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Paula L Kozak commented on the post, 10 Tips for More Effective PowerPoint Presentation, on the site 9 years, 4 months ago
I really liked this article and agree that it will be helpful to all of us when it comes time to give our final presentations. I can’t remember the last time I did not have a PowerPoint presentation in a class and I’m sure they will continue to be relevant throughout our careers. I believe that we should keep all of these aspects in mind when des…[Read more]
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Paula L Kozak wrote a new post on the site MIS4596 Section 2 Spring 2015 9 years, 4 months ago
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Paula L Kozak commented on the post, Are millennials missing out by scrapping cable TV subscriptions?, on the site 9 years, 4 months ago
I think this is a very interesting topic, especially because it is so relevant to all of us. I have personally become one of those millennials that has given up the cable ecosystem to use products like Xfinity, Netflix, and Hulu. As is true with any disruption, I feel like this is too hard to predict because it is very dependent upon the…[Read more]
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Paula L Kozak commented on the post, Weekly Question #7: Complete by March 27, 2017, on the site 9 years, 4 months ago
Everything this article mentions seems to be an effective way to increase the productivity of a meeting. I personally think that shortening a meeting would definitely be the most effective. From my corporate experience at past internships meetings were often a little too long, addressed unnecessary topics, and rarely solved the problem that needed…[Read more]
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Paula L Kozak wrote a new post on the site MIS4596 Section 2 Spring 2015 9 years, 5 months ago
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Paula, I really liked this article. At my internship at QVC, managers would hold, or were supposed to hold, monthly one-on-one meetings with their team member. This would have been a better time to raise these topics than during a performance review. So, to answer your question, I do not think raising these issues during a performance review would be a great idea. Discussing them during a more “relaxed” time would probably be better. The nature of the questions the article raises, where the employee is basically reviewing the boss is, I think, a great idea. Relationships and performances within a company should be a two-way street. Unfortunately that’s not always the case, so I think some of these questions they suggest asking your superiors are a little far fetched. If you develop a good relationship with your boss and that individual is a little more “down to earth”, you might have a good chance asking these questions “off the record” maybe during a more personal time like lunch.
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I really enjoyed this article and found it very interesting! Ideally, I think it is a great idea to address all 7 aspects in a performance review because I think it would help the boss-employee relationship. This method gets everything out in the open so the boss knows the employee’s goals and vice versa. As a professional that will be in this situation in less than a year, I know I’d love to collect all this feedback. However, I cannot see this type of in depth performance review if it is done more than twice a year because this type of review sounds extremely timely.
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This was a really interesting article to read. I enjoyed it because it made me think about performance reviews that I’ve had in the past. However, to answer your question, I think that it’s really important to talk to your manager or boss and present them with some ways they could improve. I’m sure a lot of us have been in a leadership role at least once in our lives. As a leader, you want to best effort and the best performance from your team. If you were leading your team in the wrong direction, you would want them to speak up and let you know. This would only enhance the performance of your team and even the leadership abilities of yourself. I also think it’s important to think of how these people are in these positions. A lot of times, you don’t just step into a leadership role. In order to get there you have to face much criticism and be able to respond in a good way. I think by offering your opinion to your boss on some ways they could improve shows that you care about the direction the team is heading and you also care about the well rounded abilities of them as a person.
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I think it is important to commuixcate with your boss as opposed to saving that conversation for a single performance review. It becomes near impossible for a manager to truly provide the amount of though and effort a employee deserves when trying to better themselves in the work environment. There are most likely other employees your manager is trying to evaluate at the time of a companies performance review and this will only detract from the amount of attention they can provide you. With constant communication of your goals with your manager it becomes a much more likely situation of receiving the attention you deserve.
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Paula L Kozak commented on the post, Why Businesses Should Rethink The Annual Performance Review, on the site 9 years, 5 months ago
I would have to agree with your first statement about performance reviews being awkward. As a whole I think performance reviews are pretty ineffective, unless both the manager and the employee are dedicated to them and also if a good performance review structure is already set in place by the organization. However, I do believe that performance…[Read more]
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Paula L Kozak commented on the post, Disruptive Innovation Held Back by Regulation? , on the site 9 years, 5 months ago
I think the relationship between disruptive innovations and regulations is a very interesting topic. I just recently posted an article about how autonomous cars could be held back by regulations, just like the ResearchKit might be. After reading a lot about the topic, it appears that every disruptive innovation probably faced some hurdles with…[Read more]
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Paula L Kozak wrote a new post on the site MIS4596 Section 2 Spring 2015 9 years, 5 months ago
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Paula L Kozak commented on the post, Progress Report for Week Ending, March 22, on the site 9 years, 5 months ago
When it comes to the disruptive innovations we covered in class I believe that autonomous cars might have the possibility of becoming the most disruptive if they are successfully constructed. However, you make an interesting point about road regulations and this is also why I think autonomous cars might fail in taking over the car industry as a…[Read more]
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Paula L Kozak commented on the post, Progress Report for Week Ending, March 22, on the site 9 years, 5 months ago
I think smart home technology could be a nightmare or simply a reality. As technology becomes more advanced, so do the security issues that arise. When I think of having a smart home today, it scares me a lot more than it appeals to me. While there are the benefits of never having to drive back home to make sure I turned the oven or the coffee…[Read more]
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Paula L Kozak wrote a new post on the site MIS4596 Section 2 Spring 2015 9 years, 5 months ago
By now we all know what disruptive innovation is, but how can we define what it is not? In this article titled, “No, Everything Cool Isn’t a Disruptive Innovation” Ryan Scott, the CEO of causecast, provides us with a definition of what disruptive innovation is not: “Being better than what currently exists, or being cooler, faster, based around a more advanced technology or any new technology at all” (Johnson, 2015). Instead of simply being better the author of the article finds interest in the disruptive innovations that have some social impact and try to improve the world. This kind of social disruption also has a name, it is called catalytic innovation. He provides examples of this innovation such as: the MinuteClinic and a new model for vaccine development to address meningitis epidemics. However, the issue that arises is that not enough resources are allocated to the businesses that try to spark catalytic innovation. Instead the availability of these resources is found in companies that are trying to make things cooler, faster, and more advanced. As business students I think we should consider disruptive innovations and hope that one day we will be able to involve ourselves in creating one, but more importantly be conscious of what we are disrupting. Will our disruption really make a difference? Will it improve the world and save lives? This brings me to the question of our case analysis presentations on disruptive innovation. Are the different disruptions we focused on really changing the world? What can companies like Google, Apple, Amazon etc. do to focus more on catalytic innovations?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ryan-scott/no-everything-cool-isnt-a_b_6804316.html
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This is one of the most interesting articles that I was able to read. The article introduces a new topic, “catalytic innovation,” that goes very well with the recent class discussions. Catalytic innovation can be defined as the phenomenon of using technology or innovation in general to improve the life of people and have a social impact. I totally agree with the author’s concerns on the limited resources for creating things that would benefit the world. I also agree with questions raised by Paula about the role of technology giants in creating products and services that would improve the lives of people.
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Paula L Kozak wrote a new post on the site MIS4596 Section 2 Spring 2015 9 years, 5 months ago
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Paula L Kozak wrote a new post on the site MIS4596 Section 2 Spring 2015 9 years, 6 months ago
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Paula L Kozak commented on the post, Happy Birthday SNL // the typists from the Carol Burnett show, on the site 9 years, 6 months ago
Talk about transformation! Going from Iphones to automobiles is a huge step and making a self-driving automobile is even bigger. I’ve also read a few articles relating to the topic of Apple transforming into an automobile company. Supposedly, it is a very feasible project because Apple has the resources, funds, and expertise to invest in this p…[Read more]
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Paula L Kozak wrote a new post on the site MIS4596 Section 2 Spring 2015 9 years, 6 months ago
Remember RadioShack? The 94 year-old electronics store was a promising business in its time. It was one of the first stores that sold computers to the masses and carried electronic calculators back in 1977. But, that was a long time ago. The last time I was at a RadioShack was in 7th grade to get my first phone and I am guessing most of you can say the same. RadioShack has a serious problem, it has failed to transform its business and stay relevant in the market. The rise of e-commerce effected many electronic stores like Circuit City and Best Buy alike. Best Buy, however, found a successful way to stay alive by bringing customers into their stores through price-matching. While, RadioShack has made it this far, after 11 years of consecutive losses it filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. The company also sold 2,400 of its stores to Sprint and Standard General. RadioShack has been in serious financial trouble before, but was able to stay alive with help from shareholders. This seems to be the case once again because this overwhelming loss for RadioShack is supposedly not the end. RadioShack will continue to operate through the Chapter 11 process and will go through massive restructuring. In this situation RadioShack has no choice but to completely transform its business. If RadioShack was able to transform its business back when Best Buy did it might still be thriving today. But is it too late? Do you think RadioShack missed its opportunity to successfully transform its business or is there still hope? What do you think it would need to do in order to initiate a successful transformation?
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I believe RadioShack is in a dying industry. There are many reasons why, as the internet has expanded and more and more online business come along, companies like RadioShack, BlockBuster and Circuit City has demished. Think of it this way, people don’t like to waste time. Our lives depend on how fast is the process and is there a quicker way. And now with the internet there is a quicker way. Technology is in our hands. Cell phone has really hurt the industry because people can buy stuff from there phone in seconds. I also believe people buy stuff from online because they can compare prices and see review on product. I would rather save time and order something online and with good reviews rather than go to RadioShack and pay double the price for a product that might die the next day. I feel RadioShack needs to invent a new way to market themselves. Like Best Buy has price match, I feel like RadioShack needs to go in that route. I would only go to RadioShack when I needed something urgently. I feel RadioShack has missed there opportunity and they will die out soon because they have nothing new to offer. Amazon and other eCommerce companies will continue to increase while stores will continue to decrease.
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Paula L Kozak wrote a new post on the site MIS4596 Section 2 Spring 2015 9 years, 6 months ago
A former Global CIO, Jeri Dunn, has a lot of experience leading large companies through system implementations. She became the CIO of Nestle in 1997. Her role involved the consolidation of Nestlé’s nine operating companies, the implementation of SAP, and numerous other tasks involved with these changes. After Nestlé’s implementation was completed she moved on to oversee similar projects at Tyson Foods and Bacardi Ltd. In this article Dunn is asked about the many challenges she faced in the implementation of IT projects. Dunn mentions many key challenges that we have discussed in class. During her implementation at Bacardi, she spent over 60% of her time relationship-building. As the CIO and an experienced implementer it was critical that Dunn had all of the top-level executives engaged in the IT strategy and vision. After reading this article I started to believe that the industries Dunn worked in would be considered “IT as an Engine Room”. In every implementation process Dunn works at a food/alcohol manufacturing company and her answers often related to the difficulty of making IT relevant in the business. A big problem she faced was adding value to the business, “Am I relevant to the business? Am I earning my seat at the table? Do my peers on the executive team want me in the room with them”(Deloitte Insights, 2014)?Dunn was able to stay strong when senior leadership wanted to cut training from budgets for the projects because she knew how critical it was for success. However, it appeared that IT was not as important to the business, which is why there was a focus on cutting-costs and not keeping training in the budgets. IT played a role of support and was only needed to keep these businesses running, not necessarily to innovate and design. After learning about IT’s role in a business, I wonder if Dunn would have provided different answers if IT was the business? What do you all think? Do you think that companies in which Dunn worked in had any effect on her outlook? Would you consider these companies to be labeled “IT as an Engine Room”?
http://deloitte.wsj.com/cio/2014/12/04/jeri-dunn-recalls-fun-days-as-a-global-cio/?KEYWORDS=ERP
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Paula L Kozak wrote a new post on the site MIS4596 Section 2 Spring 2015 9 years, 7 months ago
The article I read called “Twitter and Tumblr Leaders Ditch Phones to Combat Addiction”, refers to the everyday dependency and possible addiction of constant smart phone use. I was interested in this article because the use of smart phones and digital media is ubiquitous. It has become an accessible way to communicate and connect with the world, however, it has proven to become too invasive in our lives. According to a report from Ericsson Ab,” By 2020, 90 percent of the world’s population over 6-years-old will have a mobile phone” (Rahn & Mawad, 2014). While I don’t think this statistic is necessarily surprising it does go to show how the digital world is consuming reality. Even top executives from companies like Twitter and Tumblr are uneasy in the topic of digital dependency. Some believe that being able to take a “digital timeout” is extremely important in balancing their lives. The article mentions that the head of creative strategy for Yahoo, David Hayes, will go without his mobile phone for weeks in order to better experience reality. However, other top executives do not see this “digital timeout” as a necessity. The COO of Dropbox Inc., Dennis Woodside, never takes a break from his mobile technology. He believes that accessible information all the time can only be a good thing. While, I am not a top executive of a company I can definitely relate to digital dependency. In my opinion, I think a “digital timeout” can really be important to get back to reality. Instead of always looking through Twitter to find current news it might be more important to sit down and read a newspaper. On the other hand, the digital world can keep us well informed and connect us all over the world. I can definitely see the positives and negatives of digital dependency, but what do you all think? Do any of you believe that you are too digitally dependent? Have you ever tried to take a “digital timeout” or do you think that they aren’t really necessary? Why or why not?
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I think digital dependency is definitely an issue that will only get worse as time goes on. I can already see it affecting social norms at parties and other events. People rather surf Facebook/ Twitter/ Instagram/ etc than make small talk and enjoy real human interaction. As we become more connected with our devices this will probably become worst. I somewhat understand being constantly connected for a job, but when it comes to personal life a line has to be drawn. Digital timeout’s are an awesome solution that I personally employ, it is refreshing to get away from your device and the urge reach into your pocket. At first you may suffer from technology withdraw but after a while it becomes liberating. The timeout allows you to reconnect with yourself and your actual social circle.
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Paula L Kozak commented on the post, ICE 5.1 Telling a Story through Visualization, on the site 9 years, 7 months ago
I took an interest in the article you posted, especially in relation to student privacy. I found another article about the student privacy pledge, which Obama is endorsing. The Student Privacy Pledge ensures that companies who agree to the terms will protect the use of student’s personal information. The article includes the link to the p…[Read more]
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Stephanie A Kilroy and
Paula L Kozak are now friends 9 years, 7 months ago
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Paula L Kozak commented on the post, What is the most important…………?, on the site Industry Experience in MIS-SUM14 10 years, 2 months ago
Skills that I have found to be most important are technical skills in general, especially in the HR field where many individuals are not technical. Knowing SQL and other coding languages is very beneficial. At […]
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I wouldn’t be surprised if this became popular based on the Dre Beats model. While Dre Beats were not the first headphones to offer that level of quality audio, and there are other brands that make an even better headphone, they were able to market them in a hip way that made the younger generation desire them. This sounds like it will essentially be the same thing as Spotify, as there are not too many other directions you can take streaming music, but since it is endorsed by a pop icon I wouldn’t be surprised if it became successful. Young generations will pretty much hop on any trendy item and if Jay-Z aggressively promotes this I bet there will be some serious pushback on the current streaming options.
I definitely believe that Tidal can will overtake Spotify and Pandora and claim the role as the lead online music streaming service. Similar to what Tyler said, Tidal has many of today’s biggest music stars behind it such as Jay-Z, Usher, and Nicki Minaj. Tidal also holds many advantages for the consumer over the other online stream services. For one, Tidal streams music from FLAC files that are CDQ while Pandora and Spotify play use MP3 format which is a lower sound quality format. Tidal also allows user to connect to social media and share music with friends through Facebook. Tidal includes over 75,000 music videos and promises to obtain new releases before any of its competitors. Lastly, Tidal cuts out the middleman and eliminates advertisements and commercials while users stream. Instead of subscriptions going to the companies that usually advertise through Pandora or Spotify, the artist is directly paid instead. With all of this being said, I believe that Tidal can be hugely successful because it identifies itself with some of the world’s biggest icons, is the first high fidelity music service, and eliminates annoying advertisements.
The best way to survive a major disruption is to become a part of it. Tidal is a definitely a strategic step to compete with Spotify, Pandora and other music services. I personally think Tidal would overtake other services due to several reasons, first it has support of big names in the entertainment industry which adds credibility, second the monthly subscription which is quite similar to the Spotify and Pandora which eliminates any ambiguity. Last, concept to minimizing advertisement would make it more desirable than the competition. But the main selling point association of top music artists that were deprived of any compensation is the main selling point of Tidal, as this can cause psychological connection with customers.
I personally do not think Tidal will completely over throw competitors such as Spotify and Pandora. While many for the features mentioned are appealing some, such as social media sharing, have already been integrated into the existing platform options. The main concern I have with Tidal is that there is no “free” version – this for many is the main appeal of Spotify and Pandora. A lot of talk has focused on advertisement disruptions in listening to music but if you opt to pay for competitors services you can eliminate this also. Without a doubt, Tidal is going to take off simply due to the artist backing it has and media buzz currently going on but I feel that requiring a pay service Tidal is closer to iTunes or Google Play. The one situation I feel that could greatly catalyst Tidal’s adoption is if artists begin to with hold their releases from competitor services. There are already a handful of artists who do not release their content via Spotify and an increase in that behavior would definitely cause Spotify and like services to suffer.
I don’t think Tidal will be able to beat out rivals like Spotify, Pandora and even Itunes radio. As Jada pointed out, one of the biggest draw for Tidal competitors is that their is a free version available to consumers. One of Tidal’s advertise feature is high quality audio that isn’t compressed like other services, unfortunately I don’t think that the regular consumer will be able to tell the difference between the Tidal’s high quality audio vs the compressed audio of spotify/ pandora especially since many of these music streaming users are using mobile phones which isn’t a device capable of outputting high quality audio like dedicate music players.