Technological advancements make enterprises more efficient in different aspects, allowing them to reduce their costs and improve their operations. At the same time, technology entails numerous risks, including those concerning the security of employees’ information which in turn give rise to different ethical problems. For instance, when using data mining, companies can face ethical concerns related to confidentiality and consent, while when utilizing smartphone apps, companies can encounter security risks of data exposure and insecure communication.
Data mining is a powerful tool which allows to analyze large arrays of information and thus enhance certain operations and other aspects of businesses. Data mining of employee medical records involves conducting an analysis of patient information such as laboratory test results, demographics, medications, and diagnoses (Yadav et al., 2018). Such data is extremely sensitive and cannot be utilized without the consent of individuals to whom it belongs. As a result, an ethical problem may emerge if the employer refuses to ask for employees’ approval of their medical data sharing and does it at their own discretion. Moreover, there is also an ethical problem of confidentiality which may arise if the data used for mining is stored in a poorly secured way. Essentially, the medical records of employees can be obtained by a third party illegally. A similar security problem is inherent to the use of smartphone apps in the workplace where employees can share their content. Such apps often utilize cloud storage which may be penetrated and employees’ information exposed. Smartphone apps also cannot guarantee the security of communication which can lead to leaks or exposure of the company’s trade secrets.
Technology in the workplace is important, yet it must be managed in a proper manner to avoid different security and ethical issues. For instance, data mining of medical records must be conducted only after receiving the consent of employees. Before using smartphone apps, it is vital to check whether they can guarantee the security of communication and data.
The management course was extremely important for me because it provided me with knowledge which I am planning to apply in my workplace. The course itself had a solid structure which enabled me to gain a comprehensive insight into both basic and advanced aspects of management. While there were many interesting concepts mentioned in the course, the most essential were the SWOT Analysis and the Deming Cycle, which I will utilize extensively.
The SWOT analysis is a tool which I discovered to be both simple to apply and helpful for analyzing every company’s competitive position in the industry. The SWOT Analysis involves an assessment of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of businesses (Bright et al., 2019). The SWOT framework is important because it enables managers to perform a basic analysis of the company quickly and to gain a perspective on the possible future developments. The Deming Cycle is another essential tool for every manager which allows them to enhance the efficiency of any company’s operations. The Deming Cycle involves performing four steps which contribute to continuous improvement of organizational performance (Bright et al., 2019). The Deming Cycle is important because it provides an easy framework for refining operations and internal procedures in an organization, thus increasing the quality of work and products or services and reducing expenses. The management course certainly helped me to expand my knowledge and to become a better professional. The concepts and tools explored in the course ultimately contributed to my ability to make correct decisions in various scenarios while considering different factors at play.
The management course was one of the most beneficial ones for me because it enabled me to discover essential techniques and frameworks which improved my professional skills. Tools such as the SWOT Analysis and the Deming Cycle enhanced my understanding of management. Thus, the course overall refined my decision-making ability and effectiveness as a leader and manager.
References
Bright, D., Cortes, A., Hartmann, E., Parboteeah, K., & Pierce, J. (2019). Principles of management. OpenStax.
Yadav, P., Steinbach, M., Kumar, V., & Simon, G. (2018). Mining electronic health records (EHRs): A survey. ACM Computing Surveys, 50(6), 1–40.