Ethical Issues Raised by Data Mining Essay -- Databases Technology Com

Ethical Issues Raised by Data Mining Data mining is the practice of gathering data from various sources and manipulating it to provide richer information than any of contributing sources is able to do alone or to produce previously unknown information. Businesses and governments share information that they have collected with the purpose of cross-referencing it to find out more information about the people tracked in their databases. Data mining has many benefits. Stores are able to stock merchandise that better reflects what customers want. When Victoria’s Secret started tracking user purchases they noticed that customers in Miami bought much more white lingerie than customers in other areas. As a result they began stocking more white products instead of uniformly stocking all stores benefiting both the store and the customer[i]. Another benefit is that it allows companies to consolidate data from many different sources so that more time can be spent analyzing data than finding it in the first place. This is useful for companies that have multiple financial systems and spend a lot of time trying to combine data into a more useful format rather than doing the actual analysis of the data. A more dramatic example is that some say that 9/11 could have been prevented if the FBI had better data mining tools to share and combine information from different offices[ii]. In addition to crime prevention and f inancial analysis the medical research community can use these techniques in medical research to identify trends and causes of disease. Along with the numerous benefits data mining also has a downside. Combining data from various sources can result in revealing information people would consider private and woul... ...ade Commision, The Fair Credit Reporting Act (Washington, DC: GPO, 2004) 46. [xiv] Tavani, Herman T., â€Å"Privacy and the Internet† Ethics and Technology Conference, Boston, MA, 5 June 1999. (Boston College Intellectual Property Forum, 2000) http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/law/st_org/iptf/commentary/ [xv] D1 Consulting, Report on Double Click, 2003, University of Southern California, 7 June 2004 [xvi] Tavani, Herman T., â€Å"Privacy and the Internet† Ethics and Technology Conference, Boston, MA, 5 June 1999. (Boston College Intellectual Property Forum, 2000). [xvii]European Parliament, Official Journal of European Communities, Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (Brussels, Belgium: 2000) 10. [xviii] Federal Trade Commission, Privacy Online: A Report to Congress (Washington, DC: GPO, 1998) 3.

America’s Working Poor Response

Tens of millions of men and women in America struggle because they are stressed out about not making enough money even though they are working as hard as possible. In her book Nickel and Dimmed, Journalist, Barbara Rehiring writes about her research working as a minimum wage employee attempting to get by in Americas tough economy, she describes in depth the struggles that the minimum wage workers suffer through and she witnesses them first hand as she goes under cover and works these Jobs herself.Middle class Jobs are being replaced by low income bobs, the people in these Jobs are referred to as â€Å"the working poor†,and are not able to make ends meet at the end of the month. People in America working minimum wage Jobs struggle on a daily bases to get by, this causes them anxiety due to their lack of a health care plan, living situations, and injuries that occur at work. Health insurance premiums are rising and some employers no longer offer this benefit, the low wage worker s are the ones that are particularly affected by this major issue.Employees without health coverage, are unable to get preventative care r proper treatment for an illness, may become sicker later on. In chapter one of her book â€Å"Serving in Florida† Rehiring describes her co worker Sail's situation, â€Å"Gall, for example,†¦ Is supposed to be on the company health plan by now, but they claim they have lost her application form and to be beginning the paper work all over again. So she spends $9 a pop for pills to control the migraines she wouldn't have, she insist, If her estrogen supplements were covered. (27) Without the company behind them, employees will end up paying more for Individual health coverage than their employers would have paid to put them on group coverage. Similar to Rehearing's situation, Morgan Spurious and his flange Alex attempt to survive 30 days living of a minimum wage salary, as n the TV episode â€Å"30 days: Minimum Wage†. In the ep isode there Is a scene where Splotch's hand Is Injured and swollen because of the manual labor he is doing. Due to the lack of medical Insurance he chooses to try out a free clinic provided by the community for the low Income families Instead of the emergency room.Once he Is there he realizes that getting checked by a doctor wont e so easy since there Is so many people In line and the clinic only takes the first twenty. He then has to resort to the emergency room where he Is charged more that he can afford to pay because of his low Income. Even though the communities attempt to help the working poor, not everyone Is available to take advantage of the benefits. While there Is no easy solution to the problem of health Insurance, It Is obvious that leaving employees on their own to find Insurance, rather than Glenn them the benefit of group rates, Is not the solution.America's Working Poor Response By carpenter kook â€Å"Serving in Florida† Rehiring describes her co worker Sail 's situation, â€Å"Gail, for she spends $9 a pop for pills to control the migraines she wouldn't have, she insist, if employees will end up paying more for individual health coverage than their there is a scene where Splotch's hand is injured and swollen because of the manual labor he is doing. Due to the lack of medical insurance he chooses to try out a free clinic provided by the community for the low income families instead of the emergency room.Once he is there he realizes that getting checked by a doctor wont e so easy since there is so many people in line and the clinic only takes the first twenty. He then has to resort to the emergency room where he is charged more that he can afford to pay because of his low income. Even though the communities attempt to help the working poor, not everyone is available to take advantage of the benefits. While there is no easy solution to the problem of health insurance, it is obvious that leaving employees on their own to find insurance, r ather than giving them the benefit of group rates, is not the solution.

Communication Memo

|To: |Dana Donnley, Director of Employee Communication. | |From: |Rey, Employee Communication Manager. | |Date: |March, 8th 2013. | |Ref: |Confidential: Employee Communication Strategy | | |Proposal for the Whirlpool Corporation Employee | | |Wellness Program. | | | | . Background. Whirlpool Corporation (hereinafter the â€Å"Company†) is facing financial problems, and therefore has decided to lower the insurance benefits expenses of its employees. As stated in the Bain & Company’s memorandum dated February 28th 2013, there is a direct correlation between the amount of money spent by the Company on insurance benefits and their wellness. Not only that, but also having healthier employees boosts their productiveness.As a consequence, the Company has included within its Human Resources strategy to offer and persuade its employees (and their spouses) to get in the headquarters a free mini-physical test, denominated the Employee Wellness Program, whereby the height, weight, blood pressure, and vital signs of the employees are measured (the â€Å"EWP†). This means only a routine exam that tests various bodily functions and reflexes, giving as an aftermath a diagnostic of the employee’s general condition.As a result of such test several diseases can be detected in their early stages, giving the employee the advantage of an early treatment, and the company its savings on insurance benefits payments. Whirlpool Corporation is heavily Unionized as a consequence of a responsible leadership of its authorities. 2. Query. You have consulted me in order to draw and structure strategy that the Company should carry out in order to communicate the employees the aforementioned EWP. 3. Response:We propose a multistep strategy that takes fully advantage of the prestige of the Company’s Union, and involves it directly to inform and persuade employees to perform the medical test. Also, main concerns should be specifically addressed, such as the confi dential matter of the information, its propose, and the fact that taking the medical test is voluntary. 4. Foundations of the Response: From a Human Resources standpoint the EWP should be managed carefully to avoid that the employees (and the Union) get confused regarding the real intention of it. In general terms, the communication should be simple, forceful and straightforward.However, some issues should be specially addressed, in order to avoid confusions. These are: 1. The Test is Voluntary. It should be pointed out that the medical test is voluntary, since employees could otherwise interpret it as a coercive measure by the Company. 2. Scope and Benefits of the Test. The communication should also explain the scope of the test, so the employees are sure what to expect when they take it. Also its benefits should be mentioned. 3. Confidentiality of the Information. In spite of being arguments against it[1], I am convinced that this point should be specifically addressed in the comm unication.There should not be doubt about it within the workforce. Also, a mention to the Professional Secrecy legal obligation should be done to reinforce the Company’s commitment to respect it. Hence, the only person to get the result of the test is the employee itself (therefore the Company does not get the information). 4. Use and Propose of the Information. It should also be pointed out that the only purpose of making such medical test is to get a diagnostic of the employee’s general condition for his own benefit and use. . Meeting with the Union. I believe that the Union’s prestige within the vast majority of the employees should be taken advantage of. Therefore, Union leaders should be called for a meeting and deeply informed about the EWP. In such meeting, special emphasis should be given in order to highlight the medical benefits for the employees that the EWP could have. Also, the Company should argue therein, that the only purpose of the meeting is to inform the Union and address its doubts and concerns. 6. Role of the Union.Having performed an informative meeting with the Union, I assume that it will have a very active role informing employees without any request from the Company whatsoever. In fact, for many employees, the Union has more credibility than management. Hence, by involving the Union with the communication, it will be the primary source of calm for many of the employees. In addition, it could advise employees of any legal consequence of a misuse of such information by the Company, which would have strong costs for it (could be considered an abusive dismissal). 7. The Test is Free.This should be explicit within the communication. 8. Spouses of Employees. As stated above, the EWP also includes the spouses of employees. However, in the communication to be delivered, no reference should be made in such regard, since it could be interpreted as intrusive. Therefore, only for those who accept taking the test a verbal exte nsion of the invitation should be performed to their spouses. 9. Formality of the Communication. I advise you to communicate the EWP to the employees via e-mail, since by communicating it by a more formal mean would only give this issue more significance that it has. 10. Further Details.It also should be address specifically that if anyone has any doubt or wants further information about the medical test, should contact either someone at the Human Resources department or at the Union. 11. Other Factors Taken into Consideration. Intimate employee information and its use are of critical importance to maintain an excellent employee-employer relationship. Not only that, but also their productivity is at risk if the message is misunderstood or the information is misused. In that regard, the confidence that the Company has built over the years with its employees can be destroyed in days, if the situation is not managed properly.I remain at your disposal for any further information that yo u may deem necessary. Yours truly, Rey. Employee Communication Manager. ———————– [1] It could be argued that by specifically addressing that the information will remain confidential could provoke a concern on employees, that otherwise would not be concerned. Nevertheless, we doubt that this would be the situation in the majority of the cases. We are convinced that most of the employees would be concerned about the topic, if a commitment of the Company declaring that information confidential were not made.

Misgiving Essays - Poetry, Literature, Culture, Robert Frost

Misgiving Essays - Poetry, Literature, Culture, Robert Frost Misgiving Robert Frosts poem Misgiving exposes how one should experiencelife. He shows this through by comparing the blowing of leaves freely to thefree-will of an individual. This poem creates a new way of viewing life.Frost develops this through three major points, symbolism, imagery, andmeaning. Frosts establishes his first symbolism through the blowing of the leavesin the wind. It seems as though he is comparing himself to the leaves. Inthe poem the leaves are experiencing movement and moving about freelyand he is comparing himself wanting to experience the same thing. By himwanting to experience free-will in his life he clearly uses a leave and astem to show his symbolism of his desire. The most pleasant image in the poem is when he compares himself to theleaves and wanting to be able to move around as they do. In the secondstanza, Frost explains how deeply he wants to fly and at times he seeks asheltering wall for comfort and shelter. The third stanza completes the firstpart of the poem. The visual imagery here was the reluctant whirl and onlyevoked how he liked going through it but couldnt explain why notknowing where it would take him but only as long as it did. The meaning of which Frost portrays himself to b free as the leaves isbecause he does not want to become stagnant. He wants to experiencewhatever life has to offer, whether it is good or bad. To him theimportant thing is the knowledge and experience gained from the wholeevent. In the third stanza. When the leaves go back to where they werecan be compared to an individual in society. Most people are half-asleepmost of the time, but want to keep up with life experiences. Maybe theydidnt get anywhere but the knowledge and experience that was learnedwas the most important aspect gained. This poem indeed establishes symbolism, imagery and meaning. It isuseful for an individual to read in order to be aware and knowledgeableof experiences they may have had in their lives and to appreciate thefree-will each and e veryone of us are given.

Bond Energy Definition in Chemistry

Bond Energy Definition in Chemistry Bond energy (E)Â  is defined as the amount of energy required to break apart a mole of molecules into its component atoms. It is a measure of the strength of a chemical bond. Bond energy is also known as bond enthalpy (H) or simply as bond strength. Bond Energy Explained Bond energy is based on an average of bond dissociation values for species in the gas phase, typically at a temperature of 298 Kelvin. It may be found by measuring or calculating the enthalpy change of breaking a molecule into its component atoms and ions and dividing the value by the number of chemical bonds. For example, the enthalpy change of breaking methane (CH4) into a carbon atom and four hydrogen ions, divided by four (the number of C-H) bonds, yields the bond energy. Bond energy is not the same thing as bond-dissociation energy. Bond energy values are an average of the bond-dissociation energies within a molecule. Breaking subsequent bonds requires a different amount of energy.

Keynesianism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Keynesianism - Research Paper Example Estimated to be worth about $787 billion, the stimulus issued by the Obama administration was to save over 90,000 jobs (Calmes, 2009). The stimulus was broken down to $288 billion, allocated to tax cuts, $224 billion for unemployment benefits, education and healthcare, and $275 billion for job creation through grants and loans from government. The main aim of the plan was to restore confidence in the economy and to spur economic growth given the monetary policy had failed to save the situation. It was also to bring confidence by reducing bonuses to senior executives whose companies had received TARP funds. According to Williams and Calabrese (2013), in a scientific society, there are about four types of theories: descriptive, explanatory and predictive, instrumental and normative. Descriptive and explanatory theories can be categorized under positive while the other two are grouped under prescriptive or normative. Descriptive theories can be said to be forerunners of explanatory theories as they tend to find how different constructs are interrelated. These may include core elements, characteristics, relationships, or dimensions. They are meant to set stage for explanation and prediction. Explanatory theory on the other hand gives insights on what caused an outcome in way that it can be observed. Predictions come in as a test of explanations. instrumentals depend on predictions, they work on the fact that if something occurs, another thing will occur as a result. The Obama Stimulus was positive in nature. It focused on the actual facts on the ground as opposed to general assumptions. At the time of its launch, unemployment rate was at 9%, and to solve this, the government allocated $275 billion for job creationin since monetary policy had failed to bear concrete fruits. This plan was also based on normative theories as it determined how the economy behaved within a time frame of ten years. Within this

REFLECTIONS ON YOUR JOURNAL AND THE COURSE part 2 Coursework

REFLECTIONS ON YOUR JOURNAL AND THE COURSE part 2 - Coursework Example Discrimination is another problem facing American working citizens. Workers in USA undergo discriminations based on age, gender and physical status. Employees from the global societies of today suffer the same problem of discriminations depicted lowering the quality of performance at the workplace. The government should enact strict policies to protect the working citizens from such exploitation that reduces the quality of service delivery leading to under exploitation of human labor. According to Barboza’s report, Apple Corporation is one company that exposes its workers to hostile working environment. My thinking about exposure to hostile working conditions as a contributing factor to unemployment remains the same after witnessing a reputable corporation like Apple exposing employees to the same conditions. The future of the American citizens is not promising despite the formation of various trade unions and retirement acts. Corrupt government officials embezzle pension scheme funds rendering the systems unreliable for the American