IRGB 0902-001, Fall 2015, WEB TECHNOLOGIES – M.S. IN INVESTOR RELATIONS
INDIVIDUAL POSITION PAPER
Follow the listed instructions carefully in completely in this individual position paper assignment:

1. Write a position paper to the below statement.
2. Your paper should be in your own words, in approximately 1200-1400 words. This is not a research paper, and therefore, please do not have footnotes and citations except in the rarest of circumstances. Cite all references, and list references at end of paper.
3. It is not necessary to do any other research. Rather, use the statement itself.
4. A good position paper has: (1) a focused argument/thesis, (2) engages with the assigned problem directly, (3) provides a strong and thorough analysis supported by a synthesis of the readings & discussion, and (4) has good writing.
5. Your paper should have a cover page and page #s in the top right corner. Please double-space the paper. Please put word count on cover page.
6. Make sure you structure the paper properly with title, sub-titles, paragraphs, indenting, etc.
STATEMENT

There’s no doubt that the role of a investor relations professional has evolved more in the past five years than in the previous several decades. Technology and social media have revolutionized how we receive and send information—and allow us to control what information we receive and from whom. Additionally, the proliferation of apps and mobile devices has changed how we do everything, including how publicly-traded companies communicate with the people who invest in them. Simultaneously, the IR function has expanded (partly driven by technology) to include media & public relations, reputation management, corporate governance, CSR, crisis management and sustainability. Because technology is ubiquitous and pervasive, the IR function appears to have become more encompassing. What does the IR function look like going into 2015? To what extent is technology is shaping the direction of IR? What does an IR person’s day look like as we move toward 2015? (It most likely begins with email, Twitter, Facebook and, of course, making sure you get your dose of national and international news). Your smartphone is close by as is your iPad so you can stay connected at all times. We don’t just watch the news on TV anymore; we get involved in it, sometimes choosing to interact with news personalities and reporters via Twitter). Can corporations seize the opportunity technology offers and make their IR function transformative? What key technologies have the potential to enable this transformation? Provide an integrative discussion. Speculate on the future vision for IR in this dynamic environment.