General Instructions
Due 15 Feb 2022
1. Repeat the questions from the case study in bold and then provide your answers.
2. This document should include a cover page.
3. Write two to three paragraphs describing the background of the case.
4. In addition to the textbook, other scholarly papers should be used and referenced. APA format must be strictly followed.
Discussion Questions
4-31. Describe the manner in which data elements are linked across databases.
4-32. What technical and physical challenges does this information system face?
4-33. What human capital capabilities for law enforcement are necessary to make the database more effective?
4-34. What are the relevant considerations to balance law enforcement’s ability to investigate versus the citizens’ need for privacy?
Use the questions above to answer ONLY ONE of the following topics below.
a. Pg. 126: U.K. Police
b. Pg. 127: How eBay Scales Its Database Architecture with SQL and NoSQL
c. Pg. 160: Salesforce.com Taking CRM to the Cloud
d. Pg. 161: Winning the War for Talent: The Mandarin Oriental’s Talent Management System
e. Pg. 193: Mobile Payments and the Digital Wallet
f. Pg. 194: LinkedIn: The Social Network and E-Marketplace for Professionals
Case Study #2 LinkedIn: The Social Network and E-Marketplace for Professionals (From Textbook)
Founded in 2002, LinkedIn is the premiere social network for professionals, offering a comprehensive platform that stresses career progression and business services rather than updates for family and friends. With more than 400 million users, LinkedIn is far smaller than Facebook, but its user base includes many high-powered professionals, including Fortune 500 business execs, who rely on the service to expand their personal networks, identify career opportunities, recruit talent for their companies, and share information.
LinkedIn invites individuals to create free accounts to post their employment histories, education, and skill sets; connect with colleagues; and identify promising job opportunities. But unlike other networks that rely heavily on targeted advertising as their main source of revenue, LinkedIn enjoys a diverse revenue base with three major product lines.
The company’s Talent Solutions line offers a variety of services to recruiters, drawing on the network’s user data to help companies identify the best candidates for the positions they have available and encourage them to apply. Sony, for instance, relies on LinkedIn to help find talented professionals not only by searching the database but also by tapping the networks of Sony’s own employees, who can offer referrals.
LinkedIn’s Marketing Solutions earns revenue from targeted advertising based on user profiles, much like other social media platforms. Companies can also create “sponsored content,” in which industry leaders offer their insights and knowledge directly to users who are likely to be interested. CRM software developer Hubspot uses LinkedIn Marketing Solutions to reach marketing professionals and engage them with e-books, webinars, and how-to guides.
The third revenue source is Premium Subscriptions, which offers advanced features that match the user’s interests and goals. For example, job seekers can see who has viewed their profile and can compare themselves to other candidates for particular positions. Some plans also offer access to Lynda.com’s extensive educational video library, which LinkedIn purchased to make premium membership even more attractive.
College students and recent grads are among LinkedIn’s fastest-growing user groups, mainly because the company promotes its services to help grads find their ideal first job. Using data analytics on its big data, LinkedIn recommends positions that are well suited for graduates based on their profiles and majors and also points out openings at companies that have historically hired graduates from the same college. Details on the career paths of those fellow alums will also help the new grad see how to get ahead, perhaps with training through Lynda.com.
In 2016, Microsoft purchased LinkedIn for a whopping $26.2 billion, the company’s largest acquisition to date. Microsoft had tried to develop its own social networking platform with little success, but the LinkedIn purchase could be a very promising acquisition. Most people on LinkedIn already use some or all of Microsoft Office products, and integration could uncover opportunities for startling innovations. Imagine, for example, a businessperson heading for the next meeting on the Outlook calendar with the email addresses of the other attendees. Cortina, Microsoft’s voice-enabled personal Helpant, could offer a briefing on the backgrounds and interests of the other attendees, drawing from LinkedIn profiles. Armed with some personal information, the businessperson could quickly establish a connection that leads to a solid relationship and closed sale.
LinkedIn made some early missteps with overly aggressive tactics to draw in new users. In 2012, the company sent emails to users’ contacts with repeated reminders to join LinkedIn, using their names and images. Users sued, complaining that the emails were damaging their reputations, and LinkedIn settled out of court for $13 million. With that mistake in the past, LinkedIn’s future looks bright, especially if the company can maintain the trust of its user base and offer useful services and contacts that professionals value as their careers progress.
Sources: Basu, A. (2015). Roles and uses of company websites and social media for Fortune 500. SIES Journal of Management, 11(1), 37–42.
Chaykowski, K. (2016). LinkedIn will tell you if you have a shot at that dream job. Forbes.com, http://www.forbes.com/sites/kathleenchaykowski/2016/06/07/linkedin-will-tell-you-if-you-have-a-shot-at-that-dream-job/#5728f999387e, accessed August 17, 2016.
Kapko, M. (2016). LinkedIn students app helps graduates get gigs. CIO. http://www.cio.com/article/3060049/mobile-apps/linkedin-students-app-helps-graduates-get-gigs.html, accessed August 17, 2016.
Kasson, E. G. (2015). The sourcers’ secrets. HR Magazine, 60(9), 38–42.
Cother, J. (2016). LinkedIn corporation. Hoover’s Online, http://subscriber.hoovers.com.proxy1.library.jhu.edu/H/company360/overview.html?companyId=132274000000000, accessed August 17, 2016.
LinkedIn. (2016). http://www.linkedin.com, accessed June 16, 2016.
MarketLine. (2016). LinkedIn corporation SWOT analysis (pp. 1–10). http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=113314248&site=ehost-live&scope=site, accessed August 16, 2016.
Mims, C. (2016, June 14). Why Microsoft bought LinkedIn; Microsoft and LinkedIn are a natural fit, and the deal may fare better than Microsoft’s past acquisitions. Wall Street Journal (Online), http://www.wsj.com/articles/microsoft-gains-link-to-a-network-1465922927, accessed Augut 17, 2016.
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Instructions for Use
Due on February 15, 2022
1. Rep the bolded questions from the case study and then offer your responses.
2. A cover page should be included in this document.
3. Write two to three paragraphs summarizing the case’s background.
4. Other scientific articles should be used and referenced in addition to the textbook. The APA format must be properly adhered to.
Questions for Discussion
Describe how data pieces are linked across databases in 4-31.
4-32. What are the technical and physical hurdles that this information system must overcome?
4-33. What human capital competencies are required for law enforcement to make the database more effective?
4-34. What are the key issues for balancing law enforcement’s investigative ability vs people’ desire for privacy?
Use the questions above
