on adolescents’ awareness of the relationship between the society and themselves based on the issues of Privacy and Surveillance?Literature Review  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The issue of Privacy and Surveillance in the social media has been widely discussed in scientific literature, especially in the field of media studies. Researchers take into consideration the role of the relationship with adolescents, highlighting the negative effects of the social media. Nevertheless, there is much evidence that both sides of the issue of Privacy and Surveillance influence the awareness of adolescents regarding the relationship between mediated technologies and the society. It has been found that the social media and adolescents are closely connected in the way they interact; therefore, it is not easy to define either the social networks or adolescents can dominate in this interaction.   Adolescents may experience surveillance on the soc ial media both in a positive and negative way. Thus, adolescents should be focused on the understanding of their role in the social networks.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Susan B. Barnes states in her essay â€Å"A Privacy Paradox: Social networking in the United States† that the phenomenon of privacy issues of adolescents should be explored better, for example the uploading of their private information in social networking, because the consequences may be negative. She conducted a classroom survey, which involved the opinions of adolescents regarding the social media. The findings of her research pointy out to the fact that the social networks may become â€Å"a form of entertainment† for many adolescents. Moreover, some of adolescents may even â€Å"ignore the difference between life online and off–line†(Barnes, 2006). Barnes shows the relationship between the social media and adolescents in a way that is based on the negative aspects of the effects of the social media on adolescents, placing emphasis on the privacy issues.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Having analyzed a wide range of articles, I may conclude that it is difficult to give a clear definition to the issues of privacy and surveillance on the social media. According to Mark Andrew’s study, â€Å"The work of being watched: Interactive Media and the Exploration of Self-Disclosure†(2002) and Danah Boyd’s study, â€Å"Social networks Sites: Public, Pirate or What?† the issues of privacy and surveillance can be defined from the perspective of time and space. According to Danah Boyd, the sample of her study involves adolescents and the way they are â€Å"socialized into a society complicated by shifts in the public and private† (Boyd, 2007). However, Andrew points out to the fact that the surveillance issues regarding the social media use cannot be considered as the â€Å"disappearance of privacy for per userâ €  because these issues can be assessed as the â€Å"shift in control over personal information from individuals to Private Corporation† (Andrew, 2002). According to Barnes (2006), â€Å"surveillance systems can exert the same type of control in contemporary culture†(p. 6) Andrew is focused on his study on both the positive and negative aspects of the social media influence and the role of surveillance, defining it from general perspective.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to recent study conducted by Anders Albrechtslund (2008), the privacy issues in the social media may have different consequences in relation to adolescents, while the surveillance issues on the social media are â€Å"something potentially empowering, subjectivity building and even playful† (p. 19). Thus, Albrechtslund states that surveillance can be perceived as an online content that requires the separation into several parts, depending on the context. For example, one of them is â€Å"the hierarchical, vertical concept of surveillance† (Albrechtslund, 2008).   Fundamentally, this concept shows the positive impact of surveillance.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   My research will be based on the continuation of the studies mentioned above. I will study the exposure of the issues of privacy and surveillance on the social network based on the effects on adolescents aged 13-19 years old. The sample in my experiment will be a special group of adolescents aged 13-19 because this age period plays an important role in   the education transformation from high school level to college or university levels. Based on my literature review, I realize that it is crucial for me to explore the definitions of the terms like â€Å"surveillance† and â€Å"privacy issues† more profoundly.

Interpersonal management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Interpersonal management - Coursework Example The success of these improvements will be measured through observing the response of the various people I will communicate with within the next two weeks. Direct questions on how they feel I should improve on my listening skills will also be asked. Positive responses and more lively discussions will be the main measure of how effective I will have improved on my listening skills. Record 5 Areas of Strength in Team Work The questionnaire on team contribution skills has been of great assistance in identifying my major strengths and weaknesses in team work skills. Personally, I have identified nine major areas in which my teamwork strengths lie in. When working with teams, I have been good at listening to others, providing solutions, time management, maintaining group focus, helping others and organizing the members. The area of administrative chores has also benefited from my contribution. Generally, I have over 60% rating gauging by the questionnaire; which is commendable. Weaknesses in Team Performance Group members identified two major areas of weaknesses that I exhibit during teamwork activities. They include leaving the responsibility of driving the team to others and generating many ideas that are mostly irrelevant to situations. To begin, I have left responsibility in the hands of others in this activity. This has been due to my areas of weakness such as the inability to present charts and drawings, my inadequate research skills and inability to help in positive conflict resolutions. In the past, it has been a difficult task for me to remain non-partisan especially when my close associates are involved in conflict and that has been a major...Weaknesses in Team Performance Group members identified two major areas of weaknesses that I exhibit during teamwork activities. The two weaknesses in team performance as identified by group members need to be addressed so that my team work skills are sharpened. Addressing the Weaknesses In the area of conflict resolution, I intend to register for future conflict resolution seminars and join relevant clubs or societies that promote effective conflict resolution to enable me handle future conflicts effectively. Record 6 Non-violent communication (NVC) Rosenberg (2003) outlines the four main components of NVC that are very essential in any communication process including face to face communication. They include observation, feelings, needs and requests. The first step involves observing and in face to face communication it may involve listening to the details of the speaker, which are verbal and non verbal. After stating how we feel, the next stage involves identifying the needs that maybe connected with the said feelings. Luckily enough, a student sympathizer came in and helped me to handle the situation. The use of the NVC could have helped in this situation. The process of observing, stating feelings, identifying needs and finally making request was not duly followed. Identifying specific needs of the book owner and identifying mine could have helped in resolving the matter.

Business and Informtion Systems Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Business and Informtion Systems - Case Study Example Thus new sources of competitive dvntge--coordinting nd integrtion skills--become strtegic wepon tht is not rooted in trditionl fctors. The requirements of globl sourcing, rel-time informtion shring, mss customiztion nd virtul clustering of ctivities redefine ntionl competitiveness--nd the links between firms nd their home territories--in wys significntly different from those envisioned erlier. Current pper presents n overview of orgniztionl business strtegy in terms of ITC inititive to support business nd build competitive dvntge. Prticulrly, the cse of Tesco grocery is provided to cover the issues of corporte informtion nd communiction strtegy. s well s operting in the UK, it hs stores in the rest of Europe nd si. It lso provides online services through its subsidiry, Tesco.com. The UK is the compny's lrgest mrket operting under four bnners: Extr, Superstore, Metro nd Express. Tesco sells pproximtely 40,000 food products in its superstores, s well s clothing nd other non-food lines. The compny's own-lbel products re t three levels, vlue, norml nd finest. Own brnd ccounts for pproximtely 50% of sles. s well s convenience produce, mny stores hve gs sttions. The compny hs become one of Britin's lrgest petrol independent retilers. Other retiling services offered in the UK include Tesco Personl Finnce nd Tesco.com. Tesco Personl Finnce is joint venture with the Royl Bnk of Scotlnd. It hs over 3.4 million customers, nd provides vrious finncil products nd services. The compny hs opertions in the rest of Europe, including the Republic of Irelnd, Hungry, Polnd, Czech Republic nd Slovki. (Finch 2005) Tesco's Republic of Irelnd business opertes in the region of 82 stores, nd round 60 stores in the Hungrin mrket. Tesco's Polish opertions include former HIT operted stores. It opertes round 66 hypermrkets nd supermrkets in this country. In the Czech Republic nd Slovkin mrkets, Tesco opertes 22 nd 23 hypermrkets respectively. (Flvin, 2005) Tesco lso opertes stores in si, including Thilnd, South Kore, Mlysi nd Tiwn. The compny opertes 64 stores in Thilnd nd 28 stores in the South Koren Mrket, while in the Tiwnese nd Mlysin mrkets it hs three stores in ech ntion. Business Strtegies of Tesco Tesco core competencies When speking of compny's core competencies it is mter of discussing compny's competitive dvntge tht differentite it from the list of competitors. The most importnt trget for Tesco is to set the competent position between businesses on the mrket nd sustin its mrket power through long period of opertions nd ctivities. There theory sttement s for the mtter of sustinble development nd core cmpetences of the business where Tesco opertes is the on tht dvises the compny to dpt in ccordnce to chnges in compny's enverinment; it should be flexible nd evolve over time. Therefore, Tesco needs to dpt to new rpidly chnging circumstnces nd opportunities, so its core competencies will hve to dpt nd chnge. The exmple of this ws when the compny hs lunched its loylty crd nd went into bnking. Core competences cn be shped within the frmework of following three fctors: Provision of potentil ccess to wide vriety of

Explain how Steinbeck describes the differences in character between Lenny and George Essay Example for Free

Explain how Steinbeck describes the differences in character between Lenny and George Essay Explain how Steinbeck describes the differences in character between Lenny and George The author, John Steinbeck described Lenny as the opposite of George. Lenny and George are good friends but mostly have nothing in common except that they both share the same dream, the American dream. Steinbeck described what the characters are wearing at the beginning of the story. Then he started describing the difference in characters between George and Lenny. George is the smart one and Lenny is the one whos childlike. Lenny always depends on George because George is the only friend hes got and George is like the only family of Lenny. At the beginning of the story, Steinbeck first described what George and Lenny are wearing at the beginning of the story as Both dressed in denim trousers and in denim coats with brass buttons. Then he started describing the difference between George and Lenny. First he defined George as small, strong hands, slender arms, a thin and bony nose. Then he described Lenny with no similarity to George as a huge man, shapeless of face, with large pale eyes, with wide sloping shoulders. Steinbeck uses a simile to describe Lennie. He tells us how he walk by dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws, he described Lennie by comparing him to an animal. Steinbeck wants us to draw an image in our mind of how Lennie moves. In the next paragraph he compares Lennie to an animal again, when he drank with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse. The author described Lennie like an animal so that well imagine it clearly by picturing Lennie like the way an animal move. The role of George in novel is like a parent to Lennie whos a big guy but has a mind like a child. Since Lennies Aunt died, George is the one taking care of Lennie. When his Aunt Clara died, Lennie just come along with me out workin, George said to Slim. Sometimes he tells Lennie the things to do and thing hes not supposed to do. Lennie, for Gods sakes dont drink so much, George told him off like telling off a child. George acts as a parent to Lennie. Lennie imitates George sometimes. He copies George by the way he acts and the way he tells Lennie something to do, as if hes also looking after George. You drink some, George. You take a good big drink, he told George. Steinbeck told us many things that describe how childish Lennie is. For example, when Lennie found out what Lennie had in his pocket. Its only a mouse George, Lennie said nervously. He is afraid that George might take the mouse from him. Lennie love to pet animals like the way a child pets an animal, but Lennie doesnt realise his strength. He accidentally kills the animals he pets because hes stroking them to hard. George and Lennie argue sometimes. And when they did at the beginning of the story, George told Lennie about all the stuff he would do if Lennie was never with him. if I was alone I could live so easy, George described what it would be like without Lennie because George always gets in trouble because of Lennie. George said to Lennie angrily, You keep me in hot water all the time. George would like to be alone, but he doesnt know how it feels to be a loner, he imagines what it feels like to take care of nobody except himself and he wants to know how it feels without the trouble of Lennie. He also wants to know if he would be happy or he might be lonely without Lennie. This is the feeling of George that Steinbeck wants us to know. Although, George is not the only one who would like to have a feeling of being alone. Lennie is a very confused man that cannot think very well. However, Lennie sometimes feel that George hates him because George doesnt want him by his side. If you dont want me, you only jus got to say so and Ill go off in those hills right there right up in those hills and live by myself, Lennie talks like hes defending himself. Hes acting strong and hes trying to show George that he can live and he can take care by himself alone. But then George realises how mean he was when he talked about the things he would do if Lennie wasnt with him. George changed his mind in the end. Then George replies, I want you to stay with me, Lennie. Jesus Christ, somebodyd shoot you for a coyote if you was by yourself. George replies to his thinking of living alone. George feels bad about what he said to Lennie. He is still worried about Lennie. He only imagines the bad things that might happen to Lennie if he was by himself. Steinbeck wants us to know that George dont want Lennie to go, not only because Lennie cant take care of himself alone, but its because George and Lennie are also best friends and have already known each other since childhood. Steinbeck tells us that George is the only that describes Lennie the way he is. George is the only one who knows him very well. Hell of a nice fella, but he aint bright. Ive knew him for a long time George described Lennie proudly. When he tells someone, like Slim, about Lennie, he doesnt use the word crazy to describe Lennie because he already know what ways to describe Lennie. He even tells Slim that having Lennie isnt so bad at all because they got each other to take care of. I seen the guys that go around on the ranches alone. That aint no good. They dont have no fun. George was sincere when he was talking to Slim about them being friends. I think Steinbeck wants us to know that even though George and Lenny have nothing in common, they always had each other as friends. The author wants us to realise how strong George and Lennies bond. Their friendship cant be broken by anyone, easily. The two characters played a good role to people to show how important friends are. Even though Lennie wasnt bright, George accepted Lennie as he is because he is his friend. Both of them know that they have each other to take care of. Compare to other people who are alone, are the loneliest people. John Steinbeck described each of the character uniquely, unlike any other character in a novel. At the very beginning of the novel, Steinbeck described the surroundings of the Salinas River. He wants us to picture in our mind what the place looks like. He creates an image in our mind that relate to the senses, including sight and touch. The Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green. The water is warm too He also uses a metaphor to describe things clearly. the golden foothill. He wants the reader to imagine what its like and because he knows that well understand what it means because its just a metaphor. The writer did all this at the beginning of the novel to make the target audience want to read this novel. And once they become really interested in reading the beginning of the story, theyll plan to read the whole book.

Essay --

ISO 9000 standards can be defined as a series of international set standards used by companies to perfect on their quality. These standards were enacted by experts derived from different parts of the world. ISO 9000 Series Standards acts as guideline how companies are mandated to ensure their suppliers have accurate and appropriate quality systems. Basically, ISO 9000 Series Standards was initially developed with support from major credible international bodies obligated to ensure standardization in both quality management and assurance in all companies. ISO 9000 standards were initiated, developed and maintained by a credible organization known as International Organization for Standardization (ISO). These standards have been adapted by many countries globally approximated to be over 90 countries. Essentially, these standards were established with purpose of promoting international trade between different counties which outlines a set of requirements which should be adhered to by all stakeholders. As a matter of fact, ISO 9000 Series Standards is one of the major products used many companies worldwide. ISO 9000 Series Standards was first enacted and published in the year 1987. The Standards was developed with help of selected technical committee focusing more on issues concerning quality. After its publication, the standards have undergone several amendments and changes as evidenced by a major revision done in 2000. Quality is essential on every products and services offered by every company. Quality production being one major area of concern cites the reason why it is vital for companies to observe and maintain ISO 9000 Series Standards. Many companies worldwide are striving hard to ensure their products meets th... ... The standards were established in 1987, by a selected technical committee from different corners of the world. These standards were initiated, developed and maintained by a credible organization known as International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Currently, many companies in over 90 countries have adopted these standards. These Standards acts as guideline how companies mandated to ensure that their suppliers have accurate and appropriate quality systems. ISO 9000 standards are vital to every company or small businesses. They play huge roles in ensuring quality of products is not at all compromised in order to guarantee customers satisfaction. As observed despite many advantages allied with ISO 9000, it has its own disadvantages. These include the involved cost, consumers a lot of time, drawbacks for the employees and emphasizes on heavy documentation.

Ibm Case Essay

History By the 1950’s, IBM became the dominant vendor in the computer industry with the release of the IBM 701 along with many other series of mainframes, which are large central processors. Then in the1960’s and 1970’s, the company had to diversify to get on the same level as smaller companies, such as Digital Equipment Corporation, who were introducing microprocessors. This threatened IBM’s position in the computer industry. Their response was coming put with a personal computer, software, and services. In 1981, IBM officially introduced the IBM PC with a compatible hardware platform. This was a large accomplishment for the company. A few years later, on May 1st, 2005, IBM sold its PC division to the Chinese company Lenovo for $655 million in cash and $600 million in Lenovo stock. Then on January 25, 2007, IBM sold their printing systems division for $725 million to Ricoh and created a new Ricoh subsidiary called InfoPrint Solutions Company. Ricoh will now own a 51% share and IBM will own a 49% share. Also in 2007, IBM’s yearly revenue was $98. 8 billion and they had a net income of $10. 8 billion dollars. IBM is run by about 427,000 employees. There are three main people who keep the business running smoothly. The most important one is Samuel J. Palmisano, who is the Chairman, President, and CEO. Another important associate at IBM is Mark Loughridge, who is the SVP and CFO. And lastly, Douglas Elix, who is another SVP, a Group Executive, and is in charge of Sales and Distribution. These three men are vital to the company’s success. Besides them, most of the employees at IBM are IT Specialists, Application Services Consultants, and Managing Consultants. Every company has to have competitors. Competition makes a healthy industry. Some of the top competitors IBM runs against are EDS (Electronic Data Systems Corporation), Hewlett Packerd, and their biggest competitor, Microsoft, whom they are ranked right behind in second place in their industry. IBM has many recent accomplishments within that last few years. One of the major ones was the development of the world’s tiniest nanophotonic switch, which is a device for routing light on a chip scale. Another project they have completed wasweb 2. security concerns with â€Å"SMash,† which is one of their development tools. Another very large project they completed was the design of the microprocessor for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Nintendo Wii. All three of those were a good addition to the list of products they already design. This opened up their age range of consumers as well since a lot of children play these video systems. Besides recent accomplishments in their elec tronic field, IBM also had many of their employees win multiple awards for their achievements. They have had three of their employees win Nobel Prizes, which are achievements in either physics, chemistry, literature, peace, economics, medicine and physiology; four have received a Turing Awards, which are awards for technology; five have National Medals of Technology; and five more have received National Medals of Science. These are all very big accomplishments that IBM is very proud of. IBM is currently working on many projects. One of its big ones is Eclipse, which is a platform-independent, Java based software framework. Another is developerWorks, which is a website run by IBM for software developers and IT professionals. It contains large numbers of how-to articles and tutorials, software downloads, code samples, discussion forums, podcasts, blogs, wikis, and other resources. Then there is alphaWorks which is IBM’s source for emerging software technologies. They are also working on more semiconductor designs and manufacturing for them. Open client offering is another project they are working on. It is to run on Windows, Linux and Apples. Used for word processing, presentations, Lotus Notes, instant messaging, blogging, etc†¦ UC2: Unified Communications and Collaboration is an IBM and Cisco joint project. It will offer numerous Eclipse applications developers a unified platform for an easier work environment. Examples of this would be click-to-call and voice mailing. SWOT on Management IBM holds more patentsthan any other U. S. based technology company. IBM’s Project Management Center of Excellence, or PM COE, is first-rate. PM COE is considered IBM’s â€Å"Think Tank†. It is a program that has been set up to define the steps needed to strengthen IBM’s project management capabilities. PM COE combines external industry trends and directions with IBM business, organizational, geographic requirements and insight. Using PM COE, IBM has developed project management policy, practices, methods, and tools (Wikipedia, 2008). For someone to be considered for a management position, they must complete IBM certification or accreditation. To be accepted in to the certification or accreditation process an individual must have done the following. Successfully passed PMI exam (i. e. be a certified PMP). Verifiable documentation and approval for mastery/expertise in a well-defined set of PM skills. Several years of PM experience spanning at least 3 verifiable projects within the immediate 5 years (including specific role, team size, and budget requirements). Verifiable documentation and proof of at least one area of specialty. Demonstrated the use of IBM’s Worldwide Project Management Method (_WWPMM_). Completed extensive classroom and online education and testing. To become a Junior Project Manager, you must go through self assessment and get supervisors authorization to be accredited. Becoming a Senior Project Manager requires going through the rigorous IBM certification process, which involves Candidate preparing a detailed package with proof of above requirements. Package review, approval, and support by at least two levels of Senior Management. Package review and re-verification by PM COE expert. Personal interviews with the PM COE Certification board. Candidates whose experience, skills, knowledge and education are deemed valid, verifiable and accurate, are certified by the board as either Certified Senior Project Manager (CSPM) or Certified Executive Project Manager (CEPM). Senior Project managers must validate their skills and expertise against IBM’s worldwide standards. It is a deliberately long process with multiple checkpoints designed to ensure the integrity, fairness and legitimacy of the certification. This helps IBM maintain customer confidence in their products (Wikipedia, 2008). Since IBM is such a large, diversified, and established company they do not have many weaknesses. One weakness is they have a tendency to â€Å"strong arm† clients that are highly dependent on IBM products (Bradley, 2004). In the future this reputation could lead companies to be hesitant to rely on IBM’s merchandise. This reputation could also create bad enough relationships with current clients to make them transfer to a competitor’s product. IBM has also been known to â€Å"over promise† (Bradley, 2004). Since they are such a large corporation, with many capabilities, they tend to promise unrealistic deadlines to their customers. Businesses don’t like losing money, and opening later then planned is a good way to do that. These delays in their customers start-ups, could also lead to unfavorable relationships that could cause clients to move their business elsewhere. IBM is constantly looking for new opportunities to expand their share of the market, or start a new market. IBM is looking into revolutionizing the prevention of traditional and online fraud and Identity thefts. They are working on a comprehensive anti-fraud program that is going to help banks protect themselves and their customers, while continuing to offer their products and services (IBM, 2006). IBM is also conducting case studies for the automotive industry. The case studies are going to help them change the industry, and become more innovative (Lunani, 2006). Hopefully, the innovations will alleviate some of the stress the industry is under. Management Practices ; Theories SWOT analysis is a very important part of finding out a lot of information pertaining to current management functions within the company. However, it is what the management does after they find their strengths, opportunities, weaknesses, and threats that are the most relevant part of determining a company’s success. The theories and practices the company uses to take advantage of their strengths, try to combat their weaknesses, use opportunities to their best interest, and to defend themselves from threats are the key determinant on what the company’s future looks like. IBM as one of the top companies in the world clearly knows what they are doing. They have taken into careful consideration their SWOT analysis and their management theories and practices are derived from their analysis. Being involved in competitive global competition, the company’s workforce is an essential part to IBM’s success. In knowing of this, IBM has created a list of seven key core workforce capabilities. These capabilities include: Understanding the demographics and capabilities of the workforce, predicting future labor supply and demand, utilizing social networks to increase the visibility and application of knowledge across the organization, enabling individuals to perform work regardless of location, facilitating collaboration across traditional organizational boundaries, driving the rapid development of skills and capabilities to meet changing business conditions, and evaluating employee performance and providing appropriate feedback. IBM has implemented these guidelines so their workforces can constantly adapt to the ever changing global business environment. In addition, workers are paid incentives for their input to keep the employees with a sense of involvement which is important to keeping them excited about IBM. At IBM, the managers believe and in a workforce that is diversified. According to Ron Glover, VP for Global Workforce Diversity at IBM, focuses on what it means to retain a true culture of diversity is IBM’s greatest competitive advantage. From all the way back to World War I, IBM has romoted workforce diversity when they hired disabled veterans to work for the company. Even when no one was using diversity IBM was. Way back in 1953, CEO at the time Thomas Watson sent out a very controversial stating that IBM needs to hire the best people, regardless of their race, ethnic origin, sex. In addition, the company added sexual orientation in 1984. He knew that this would give IBM a competitive advan tage because IBM would then be able to hire talented people the it’s competitors would turn down. (hrmreport. com, 2008) Another way IBM tries to get the best workers is using their program called Extreme Blue. This is an internship program for graduate and undergraduate students. This internationally known program is great for getting students prepared to work for IBM. IBM believes this will give students interested in working for a IBM a realistic perspective on what it would be like to work for them. IBM runs this diverse workforce under a classical management perspective. Money is assumed to be the primary motive and have a traditional compensation plan. The main forms of pay to employees are base pay and valuable other forms of benefits such as retirement plans and insurances. According to the company’s website, â€Å"cash compensation opportunities include base pay, commissions, performance bonuses, awards and other forms of earnings. † In addition to these forms of pay, IBM also offers generous paid vacation and holidays. There are also some benefits to relieve stress and just get away from the company for a little while. These benefits include reduced-prices, cooking lessons, and fitness centers. This management style has worked for them and we think they should stick with the classical approach to management and not move to a behavioral perspective. IBM uses an analyzer strategy which most large companies use. An analyzer strategy is a strategy in which the firm attempts to maintain its current businesses and to be somewhat innovative in new businesses. They use this strategy because they want to produce some new product opportunities while protecting their base of operations. (Griffen, 2007) Management Structure â€Å"The management structure that IBM maintains is an effective internal control structure. This structure has clearly defined lines of responsibility, as well as comprehensive systems and control procedures. This structure is beneficial because it assures customers that their transactions are put through correctly and efficiently. â€Å"(http://sec. edgar-online. com) An important part of IBM’s management structure is a good internal audit program. IBM takes a good amount of time to train its workers correctly. Each employee receives written policies and procedures to ensure that each employee knows exactly what to do under any circumstance or problem that may arise. By doing this everyone is on the same page and everything is done the way they want it done. IBM is now thinking about cutting 13,000 jobs most of which should be mostly in Europe and other headquarters around the world. Ethics With all of the diversity that exists within the company it would be hard for IBM to conduct any work without ethics on their minds. As in any large company there is some sort of unethical behavior going on, however these behaviors have not been detrimental to the company thus far. So far it is obvious that IBM won’t make any large scale unethical decisions such as the like of Enron. The ethics are very important in the business process and will be discussed more in an interview with a former employee. Interview With a Former Employee Flat or tall management structure? â€Å"The structure tends to be taller than most companies, especially within the consulting group. † Management Style? â€Å"The managers take a very classical by the book style to their decisions. Everything that had happened before was documented and later considered protocol, if there was success. † What ethics does IBM use in decision making? â€Å"IBM has well defined guidelines on many ethical issues, and it is required that all new employees review these guidelines. Employees are also required to take an annual review test to comply with IBM corporate policy. In my experience IBM relies on individual managers to make judgment calls on grey areas, and the managers I worked with all took ethic approaches to handling the issue. † What are the area’s for improvement? â€Å"IBM has had difficulties integrating its consulting division, since the acquisition of Price Waterhouse Coopers consulting in 2002. Much effort has been focused on getting full value from this acquisition, and at least initially the purchase was viewed as a misstep. With changes over the last few years, the consulting division has become the bulk of IBM revenue, but there are still opportunities to better leverage the consulting division in light of other IBM business units. IBM has also been severally criticized for its outsourcing practices, and has taken very proactive measures to combat this public criticism. † Any alliances? â€Å"IBM has numerous alliances with companies, all the way from suppliers to working with competitors. The number of alliances in likely in the thousands. † What makes IBM so successful? The ability to solve large scale business problems, especially in the IT sector, by combining various internal specialties and partnerships to create and implement end to end solutions. † Have you witnessed any unethical behavior throughout the company? â€Å"I have not personally witnessed any unethical behavior, but have spoken to a former VP who was put in a position to take an unethical action by someone who wa s very senior in the organization. † Hiring procedures? Promotions procedures? â€Å"Hiring is done at the group level, based upon target numbers that are established at the top of the organization. Final hiring decisions are made at the senior manager level. Promotion decisions occur annually with promotions and compensation based upon the outcome of the decision. Promotion is granted if the employee can show sufficient evidence that he/she is operating at the intended promotion level, and that the results are sustainable (ie. , results must be shown for a relatively long time and consistent time period, in various situations) . The implementation of the corresponding compensation typically occurs six months after promotion decisions are made. The timing of promotions and compensation increases are an area which many employees feel needs to be corrected, and IBM has stated it intends to reduce the total time of the process. † Relationship between managers and subordinates? â€Å"Varies greatly based upon individual relationships. IBM offers many channels to discuss issues, but the design of the promotion/compensation/staffing structure makes it imperative to have a successful working relationship with direct and next level management. † Is there a lot of management restructuring? Yes, at the lower levels, especially in consulting, management roles are very fluid and change frequently in comparison with other companies. Some of this is based on market changes, some on promotions/exits, and some on business results. † What kind of fringe benefits do workers receive? â€Å"Discounts with partner companies, cell and broadband reimbursement, 401k contribution, pension (eliminated in 2006), corporate educatio n, annual bonus (consulting division), extensive health care coverage at low rates. † Is there a lot of communication between the different headquarters? Conclusion It is obvious that IBM is successful because their values and the way they conduct business. This is a direct reflection upon their management structure, style, and practices. They will surely stay on the same track of success for many years to come. As they push forward in their business they are becoming one of the most well known businesses whether it be for technology or consulting around the world. No matter what kind of work a person is in one thing is for certain, everyone can learn from the way IBM conducts their business.

American Imperialism Essay - 1306 Words

American Imperialism has been a part of United States history ever since the American Revolution. Imperialism is practice by which powerful nations or people seek to expand and maintain control or influence over weaker nations or peoples. Throughout the years there has been many instances where the Americans have taken over other people countries, almost every time we go into we have taken over a new piece of land. The Americas first taste of imperialism came about five hundred years ago when Columbus came to America. We fought the pleasant inhabitants and then took over their land making them slaves. Americans over the years have been known to become almost selfish, no matter how much we have we will never be happy until we control the†¦show more content†¦After a couple of days he was given permission which shortly led to war. Spain declared war on the United States on April 24th followed by an U.S. declaration of war on the 25th. This war was no contest for the Americans; they easily defeated the Spanish troops. Led by Gen. William Shafter (and including Theodore Roosevelt and his 1st Volunteer Calvary, the Rough Riders). The Rough Riders were National Guard infantry regiments and a regiment of volunteer cavalry. They played a very important role in the defeat of the Spanish Army. The war only lasted about four months and the Americans easily won. The Treaty of Paris (signed Dec. 10, 1898), Spain lost Cuba, Guam, and Puerto Rico to the U.S., and also the United States gained control of the Philippines. This was a major turning point in the history of both countries. Spain was able to concentrate on their problems within the country and not about over seas, while the Americans were becoming a very powerful country expanding its property. There was a lot of talk about Manifest Destiny, and many people suggested that America should assume its role as a world power. br brManifest Destiny, jingoistic tenet holding that territorial expansion of the Unites States is not only inevitable but also divinely ordained. The phrase was first used by the American journalist and diplomat John-August 1845 edition of the United States Magazine and Democratic Review, a magazine that featuredShow MoreRelatedAmerican Imperialism797 Words   |  4 PagesMaterial Appendix A American Imperialism Part 1 Complete the chart by identifying the following: Identify the countries or areas where the United States engaged in countries or areas where the United States engaged in imperialistic actions during the period from about 1870 to 1914. Discuss why each area was important to American empire building—political, economic, and social. Explain America’s expansionist ideals. What were some factors that justified American imperialist actions? 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