Rhetorical situation and solution to a business Report

Executive summary

This report intensively addresses the challenge related to use of social media in businesses. Research studies have documented that there are quite a number of business organizations that are unable to properly manage their social media sites. Due to inefficient and ineffective business management strategies, many users of social networks have become victims of privacy violations.

The use of, or viewing of personal materials without express permission from the copyright owner is a violation that demeans intellectual property. Due to lack of thorough regulation, many internet users especially in sites like Nazsa-Klasa, XING, Facebook and Twitter have tremendously violated privacy laws (Basu 49).

Lack of strict regulation may be due to the fact that most governments and management teams have given the issue of violation of privacy a laissez-faire approach. The effects seen in escalating infringements of privacy is a clear show of failure of social media managers (Hader & Brown 270). Proper strategies should be instituted, laws against violations tightened and free flow of information managed.

This report aims at evaluating possible solutions to this lack of privacy, a problem generated by lack of well established security measures by social media business owners. The following criteria will be used to evaluate possible solutions:

Is the solution practical? Is it cost effective? Will it enhance privacy and promote positive behaviour?

To research on this problem, secondary data collection method was applied to gather reliable and informative materials. From the findings, the following solutions were proposed:

• Control of free flow of information
• Enhancing security and laws

Introduction

Aim

The aim of this report is to evaluate possible solutions in business management challenges in social media. The objective intends to determine the management issues that have contributed to lack of privacy in social media sites such as Facebook, twitter and MySpace.

The report intends to provide the social media companies and governments with recommendation in order to minimize the negative aspects of encroachment on privacy.

Background

It may prove difficult to draw clear difference between infringement of personal privacy and fair usage of social media due to the availability and ease with online materials can be accessed at any given time (Hader & Brown 270). One may not know which video files, songs or pictures to upload and use without permission.

As such, many social media sites users have found themselves using, distributing, sharing and accessing private materials online (Palfrey 6). Research studies have attributed this to failure in the role of the manager of social media companies such as Facebook, twitter and YouTube to protect themselves and their users from infringement of privacy.

According to the studies carried out by recent empirical researchers, loss of privacy can be minimized by designing an End User License Agreement (EULA), a term of service that will to some level, control loss of privacy especially on copyright infringement (Basu 52; Hader & Brown 270).

Tackling this management problem will save social media companies from heavy losses due to payment of huge fines for any form of privacy infringed. Additionally, it will save the image of social media sites from severe damage linked to sites where the rate of infringement of privacy is high.

The use of, or viewing of personal materials without express permission from the owner is a violation that demeans intellectual property of the owner (Palfrey 11). Due to lack of thorough regulation, many internet users especially in sites like facebook have tremendously violated privacy laws. Lack of strict regulation may be due to the fact that most governments and management teams have given the issue of violation of privacy a laissez-faire approach (Hader & Brown 273). This has immensely contributed to increase in violation of privacy.

On the same note, distribution of private materials in the internet has become commonplace (Palfrey 14). Theft, unauthorized access to materials of other internet users and distribution of illegal copyrighted materials like movies, music, photographs, literature and games have tremendously increased (Hader & Brown 272). Modern technology has necessitated sharing and uploading files in social networks. A bigger portion of the uploaded and shared materials infringes on copyright and privacy.

Scope

This report aims at evaluating possible solutions to lack of privacy, a problem generated by lack of well established security measures by social media business owners.

Plan

This report will highlight the main causes of violation of privacy in social media. Additionally, it will discuss possible solutions from the findings and provide practical recommendations that will aid the management of social media companies in devising solutions to privacy issues.

Research plan and methodology

In order to thoroughly investigate and analyse failure of social media businesses to protect the privacy of their customers and provide solutions, the information used for this research was gathered from primary and secondary data. Information from secondary data came from books, journals, literature materials and magazines.

The researcher used literature sources to examine social media business, their characteristics, main debates and challenges that tend to face them in their operations. Primary data was collected from focus groups which included social media business owners and customers or user of social media sites through the use of questionnaires, individual depth interviews and group interviews.

Secondary data was obtained from two broad methods. These included quantitative and qualitative methods. The former comprised of various databases which contained information privacy infringement especially with regard to social media. Some of the resource materials for quantitative analysis of this research study included published books, peer reviewed journals, newspapers, magazines and credible websites.

In conducting interviews, respondents were picked at random. The questions that were asked included:

• How does it make you feel to know that social media sites do not fully offer privacy to their customers?
• Where do you think the problem lies?
• Will improving privacy affect your business?
• As a customer, if the problem persists, what would be your own solution to safeguard your privacy?

Findings and discussions

According to the interviews conducted, results indicated that infringement of privacy in social media sites has become commonplace today. This, they pointed out, is due to free flow and access of information and files. As such, accessing owners’ files has increased to a point where individuals encroach on the privacy of others.

Besides, another result from the interview indicated that many people enjoyed services given by social media businesses through social sites in the sense that those sites offered users opportunities to connect in almost every area in life. Indeed, these sites have numerous benefits that touch both social and economic sectors.

It gives the user the access to the intrinsic value of the social world (Palfrey 17). This is practical in the sense that if you have a brand or an organization, and a potential researcher sees your profile, can easily access you (Basu 49).

Moreover, other results indicated that the use of or viewing of individuals’ materials without express permission from the owner is a violation that demeans intellectual property of the owner. The respondents argued that due to lack of thorough regulation, many internet users, especially in sites like facebook have tremendously violated privacy laws. They indicated the problem was lack of strict regulation on access and use of materials.

This may be due to the fact that most governments and social media business management teams have given the issue of violation of privacy a laissez-faire approach (Palfrey 9). The action of uploading and sharing this material privately or publicly violates copyright. It amounts to theft and piracy, which is infringement of a person’s right through prohibited manufacture of copyright work and selling to other people. Valuable products have been produced through Facebook, and distributed across the internet.

Evaluative criteria

In seeking the best solution to the business problem discussed, the following criteria will be used to weigh against possible solutions.

• Is the solution practical?

The solution to the business management problem must be practical and achievable by considering capabilities of the business and the personalities of individuals whose privacy has been violate.

• Is it cost effective?

In terms of managing the cost of improving their systems to enhance security, a social media business needs to have finances that can effectively cover the cost. A cheaper solution is critical in a situation where a business needs to save money.

• Will it enhance privacy and promote positive behaviour?

The solution must ensure privacy, change the behaviour of social site users and be above criticism.

Overview of possible solutions

Control free flow of information

Apart from the many benefits of social media, it carries with it negatives aspects that include provision of room for infringement of privacy of users. From the findings, this is due to the free flow of materials across the internet. It is therefore important that social media business companies formulate plans and methods that will ensure that they control and regulate materials that are released through their sites.

Security

The use of or viewing of individuals’ materials without express permission from the owner is a violation that demeans intellectual property of the owner. Due to insecurity in form of hacking and accessing private files, many internet users, especially in sites like facebook have had their privacy tremendously violated. It is imperative that the management of social sites as well as the governments devise appropriate methods of dealing with violators of privacy.

Laws

There is need for laws on privacy and security in the social sites be increased and strictly observed. Besides, the government should come up with effective laws that will ensure that those who violate other peoples’ privacy are apprehended and punished. Inasmuch as internet service business providers are being given security, they should be held responsible for transmitting or storing infringing contents a user decides to upload, keep or share without the knowledge of the knowledge company

Evaluation of solutions against criteria

Is the solution practical?

Controlling free flow of information by social media business can be attained. This is easily attainable since social media businesses are in full control of their systems and as such, they can implement changes and follow them up to ensure their effectiveness. Besides, their systems create capabilities that can regulate flow of information.

Through these capabilities, social media business can improve security measures, thus maintain customer satisfaction, achieved overall strategic goals and increased their service processes (Raab 34). In terms of security, social media business can use their capabilities through information technology, to manage, combine organizational knowledge, integrate technology and coordinate efforts toward enhancing user security (Raab 34). This will ensure that their customers’ privacy is well protected.

Additionally, more strict laws on violation of privacy should be created by governments and social media businesses top protect social media users.

Is it cost effective?

In terms of managing the cost of improving their systems to enhance security, social media businesses have finances that can effectively cover the cost. Today, social media businesses have their streams of technologies integrated and diverse service production coordinated (Raab 34). Through this, it streamlines its cost and enhances customers’ perceived value and creates new sites that are competitively unique.

Will it enhance privacy and promote positive behaviour?

Regulating free flow of information, enhancing the security of social media site users and creating strict laws against violation of individuals’ privacy will enhance privacy. Implementing the aforementioned critical changes will indeed be a turning point to positive behaviour by users. Enhancing security systems and controlling free flow of information will deny users access to personal materials and hence reduce incidences of violations.

Recommendations

The conclusion that is derived from evaluating possible solutions indicates that it is necessary to combine the possible solutions to attain privacy of users and reduce violations. Therefore, the following recommendations are necessary to be implemented:

• Social media business companies to formulate plans and methods that will ensure that they control and regulate materials that are released through their sites
• Management of social sites as well as governments to devise appropriate methods of dealing with violators of privacy.
• Governments should come up with effective laws that will ensure that those who violate other peoples’ privacy are apprehended and punished. The government should come up with better ways to handle this form of intellectual property violation. It should avail funds for the government law enforcement departments both at the local and the state levels so that it is possible to investigate privacy infringements.

Conclusions

To sum up, it is imperative to note that the distribution of private materials in the internet has indeed become commonplace and a growing challenge to war against intellectual property violation. Theft, unauthorized access to materials of other internet users and distribution of illegal copyright materials like movies, music, photographs, literature and games have tremendously increased. Modern technology has also necessitated sharing and uploading files in social networks.

A bigger portion of the uploaded and shared materials infringes on copyright. Therefore, as the report has analysed, this can be attributed to social media business management challenge which has become slack in offering protection to users as well as in controlling the flow of information in the internet. As a matter of fact, while social media have accelerated business growth especially among organisations with online presence, the challenge posed by the use of this modern age communication tool is proving to be a growing managerial concern.

Works Cited

Basu, Choton. Quest for Universal Identification – A Commentary. Journal of Information Privacy & Security 5.3 (2009): 44-54.

Hader, Amy & Brown, Evan. Patient Privacy and Social Media. AANA Journal 78.4 (2010): 270-274.

Palfrey, John. The challenge of developing effective public policy on the use of social media by Youth. Federal Communications Law Journal 63.1 (2010): 5-18.

Raab, David. Marketing Systems for Online Media: If a single common problem threatens the outbound campaign systems, it’s the need to handle unstructured data. Information Management 20.2 (2010): 34.