Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Apple Is A Violation Of Apple s First Amendment Rights

Apple is currently going through the court system a lot these days; being one of the biggest tech cases of 2016. The FBI and the U.S. government want to take over the control of the iPhone. They want Apple to override the encryption feature to be allowed to crack the password. Currently, the new features only allow the owner to crack the password. Apple is arguing that the request is a violation of Apple’s First Amendment rights. Apple can face some contractual issues which may contribute to the problems they are currently facing. The first issue is that tech companies should not be required to have an entry way into their products. How can a customer trust a company that does not have their privacy as part of their contract? Customers value their privacy to the utmost fullest. Apple believes that this will weaken the security of their computer systems and consumer’s privacy protection. Next, if you are a company that is viewed as being too vocal, it can jeop ardize government sales as well as relationships with law enforcement. Apple has noticed that many companies often comply with the request, but that feels this again is a violation of their rights as a company and the millions of customers they cover as a company. Will they ever be trusted? Will they continue to have the same customers or lose to their competitors? Apple also makes a lot of their money through advertising. Everyone wants to have the next and the new iPhone, but if Apple has a badShow MoreRelatedSyed Rizwan Farook s Iphone 5c1523 Words   |  7 Pageshackers and many. Apple has done this by encrypting almost every piece of user’s private information on their devices. The FBI wants a way around this encryption so that they can retrieve important information on Farook’s iPhone. They want Apple to create a shortcut that would allow them to bypass all of the security on Farook’s phone, but Apple is refusing saying that they want to protect thei r user’s privacy. Is the FBI forcing Apple to create a shortcut violating our privacy, a right that is givenRead MoreDid The Fbi Break The Fourth Amendment?1530 Words   |  7 PagesDid the FBI break the Fourth Amendment? In December of 2015, 14 people were killed and more than 20 people were injured in one of California’s most deadly shootings in recent history. A couple, Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, opened fire in a conference center in San Bernardino. The two were later killed in a shootout with the police. Their case didn’t end there. The FBI searched their house, in which they found much evidence to back that this was a terrorist plot. But a crucial piece ofRead MoreSince My Last Response Paper, My Response Paper Has Become1177 Words   |  5 Pageshuman rights, and a utilitarian framework. After looking to the literature, I have developed my opinions more thoroughly and tend to lean towards preventing the social and economic ramifications of limited encryption. A Second Bite at the Apple: Federal Courts’ Authority to Compel Technical Assistance to Government Agents in Accessing Encrypted Smartphone Data Under the All Writs Act.  Boston College Law Review  57, no. 1403 (2017): 1403-1446. This source opposes the decision in In re Apple, IncRead MoreA Report On The Security System1617 Words   |  7 PagesiPhone, they discovered that the security system in place on it would erase everything on the phone if more than ten unsuccessful attempts to open it occur. As a result, the Department of Justice asked Apple to help them gain access to the phone’s data (Sydell Wertheimer, 2016). However, Apple refused to write a program that would safely unlock the phone because they felt the creation of this specific software would threaten the security of millions of iPhone users leaving them vulnerable to hackersRead MoreA Report On The Security System1617 Words   |  7 Pagesthis iPhone, they discovered that the security system in place on it would erase everything on the phone if more than ten unsuccessful attempts to open it occur. As a result, the Department of Justice asked Apple to help them gain access to the phones data (Sydell Wertheimer, 2016). However, Appl e refused to write a program that would safely unlock the phone because they felt the creation of this specific software would threaten the security of millions of iPhone users leaving them vulnerable to hackersRead MoreA Breach Of Childrens Online Privacy1715 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Fourth Amendment and a Right to Privacy Regarding Mobile Apps Ina Salvaleon Berry College Citation Style: APA â€Æ' A Breach of Children’s Online Privacy: Examining the Fourth Amendment and a Right to Privacy Regarding Mobile Apps Children are more likely to be found on a technological device that can access the Internet than outside being physically active. While in many cases, they are knowledgeable online users, children are still at risk when using the Internet. Their right to privacy onlineRead MoreUsing Digital Data Or Digital Information1262 Words   |  6 Pagesthrough the fast lanes at toll booths, our cell phone calls. This world today seems to have no privacy on the Internet, despite the Government s effort to help the consumer regain their privacy. The United States runs on laws put in place by the government and the citizens. How can people trust the government if the government does not respect a citizen s privacy of digital data? The government is not allowed to wiretap American citizens without a warrant from a judge, but there are plenty of legalRead MoreBattle Between Uber And Hillsborough Regulators Goes Public1302 Words   |  6 Pagesthey never manipulated the review rating. The plaintiffs also argued that Yelp tried to strong-arm them into buying ads on the site; however, Yelp won the lawsuit over these accusations. The court said that the plaintiffs did not have the preexisting rights to positive reviews and failed to prove that Yelp wrote negative critiques. The plaintiffs said they could not accept the result of the law suit and they would consider another option. STAKEHOLDERS ANALYSIS There are four main stockholders in thisRead MoreInvasion Of Citizens Privacy On Digital Data1620 Words   |  7 Pagespasses through the fast lanes at toll booths, our cell phone calls. The United States runs on laws set up by the government and the citizens. How can people trust the government if the government does not respect a citizen s privacy of ordinal data? â€Å"The government has no right to wiretap American citizens without a warrant from a judge, but there are plenty of legal ways for the law enforcements, from the local sheriff to the Internal Revenue Service, to snoop on digital trails you create every day†(â€Å"NoRead MoreDigital Data And The Internet1611 Words   |  7 Pagesphone calls, and our passes through the fast lanes at toll booths. The United States runs on laws set up by the government and the citizens. How can people trust the government if the government does not respect a citizen s privacy of ordinal data? â€Å"The government has no right t o wiretap American citizens without a warrant from a judge, but there are plenty of legal ways for the law enforcements, from the local sheriff to the Internal Revenue Service, to snoop on digital trails you create every day†(â€Å"No

Monday, December 16, 2019

Coffeehouse and Starbucks Free Essays

string(124) " coffee can be supported by its partnership with Conservation International Center to develop Coffee and Farmer Equity \(C\." 1. Original Strategic Vision for Starbucks Howard Schultz’s original strategic vision was to transform Starbucks into a national company with an emphasis on placing great value on its employees. He believed that the key to success was for Starbucks to capitalize on its people; he wanted a somewhat decentralized organizational structure which emphasized the importance of including employees in the decision-making process. We will write a custom essay sample on Coffeehouse and Starbucks or any similar topic only for you Order Now Schultz wanted to place an image of Starbucks as an employer that cared for the general well-being of its employees and one that employees could be take pride in being a part of. A key strategic objective espoused by Schultz in his original strategic vision was to transform Starbucks into â€Å"the most respected brand name in coffee and for the company to be admired for its corporate responsibility. † Also worth noting is the fact that after visiting Milan, Italy Schultz also made it part of his strategic vision to transform Starbucks as a remake of the Italian coffee bar culture. He wanted customers to perceive a visit to a Starbucks coffee shop as a social gathering where customers could grab a fresh-brewed beverage, meet their friends and visit. He believed that creating this emphasis on customer â€Å"experience† could distinguish Starbucks from its competitors. Schultz’s 2010 strategic vision for Starbucks is an extension of his original vision from the 1980s which has been expanded to include more innovative and cost cutting practices. It can also be argued that some of his new strategic objectives are more prudent instead of being fully aggressive. For example, while Schultz still believed that the company should continue to pursue international expansion, he makes it evident that this should be pursued at a slower, more methodical pace. In addition, with regards to the volume of stores in the US, he acknowledges the fact that expansion efforts were not properly coordinated with regards to the close proximities of many Starbucks shops. Therefore he closed 900 underperforming shops, three quarters of which were located three miles away from a nearby shop. The 2010 strategic vision also continued to emphasize the customer experience. He believed that employees have lost their â€Å"soul of the past† in their passion to educate customers about their products and provide customers with a quality experience . As a result in 2008, Schultz ordered 7,100 US stores to be temporarily shut down for three business hours to provide special training for store employees. The purpose of this was to give their baristas hands-on training to aid in improving the quality of the beverages they served. It was also an effort to renew and reignite Starbucks’ culture of a customer-centric focus to help employees understand the importance of a satisfying customer experience. Lastly, much innovation and cost-cutting practices were incorporated into the 2010 strategic vision. For example as part of a serious cost-cutting strategy, the company undertook a 1000-person cut in staffing to cut down on administrative costs from the company’s organizational support infrastructure. With regards to innovation, the company also implemented ideas such as internet-based software for scheduling work hours for store employees and new resources such as laptops for store employees. Innovation was also implemented in the products the company offers. An example of this is the launch of VIA instant coffees and menu items designed to offer healthy breakfast choices for people with busy lifestyles such as fruit cups and healthier bakery selections. 2. Has Starbuck’s strategy evolved as the strategic vision has evolved? 3 . The Broad Differentiation strategy most closely approximates the competitive approach used by Starbucks. This is supported by the fact that the company’s target segment is not limited to a specific niche market. As reinforced by the company’s resurging commitment to expand to global markets, it is committed to serving the needs of a broad market with widely diverse preferences. Supporting Starbuck’s use of a Broad Differentiation strategy is the fact that Starbucks tries to distinguish itself from competitors by offering a service devoted to going the extra mile to deliver a satisfying customer experience. This is congruent with the company’s theme of â€Å"just say yes† to customer requests. Another key aspect of the Broad Differentiation strategy that Starbucks practices is the offer of a wide selection of products which emphasize differentiating attributes. An example of this would be Starbuck’s introduction of VIA Ready Brew Coffee. These were packets of coffee that could be prepared instantly by simply adding them to a cup of water. VIA coffee had the superior attribute of easy preparation while replicating the same rich full-bodied taste of fresh-brewed coffee delivered by Starbucks from its coffeehouses. Another unique product introduced by Starbucks with a differentiating feature is the introduction of Vivanno â€Å"better-for-you† smoothies. These smoothies offered those health-conscious customers with little to think about with only 250 calories, one serving of fruit, 16 grams of proten and 5 grams of fiber. 4 The key policies, practices, principles and procedures that underlie how Howard Schultz and Starbucks management have implemented and executed the company’s strategy are as follows: Emphasis on providing employees with a caring, desirable work environment in which they can contribute to the success and development of the company. It is clear that Shultz believes in taking care of his employees to win their commitment to enhancing the well-being of the company. As evidence, Schultz instilled a comprehensive benefits package which unlike the norm for other businesses, were offered not only to full-time employees but part-time employees as well. In order to emphasize the connection between employee contributions and the company’s market value, Schultz also implemented Bean Stock- Starbuck’s stock option plan. The purpose of this was to allow each employee to become a partner and share in the success of the company to promote a positive long-term effect on the company’s operations. Applying ethical and high standards of excellence to the purchasing, roasting and fresh delivery of coffee. Evidence for Starbuck’s commitment to ethical sourcing of its coffee can be supported by its partnership with Conservation International Center to develop Coffee and Farmer Equity (C. You read "Coffeehouse and Starbucks" in category "Essay examples" A. F. E. ) Practices. Such practices were designed to help farmers grow coffee in ways that prevented harm to the planet. These practices were designed to cover safe and humane working conditions (ensuring congruence with minimum wage requirements as well as child labor provisions), and making sure that the prices Starbucks paid were sufficient to allow farmers to cover their production costs and provide for their families. In addition, the company’s resoluteness to provide excellent standards in the roasting and serving of coffee is supported by Starbuck’s rigorous training program for all its partners/baristas. The program includes a minimum of 24 hours of training in the first two to four weeks of training and involves classes in coffee history, drink preparation, coffee knowledge and customer service. The enthusiastic development of satisfied customers all of the time. It is clear that Schultz is adamant about ensuring that customers are provided with the best experience every time they visit a Starbucks coffee shop. This meant paying careful attention to what pleases their customers. The company employs a customer-centric culture where they are trained to take extra measures to ensure that the customer was fully satisfied, and to employ a â€Å"just say yes† theme to customer requests. Make a positive contribution to the communities in which we operate our business. In order to give back to the communities in which their numerous shops reside, the company participates in many philanthropic events which are coordinated by the Starbucks Foundation. Some of their activities include participation in local charitable projects as well as community development activities. Recognition of profitability as essential to our success. Starbucks is aware that in being able to deliver in all of the aforementioned areas, that it will be able to enjoy the success that its shareholders desire. As a result, the company believes that it is fully accountable to performing well in each of these areas so that Starbucks and its various stakeholders can continue to â€Å"endure and thrive. † 5. What values does Starbucks have? How well do they connect to the strategy and the way the company conducts its business? 6. Social Responsibility: * C. A. F. E : Coffee and Farmer Equity- Partnership in which Starbucks sought to develop practices to help farmers grow high-quality coffees in ways that were good for the planet. This covered practices such as safe and humane working conditions including compliance with minimum wage requirements and child labor provisions) and environmental responsibility P359 * Definition for social responsibility- Wikipedia: Starbucks’ corporate culture involves the moral binding of partners to run the company’s operations with consideration of the well-being of others around them. Ie: the company purchases a growing percentage of coffees that Starbucks purchases are grown organically without the use of chemical fertiliziers, pesticides and herbicides. This supports the company’s devotion to socially responsible practices. Such efforts helps in maintaining the cleanliness of groundwater and prevents degradation of environmental ecosystems nearby. embrace As indicated by its countless efforts to manage business in a way that promotes social and environmental concern, Starbucks has very strong dedication to its corporate social responsibility. Not only has this effort to â€Å"build a company with soul† has also been ingrained in the company’s mission statement, Starbuck’s has also received wide recognition for its efforts in this area. In fact in 2010, the company was named to Corporate Responsibility’s list of â€Å"The 100 Best Corporate Citizens† for the 10th time. In addition the company has received over 25 awards for its efforts in the areas of philanthropic, community service and environmental activities. As one of its most noteworthy efforts, in 1997 the company established The Starbucks Foundation to organize the company’s philanthropic undertakings. Under the Foundation, many of its coffee shops participated in regular charity events and community improvement initiatives. Starbuck’s social responsibility is also reflected in its generosity towards worthy causes. For example, in 2005 the company made a $5 million, five year commitment to aid in the relief and recovery of victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. More recently in 2010, the company also donated funding worth $1 million to support the American Red Cross’ efforts to provide relief for those who survived the earthquake in Haiti. In view of such devout efforts to these environment and humanitarian concerns, it can definitely be argued that Starbuck’s social responsibility strategy is genuine. The company’s past and continued devotion to such undertakings support this conjecture, making it evident that Starbucks is true to its cause and is not only publicizing its social responsibility strategy to instil a positive image in its takeholders. 7. Assessment of Starbuck’s financial performance during 2005-2009? 8. Assessment of Schultz’s Transformation Agenda for Starbucks during 2008-2010? (C-363-C-363) Has he done a good job since his return as Starbucks’ CEO? Why or why not? While Howard Schultz has managed to instil a very strong corporate culture based on delivering the best customer exper ience possible during his tenure at Starbucks, it seems that the guidance of the company under Jim Donald as CEO starting in 2006 has brought on cultural change. The introduction of Donald as the new CEO has brought on two factors of cultural change as indicated in Figure 1 below: shifting internal conditions (brought on by Donald’s assumption of role as Starbucks CEO) and rapid growth of the firm through his introduction of an aggressive corporate culture that pursued rapid store expansion at the expense of the long-established commitment to customer service. This new focus on aggressive growth with less emphasis on maintaining customer relationships spurred uneasiness amongst member of Starbuck’s board and eroded customer traffic in US stores starting in 2007. Investors became distressed about the company’s steadily declining stock price. As a result, in January of 2008, Starbucks asked Howard Schultz to overtake his original position as CEO. Thus he proposed to fix the inefficiencies that impaired Starbuck’s original customer-centric culture. This initiative was set out in a very well-developed set of directives which came to be known as Schultz’s 2008-2010 transformation agenda. By analyzing the various steps necessary in trying to implement change in a problem culture (shown in Figure 2 below), one can see that Schultz’s actions and numerous objectives as set out in his agenda are congruent with those outlined in these steps. Step1: Identify facets of the present culture that are conducive to good strategy execution and those that are not In his letter to All Starbucks Partners written in February 2008, Schultz makes it clear what he believes is necessary to return Starbuck’s at its original competitive position. Of the utmost importance is Howard Schultz’s address of the waning of Starbuck’s emphasis on providing a distinct quality customer experience. He indicates has concern by saying â€Å"We are in the people business and always have been†¦It means you make the difference. We succeed in the marketplace†¦[by] embracing the values, guiding principles and culture of our company and bringing it to life one customer at a time. † As a result, in his letter Schultz affirms his goal to reintroduce a renewed clarity of purpose devoted to a â€Å"laser-focused† customer experience. Another of these beliefs is his continued persistence to include all employees as partners in the effort to move the company to success. Schultz continues to encourage employees to voice their opinions on how to improve the company’s operations. This makes evident Schultz ‘s belief in holding serious esteem of the opinions of employees. Such a practice is conductive to good strategy execution as he states: â€Å"thank you for your ideas and suggestions†¦keep them coming. No one knows our business and our customers better than you. † Step 2: Specify what new actions, behaviors and work practices should be prominent in the â€Å"new† culture With regards to revitalizing the company’s original customer-centric focus, Schultz clearly states â€Å"we are not going to embrace the status quo. Instead we will be curious, bold and innovative in our actions and, in doing so, we will exceed the expectation of our customers. † In addition Schultz outlines several new objectives in his transformation agenda which establishes the new culture. By analyzing some of these, it becomes evident that much prudence was taken in developing these objectives to correct some of Schultz’s own past inefficiencies. For example, instead of continuing an aggressive expansion policy, the agenda sets out to â€Å"slow the pace of new store openings in the US,† as well as â€Å"closing 900 underperforming company-operated stores in the US,† which were in close proximity of an existing Starbucks store and cannibalizing on its customer base. Step 3: Talk openly about the problems of the present culture and how new behaviors will improve company performance 9. Issues that confront the company as of mid 2010? What should management be worried about? 10. Recommendations to Schultz to sustain the company’s growth and support continued strong financial performance? How to cite Coffeehouse and Starbucks, Essay examples

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Determine users in internet social network - MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Determine users in internet social network. Answer: Introduction Modern organisations use technology to improve the effectiveness of their functions; companies use digital technology for practices such as marketing, recruitment, manufacturing, advertising, research, and many others. The popularity of social networks implementation in business is growing as well; corporations use social networks to increase their contacts, hire employees, conduct research, market their product and services and performing other business activities. Many large corporations have successfully used social networks to gain a competitive advantage and expand their operations in multiple countries such as Starbucks, Pepsi, Dominos, Adidas, and Nike. Along with the popularity and use of social network in the business, the risks of cyber-attacks are increasing as well. Modern firms are facing challenges due to growth in cyber crimes such as hacking, online harassment, cyberbullying, Hacktivism and many others. This report will evaluate various disadvantages and advantage tha t modern companies have for using social networks in business. Further, the report will understand the shortcoming and merits of social networks from the perspective of modern firms. Project Objective The primary objective is to perform a literature review of various disadvantages and advantages modern companies have due to use of social networks in business. The secondary objective of the report is to understand the role and impact of social networks in business from the example of various corporations and understand how they utilise them to gain a competitive advantage. Project Scope The report will analyse the examples of companies which has failed or succeed in using social networks for performing various business practices. The report will include various theories and expectations given by market experts on the topic to understand the issues and benefits of using social networks in business. Literature Review According to Trusov, Bodapati and Bucklin (2010), social networks are defined as online or internet based platforms that provide various services to people that assist in connecting and communicating them with their family, friends, and colleagues throughout the world. The use of social networks has increased due to the popularity of social media sites and smartphones. Williams (2017) contributed a story on Mashable which provide that there are more than 3 billion active social media users worldwide that are around 40 percent of the worlds population (Figure 2). Facebook is the most used social media sites in the world with more than 2 billion active monthly users (Figure 1). Kharpal (2017) provided that smartphone industry is booming with a market worth of $355 billion, it is expected that by 2020 more than 6 billion smartphones will be circulated in the market. As per Lin and Ye (2009), the popularity of smartphones and social media sites encourage modern companies to use social networks in business since it provides numerous opportunities. The corporations use social networks for collecting customers feedback, market their products, conduct research, interact with consumers and many others; it provides a global reach to firms that assist in expanding their global reputation. In past decade, the role of social networks has increased between companies that are competing on online platforms to gain competitive advantages. In previous years, the rate of growth in internet-based corporations has increased as well with the popularity of services such as mobile application, online shopping, and internet banking. Cheung, Chiu and Lee (2011) provided that people are using social networks to not just connect with each other; they are using them to also perform various tasks such as shopping, banking activities, entertainment, and many others. Many of the world leading companies such as Amazon, Facebook, Uber, and PayPal are completely online based firms which provide their services through a smartphone application. Primarily, companies take the most advantage of social networks through marketing; they use online platforms to advertise their products to a wider audience. According to Gleeson (2012), people tend to trust on online advertisements more than television advertisements (Figure 4). The rate of using social media marketing is also cheaper than compared to other traditional sources. It also provides a platform for companies which make it easier for them to connect and interact with their audience. Weber (2009) mentioned that it is considerably easier for customers to appraise or give suggestion to companies in which they are interested in, and similarly, the firms can conduct surveys to collect market insights. Social networks have erased the boundaries between countries which makes it easier for corporations to ex pand their operations at a global level. Advantages In recent years, the role and influence of social networks are continuously increasing between companies due to its numerous benefits. The corporations are able to gain competitive advantage and sustain their future growth by effectively using social networks in business operations. Following are examples of advantages received by firms for using the social network in business. Marketing For many organisations and entrepreneurs, use of social networks is the next big thing, and they take full advantage of this opportunity, and many companies also considered it a buzzword which did not have any practical advantage for business. Many studies have provided that the numbers of companies which use social networks for marketing are increasing rapidly throughout the world. Kusinitz (2017) provided that more than 92 percent of the marketers in 2014 stated that use of social networks in marketing was beneficial for their firm. Bennett (2014) mentioned that 88 percent of US-based corporations use social media for marketing purposes which means every 9 out of 10 enterprise use social networks for marketing. Abeza, OReilly and Reid (2013) provided that the main benefit of using social networks for marketing is that it provides a wider audience which assists in increasing companys brand recognition throughout the world. Social media sites provide a global platform to companies, s o they can easily connect with their global audience which increases their brand loyalty. The research conducted by Bell (2013) provided that corporations which engage in social media marketing enjoy a high level of brand loyalty. It also provides more opportunities to companies since social networking allows companies to interact with old and new customers that provide their opinion and preferences about companys products, and firm can use them to improve their products. According to Tuten and Solomon (2017), social media sites also increase inbound traffic of a company because, without social networking, enterprises are restricted to their usual customers. Using social networks for marketing provide a cost-effective option to companies because as compared to traditional methods, the rate of social media promotions is less. Most of the social media sites allow users to create free accounts and after building a large following, companies can post advertisements on their page without paying extra for marketing. For example, Starbucks uses social media sites to post beautif ul pictures of their products which increase their social media following; this way company is promoting their products without paying extra for advertisements. Viral Trends In recent years, every company wants to go viral on social media websites since it provides a substantial amount of attention to the corporation. Scott (2015) stated that a firms go viral when it started generating a great deal of attention from social media users in the form of likes, comments, share, and parodies. Once a trend goes viral, people started buying thing relates to such post which creates new business opportunities for companies. For example, in 2017, fidget spinners become a viral treat on social media sites and the number of global fidget spinners sale increases rapidly. In 2017, the companies earned more than $500 million from fidget spinners by selling around 200 million spinners by May (Libassi, 2017). Therefore, companies create new trends in order to make them viral because it creates new business opportunities for them. Communication Using social networks in business assist in improving the communication between different departments which resulted in increasing companys performance. The corporations use social networks to communicate with customers, employees, suppliers, and others. According to Coulter and Roggeveen (2012), modern firms can communicate with their global audience, and they can collect their opinions without investing any resources in market research. Effective engagement with customers leads to building a strong brand image of a company, for example, Starbucks engage with its social media followers that assist in increasing the reputation of the firm. It is also considerably easier for employees to share ideas and quarries with each other through social network platforms. Many companies use mobile applications such as Slack, HipChat, Wrike, Skype, Google Hangouts, and many others to connect with each other instantly. These applications provide facilities such as group chat, team collaboration, and file sharing which increasing productivity of workers. As per Veil, Buehner and Palenchar (2011), social networks also benefit multinational companies since they can easily communicate and direct their international branches without any delay or lag. Effective and instant communication in business assists in establishing a strong organisational culture with the efficient flow of communication. Similar, corporation uses social networks to communicate with business contacts; firms can build their social networking by engaging with new enterprises. Business Expansion As per Safko (2010), social networking allows the company to increase its brand following which results in creating new business opportunities; a corporation can increase its sales by expanding its social media image. People use their smartphones to search for new places or products; the customers can find new firms and brand through social media post. Most of the users follow the companies or brands which are followed by their family, friends or colleagues. Kaplan and Haenlein (2010) provided that online markets provide new substantial opportunities for corporations, for example, Amazon gains a considerable success through online shopping, and it is worlds sixth most valuable firm. Many companies such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are completely based on social media platforms, and they have gained success in the market. Market Research Social networking increases companys interaction with customers, and they can use this opportunity gain market insights. According to Rowlands et al. (2011), the corporations can conduct various polls and survey regarding their products and services directly through social media sites, and customers from all around the world can easily submit their opinions. Social media and online websites provide a place for customers to share their feedbacks and quarries with the corporation, and the enterprises can use such information to improve their products. Organisations can use platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to post their poll or survey regarding their product, and interested customers can provide their opinion. The corporation can implement such information to improve their quality and usability of their products and services. Recruitment Henderson and Bowley (2010) provided that modern corporations use social networks to perform the activities relating to recruitment; companies are able to attract and conduct interviews with candidates throughout the world. Use of social networks benefit corporations by hiring qualified employees, and it improves the efficiency of recruitment operations. The potential candidates can give interview through applications such as Skype or Google Hangouts which saves time and resources of a firm. Disadvantages In past decade, the role of social networks has increased between corporations, and they use them to perform various business operations. The risks face by companies is also increasing along with the popularity of social networks. The firms have to implement various security requirements to ensure that they are secured against various risks relating to social networks. Following are various drawbacks of using social networks in business. Cyber Attacks One of the primary risks of using social networks in business is the vulnerability of corporations against cyber-attack. According to Goolsby, Shanley and Lovell (2013), cybercriminals attack both large and small organisation to collect their sensitive data and gain an unfair advantage. The popularity of social media has made it the potential target for hackers to attack. Many corporations have suffered through online cyber-attacks such as HBO, Sony, DYM, Bank of America, Yahoo, and Ashley Madison; cybercriminals breached and collected the data of these companies to blackmail or leaked them online which destroys corporation financial and social position. The attack on Yahoo is considered as one of the biggest data breached scandal, and more than 3 billion people were affected by the attack. The hack of JP Morgans database breached the data of 83 million people and affected the company financially. These examples show the risk of using social networks and their negative effect on busi ness. Insider Threats IBM conducted research on cyber-attacks in 2016 which provided that more than 60 percent of the attacks are caused due to insider threats (IBM, 2016) (Figure 3). Employees of a company unintentionally or intentionally give access to hackers which resulted in a data breach in a corporation. For example, ex-employee of Morgan Stanley involved in a cyber-attack which resulted in breach of companys data. Hidden Expenses As compared to traditional methods, social networks are considerably cheaper options for services such as communication, marketing, and research. But, the numbers of users which use social media sites are considerably high, and companies have to invest heavily to gain attention on the internet. As per Johansmeyer (2011), there are several costs in using social networks, for example, the cost of showing corporations website in Google results require firm to constantly pay an annual fee even when no one searches it on the web. Many large social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram charge high prices to show companys advertisement to a global audience. Organisations have to create a separate budget for effectively using social networks in business. Online Harassment Internet provides an open platform to everyone, and people have the right to post anything. Many people take advantage and misuse online platform to bully or abuse other people. As per Sengupta and Chaudhuri (2011), the rate of cyberbullying and online harassment is increasing rapidly. The use of social networks is business lead to similar problems as well; employees may misuse the social networks to abuse, harass, or bully other members which lead to creating a negative organisational environment. Clear Strategy The corporations are requiring establishing a clear strategy to utilise the potential of social networks effectively. A large number of firms use social media strategy, but only a few succeed because they lack a clear strategy. According to Keitzmann et al. (2011), the company has to incorporate various department and functions into their strategy of social networks to ensure that each part can effectively use them to improve their productivity. Lack of clear strategy or mistakes can lead to decreasing companys reputation. For example, Coca-Cola posted a picture of Russias map omitting Kaliningrad which offends many Russians, and they started protesting against the company by pouring the drink in toilets. Time Intensive Using social media sites require the company to monitor its activities continuously and instantly interact with customers. International companies have customers throughout the world, and they can post their quarries any time of the day or night which require firm to increase its employees. As per Boldin (2016), the large corporations can afford to hire employees to work in night shifts, but small and medium enterprises did have resources to invest in social media strategies. Many people also consider social media sites as platforms which waste people time, and they did not trust companies which use social media sites for advertisements. Conclusion In conclusion, the number of companies which uses social networks in business operations is increasing rapidly with the popularity of social media sites, smartphones, and internet. The corporations use social networks for performing various business functions such as marketing, engaging with customers, conducting market research, communicating and many others. Organisation can receive various advantages by using social networks in business such as wider audience, improvement in communication, reducing in cost, conducting market research and many others. There are several disadvantages of using social networks as well such as vulnerability to cyber-attacks, online harassment, hidden expenses, insider threats and many others. The corporations should assess their organisational environment to ensure that using social networks strategy are beneficial for them, and they should implement a clear strategy to avoid any issues which assist in sustaining their future growth. References Abeza, G., OReilly, N. and Reid, I., 2013. Relationship marketing and social media in sport.International Journal of Sport Communication,6(2), pp.120-142. Bell, T., 2013. 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