SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE WORKPLACE: MANAGING THE RISKS

Social networks such as MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are rapidly becoming the latest form of communications in network-centric social communications.  As social networking sites continue to grow in popularity and use, many employers are facing the reality of how new communication technologies can affect them. 

Accessing the wealth of information available on social networking sites is becoming very common for employers, particularly when making hiring decisions.  Unfortunately, using social networking technologies to screen applicants may expose employers to potential legal risks.  This is because these social networking sites frequently contain personal information about job applicants that employers would not be permitted to ask about during any job interview – things such as the applicant’s age, sexual orientation, political beliefs, religious affiliations and/or whether the applicant is disabled.  Therefore, accessing these social networking pages for employment purposes can result in violations of various anti-discrimination statutes, privacy laws, state “off-duty” conduct statutes, federal and state Fair Credit Reporting Acts, and the National Labor Relations Act.

In addition to use of social networking by employers when making hiring decisions, those same employers must consider how they will address the use of such technologies by their employees,  both inside and outside the workplace. The lines between personal and professional lives have blurred, opening new avenues for potential for employee misbehavior. Companies are confronting such situations as the bashing of the employer or supervisors on the Internet, online breaches of confidentiality and loyalty, defamation, cyber-stalking, cyber-harassment, dissemination of trade secret information, protected concerted and off duty activity, union organizing, and overall lost productivity. 

Despite a recent survey which indicated that 51% of employees accessed social networks at least once per day at work, employers have been slow to adopt and disseminate social networking policies. Employees are often left to guess at what kind of conduct is permissible.  Without an effective social networking policy in place, employers may be opening themselves up to liability on a whole host of issues.

Since there is no such thing as a “one size fits all” social networking policy for employers, several factors should be considered by any employer considering drafting a social networking policy:

1.         How far should the social networking policy reach?  Social networking presents two concerns for employers – how employees are spending their time at work, and how employees are portraying the company online when they are not at work. 

2.         Should social networking be permitted at work at all?

3.         If the employer prohibits social networking in the workplace, how will the rule be enforced?

4.         If the employer permits employees to social network at work, should social networking be limited to work related concerns only?

5.         Should employees be required to identify with the employer’s business when networking online? 

6.         How should appropriate business behavior be defined?

7.         How will social networking intersect with the employer’s broader harassment, technology and confidentiality policies?  Employers should emphasize that company policies, such as those related to discrimination and harassment, apply when employees use social media.

In addition to considering these above-mentioned factors, there are other prohibitions which employers should incorporate into any social networking policy. For example, employers should prohibit employees from posting on any social networking site:

Trademarked or trade secret material;

Material that is obscene, vulgar, defamatory, discriminatory, harassing, abusive, etc.; and

Postings that reflect negatively on the employer.

Employers considering implementing a social networking policy or any other employment policy and procedure should always consult with their employment lawyers.  If you require any assistance with developing and/or revising any of your policies and procedures, please contact the Masud Labor Law Group, 4449 Fashion Square Boulevard, Suite 1, Saginaw, MI, 48603; (989) 792-4499; www.masudlaborlaw.com  

Employers face new risks with online networking sites

As workers spend more time socializing and communicating online, the risks to their employers have begun to multiply. Potential pitfalls include PR disasters, online harassment, leaks of proprietary information, exposure to libel suits and significant fines under new federal regulations.

Employment lawyers recommend that companies post explicit policies regulating the use of social media. But many employees shrug off the potential consequences of their online activity, said Renee Jackson, a labor and employment attorney at Nixon Peabody in Boston.

“It’s important to spell out for employees that anything prohibited by your (information technology) or communications policy includes social media,” Jackson said. “Because they see social media as personal, employees have some sort of notion of privacy.”

Fast-food chains have suffered a string of embarrassing incidents in recent years when employees posted photos and videos of unsanitary conditions and outrageous pranks.

While not as sensational, routine online activity can be just as damaging to a business.

One obvious downside is lost productivity, as employees spend more time on addictive social media sites during the workday, Jackson said.

Social media sites offer the temptation for sexual harassment online, Jackson said. An awkward dynamic can develop when an employee receives a Facebook “friend” request from a superior and feels pressured to accept, which will give the boss access to personal comments and photos.

Other risks include the release of proprietary information and public relations nightmares from employees’ poor judgment.

Companies can be sued for trade libel if employees post false statements about a competitor, and new Federal Trade Commission guidelines enacted in December threaten fines for certain types of postings.

Companies whose employees post reviews of their products without disclosing their affiliation can be subject to fines of $11,000 per violation. That regulation was prompted by bloggers who were paid to write positive reviews of products.

Mindful of the need to set guidelines, commercial real estate brokerage Jones Lang LaSalle has put in place a policy governing social media usage, spokeswoman Brooke Houghton said.

The policy warns employees against posting proprietary information or violating client confidentiality and infringing on copyrights. Employees should state that their postings represent their personal opinions and not the company’s, particularly if they identify themselves as a Jones Lang LaSalle employee, Houghton said.

“That’s where we say, ‘Now you’re positioning yourself as an employee. Just make sure you use good judgment,’” Houghton said.

Businesses that don’t have a specific policy addressing social media say their employees are subject to the same rules that govern written and verbal messages.

“Our code of conduct is we hold our employees to the same standard in social space that we do for other communication,” said Andrew Mastrangelo, spokesman for Canton-based Dunkin’ Brands.

Reebok spokesman Daniel Sarro said the company is compiling a “Twitter handbook” with guidelines for employees.

“We are aware many of our employees have Twitter and Facebook accounts,” Sarro said. “It really comes down to what they’re saying about Reebok.”

Many technology companies encourage employees to use Twitter and Facebook to spread the word about new projects.

Paul Schaut, CEO of Modiv Media in Quincy, said employees are free to post online as long as they don’t leak the company’s intellectual property or offend anyone.

“Whether it’s e-mail or talking on the street, the same policies apply,” said Schaut, whose company makes portable scanning devices for grocery chains.

Internet advertising company Ando Media of Quincy pre-approves tweets by employees about major announcements on its company Twitter page, Executive Vice President Paul Krasinski said.

Employees have more leeway with their personal accounts. Krasinski estimated 80 percent of the company’s employees have personal Twitter and Facebook accounts, and it’s impossible to keep track of all of their activity.

“It’s a transparent world we live in, which enables it to be fast-paced, but it’s hard to get the cat back in the bag,” he said, adding that a handful of employees have been spoken to about inappropriate posts.

Jackson, the employment lawyer, said the best practice is to err on the side of caution.

“You may have your privacy setting on the most private level, but you just don’t know in whose hands your information will end up,” she said. “There’s no guarantee it will remain private once you post it on social media.”

M. B. A. time table year 1 st and 2nd nov 2010

NORTH MAHARASHTRA UNIVERSITY, JALGAON
click link MBA Nov 201027/10/2010 02:48 PM
Programme of the Master in Business Administration ( M. B. A.)
Examination, Nov. / Dec., 2010

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Business Quiz :- Identify the logo | Business Quiz Questions and Answers

1. Identify the creator of recipe for one of the greatest brands on the planet

Ans. This person is John Pemberton. The creator of Coca Cola. Coke entered its booming period after it got into the hands of Asa Candler.

2. .In 1997, who won the Sveriges Riksbank prize in economic sciences in memory of Alfred Nobel.?

Ans. The Nobel Prize of 1997, was awarded to Robert C. Merton and Myron S. Scholes. They got it for Black–Scholes model. The fundamental insight of Black–Scholes PDE is that the option is implicitly priced if the stock is traded.

3.Where are the currency notes manufactured in India?
Ans. The currency notes are printed at currency note press, Nashik, Bank Note Press, Dewas, Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Nigam (P) Limited presses at Salboni and Mysore. The Watermark Paper is Manufactured at Security Paper Mill, Hoshangabad.

4.Which country's currency was known as Drachma, which in Greek means 'to grasp'?
Ans. Well this is a sitter question. Drachma was the currency of Greece 1 January 2002, when it was replaced by Euro.

5. I was developed by two PHD Students from Standford. My name actually originated from a wrong spelling that actually meant a number represented by a ‘1(one)’ followed by ‘one-hundred zeroes.’ I have recently launched something similar to the Internet Explorer. Search Me.
Ans. Google

Business Quiz :- Business Quiz Questions and Answers

Business Quiz :- Business Quiz Questions and Answers

 Business Quiz Questions

Question: Which vehicle took its name from the fact that it was made to be used for general purposes?
Answer: Jeep (GP)

 Question: What is the name of the mascot on the bonnet of a Rolls Royce?
Answer: The spirit of ecstasy

Question: Who invented jeans?
Answer: Levi Straus

 Question: Which company owns 'Hotmail', the Internet based e-mail system?
Answer: Microsoft

 Question: South Africa is the world's largest producer of 3 metals. Platinum and Gold are 2 of them, what’s the third?
Answer: Chromite

 Question: Which designer is credited with inventing the mini-skirt?
Answer: Mary Quant

 Question: Which car is featured in the film Back to the Future?
Answer: De Lorean

 Question: The Baht is the monetary unit of which country?
Answer: Thailand

 Question: What is the national airline of Spain?
Answer: Iberia

 Question: Which was the first company formed to manufacture motor cars?
Answer: Daimler

 Question: Which car manufacturer uses a badge consisting of 4 interlocked circles?
Answer: Audi

 Question: In which country is Sikorsky Helicopters' head office?
Answer: America

 Question: What is the currency of Turkey?
Answer: Lira

Question: Which company manufactured Lancaster bomber?
Answer: Avro

 Question: How many old pennies were there in Half a Crown?
Answer: 30

 Question: In which country are Saab cars manufactured?
Answer: Sweden

 Question: Excluding India name 2 other countries that use the rupee as currency.
Answer: India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles and Sri Lanka.

 Question: London's Drury Lane is associated with which industry?
Answer: Theatre

 Question: What commodity is traditionally measured in units called a Truss?
Answer: Hay/Straw

 Question: What is the national airline of Spain?
Answer: Iberia

Question: Which goldsmith and jeweler was famous for ornate Easter eggs?
Answer: Peter Faberge

Question: Who first produced a book in 1955 to help pub owners settle debates (and bets) between patrons?
Answer: Guinness (book of world records)

 Question: The Skoda car company is based in which country?
Answer: Czechoslovakia

 Question: Which creature features on the logo of Bacardi Rum?
Answer: Bat

 Question: As in the music shop, what do the letters HMV stand for?
Answer: His Masters Voice

Question: What is the name of Hong Kong's airline?
Answer: Cathay Pacific

 Question: Which vehicle took its name from the fact that it was made to be used for general purposes?
Answer: Jeep

 Question: Which London thoroughfare is traditionally associated with high quality tailoring?
Answer: Savile Row

 Question: What is the name of the mascot on the bonnet of a Rolls Royce?
Answer: The Spirt of Ecstacy

 Question: What word describes the minimum number of members required to be present for the proceedings of an assembly to be valid ?
Answer: Quorum

 Question: What name is given to a person authorised to vote on behalf of someone else?
Answer: Proxy

 Question: In which country are Lada cars made?
Answer: Russia

 Question: What was the Jaguar car called before 1945?
Answer: The SS

 Question: Which of the following is the smallest paper size; A3, A4, or A5?
Answer: A5

 Question: In which country is the world's largest McDonalds Restaurant?
Answer: CHINA (The McDonalds in Beijing is 28,000 square feet, 2 stories high, and seats 700 people)

 Question: Which company built the WW2 Spitfire?
Answer: Supermarine. The fighter pilots of Britain’s RAF won the Battle of Britain in 1940 by a narrow margin. The quality of their solidly built Hawker Hurricane and speedy Supermarine Spitfire interceptors was one vital factor.

 Question: It is made from thermo-plastic paper and the manilla hemp used to make rope, it is designed to withstand boiling water, what is it?
Answer: A teabag

 Question: Two South American countries were members of OPEC (the organisation of petroleum exporting countries). Venezuela is still one. What was the other?
Answer: Ecuador (they joined in 1973 and left in 1992).

Question: What colour is the M on the Mcdonald’s logo?
Answer: Yellow

 Question: Which popular children's toy originated as a weapon and was once known as the bandalore?
Answer: Yo-Yo

Question: What name is California's Santa Clara County, the heartland of the US Computer Industry, more commonly called?
Answer: Silicon valley

Question: Which two airlines have gone into partnership to become the largest airline in Europe?
Answer: Air France and KLM

 Question: What was Mr. Ferrari's first name?
Answer: Enzo

 Question: Which Airline owned the Plane that blew up over Lockerbie in 1988?
Answer: Pan Am. On December 21 a terrorist bomb exploded in a Pan-Am aircraft flying from Frankfurt to New York, via London.

 Question: Yoshida Kogyo Kabushibibaisha or YKK for short appears on nearly every what?
Answer: Zip

 Question: What is the name of the railway that was opened in 1901 and runs from Moscow to Vladisvostok?
Answer: Trans-Siberian Railway

 Question: Which company owned the ill-fated Titanic?
Answer: White Star line

Question: Which car manufacture makes the engine for the Mclaren F1 team?
Answer: Mercedes Benz

 Question: Which country does Red Stripe lager come from?
Answer: Jamaica

 Question: Vespa and Lambretta are famous manufacturers of what?
Answer: Scooters

 Question: Which formula one driver is the owner of the luxurious Columbus Hotel in Monaco?
Answer: David Coulthard

 Question: Which vehicle did J C Bamford give his name to?
Answer: JCB digger

 Question: What did Harry Beck design in 1931 which is still used in London today?
Answer: The map of the London Tube system (the Underground)

 Question: Founded in Canada in 1971, and now with its headquarters in Amsterdam, what was the original aim of the environmental organization Greenpeace?
Answer: To oppose U.S. nuclear testing in Alaska

 Question: Which cosmetics and perfume company was originally named The California Perfume Co?
Answer: Avon

 Question: What make and model of car was John F Kennedy in when assassinated in 1963?
Answer: Lincoln Continental

 Question: The world’s largest Mobile Phone maker is based in which country?
Answer: Finland, it's Nokia.

 Question: Who devised the Package Tour?
Answer: Thomas Cook. He ran a successful travel agency in the 19th century. It began after he led a temperance group on a guided train ride from Leicester to Loughborough

 Question: What did Earl W Tupper invent in 1944?
Answer: TUPPERware

 Question: Which company invented the computer floppy disc in 1970?
Answer: IBM

Question: What was the surname of the French brothers who founded a tyre company in 1888.
Answer: Michelin

 Question: Who are the engine suppliers for the 'Williams' formula 1 team?
Answer: BMW

 Question: Who had Skytrain printed on the side of his aircraft?
Answer: Sir Freddy Laker

 Question: What is an assembly of Cardinals called?
Answer: Conclave

 Question: Which company's name is short for Durability, Reliability and excellence?
Answer: Durex

 Question: The imprisonment of Nick Leeson followed the collapse of which bank?
Answer: Barings

 Question: Which American car firm made the Corvette?
Answer: Chevrolet

 Question: What did Albert Parkhouse invent that is one of the most stolen items from hotels?
Answer: Coat hanger

 Question: What is the name of Microsoft's free e-mail service?
Answer: Hotmail (not Outlook; that is software to collect any Email)

 Question: What was the name of the restaurant chain opened by Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Swartzeneger?
Answer: Planet Hollywood

 Question: Which is the World's most popular brand of cigarette?
Answer: Marlboro

 Question: Which mobile phone company shares its name with a fruit (it's Australian)?
Answer: Orange

 Question: Who was responsible for bringing down Barings Bank?
Answer: Nick Leeson

 Question: Who invented the lift/elevator in 1853?
Answer: Elisha Otis

 Question: What is the metal or plastic end of a shoelace called?
Answer: An aglet

 Question: P&O, the shipping line, stands for what?
Answer: Peninsular and Oriental

 Question: Which country is home to Grolsch lager?
Answer: Holland (The Netherlands)

 Question: Ron Dennis has been the manager for many years of the team behind which Formula One motor racing car?
Answer: McLaren

 Question: In 1996 what overtook Coca-Cola as being the most well known brand name in the world?
Answer: McDonalds

 Question: In the USA what name was given to a seller of illegal alcohol?
Answer: Bootlegger

IMR:- IMR TIME TABLE FOR INTERNAL EXAM 2010 2nd SEM

IMR:- IMR TIME TABLE FOR INTERNAL EXAM
YEAR 2010
FOR 2ND SEM

SUBJECT CODE and NAME	Date of Declaration
201:- MANAGEMENT PRACTICES	8-3-10
202 :- BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS	9-3-10
203 :- GLOBAL ECONOMIC SENARIO	10-3-10
204 :- MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM AND ERP	11-3-10
205 :- FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT	12-3-10
206  :- HUMAN RESOURSE MANAGEMENT	13-3-10
207  :- MARKETING MANAGEMENT	15-3-10
208 :- QUANTITATIVE TECHNIQUES	17-3-10

IMR JALGAON :-Traditional day photos

Traditional day photos