Aaron Dudkowski
W131
Professor Brittenham
24 September 2015
Surveillance in Business Structure
Companies tend to have two very different business models. In Michael Lewis’s “Pyramids and Pancakes”, Lewis talks about how Askme.com found distinctions between the two business structures. There is the first, which is a pyramid. Lewis states that, “In pyramid-shaped, hierarchical organizations, the bosses tended to appoint themselves or a few select subordinates as the ‘experts’. Questions rose up from the bottom of the organization, the answers flowed down from the top, and original hierarchy was preserved, even reinforced”(95). The second business model is a pancake. Lewis states that, “In less hierarchical, pancake-shaped companies, the bosses
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Surveillance plays a major role in control and in community. Therefore, how a business uses surveillance will affect its business structure. This in turn shows that pancake structured businesses and pyramid structured businesses use surveillance for different reasons.
When askme.com introduced their software to various businesses it was surprised to find two different business models. There were two clear business models: pancake and pyramid. In the pyramid model Lewis states, “the bosses tended to appoint themselves or a few select subordinates as the ‘experts’. Questions rose up from the bottom of the organization, the answers flowed down from the top, and the original hierarchy was preserved, even reinforced”(95). This type of business model can be seen at Kinko’s. Natasha Werther is an employee at Kinko’s. Werther shows many examples of the store being a pyramid model. Werther says that there are cameras everywhere, with the exception of the dirty break-room and one small blind-spot in a corner of the store. Employees choose to eat their food in the blind-spot as the break-room is dirty and everywhere else is monitored. According to Werther, often times a manager or someone higher up than
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In this model, company’s employees can share and spread knowledge from anywhere in the corporate structure. On the other hand, Kinko’s does have some parts that are pancake like. The company seems to allow its employees to use resources available in the store. Whether they use the copier, a printer, or the computers, the company does not seem to mind employees using these resources without paying for them. According to Werther, “this guy was applying to lots of graduate schools and he took crazy advantage of the store. He was doing thousands of dollars of work every single week”(76). The company has surveillance all over the store and thus knew of the employee using the equipment. Kinko’s does not accept money theft or lateness though. The employee that did thousands of dollars of work eventually got into school, missed two shifts, and was fired. Another employee was caught stealing money and was fired, too. Werther also says that she was constantly using the fax machine to communicate with banks and universities. While faxing everything, “they would put them in the back office for me and seal them in envelopes and give them to me by hand”(77). The employees of the store try to maintain a pancake setting and share information amongst each other. As mentioned above, the employees
The pros of electronic surveillance are extensive. The ability for agents of the United States Intelligence Community (IC) to intercept and process communications and information from foreign powers, agents of foreign powers, international terrorist organizations, and others who seek to engage in activities with such groups, provides the ...
“With surveillance technology like closed-circuit television cameras and digital cameras now linked to the Internet, we now have the means to implement Bentham's inspection principle on a much vaster scale”(Singer) Bentham's inspection principle is a system that allows the collection, storing and dissemination of data on individuals, corporations, and the government. This collection of data has large implications in regard to privacy and security. “There is always danger that the information collected will be misused - whether by regimes seeking to silence opposition or by corporations seeking to profit from more detailed knowledge of their potential customers.”(Singer) What is done with the information collected is the main issue in terms of privacy. We do not want to be marketed to, or inundated with spam from third-party sources. We also do not want our private social circles and experiences to appear that they are being monetized or subjected to surveillance outside our control. In addition, surveillance has a large effect on the government that can beneficial or detrimental to democracy. Exposure of government secrets may make officials tread carefully when making decisions, ensuring that politicians are nothing but just and fair.“The crucial step in preventing a repressive government from
In 1948, George Orwell wrote about a society in which individual privacy was nonexistent. In this society, which he imagined would become a reality in the 1980s, surveillance was foremost. Everything one did was under surveillance by “Big Brother”, an unseen figure who was always watching you. Surveillance in this society was imposed and malicious. Although this type of society has never fully become a reality in the Western world, changes in technology and media are indirectly bringing this imagined society, one of complete surveillance, to life. With the rise in corporate business and commercialism, surveillance in society increasing; however, new media has brought about a significant shift in its use. In the 20th century, surveillance was primarily used for “protective measures”, as Orwell had imagined. In the 21st century, there has been a rise in its use for commercialism. This essay will critically analyze the developments in new media that have contributed to this shift, as well as explain the reason for the ubiquitous nature of surveillance in today’s western society. To aid with this analysis, surveillance will hereby be defined as a “focused, systematic, and routine attention to personal details for purposes of influence, management, protection or direction” (Lyon 2007:14).
Penenberg closes his essay by mentioning that the surveillance is not only used to watch the citizens but also for citizens to keep an eye on the government. Through his organization, relevant information, and professional tone, Penenberg creates an effective
When Chipotle first opened in 1993, the goal was to serve quality food fast, but not be considered “fast food.” To avoid falling under the fast food stigma, Chipotle strives to find the best ingredients with respect to animals, farmers, and the environment. In order to achieve these goals, Chipotle has created a matrix organizational structure that is divisional by location and functional by authority. Chipotle recently expanded internationally to the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, each following strict guidelines assigned by corporate employees from their headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Similarly, each location is functionally organized according to authority: regional manager, district manager, store manager, assistant manager, and
includes a Subway brand shirt and hat, a black apron, and black pants (or Subway brand shorts). Anyone who is smarter than a brick can follow these simple rules. Failure tocomply with such easy instructions will result in joblessness. It is indeed amazing that anyone could get fired for demonstrating such a complete lack of dependability. Yet they do.
Taylor, James Stacey. "In Praise of Big Brother: Why We Should Learn to Stop Worrying and Love Government Surveillance." Public Affairs Quarterly July 2005: 227-246.
Most people concerned about the privacy implications of government surveillance aren’t arguing for no[sic] surveillance and absolute privacy. They’d be fine giving up some privacy as long as appropriate controls, limitations, oversight and accountability mechanisms were in place. ”(“5 Myths about Privacy”). The fight for privacy rights is by no means a recent conflict.
Kinko’s has been losing revenues and market share over their competition for the past years; reason why its directors have been doing market research to understand the causes of their business slowdown. It’s fast growing market had substantially developed an ongoing business model, facing changes, rapid expansions & even mergers. Their model of service solutions was not fitting their customer’s needs any longer…now it is needed to increase revenues and fast.
Ultimately, however, surveillance is only a tool that can be used both ethically and unethically. Employee monitoring, consumer data collection, and government surveillance provides great benefits, including improving company efficiency, providing commercial and health values, and protecting the nation from threats. However, when considering the extent to which surveillance can be done, the rights of the people affected must be taken into account. Finding the right balance between these two views is the key to maximizing the benefits of everyone involved.
Media surveillance can have good as well as bad consequences. Misinterpretation and panics fabricated by news media have often threatened security in good policies, people, and products. The individuals and economic implications have been huge. For instance, suspicious stories that challenged the well-being of bioengineered foods lead to the lose millions of dollars in the damaged
Shafer, S. M., Smith, H. J., & Linder, J. C. (2005). The power of business models. Business
Bottom of Pyramid Marketing is the way of business which can be large and small, domestic and multi-national, to target the poor family as consumers, and sell products and services to them at low cost, large scale, and thin margins to gain a new and improved revenue stream.
However, government agencies, especially in America, continue to lobby for increased surveillance capabilities, particularly as technologies change and move in the direction of social media. Communications surveillance has extended to Internet and digital communications. law enforcement agencies, like the NSA, have required internet providers and telecommunications companies to monitor users’ traffic. Many of these activities are performed under ambiguous legal basis and remain unknown to the general public, although the media’s recent preoccupation with these surveillance and privacy issues is a setting a trending agenda.
In terms of government intelligence, in the information age greatest threats to privacy have been the result of technology and business practices related to e-commerce, marketing and information databases, and not the result of government intrusions (Hoffman, Novak & Peralta, 1997). Nevertheless “all things considered, the increasing and overlapping information sharing by governments and businesses about formerly confidential or private activities generates concerns about potential violations of individual’s privacy rights” (Mace, 2008 cited in Gal, Kantor & Lesk, 2008, p.41).