Catherine Guan's Blog

Today, we pride ourselves for building a society on the principles of equality. Gender equality, indeed, has made significant progress. It has been 200 years since Mary Wollstonecraft published Vindication on the Rights of Women; it has been 50 years since the Women’s Liberation Movement.

As a female student in a business school, I must admit I am dismayed by the relative absence of women in senior management. Exceptions like Carly Fiorina, who became the first female chief executive of Hewlett-Packard in 1999, encounter many challenges. Organizational Behavior theories help to explain some of the problems she encountered. The information technology industry is heavily male dominated, so a high score on Hofstede’s culture dimensions is expected.

Many members of the board of directors questioned her decisions. This may have been a Halo effect from her unfeminine self-assured personality. This became especially evident when she decides to acquire archival Compaq computers for $20 million in 2001.

Fiorina made headlines again this year when she entered the Senate race as a Republican candidate. The organizational culture of the U.S. government is considered to be more masculist than IT, so she has a tough journey ahead.

In Gotham city, the Bruce Wayne assumes his alter ego Batman to fight crime. Beeman is not a millionaire playboy, nor does he have a fancy ride like the Batmobile. Like Batman, he improves our society not with superpowers, but with human ingenuity and determination. While the name Axel “Beeman” Krause, may not inspire fear in the hearts of criminals, I am confident it will soon be known by anyone concerned about our ecosystem.

Mr. Krause has the less than glamorous task of teaching Biology at my highschool, New Westminster Secondary School. The beekeeping program he introduced began as a teaching aide, but has since grown into a movement.

Mr. Krause has the makings of a social entrepreneur. The fully functional beehives produce honey and beeswax, which are sold for profits. However, the merchandise is merely a means to promote a social mission. With the recent collapse of many bee colonies around the world, he recognized the opportunity to create a social enterprise. Honey bees are under threat from various mites and diseases as the use of pesticides and herbicides weaken their immunity. Beeman may not fight crime, but he is improving our world one colony at a time.

Moments of euphoria and anguish, tears of heartbreak and joy, this year’s World Cup provided them all in abundance. My favorite memory was surprisingly not the triumph of La Furia Roja, the return of Maradona, nor the god-like abilities of Messi. It was a group of miniskirt-wearing women.

A daring marketing ploy by the Dutch brewing company Bavaria saw of group of young women arriving in red outfits that seem to be in the Danish colours to the game between Netherlands and Denmark; then stripping off those outfits to reveal the orange dresses with the Bavaria logo underneath. In the second half, the young women were removed from the stadium, questioned by FIFA and then by the police before being released.

This is can be considered as an instance of ambush marketing, because the official beer of the World Cup is Budweiser. FIFA is seeking to protect its sponsor’s interests by forbidding any promotional activity by competitors that uses fans to advertise products.

While I admire the audacity of Bavaria, finding legal loopholes is a dangerous game to play. FIFA, likewise, finds itself in a dilemma. There are boundaries as to how far it can punish offenders, because prison sentences of up to three years under the law seem too harsh. In 2006, FIFA ordered fans wearing Bavaria-branded Leeuwenhosen in 2006 to take them off and watch the game in their underpants. Thankfully, that option was not chosen this year, or there might have been more than great footwork to boggle the eye.

Dov Charney, the founder of American Apparel is the enfant terrible of the garment industry. A polarizing figure, he is known for both his philandering and for infusing his progressive politics into his business.

He draws both praise and criticism for his leadership style, but it must be acknowledged that he is an entrepreneur. As per Joseph Schumpeter’s definition, for his business is based on innovative ideas for both the products and the production methods.

His “Classic Girl” t-shirt is now a legendary staple in the garments industry. Meanwhile, his labour practices are likewise renowned. Not only does American Apparel pay fair wage and provide low cost health care to its factory workers, Charney has taken a company position on immigration reform. On AmericanApparel.net, there is a section called “Legalize LA”., which has become the name of a pro-immigration activism group underwritten by AA.

The creative-destructive process of capitalism that Schumpeter envisioned is manifested in Charney. Both a visionary and a rule-breaker, he drives the brand forward with his relentless vision. In addition to generating profit, it is admirable that Charney has taken on a social mission.

Not bad for a wiry kid from Montreal.

I’m in love.

And you might wonder who’s the lucky man? Google has won my heart with its GoogleDocs and zesty email backgrounds. After being badgered by so many friends to switch to Gmail, I finally succumbed. Now, I can wax poetic about its incredible features.

The devastating charm of the media giant has conquered many others. Indeed, the verb Google has entered our everyday vernacular and even dictionaries.

Swoon-worthy news came with the announcement of the launch of Google TV. GOOG represent Google’s foray into home entertainment, trying to revolutionize the TV as it revolutionized the personal computer. Its point of differentiation is  to make the Internet fully accessible on TV and make searching for videos as easy as searching for web pages.

Partnerships have been struck with other online giants, Twitter and Pandora. Google TV will be built into SONY flatscreens or Logitech boxsets.

Google’s strategy to enter the home entertainment market is a risky one. The rivalry is intense in the already crowded industry. While Google has maintained the number one position in search engines, it will be an upstart coming up against the established networks.

I must confess, I’m a little worried for my new beau.

In the wake of the recession, there has been an outcry for greater transparency in businesses. Volkswagen took transparency to a whole new level with their Phaeton assembly plant in Dresden, Germany. Dubbed the Transparent Factory, it has glass walls, resembling something from a futuristic fairy tale. VW facilitates daily guided tours for anyone who is interested in seeing one of the greenest manufacturing plants in the world. Even the way VW moves parts and supplies is green, using an electric tram transportation system.

If I could hop on a plane to Germany, this is one stop I definitely wouldn’t miss. It would be amazing to witness what VW is doing for sustainability. While their competitors are trying to cut costs and payback government bailout, the German automaker is focusing on sustainability.

Indubitably, riding on the forefront of the “Green Wave” is advantageous for VW’s image. I believe it is also vital for their survival. Traditional transports rely on diminishing supplies of oil. Furthermore, air pollution and congestion resulting from conventional transports cause inefficiencies in supply chains, increasing the production cost. Thus, going green is not only embracing a dream of happily-ever-after for mankind; it is financially viable as well.

Criticizing Walmart is quickly becoming a national past-time, second only to mocking Sarah Palin. There were individuals who were so considerate as to provide a channel for our Walmart-bashing—hence the creation of People of Walmart. For the uninitiated, this is a website dedicated to user-submitted photos of overweight, poorly dressed or simply awkward shoppers at the supermarket.

I am ashamed to admit, the site tweaked a few chuckles out of me. But, I have to wonder, why is there such an outpouring of hatred towards Walmart? Perhaps the competition between “mom and pop shops” versus the international conglomerate is too easily compared to David versus Goliath. As consumers, our sympathies go to the underdog. Allegations of predatory pricing and employee mistreatment certainly don’t help Walmart’s public image.

If any corporation is in urgent need of Community Relations 2.0, it is Walmart. In a SWOT analysis of the supermarket, negative public perception would be a blindingly obvious weakness. Social media is an important tool that the company needs to utilize to win over the public. I’m sure we won’t have to wait long before Walmart starts sending out friend requests on Facebook. Meanwhile? I’ll be a regular visitor of  peopleofwalmart.com.

Here, we grumble and mumble about Tourism B.C.’s expensive star-studded “You Gotta Be Here” Campaign. Millions of tax-payers went to movie stars and sports legends to hock our coasts and mountains. Our neighbours over in Alberta are rumbling about quite the opposite. An advertisement campaign launched by Corporate Ethics International is urging travelers to stay away from the Rockies and Lake Jasper.

Displeased with the provincial government’s support of oil sands, “Rethink Alberta” compares Alberta to the recent Mexican Gulf Oil Spill and the plundering of Pandora. Pulling at heart-strings and attracting eye-balls, our sister province has gained plenty of unwanted attention. Alberta’s brand image has been tarnished. Regardless of what the reality of the oil industry may be, it is the perception that matters. Many American and British travelers are choosing another destination.

Conceded, we do need to consider the moral implications of our choices. What troubles me, however, is the people who are impacted by “Re-think Alberta”. Instead of Big Oil, it is the ordinary Albertans in the travel and service sectors who are suffering.

This campaign needs to rethink.