It’s a fact that intelligence combined with people skills will lead to success. People skills (essentially emotional intelligence) can be explained through organizational behaviour. Many people underestimate the importance of organizational behaviour; which encompasses the appropriate way to interact with your colleagues: professionally and effectively.

In this article, it mentions 20 skills that people have that is beneficial in order for them to advance in their careers. This list comprises of strong communication skills, patience with others, the ability to trust others, and so on. Many of these skills may seem obvious and straightforward, yet studies show that a huge percent of the working population do not possess them.

I completely agree with this article; I believe that in order for people to be successful, they need to find the balance between intellectual and emotional intelligence. There’s no sense in being top student of the class yet not possessing the skills to interact professionally with fellow students and future employers. This is why the program at Sauder is so beneficial and eye-opening because classes like COMM101 teaches students the importance of being able to engage with others and to conduct themselves appropriately in every situation.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/11/15/the-20-people-skills-you-need-to-succeed-at-work/

Almost every student has been in the position where they had to chug one of those extra large double double coffees, just to stay awake for the night so they can finish their assignments and essentially survive a little longer in their university career. If not coffee, then it’s that gnawing craving for Timbits!

I came across the idea of Tim Hortons expanding their distribution channels to include vending machines on Alison Chan’s blog; it seems quite feasible, with a high payoff in the long run. Line-ups are usually so long that they reach out the door, so having a vending machine provides more convenience, and therefore adds value for the consumer. It would also be useful in a school dormitory, when all the stores on campus have already closed for the night.

It is quite controversial amongst some people when it comes to the quality and freshness of the food and/or drinks that are to be offered. In my opinion, technology is constantly improving and upgrading itself so it will only be a matter of time before they come up with a  solution to keep the goods hot and fresh for expanded periods of time.

Vending machines for Tim Horton’s

I recently came across a post on Ali Jatoi’s blog, and found it very interesting. The article talks about PhoneBlok, which is a new product designed to revolutionize the concept of cell phones and the features that they come with. PhoneBlok allows its user to customize his or her phone according to their specific needs and/or interests.

I think that this is an amazing idea because not only does it provide flexibility; it also offers a unique perspective to how mobile and smart phones are able to function. I personally put more weight on the camera quality when considering which phone to purchase. Sometimes, I find one with an astonishing camera but is lacking an attractive operating system. With PhoneBlok, one will no longer need to worry because if you don’t like something, you always have the option of changing it!

On a business note, I think that this would pose a great threat to major companies such as Apple and Samsung. The cellular world is constantly changing, with slide phones being the hottest trend, to qwerty keyboards and now touch screens. It is innovative companies like these that will rise to the occasion and give the bigshots a run for their money.

A phone that’s designed to last

Contrary to popular belief, fast food chains are not trying to eventually turn the human population into obese, unhealthy beings. From taking the time to gradually implement changes in their recipes to reducing salt, oil and other unhealthy substances, fast food chains are definitely on our side to stay healthy.

These food chain operations are being stealthy with their approach; they are implementing the changes throughout elongated time spans, some lasting a couple years. Companies such as McDonald’s, Subway, and Dunkin’ Donuts have all come together to form the Healthy Menus R&D Collaborative, which goes to show how much effort they are putting in to make our lives better in the long run. The fact that they are trying to execute these changes is extremely commendable in my opinion, since it is probably cheaper and easier for them to stick with using unhealthy ingredients.

Despite their combined efforts to move society towards a more healthy culture, many consumers make it difficult for them by valuing aspects such as taste over the benefits of the ingredients used. Overall, a company can only do so much; the fate of the consumers ultimately lies in their own hands.

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-11-14/2014-outlook-fast-food-chains-inch-toward-healthiness#r=hpt-ls

There is no question that the rich behave differently from the poor. The real question is to what extent and how can economists and business owners use this information to better achieve prosperity? From an economic perspective, this can be examined by measuring the “marginal propensity to consume” and how it’s affected by fluctuations in prices.

A critical question is brought up in this article: “should an economist observe human behaviour, or assume it?” As Professor Gateman would say, assume nothing. Assumptions often lead to inaccurate predictions which can turn into costly expenses. The main assumption that economists make are that consumers are rational. However, this is far from true in the case of the wealthy versus the underprivileged.

Studies show that poor people are more likely to spend the moment their cash flow increases (a high MPC) whereas rich people tend to plan for the future; they save their money so that they can stay afloat during times of struggle (a low MPC). Business owners should take this information and consider it when planning out crucial aspects of a business, such as pricing, during times of turmoil and also times of prosperity.

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-11-07/economists-discover-the-poor-behave-differently-from-the-rich#r=most%20popular

Snapchat, a company worth $860 million and also the latest app to shoot to the top of it ranks, denied an offer by Facebook to be purchased for $3 billion. This has generated some controversy, as many doubt that Snapchat will ever receive an offer of that scale again.

In an attempt to compete with Snapchat, Facebook has released their own app called Poke. And no, this is not the the button that you click when trying to flirt with others online. Rather, it is a photo-disappearing app meant to mimic the features that Snapchat provides. Although they are trying to stay competitive, a venture like this is likely to fail because Snapchat is already dominating this particular market.

This article mentions that “smaller companies are… poking holes at Facebook’s weak points, then doing a better job of something the giant company doesn’t do so well”. Snapchat is definitely an innovative company that knows their target market, executes and presents their product well, and has the potential to become an even greater force in the social app market than it already is. Unless Facebook can quicken up their innovative processes, it will ultimately fall behind competitors such as Snapchat.

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-11-13/snapchats-3-billion-rejection-and-the-great-facebook-unbundling#r=most%20popular

Blackberry is a company known to have struggled within the tech industry for these past couple of years. While having to lay off more than 10 000 employees due to rising costs and sinking sales, this tech giant is struggling to stay afloat above the water. Back in the 2000’s when the company was at its peak, it employed the brightest and most talented candidates around the world. Although the company is no longer thriving, they are doing their best to send their former employees off to new emerging tech companies with the potential to excel in the industry.

When one thinks back to the glory days of Research In Motion (RIM), they would never have been able to predict that the company would be struggling as they are now. As the Blackberry workforce is branching off into new sectors, this provides a good opportunity for other companies to recruit the senior level employees who have a lifetime of knowledge and experience within the industry; this is crucial because Canada has fewer big technology businesses compared with other places around the world. Even though the company is tumbling down, many ex-blackberry workers are now being exposed to brighter opportunities to advance their careers.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-managing/human-resources/canadian-tech-companies-scramble-to-hire-blackberry-castoffs/article14736301/

This article illustrates the impact that professional athletes have on present and potential customers regarding the promotion of unhealthy junk foods. Lebron James, Serena Williams and Sidney Crosby just to name a few. The world of advertising is already mixed up with so much deception and manipulation that consumers have a hard time deciding on what to believe. When it comes down to it, “you have some of the world’s most physically fit athletes promoting really unhealthy foods,” which is detrimental to society as a whole. One is lead to question what the athlete’s morals and values are, and if what they are promoting aligns with that.

The reason why these athletes choose to promote such unhealthy lifestyles is the extrinsic rewards that they receive from doing it, for example the money they receive from the endorsement deals. However, they do not realize how their choices will impact others in the long run; surveys state that the majority of consumers exposed to the advertisements are children ages 12-17. Bragg makes a good point by saying that “professional athletes wouldn’t endorse tobacco today because it would be a liability for them…We’re hoping one day that the same would be true for unhealthy foods.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/study-slams-athletes-promoting-junk-food/article14698232/

Recently, airlines across the globe have been adding pre and in-flight purchases that provide the customer with added luxury and convenience. Some basic examples include extra legroom, early boarding, and quiet lounges. Airlines have now proceeded to exceed those benefits by offering luggage delivery to a home or office, renting out iPads with preloaded movies, and allowing passengers to bypass the luggage line altogether.

This strategy has the potential to be greatly successful because with reasonable prices, many passengers are willing to pay the fee to make their lives a little easier. If they are already spending hundreds of dollars for the plane ticket alone, the add-ons seem meager in comparison.

Airlines have also been tracking consumer data in order to target fliers by analyzing their past behaviour. It is a win-win situation because the vast amounts of research are well utilized, and the passenger is given the choice to upgrade their experience and essentially increase their satisfaction.

Having these options does not cause the airline to lose any profit. Since they are additional services that can be performed on or after the flight, they do not impact the company negatively and can only increase total revenue.

Image and Article from: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/travel-news/airlines-introduce-fees-you-might-actually-want-to-pay/article14602667/

The Canadian Cancer Society is implementing a notion where cancer patients will now have to pay a $100 fee in order to receive transportation to and from the hospital for treatments. The purpose of this fee is to cover the society’s expenses, which has been accumulating for the past few years due to increasing demand for the service. Although it is a one-time fee, one must question the moral reasoning behind this decision. Many of the people who are directly affected by it do not necessarily have the funds to afford it. This could have been avoided if someone had stepped up to take a leadership role and fundraise for the cause, and when one looks at the context of this situation, they can infer that an additional payment for a procedure such as radiation therapy goes against the generally accepted moral values of the country as a whole.

If we break this down, the fact is that it costs the Canadian Cancer Society roughly $390 for every patient who signs up for the ride service, which adds up to $6 million as a whole. One can also argue that the Toronto division alone raised a whopping $100 million in the past year, of which $48 million was spent on advertising. That $48 million would have been more than enough to support all the rides for the cancer patients. In other words, the company could have prioritized their distribution of money differently, to provide a greater outcome and benefit more individuals across the country.

References:

http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/ontario-cancer-society-to-charge-patients-100-fee-for-ride-to-treatment-service-1.1450302#ixzz2eeTgBG64