E-commerce techniques used by Toyota Motor Corporation

E-commerce techniques used by Toyota Motor Corporation This report discusses the details of conducting a long-term comparison and analysis of the Automotive Industry-Covisint, specifically focusing on Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC). The purpose of this comparison and analyses is to examine e-commerce techniques used by Toyota Motor Corporation. TMC has become the worlds largest automotive manufacturer in regards to sales and production (Schmitt, 2011). With innovative developments such as QR technology and use of e-commerce practices within their corporation, Toyota has become a leader with automotive practices. The practice of e-commerce in the automotive industry has lead to increased savings, profits, and productivity. Its greatest impact within the automotive industry has been in the manufacturing process. E-commerce enables companies to alter their ways in sectors such as Supply Chain Management (SCM) and B2B transactions. Covisnt is a global wide online marketplace for the automotive industry. Ford, GM and Daimler-Chrysler launched Covisint in 1999 with intentions to become an online exchange for supply chain management participants. The online auctioning portal allowed corporations to compete for customers based on buying needs such as price, quality and delivery time. Since Toyotas formation in the 1930s, Toyota has grown to expand into international operations. Despite various obstacles such as recalls and labor disruptions, Toyota has continued to successfully increase production while making efficient decisions within their corporation. Aside from automobile technologies, TMC has also developed technologies that have grown into industries outside of the automotive sector. Such technologies include QR technology, which is a 2D barcode that contains information in both vertical and horizontal directions, unlike traditional barcodes where information is only stored in one direction. QR technology was initially designed for automobile parts tracking, but has become a common social media trait in outside companies. The Toyota Production System has also grown to become a standard in many industries. The practice of using people as people and not as machines has become a success story for Toyota, while being credited as one of factors in Toyotas succe ss. ERP technology has also been a B2B and ERP integration model that has been growing within the automotive sector. E-commerce techniques such as online auctions and paperless transactions, has lead to reduced costs and increased efficiency. The technology has demonstrated to be effective with manufacturing processes and building relationships with buyers suppliers. Aside from B2B interactions, TMC conducts B2C activities. Goals and objectives for TMC are strived towards with the use of business plans, cases, revenue models and value propositions. Identifying strategic partnerships with suppliers will further increase cost savings, create higher quality products and ensure technological advancements. Focusing on e-commerce tools such as cloud computing can be used for information exchange on a global scale. Social networking should also be invested into for global communication. With strong relationships, collaborative goals and shared vision will achieve greater profits for all participants. To ensure TMC remains the worlds largest automobile manufacturer, an investment into its forward thinking culture must be maintained. Historical Background: B2b automotive industry history of covisint Ford, GM and Daimler-Chrysler launched an online marketplace for the global automotive industry by the name of Covisint in 1999. The inintial development of Covisint was to created to act as an online exchange for manufacturers and supply chain members. Covisint encompasses three areas of the vertical buy-side e-markets including e-procurement, supply chain management and e-development. Between 2000 and 2001, manufacturers Renault, Nissan, and PSA Peugeot had joined as investors in Covisint. Also during 2001, Ford saved $70 million in procurement costs by using Covisint (Konicki, 2001). Alongside Covisint, various other e-marketplaces were being developed to source and produce goods. The competition of other e-marketplaces caused a concern for Covisint, who then rebranded its image and services as an automotive industry software solutions provider and standards body (E-Marketplace Evolution). Covisints first step in its plan was to target online auction technologies since auction-driven e-marketplaces were the most popular business-to-business purchasing technology at the time. By using online auctions, corporations had the ability to work with competing suppliers within one platform. With competition, corporations could choose the best fit for their buying needs based on price, quality and/or delivery time. Online auctioning has been credited as an evolution changer as the success for e-marketplaces are based on supplier sourcing and price negotiation. Historical Background: Toyota Motor Corporation In the early 1930s, Kiichiro Toyoda began a trip to the US to learn about the automotive industry. Upon returning home to Japan from a trip Toyoda made from the US visiting carious automotive production plants, Toyoda decided to open up an automobile division named Toyoda at his fathers loom factory. By 1935, the first vehicle prototype was created, while establishments of research centres were made by the mid 1940s. Following World War II in 1945, Toyoda was rebranded as Toyota. Rather than following the American footsteps in producing medium-large sized vehicles, Toyota decided to focus on working towards the creation of small cars. Doing so gave Toyota leverage in the automobile market as the only leader in small-sized vehicles. It was in 1949 when Toyota was confronted a labor and management conflict because of an imbalance in sales and payroll resulting in Toyota paying employees with long-term promissory notes rather than cash (History of Toyota). After the resignation of President Kiichiro Toyoda as well as the executive staff, Eiji Toyoda and Shoichi Saito replaced their positions. Both executives visited the US in anticipation of learning the ways of production in the automotive industry. Toyota discovered international growth during the 1980s when the corporation was ranked second in worldwide production levels. During the 1980s, TMC became more involved with the American culture and joined forces with General Motors to create a manufacturing firm called New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (History of Toyota). It was also during this time when Toyota announced American production facilities as part of their expansion. In 1992, Toyota ownership was transferred to Totsuro Toyoda. TMC had experienced an economic downturn during the recession, resulting in declining profits between 1991-1994. With new ownership, programs were implemented for reducing costs in various areas by 50 percent and production costs were reduced by transferring production to oversea markets (History of Toyota). At the time Toyota president Hiroshi Okuda, introduced Toyotas New Global Business Plan as a way to place focus on innovation and international expansion (History of Toyota). Toyotas New Global Business Plan objective was to localize production, and increase market share. Aside from production facilities, Toyota demonstrated initiatives in eliminating landfill waste and regulating stricter environmental practices. With Toyotas extensive growth in international markets such as Canada, India, UK, France and Turkey and China, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) has grown to be one of the worlds largest automobile companies. By the year 2000, Toyota became the largest car company in Japan, while holding the 3rd position worldwide. toyota production system During the late 1950s, Taichi Ohno and Shigeo Shingo had established the Toyota Production System (ToyoLand, 2011). Also known as lean manufacturing, the Toyota Production System was based on the theory that people should be used as people and not as machinery. Its concept was based on Fords manufacturing system; Ohno and Shingo had analyzed Fords system to determine where problems were occurring. During the initial stages, Ford had a number of problems dealing with the treatment of its people as machines. The Toyota Production System is made up of Jidoka and just-in-time production (ToyoLand, 2011). As illustrated in Appendix A, the concept of Jidoka is based on automation with a human touch (Toyota, 2011). Jidoka ensures that defects do not pass through the production process, eliminating the production of defective products (ToyoLand, 2011). Just-in-time production focuses on making what is needed, when it is needed, and in the amount needed (Toyota, 2011). Reducing the amount of products in inventory not only reduces required maintenance, but also reduces capital costs and allows for ease in technological advancements. Not only has the system been effective for Toyota, it has been implemented in a range of industries around the world. QR COdes In 1994, QR Codes were developed by Denso-Wave. QR Codes were originally created for tracking automotive parts in vehicle manufacturing (Wave, 2010). Its Quick Response concept was based on 2D symbols, similar to traditional barcodes. It functioned using scanner equipment, where the information contained in the symbol was contained in both vertical and horizontal directions, whereas traditional bar codes contain data in only one direction (Wave, 2010). Presently, QR codes are used in areas beyond the vehicle manufacturing line and are implemented into a range of industries including entertainment, technology, social media, and much more. Specifically in the automotive industry, QR Codes are used as shipping labels and receipts containing customer information, product identification, shipping addresses and much more. QR Codes proved to be beneficial due to significant cost reductions and greater efficiency. how e-commerce has changed the industry The rapid advent of e-commerce has resulted in dramatic changes within the business environment. Due to the unique structure of the technologies, there are more opportunities for businesses to benefit from those advances. Using e-commerce related technologies, a businesses can reach their potential suppliers and consumers worldwide. The automotive industry has benefited significantly from the advancement of e-commerce. General Motors, one of the worlds largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 209,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in more than 120 countries (General Motors Company, 2011). The industry has come to adopt e-commerce technologies by implementing Business-to-Business, and Supply chain integration models. By using the Business-to-Business model, automotive vehicle manufacturers have achieved efficiency in their daily operations. A typical B2B transaction within the automotive industry can be illustrated by an automakers need for direct material purchases from suppliers, while also having the ability to conduct sales. After the B2B related technology has been widely implemented in the industry, automotive companies are able to save costs by eliminating paper-based systems, and reducing the usage of mailroom staff. Also B2B concepts have assisted companies reduce the potential errors made by the employees in order to improve the companys data accuracy. Without an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) system in place, the company would face a potential loss. EDIs can define and transfer standard data without human intervention. Finally, implementing a B2B model can improve the relationship between automobile manufacturers and suppliers in order to reduce procurement costs and improve efficie ncy. For example, Ford cooperated with its competitors creating an auto-exchange website (Covisint) to assist dealers meet suppliers online. By adopting a supply chain integration model, the automotive industry is able to manage information efficiently and create a smooth flow to distributors, suppliers, internal divisions and customers. Majority of automotive manufacturers are using ERP and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems in addition to managing their supply chain management process. ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is an industry term for the broad set of activities that helps a business manages the important parts of its business (The, PP. 123). The results obtained from ERP can assist managers evaluate the companys performance and see if it meets corporate objectives. CRM is a model built to help organizations reach customers easily and receive feedback. Since this model integrates customers information to the overall enterprise, the supply chain management is improved efficiently. In the automotive industry, e-commerce platforms are commonly used for automakers to buy material online from suppliers. For instance, Ford uses the system to divide the supplier for different levels based the components of a car. When the firm needs to buy systems or seats, the firm would inform first layer suppliers through its e-procurement platform. With that methodology, Ford can improve its relationship with suppliers, save transaction costs and reduce its inventory levels. industry analysis: current possible future state Current Covisints portal allows participants such as manufacturers and suppliers to trade based on a standardized process. The goal of the Covisint is to create a standardized industry system that any manufacturer and its partners can access. In 2001, Covisint hosted 1,400 auctions, which led to over $51 billion worth of transactions (E-marketplace evolution, 2006). Covisint has currently extended its services to providing a range of applications for its customers. Unlike its original approach of creating revenues based on subscriptions and/or transactions fees from its e-marketplace, Covisint now generates revenues through its extended applications services. Design collaboration, procurement, supply chain management, quality control and portal solutions are some of the extended applications apart of Covisints growth. In order to remain ahead of competition, corporations such as Covisint have begun to increase investment budgets for B2B infrastructures. By investing into new technologies, changes in day-to-day management practices can be shifted to increase efficiency and quality. Also, investment in B2B services can increase the variety of business interactions. Foreign automobile manufacturers are also entering the automotive industry, causing a threat to older corporations, such as Toyota Motor Corporation. The automotive industry faces a large amount of competition, where many factors may influence consumer and supplier decisions. Changes in technologies impact corporations based on their situation analysis. With increased technological advancements, a company may position themselves effectively while focusing on a specific target market. porters five forces Analysis Porters Five Forces (Appendix B) are significantly affected with the advent of technology enabling business to e-business and can be examined in respect to the automotive industry. Threat of New Entrants (Low):  New entrants, specifically foreign corporations, in the automotive industry serve as a threat. With low capital, knowledge and experience, corporations face a difficulty in staying ahead of the positioning curve. Using B2B models, corporations face an easier entry point, as companies are able to outsource more easily. Bargaining power of Suppliers (Low): The power of suppliers is limited and has been determined to be in the hands of the automaker, who chooses to do business with the supplier. If the automaker were to dispose of the supplier, the supplier may be left in a troubled situation. As a result it is important as a supplier to reach and maintain demands/requirements of the purchasing partner. Bargaining power of Buyers (High): The automotive industry faces a great amount of bargaining power by buyers with their influence in automobile prices. With such a competitive market, prices are based on supply and demand. With real time access to information such as research and design, buyer power will begin to increase. Threat of Substitutes (High):  Based on the automakers target market, the threat of substitutes may be a concern. Substitutes include public transit, airplanes, or possibly a competing company who manufactures a different style automobile. Gas prices also act as an influence to substitutes, as one car may cost less than another based on fuel needs. Competitive Rivalry within the industry (Low): The automotive industry is an oligopoly, where the industry is controlled by a small group of firms/corporations. Price based competition is not the focus of competition, but emphasis in value added services have grown with automobile corporations. future possible state Businesses worldwide now use B2B e-commerce to buy over a trillion dollars in goods and services yearly (Boeth, 2009). By shifting the B2B automotive network to a cloud based environment, the future industry can expect reduced costs. Social networking tools are more readily available to help improve alliances and cooperation amongst trading partners worldwide. As technology continues to advance, communication structures enhance communication security, enabling industries such as the automotive sector to share confidential information securely. With an emphasis on an organizations bottom line structure, the practice of outsourcing operations to emerging countries such as India and China is increasing. The future success of B2B in the automotive sector rests within its ability to connect the online marketplace with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. With the use of ERP platforms, costs an organization may incur can be reduced, while improving inventory management and developing positive global relationships around the world. toyota motor corporation: swot analysis A SWOT analysis is used to establish the efficiency of e-commerce within Toyota Motor Corporation, as well as any potential improvements that can be implemented. strengths Toyota Motor Corporation is an established international company and a manufacturing leader in the automotive industry. This allows its efforts in electronic commerce to be powerfully employed. The corporation is specialists in integrating B2B and B2C e-commerce into its business activities. The formation and employment of QR codes has provided TMC with a considerable lead in the automotive industry, ultimately decreasing costs and generating greater efficiency. The companys online showroom allows potential consumers to view the vehicles in customized forms by changing colour and allowing them to read up on added accessories and interior details. These showrooms ultimately promote purchase decisions. By using the internet, TMC has efficiently implemented online storefronts for vehicle purchasing. Toyota also has a strong system of reusing and salvaging parts through the use of e-commerce. Used parts are sold on the web through distributors, as seen in Appendix C. weaknesses Although the company has implemented online showrooms, consumers are unable to make the final purchase. The online storefront allows consumers to select and research the vehicle they wish to purchase, but cannot do so without visiting a certified dealership which they are shown at the end of their purchasing decision. There is room for more advancement in the e-commerce world by allowing consumers to search, purchase, and have a vehicle delivered to the home, ultimately eliminating the absolute need for a brick-and-mortar dealership where the purchasing process is traditionally completed. opportunities Continual international growth through e-commerce is attainable. There is demand for environmentally friendly vehicles, an area of strength for Toyota. By recognizing the extent of this demand, Toyota can use e-commerce to exploit it through online advertising and promotions (Bradbury, 2010). The internet has a great potential in reaching large audiences effectively while being efficient for both the seller and buyer, therefore marketing opportunities are forever huge. There is also room for improvement in regards to manufacturing efficiency by developing social networking concepts and mobile computing practices in order to strengthen relationships with suppliers and buyers. threats The external environment is what ultimately provides threats to any particular business, and Toyota is not an exception. These threats can fall into several categories including; reduced demand for the offered products, inability to meet consumer needs, and competition. Higher gas prices affects the demand for vehicles, making e-commerce efforts which have been promoting growth within TMC, become less effective (Bradbury, 2010). Competition in the automotive industry in respect to e-commerce is major, therefore Toyota must be sure to continuously improve and keep up-to-date with its rivals in terms of e-commerce implementation. By doing so, TMCs efforts in the e-commerce perspective will not be undermined. firm industry e-commerce effectiveness Improvements The Toyota Production System (TPS), also known as lean manufacturing, has become a system looked up to by the automotive industry and has also been implemented into a range of industries on a global scale. This lean initiative not only dominates the automotive industry but has recently has gone beyond the shop floor to white-collar offices and is even spreading to service industries (Likert, 2006). The recognition comes from the fact that with the use of TPS, Toyota continues to produce high quality vehicles faster and for less cost than most of its competition, which results in greater overall profits. They also manage more new vehicle launches annually than most of their competitors, thus creating a steady flow of high quality new products to meet consumer demand (Likert, 2006). Alan Miialty, who took over as CEO of Ford in 2006 was quoted the following about TMC, Theyre arguably the finest manufacturing company in the world, Ive been a student of the Toyota Production System for m y 37 years at Boeing. Ive been to Japan 47 times (Chappell, 2007). Underlying the Toyota Production System are the involvements of people, processes and technology. The Toyota Production System requires underlying principles that effectively integrate many aspects of the organization including people, processes and technology. Toyota is able to accomplish this by creating a learning culture across the organization to include continual, comprehensive, and coordinated effort for change and learning across the organization (Likert, 2006). The use of e-commerce initiatives has contributed to the success of the Toyota Production System. Planning Perspective CEO John Henke Jr. surveyed 231 Tier 1 suppliers, where suppliers graded six automakers based on categories such as: willingness to help suppliers cut costs, pay suppliers for cancelled programs and reward top suppliers with new business (Sherefkin, 2009). Although Toyota has always finished with top marks historically, Honda recently dethroned them in a North American survey as having the best supplier relations in the annual ranking. Honda, Toyota and Nissan remain above the industry average in supplier relations, while the Detroit 3 are below average (Sherefkin, 2009). Toyota engages e-commerce tools such as Covisint to emphasize its relationship management with its suppliers. As studies have shown, large hub firms are able to exercise power over their tier 1 (direct) suppliers (spoke firms) with an estimated 80% to 90% of tier 1 suppliers receiving or using EDI i n Australia (Tanewski et al., 2003). Although Covisint has focused on using XML Technology rather EDI (Tierney, 2004), the examples from Australia show the willingness of business-to-business e-commerce with both OEM manufacturers and suppliers. The use of Covisint allows Toyota to share information electronically with its tier 1 suppliers with lower transaction cost, therefore maintaining its lean production system. The transaction cost perspective is that the firm focus on more than just production costs, but also the associated transaction costs to do business, which include all search and information costs, as well as the costs of monitoring and enforcing contractual performance (Robins, 1987: 69). Prior to the development of Covisint, suppliers were using multiple software packages and file exchange formats to communicate with the different OEM manufacturers for engineering design information (Tanewski et al, 2003). This problem was addressed within the framework of Covisint en suring the benefits of this e-commerce exchange to be benefitted by all its members. Suppliers like Denso, makers of components for fuel saving hybrids, have also flourished due to their cooperation with of Toyota and will likely continue as they strive to become more of a global player. President Koichi Fukaya of Denso recently stated, Its Toyota first, Toyota is our biggest shareholder and originally like our father. Toyota holds a 21 percent stake in Denso and accounts for half of the auto suppliers sales (Greimel, 2007). Keeping close contact with trading-partners like suppliers and information systems portals like Covisint, as well as industry groups has been extremely helpful for manufacturers to lower its costs. Only in this way can manufacturer avoid very costly or rush projects necessary to stay in step with the industry and its customers (Piszczalski, 2003). Covisint has capitalized with the use of the internet to ensure these multi-million dollar auctions run more efficiently. By utilizing the internet compared to traditional fax machine based communicatio n, online auctions can be finished in as little as 10 minutes. Typically, Covisints average auction lasts about 45 minutes, and allows suppliers to instantly see what others are bidding so they know how much to adjust their own price (Loftus, 2002). The ability to see the pricing of other suppliers have both positive and negative impact, as the speed of these auctions, suppliers are warned to know what their lowest possible bid will be before an auctionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ as there is hardly enough time to crunch the numbers if the prep work hasnt been done (Loftus, 2002). Significant savings can be realized by Toyota through the online auction function, as well as the progression into paperless purchasing transactions. In 2001, Ford revealed that it had conducted 65 online auctions for the year. The auctions helped Ford save about 19 percent, or $38 million, on purchases worth $200 million (Sedgwick, 2001). The growth of Covisint will only help facilitate greater cooperation and adaptation from both OEM manufacturers and its suppliers in all tier levels. In turn all the manufacturers involved, including Toyota, will realize greater profitability and faster production time. Toyota Motor corporation: e-commerce key concepts Toyota Motor Corporation has exemplified in the field of e-commerce. The corporation has implemented e-commerce concepts targeted towards maintaining strong relationships with their consumers, suppliers, and buyers. TMC has included B2B as well as B2C uses in their e-commerce activities. With the use of business plans, business cases, revenue models and value propositions, TMC has strived towards achieving business goals, benefits, and revenue growth. Aside from Toyotas involvement in Covisint, Toyota has generated their own line of electronic marketplaces targeted for private, public, and consortia sources. Toyotas involvement in business-to-business e-commerce includes transactions for direct materials. Common direct materials purchased and supplied by Toyota include automotive parts for the production of vehicles. Toyotas e-commerce trades are based on vertical marketplaces as they are dealt with only the automotive industry. In the year 2000, Toyota Motor Corporation announced that they would not conduct affiliated e-commerce practices. Based on Toyotas marketplace position, the internet as a middleman was not required, rather they would pursue in the intention of independent business-to-consumer e-commerce activities (Greenberg, 2000). The e-Toyota division was created in January 2002 with intentions of strengthening Toyotas B2C relationship. e-Toyotas components included TID (Toyota Internet Drive) and GAZOO.com (Fujitsu). An illustration of TID can be found in Appendix D. GAzzo.com Toyotas approach of business-to-consumer activities increased during the launch of GAZOO.com. GAZOO, an independent B2C website created by Toyota, was targeted towards prospective and current Toyota consumers. The website offers browsers e-tailing, internet malls, communication forums, vehicle information and much more (Toyota, 2002). Its plans included expanding into online brokering, financing, insurance, and dealers for future automobile purchases. GAZOO developers focused on creating a membership based website, where users obtained free membership by trading personal information. Based on data-mining techniques, Toyota discovered that 13.6 percent of website visitors purchased a Toyota vehicle within 6 months of accessing the webpage (Greenberg, 2000). Towards the end of the year 2000, GAZOOs membership numbers hiked to approximately one million, from its previous 430,000 in the end of 1999. Projected e-commerce revenues by 2003 were US$5billion (Greenberg, 2000). environmental initiative Toyota does not come short when working towards saving the environment. In 2001 Toyota announced their newest B2B e-commerce program. With the use of exchanges and auctioning, Toyotas recycling initiative introduced its promotion for reusing repaired/replaced automotive parts (Toyota, 2011). Used parts are sold nationwide online through part distributers. Appendix C illustrates Toyotas strategy in using e-commerce as part of its recycling initiative. G-book The development of Toyotas G-BOOK in Japan, which was based off of GAZOO, enabled subscribers to connect with navigation, news, weather, entertainment and much more (Toyota, 2002). G-BOOKs design provided information through wireless terminals connected to the Toyota vehicle internally. The technology was later introduced in both Toyota and Lexus line of vehicles. Its e-commerce component included its storefront for purchasing merchandise from GAZOOs Internet mall. e-crb (customer relationship building) Toyota Motor Corporation announced in e-CRB (customer relationship building) in 2004, serving as an e-commerce version for CRM (customer relationship management) (Toyota, 2004). The initiative was based on the G-BOOK technology. The objective of e-CRB was defined as improving the customer service relationships between dealers and consumers. e-CRB focused on improving customer service between the two parties, no matter their location in the world. Community activities Toyota Motor Corporation stands strong behind their motto Make Things Better (Toyota, 2011). Online and offline, Toyota has continued to portray a positive image in involvement in a range of activities affecting the future of the well being of others. According to Toyota Motor Corporations corporate website, the following are examples of Toyotas community involvements: Educational Contributions (ie. Scholarships, improvements) Safety Contributions (Rehabilitation clinics) Special Olympics Canada National Games Environmental Initiatives Volunteering Conclusion This

Ethics Paper (Google)

Individual Paper Google: The Quest to Balance Privacy with Profits Amanda Green MGT 308 Professor Vidal March 19, 2013 Background Since its birth over a decade ago, Google has been on the cutting edge of internet technological innovation, and more recently, consumer electronics and productivity tools. Many faithful Google users praise the company for the ease of use of their products, and for the number of free virtual products the company offers (Google. com, Google+, Gmail, Google Docs, Chrome, Youtube etc†¦).In order for Google to offer a variety of â€Å"free† virtual products, they must sell ad space to other companies to be featured within Google products, such as their free search engine Google. com. In 2000, Google introduced a new way to capitalize on its advertising revenues by using a different way of selling ad space, AdWords. With this method of advertising, companies only pay when a user actually clicks on their advertisement. The users’ searches can also be tracked and advertisements related to the search words will be displayed to the user.Methods like this are both profitable for the company and for Google because it allows the ads to better reach the target audience. Although from a corporate point of view this method seems ideal, some users have taken a great concern with how their personal internet patterns are being used to Google’s advantage, thus causing a user privacy conflict. Although some users are comfortable with this method, in the past few years, Google’s privacy policy issue has been placed under an ethical spotlight, and the company continues to face many challenges not only with consumers, but also with government regulations.Great Power; Greater Responsibility? Being one of the most valuable brands in the world, Google has an inherent responsibility to use their power to improve the lives of their many stake holders. These stake holders include employees, investors, advertisers, and most import antly their consumers. Because of their unique work environment, Google employees seem to be a pleased stakeholder group. Google has gone above and beyond many companies to create an unmatched work environment and benefits for their employees.With many perks such as a massage every other week, free gourmet lunches, an outdoor volleyball court, roller hockey, tuition reimbursement, bring your pet to work, and discounts on solar panels, it is obvious that Google is a place anyone would aspire to work at. But a happy employee does not necessarily mean a happy consumer. Google profits from user satisfaction and loyalty to their services and products. Recently this user satisfaction has been over shadowed by user doubt and concern. In fact, 52 percent of Google users have some concerns about their privacy on the site.The user privacy policy Google currently has in place is thought, by many users, to be confusing and is often times over looked. This privacy statement explains to users tha t their personal information is tracked and collected by Google. On the other hand, some consumers feel that use of their personal information is a small price to pay in exchange for using their superior services. Perhaps, in the case of their customer stakeholders, Google needs to look at the privacy issue from an ethical point of view rather than a profitable point of view.Google should go above and beyond to insure consumer privacy and understanding, rather than using a passive method. Given their large amount of resources it seems reasonable that Google should create a privacy policy that all of its users can fully understand. An increased corporate transparency will create more trust and loyalty in Google and their products and services. If the users are happy then a domino effect will be created and advertisers will keep and strong faith and trust in Google, as will their investors.The Balance between Consumer Privacy and Corporate Profitability Due to a rapidly developing tec hnological world, many tech companies are being faced with issues concerning consumer privacy and safety. With every advance in technology there comes a risk. In Google’s case, they have been able to collect consumer information, most of the time without the consumers’ knowledge, and use it to their advantage in selling ad space to advertisers. Google holds strong that this information is kept confidential and over time becomes anonymous.Although Google does take its users privacy seriously, some users still think it is unethical for Google to use their personal information and internet browsing habits for profit. Perhaps, one of the best ways Google could work to create a balance between privacy and profit is to allow users easy access to the information that Google has collected about them. This way users could know exactly what information is being used my Google for advertisement profits.If a consumer is uncomfortable with this, they could opt out of using Googleâ €™s services. Google could also provide a service in which consumers could pay a low monthly fee to insure that their personal information and internet activity is not tracked or collected by Google. In any situation, Google should continue to contribute large amounts of their resources to security innovation, in order to insure that users’ personal information is kept safe from computer hackers. Effects of Government Internet Privacy RegulationAs Google experienced in China, government regulations can be detrimental to not only their profits, but a contradiction to Google’s key principles. When Google was forced by the Chinese government to censor certain internet sites, Google felt this was against their key principles. So in 2012 Google decided to provide a warning for users when a search term might encounter censorship. The Chinese government did not approve of this, so Google moved on to Hong Kong and lost their major market share of Chinese internet users.The Third Party Doctrine and the United States Patriot Act is a governmental issue that has caused weariness for users. Under the Patriot Act, the U. S. government could, by law, subpoena the personal information Google has collected about its users, even though Google assures its users that their information is kept confidential. Other governmental policies Google is facing are privacy audits done by the FTC. These audits could actually prove to be a positive opportunity for Google to improve on their privacy controls and regain faith of their users.In order for Google to comply with new and future government regulations, they must be flexible and find ways to insure user privacy and safety before it becomes an issue, as it has in the past couple of years. Conclusion: Although Google has been under an ethical spot light in recent years, they should continue to use their innovative resources to provide consumers with cutting edge services and products. The privacy policy changes they s hould make will challenge the ways they have been conducting business the past two decades.However, it will be essential that Google takes ethical steps to regain faith, trust and loyalty of their consumers. In the rapidly changing world of technology, Google will need to find ethical ways to be ahead of the game, rather than bending and pushing the internet privacy rules. References Sawayda J. (2012). Google: The Quest to Balance Privacy with Profits. Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative. Retrieved from http://danielsethics. mgt. unm. edu/

To what extent and in what ways is Fitzgerald purely critical of Gatsby?

Dreams are a large part of â€Å"The Great Gatsby†, both in the wider sense and in terms of individuals, and Gatsby is the character whose dream is focussed on the most. It is difficult to tell what Fitzgerald truly thinks, due to the fact that he uses Nick as the narrator – meaning the reader finds it hard to separate their feelings. However, by looking at how he presents the characters in the novel, and the society as a whole, we can perhaps see what Fitzgerald thinks about Gatsby's dreams in the novel. Fitzgerald's views are presented ambiguously in the novel, with the comparison to the rest of society being the main point against the title views, and the presentation of Daisy and materialism perhaps being the main arguments to support the statement in the title. One way in which Fitzgerald shows his views to the reader is in his presentation of Gatsby's dream itself, otherwise known as Daisy. From the beginning of the novel, she is presented by Fitzgerald as a rather annoying, simple character who seems to have very few redeeming qualities about her other than her looks. From her simple and repeated dialogue â€Å"Do you always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it? I always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it†, the reader is made to feel that Daisy has very little substance to her character, with the exception of her â€Å"low, thrilling† voice. Despite the reader having a screen in front of Fitzgerald's viewpoint in terms of Nick as the narrator, who clearly Fitzgerald intends to show as somewhat drawn to Daisy, we are still able to see that the only characteristics of Daisy's that are praised seem to be superficial. Therefore, when we are told that this woman has been Gatsby's dream and who he has built his life around for the past five years, it perhaps makes us question whether Fitzgerald is trying to portray Daisy as worthwhile of this dedication. This doubt arises I feel that if Fitzgerald was applauding Gatsby's dream of Daisy, he perhaps may have presented her as a more likeable, intelligent character with qualities that could easily be admired universally. As a result of this portrayal of Daisy, I believe it shows Fitzgerald to be mainly critical of Gatsby and his dream. However, this could depend on the era that the individual is based in – readers today could find Daisy as more of an annoyance due to the change in women's roles, in that today women are far more independent and take far more responsibility than they did in the 1920's. Daisy's apparent simple nature may therefore annoy modern readers more than in the past as we are less able to understand that this was how women were expected to be in the 1920's. Nevertheless, even taking these time changes into account I believe that Fitzgerald still intended Daisy to appear perhaps lacking in typical good qualities to highlight a potential point about Gatsby's dream. However, Daisy's apparent lack of appeal as a character could be used by Fitzgerald to portray Gatsby's dream in a better light, if we look from the angle of his loyalty to Daisy. The way that Gatsby has stayed so faithful and loyal to his dream to be with Daisy, despite (in our eyes) the fact that she is not worth it, could show that Fitzgerald is praising his dream as a cause of this admirable quality in Gatsby's character. This would go against the statement that Fitzgerald is purely critical of his dreams, as it would imply that they bring out the best in people. However, the other interpretation of Gatsby's loyalty could support the title statement, as Fitzgerald at times implies that Gatsby is foolish for holding on to the memory of Daisy, and building her up to such a high status in his mind. An example of this is when Fitzgerald writes â€Å"and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath†. Although it is implied that it is Gatsby who says the words, I still believe it shows Fitzgerald's dislike of Gatsby's attitude towards Daisy by making the phrase so exaggerated – it implies that he is blinded by his past perceptions of her, in addition to the actual phrase that seems to imply Gatsby is foolish for putting all his hopes into someone who could leave him. I believe that in this way Fitzgerald is criticising Gatsby's dream because of how he holds it in his mind and how it affects him. Another aspect that could show that Fitzgerald is critical is how he links Gatsby's dream of Daisy to material objects and status. Throughout the novel, he creates the impression that these two things are intertwined in Gatsby's mind with his dream of being with Daisy. He describes her voice as â€Å"full of money†, and shows off his house to her, lingering on his wardrobe with the â€Å"pile of shirts [†¦ ] in many coloured disarray†. The first quote shows how Gatsby links Daisy with money in his mind, and as a result of this Fitzgerald makes the reader question whether it is really Daisy he wants or if it is the social status that she represents to him. The close link to materialism in his dream can also be seen in the section where Gatsby shows Daisy his shirts, where he is literally trying to prove himself to her using what he owns. They are even described as a â€Å"rich heap†, which I believe could be a play on words by Fitzgerald – obviously â€Å"rich† in terms of the colours of the shirts, but also literally â€Å"rich† as perhaps this is what the shirts mean to the characters. The description is also given as a list – the frequent repetition of the word â€Å"and† in the paragraph also implies that Gatsby is showing off as much of his material worth as he can. I think both of these things are a criticism of Gatsby's dream by Fitzgerald, as it seems as if he is trying to say that this love he has had for Daisy all these years is really fuelled by status and money – a criticism because it therefore becomes even less of a worthwhile dream. It also appears to be critical as these links would imply that Gatsby has spent all this time chasing after a somewhat empty dream, as he has money and a certain amount of status in his community. It could also give the impression that Fitzgerald feels that Gatsby may never feel that his dream has been completely fulfilled if it is status that he wishes to have. This point could be linked to Fitzgerald's overall views about dreams in America at that point, as he could be trying to say that these people who think that material objects and status will make them happy (perhaps those people who were or are enticed by a vision of the American Dream) will never be truly happy as there will always be somebody richer, more popular or at a higher status than themselves. If the reader links this point to Fitzgerald's feelings about Gatsby's dream, it would indicate that he is critical of it for the most part. A second quote that could show that Fitzgerald is critical of this intense build-up of dreams is on page 93; â€Å"No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man can store up in his ghostly heart†. I believe that this quote is Fitzgerald telling the reader that what is there in reality can never match our dreams – in Gatsby's case, that the real life Daisy can never live up to the image he has stored of her in his heart and mind, the realistic approach being represented by the â€Å"fire† and â€Å"freshness†. Again, I believe that this is also referring to dreams in general, and how it is so often the case that dreams are not always so amazing in reality, and can often disappoint – and could perhaps be a specific reference to the â€Å"American Dream† and how, for many people, this is not as amazing as it is built up to be when achieved. This seems critical from Fitzgerald, both of Gatsby's dream and of dreams universally as he appears to be making the point that dreams are often built up and aimed too high – perhaps giving false hope. Although there are many aspects throughout the book that indicate Fitzgerald is solely critical of Gatsby's dream, by giving us the comparison to the rest of the East Coast society, parts of the novel seem to be suggesting that this is not the case. Throughout the novel, the residents of the East and West Eggs have been presented by Fitzgerald as very materialistic – living for objects, and trivial gossip, rather than people or feelings. Mrs Wilson describes how she knew Mr Wilson wasn't right for her when she discovered he had â€Å"borrowed somebody's best suit† to get married in – showing the focus on objects rather than feelings in the society. Therefore, amongst the gossiping and whispering (for example at Gatsby's parties), to have Gatsby focused on someone and loyal to someone for an extended period of time makes for a very refreshing comparison. Fitzgerald is therefore showing to the reader how having dreams can make you a better person, and almost more real in comparison to the rest of the society, which has been portrayed as somewhat fake by Fitzgerald. In this sense, it would go against the statement that Fitzgerald is purely critical of Gatsby's dream, as this seem to be a positive side to his dreams. Another element of the novel that could be seen to contradict the title statement is also a comparison between Gatsby and the rest of the East Coast society. We are shown throughout the novel how many of the residents do not seem to care about anything, anyone or consequences of their actions. An example of this is Jordan, who confesses to Nick that she feels she can avoid being careful whilst driving because â€Å"other people will keep out of† her way. This shows a disregard for the consequences of her actions and of other people and can be seen to be representative of many of the upper class people on the East Coast – expecting everyone else to comply with the rules and regulations but disregarding them themselves. Again, in this way Gatsby is definitely a contrast – he obviously cares about something, which is the first main difference that I believe Fitzgerald wants us to see. In addition to this, Gatsby has been shown to think very carefully about the consequences of his actions – for example when he re-enters Nick's house after Daisy arrives to make it appear as if he has not been waiting. Whilst this could be seen as somewhat calculating, I believe Fitzgerald intended it as another comparison to the rest of society, as it again uplifting for the reader to see that at least one character is concerned about the effect his actions might have on others. This once more shows that the effect of Gatsby having a bigger dream and ambition in his life has led to him seemingly being portrayed as a better person. This aspect of the comparison would also contradict the title statement, as to me it seems that Fitzgerald wished for this positive difference to be shown – meaning that he would not be purely critical of Gatsby's dreams. A view that Fitzgerald seems to put across to contradict the belief that he is purely critical is when he links dreaming and dreams to vitality and life. More than once in the novel he describes Gatsby in terms of the life Daisy seems to give him – describing the â€Å"colossal vitality† of his dream and the two of them as â€Å"possessed by intense life†. Both of these quotes seem to imply that Fitzgerald dreaming is natural, and is almost what makes you human. More specifically, the way that Fitzgerald implies that reaching his dream has given Gatsby life makes it seem as if we are completed by our dreams and that finally having Daisy in his life has completed Gatsby. Considering that Gatsby has already what many people might dream of – a lot of money and a mansion, the fact that it has taken his sentimental dream based on feelings and love to give him life seems a very positive view from Fitzgerald. It also links to the earlier comparison between Gatsby and the rest of the East Coast society that we view, as this clearly shows that Gatsby puts more emphasis on emotions and feelings than many of the other people. These quotes from the book could possibly be taken as negative, as it could perhaps be seen as somewhat pathetic that Gatsby relies on somebody else (and, as mentioned earlier, particularly Daisy) to complete his happiness, meaning that Fitzgerald would perhaps view Gatsby as foolish. However, I believe that the way Fitzgerald has tried to make Gatsby's dreams and feelings seem more natural are a direct pointer to how dreaming is a part of human nature, and as such, he is not criticising Gatsby's dream at this point. Due to Fitzgerald's seeming disregard for Daisy in the novel, I believe that he is critical of Gatsby's dream to be with her. However, I believe the other aspects of his presentation linking to dreams in a wider context prevent this view from seeming as if he is purely critical of it – the way that he suggests dreams are important to human nature and separate Gatsby from the crowd imply that Fitzgerald finds dreaming admirable, to an extent. For him to be purely critical I believe that he would have to feel purely critical of dreaming in general, which I believe not to be the case. Therefore, I believe the conclusion that Fitzgerald is critical to an extent is far more feasible and takes into account the more positive aspects of dreaming that he seems to incorporate and believe in.

What Is the Next Ontario Provincial Election Date

Canadian law sets fixed dates for many provincial elections. Ontarios general elections are held every four years on the first Thursday in June. Date of the Next Ontario Election The next election will be on or before June 2, 2022. How Ontario Election Dates are Decided Ontario has fixed dates for general elections. In 2016, a bill moved the election from the previous date in October in order to avoid conflicting with municipal elections. Previously, the dates of the election were fixed by the Election Statute Law Amendment Act, 2005. There are exceptions to Ontarios fixed election dates: If the fixed election date is not suitable because it is a day of cultural or religious significance, then an alternate election date is chosen from the seven dates after the Thursday that would otherwise be election day.If the government loses a non-confidence vote in the legislative assembly triggering an election. This can happen quite easily with a minority government.If the decides to dissolve the legislature. In Ontario general elections, voters in each district or â€Å"riding† elect members to the Legislative Assembly, Ontario uses a Westminster-style parliamentary government, like at the federal level in Canada. The Premier (Ontarios head of government) and the Executive Council of Ontario are then appointed by the Legislative Assembly based on majority support. The Official Opposition is the largest party not in control of the government, with its leader recognized as Leader of the Opposition by the Speaker.