Social entrepreneur is has becoming an ever growing business. Solar sister, one of the most successful social entrepreneurs, is a gender-focused social enterprise with the triple bottom line at its core. Solar Sister empowers women with more economic opportunities. The women-centred direct sales network brings solar technology to the people in rid Uganda, Rwanda and Sudan. People there can use a more health source of light instead of the dangerous and unhealthy kerosene lamps.

 

In my point of view, the Solar Sisters brings lights, hope and opportunity to the communities. Not only do they care about making profit, more importantly, they care about the wellness of the community. I think all entrepreneurs should learn from the Solar Sisters is that it created shared value. As we go into social entrepreneur, the triple bottom lines should be the centre of the business.  Solar Sisters has become one of the most successful entrepreneurs due to the fact that they see the opportunities others did not see, and that they truly cares about the community. That is something we need to learn while we are at the Sauder School of Business and in our lives.

 

 

Resources:

The Solar Sister homepage

ASHOKA: Katherine Lucey Becomes Ashoka Fellow for her Work in East Africa | Ashoka Innovators for the Public

Art SUMO: 10 of Our Favourite Social Enterprises

I found Nam Do’s blog post on “Intense Leadership Style” to be very interesting. He discussed whether yelling a good way to increase the efficiency in big companies.

Yelling at employees may seem like an extreme way to manage the company. However, if managers yell only to show his great passion for the business instead of humiliating and demeaning people, then it is acceptable and may even affect the company in a positive way.

There are many different leadership styles due to the managers’ personalities. One can be smooth and persuasive, or passionate and determinate. As for me, I would chose to be with someone that is enthusiasm and have great influence on other people by the way he does his work and the way he talks. I believe self-motivated managers are those who are personally successful and also motivate the people around them. Yelling, as mentioned in Nam’s post,  is one of the most direct ways of showing the leader’s passion and power. Power is the greatest motivator. The followers can have a better understanding of what they are expected to do more clearly. They are more motivated by passionate speaker than those who give long boring lectures.

Resources:

Harvard Business Review: Is it OK to Yell at Your Employees?

Toostep: Does a boss have the right to yell at his employees?

 

 

Zappo is a company that sells shoes and clothing online with word of mouth a key driver of business. Even though most people would not choose to buy shoes online, Zappos has a surprisingly high level of customer base. This is mainly due to its high quality service and its healthy company culture.

Zappo emphasize huge on it’s customer service. It aims to provide customers with “the WOW through service”. Unlike many other companies, Zappo has invested huge on it’s IT, including it’s homepage, and the online transaction service. Besides, the company offers toll-free customer-service. Customers can call the company and report any problem they have and can count on the company to solve the problem. I am personally quite impressed by their call centre. Their employees are working in a live and comfortable environment with their offices decorated in all kinds of accessories. They are truly passionate for their jobs in Zappos and the whole company is like a big family. With this healthy culture, they are able to offer a much better customer services.

Zappos’ customer service shows how important the organization culture and human resources management are to a company. “Culture is how organizations ‘do things’.” (Robbie Katanga). With the employees and customers being satisfied about the company, Zappo is able to work actively and efficiently.

 

 

Resources:

Zappos: http://www.zappos.com/shoes

The Australian: Jon Wolske tells how Zappos put the WOW into its corporate culture

The New Yorker: Happy feet

After browsing through the blogs, Annabelle Chen’s post on Lululemon caught my attention. Annabelle said in her post: ”Lululemon’s reputation as a reliable brand seems to be nothing but a memory of the past”. Customers filed a lawsuit against Lululemon, complaining about the sheerness of yoga pants made out of their trademark Lyon fabric. Many people believe that this incident has damaged the company’s reputation and started to question the quality of Lululemon’s product.

However, I don’t think one incident would have that much an effect on Lululemon. Lululemon has built up huge customer base over the years by offering high-quality clothing that has a durable athletic apparel. Besides, Lululemon has differentiate itself by building up brand image. It sends out positive message to the public and focus on sustainability. Lululemon also offer free yoga classes to promote healthy living lifestyle.

 Mistakes are inevitable, what’s important is how the company react to the mistakes. Lululemon’s reaction to the incident is quite reliable. They stopped selling the lyon fabric pants and provide full refund. Of course Lululemon should attach great importance to this incident to make sure it will not happen again. But with their good relationship with the customers and their unique brand, I believe Lululemon will keep up the good quality products and will still be competitive in the market.

 

 

 

Resources:

The Globe and Mail (October 1, 2013): Lululemon lawsuit over too-sheer pants gets lead plaintiff

 Fashion Week Daily (April 4, 2013): Lululemon’s See-Through Pants Fiasco Results In A Firing