Crispin Mwanyumba

This is a response toVanessa Lee’s blog, titled, “when will women earn respect in boardrooms?” published on 26/10/14. This topic interests me because it’s an ongoing debate as to whether gender equality is possible? There are many traditional theories and beliefs that prove otherwise that I tend to disregard. I believe that women are equally or even more capable than men in certain executive positions. But why are we still talking about gender equality? Are women really seeking these positions or are there no opportunities available? I feel that women have been held in an inferior position for so long that it has become a mindset. Only a few have managed to escape from the doubt created.

I agree with Vanessa Lee that the attitude women are having is not right. Instead of pursuing the position aggressively, they are more passive in their approach. It’s similar to having presidential elections between a man and a woman. The man might have prepared better and convinced most of the citizens that he is the best candidate; however the woman wins just because there has never been a female leader and they see this as the best opportunity to place her as the first female president. That is the greatest of deceptions! If that were the case, we would say that there is gender inequality towards men. Women need to chase their dreams, the same way Obama did. He worked to be the first Black President of America, by proving he is the better candidate and not because Martin Luther King had a dream of the first black president.

Could the government be the villain in their attempts to force equality? Policies such as hiring based on sex, allocating 50% of executive positions to women and offering benefits to companies that actually follow them make potential women candidates lazier? Or are businesses using gender stereotypes in which women are portrayed as more “loyal” and “caring,” whilst men as “competent” and “guardians.” If that’s the case the question should bewhether we actually need to work hard for our future? What are we doing in university if that would be the basis of employment?

This can prove that people have misinterpreted the word gender empowerment as handing power regardless of whether they deserve it or not. Women need to break out and chase their dreams because sitting down and waiting for them would not work. I support the notion of gender equality but it should not be set as a burden to males’ prospects of achieving their dreams especially if they are better candidates. Personally, I do not mind being led by a woman but only if I know she deserves to be in that position.

Bibliography

[1] https://blogs.ubc.ca/vlee/
Vanessa Lee “WHEN WILL WOMEN EARN RESPECT IN THE BOARDROOMS,” Vanessa Lee’s Blog. 23 October 2014.

This is a commentary on an external blog titled, “How to reverse the brain drain,” written by Mohammed Al Maktoum 0n 23/10/14. [1] I found this blog insightful and thought provoking as it aligns with some of the objectives I have in my life. Given that I am an international student, I have a dream of going back to Kenya and applying the knowledge that I have learnt with understanding of the major issues that my country is battling with. Well, you could say that, “isn’t it everyone’s dream to go and give back to their community?” I would answer that it is the intention of the dream that really matters; I am not saying this just because I want to think of myself as a “good man.” But because I have seen and reflected on some of the problems we have faced and I sincerely want to make a difference.

Mr Maktoum clearly identifies the reasons of why people left and the reason is “opportunity.” Opportunities to have better education; is one of the reasons I came to Canada, others may vary from “rise in living standards,” to “security and safety reasons.”[1] So the question is how do we reverse this flow? Maktoum’s solution is, “believing in people.” It might sound vague and meaningless but that is the major conflict Maktoum has identified in his country and now one that I can relate in mine.

Ever since I went to the Young People for African Development, here in Vancouver, I realized that I might have met future revolutionists of my continent. We all sat down in a circle and told our story of how we ended up here and the dreams that we have for our continent. I realized that there were so many people who have noticed the same conflicts that I have and realized that I was not the only one who wanted to go and “fuel innovation and prosperity.”[1] Then, I understood that if we listened and believed in people’s ideas, we could all push for this changes in our respective countries. As Maktoum says, “ their ideas, innovation, dreams and connections are the capital for the future.” During one of my jump-start classes in UBC, they also emphasized that networking is the key to the future. Without networking, there is no way to meet people. After that you have to build a relationship or get to know the person “listen to their story,” and see if your goals are parallel.

Through this experience I noticed that my time here in UBC would be more valuable than I initially thought. I will get to build relationships with my fellow students that might last a lifetime. The only thing I have to do is be willing to listen to peoples stories so that I could help them achieve their dreams and they could help me achieve mine. I think one of the only solutions and ways to achieve “brain regain” is by networking and finding people with a common goal, who would grab the opportunity to come and work in Africa. This will help in battling with some of the problems we face as where “great minds go today, great things will happen tomorrow.”[1] It will only feel right to conclude with an African proverb, “ If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far go together.”

BIBLIOGRAPHY

[1]
http://forumblog.org/2014/10/sheikh-mohammed-bin-rashid-al-maktoum-brain-drain-uae/”
How to Reverse the Brain Drain.” Web log post. ForumBlog. Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, 23 Oct. 2014. Web. 08 Nov. 2014.

Coming from a third world country where corruption within businesses is an understatement and workers rights are taken for granted. It hurts me how people prioritize making more money over a person’s health or ruining a child’s future by making them work instead of attending school in order to minimize costs. I am patriotic and love my country but it does not take a genius to see that the priorities are wrong. At times, I ask myself what is the cause of this selfishness? I eventually realize that it’s the community, the consumers of these products that put pressure on the producers; we do not consider how ethically the product is made and are not willing to pay extra money in order to promote companies who value corporate social responsibility. We are always looking for the cheaper alternative. After reading the article, “Starbucks announces fair trade offerings at universities across Canada,” published on 2/10/14 by Anthony Bianco; I realize there is hope for sustainable development and environmental protection. [1]

With Starbucks offering fair trade coffee to university students who are the budding leaders of tomorrow and making them aware of producers that meet standards for labor and environmental sustainability; makes them more willing to promote the fair trade movement. This will change businesses priorities from minimizing costs in order to increase profits to being ethically responsible in order to make higher profits, as it would become a standard for people purchasing products. A form of competitive advantage, as your products will be sold at a higher price than the market price and there would be demand for it. The consumers will also pride themselves over the fact that they bought a cup of coffee that has gone through the most ethical channels possible. This would lead to more pleasant people who are satisfied with the product they’ve purchased.

However, Is it enough to seat in Starbucks feeling self-righteous about the fair trade cup of coffee you are drinking?

It is true that Fair Trade is not the only measure of ensuring that slavery and exploitive labor practices are avoided but is just a step in the right direction. If it were promoted successfully it would become a standard for all companies and what is expected to survive in the industry. However people would eventually become used to the idea of Fair trade and in order for businesses to succeed they have to find other ways to involve consumers as social expectations are continually changing. Then they would have to find a shared value[2] to enhance their competitiveness but at the same time expand the pool of economic and social value. I believe that in the future firms will need to be more than “profit maximisers” to be successful as more people are becoming environmentally and socially responsible. Therefore to succeed business would have to be about the “people,” as firms will have to have a responsibility to society that goes beyond their responsibility to its shareholders.

Bibliography [1]

http://www.the-peak.ca/2014/10/starbucks-announces-fair-trade-offerings-at-universities-across-canada/

Bianco, Anthony. “Starbucks Announces Fair Trade Offerings at Universities across Canada.” The Peak RSS. N.p., 2 Oct. 2014. Web. 28 Oct. 2014.

[2]

http://www.waterhealth.com/sites/default/files/Harvard_Buiness_Review_Shared_Value.pdf

Porter, Michael E., and Mark R. Karmer. “Creating Shared Value.” Harvard Business Revies (2011): n. pag. Feb. 2011. Web. 28 Oct. 2014.

Make the right Decision

With British Colombia’s ambition to be the world’s greenest city by 2020[1], is building a dam a positive reflection to their goal? BC Hydro is an electric company in BC that will undertake this CAD$ 8 billion project [2]. At the expense of the loss of indigenous people habitat, is it a worthy project to invest on? Building the dam may prove to be a sign of progress and development but could also be seen as political instability, social inequity and environmentally degrading. The article titled, “First Nation chiefs to stage Site C showdown,” published on 18/09/2014 by Peter O’Neil explains some of the problems faced with the project at hand [3]. I’ll be discussing the issues that arise from the exploitation of First Nation’s land.

When I first heard about the dam it reminded me of Belo Monte project in Brazil [4]. There were over 20000 “Amerindian” indigenous inhabitants displaced, 40 000Ha of forest were flooded and mass deforestation took place. US Film maker James Cameron, portrays “[the Belo-Monte dam leaders to Ecological villains in the movie Avatar]“[5]. This is not the image that the Canadian Government would want people to perceive them as around the world. It also doesn’t align with their ambitions of having the world greenest city.  As it does not only harm the indigenous people but also de-stabilizes the ecosystem as a whole as several species would lose their habitats. On the other hand, the dam would generate more electricity into new homes and also create more jobs for the unemployed. Despite these positive aspects, is the value proposition of the dam worth destroying someone’s habitat, where their ancestors lived and the only place that they can call a home? Why should they be willing to relinquish their land to a project that would not mutually benefit them? These are some of the questions the Canadian government needs to think about before investing in the project.

To conclude, the Government has a choice in either investing in the dam or not. But they should be prepared to affect a particular social group with their decision. In the long-term they are expected to find a way to compensate the group they’ve affected. Personally I believe if they decide to invest in the dam the effects would be more severe on the first nation people and might not be easily forgiven and they might spark genocide because of this. Therefore, I feel the right decision is to find a different potential area where they could build their dam where there aren’t any inhabitants or a few inhabitants, who can be easily moved. Or they could have an agreement with the first nations that would benefit both parties from the building of the dam.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

[1]
http://vancouver.ca/green-vancouver/a-bright-green-future.aspx
Website Title: Home
Article Title: Greenest City 2020: A Bright Green Future
Date Accessed: October 07, 2014

[2]
http://www.bchydro.com/energy-in-bc/projects/site_c.html
Website Title: Site C Clean Energy Project
Article Title: Site C Clean Energy Project
Date Accessed: October 07, 2014

[3]
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/First+Nation+chiefs+stage+Site+showdown/10215965/story.html
Website Title: www.vancouversun.com
Article Title: First Nation chiefs to stage Site C showdown
Date Accessed: October 05, 2014

[4]

http://www.forestpeoples.org/topics/rights-land-natural-resources/news/2012/07/brazilian-indigenous-peoples-and-civil-society-cha
Website Title: Forest Peoples Programme
Article Title: Brazilian indigenous peoples and civil society challenge gov[…]
Date Accessed: October 07, 2014

[5]

http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Hydroelectric/Brazils-Belo-Monte-Dam-Bad-Idea.html
Website Title: Brazil’s Belo Monte Dam, Bad Idea?
Article Title: Brazil’s Belo Monte Dam, Bad Idea?
Date Accessed: October 07, 2014

BUSINESS GLOBALISATION LEADS TO HAPPINESS.
With the rapid enhancement of technology, the world is becoming smaller, national boarders are being breached; diversification is increasing as nations thrive for economic integration. MNC’s such as McDonalds are taking advantage of this. They are changing their products in order to suit not only American citizens, however to align it with the target country’s needs and belief in what “real food” actually is to them. It unveils how the world is becoming a “global village.” Where diversity and differences in culture is being embraced by society. This can be shown in the article titled, “From Big Mac to Rice Burger,” published on 8/12/2012 by Manya Koetse.[1] I’ll be discussing how businesses such as McDonald’s are embracing Globalization.

The conducting of businesses to both local and global consideration is illustrated by how McDonald is said to have become “a part of the Japanese culture.”1 Instead of selling products such as the “Big mac” which consist of meat, they sell the “The Rice Burger,”1 which consists of rice that is part of Japan’s “national identity.”1 McDonald has also adapted more restaurants to suit local taste in India, where they do not serve beef and in the Middle East, where they serve halal meat.

McDonalds ability to adapt and complement to change in taste of their different consumers gives the consumers a feeling of homeliness with the McDonald brand. This invites customers from all economic backgrounds to McDonalds as they have food that they can all relate to and are comfortable with. All these characteristics make McDonalds a timeless company; as they are adapting to the consumer tastes around the world. This has led to numerous food companies such as KFC emulating McDonalds. Otherwise companies that have not adapted to economic integration would prove to be timely as they’ll be more incompetent in their respectful markets. Globalization in business proves to be a key factor in maximizing consumers’ satisfaction and pleasure, which would translate to better reputation and eventually more profit for business. This would lead to all stakeholders and the whole community to be content.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

[1] http://www.manyakoetse.com/from-big-mac-to-rice-burger-globalization-mcdonalds-in-japan/

Publisher: ManyaKoetse
Author: Manya Koetse
Article Title: From Big Mac to Rice Burger- Globalization: McDonald’s Globalization

ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY- JUST DO IT NIKE.

Nike is one of the eminent franchises in the world, which dominates the clothing industry, specifically in athletic wear. In 2013, Nike had revenue of over $24 billion and operated over 753 retail outlets around the world[1]; with most of their factories located in Asia. Despite the recognition and status of their brand, there are allegations of Nike exploiting workers by not offering them their minimum wages. This can be shown in the article titled, “Nike Supplier ‘Resisting pay rises’ in Indonesia,” published on 15/01/2013 by Kathy Marks.[2] I’ll be discussing the unethical behavior demonstrated by Nike in this article.

As stated by Kathy Marks, “ Nike supplier factories have pressure workers into renouncing their right to a minimum wage.”2 Through this statement the brand image of Nike is being tainted. They are portrayed as a company that does not comply with the target countries regulations and do not respect the rights of their employees. If the internal stakeholder of a company are not content with their working condition that illustrates that the company isn’t processing optimally. The average salary of Nike’s Indonesian worker is $150 per month, which is regarded as a “poverty wage.”[3] In my opinion, I find this very unfair and unjustified as Nike sells some of the sneakers made in Indonesia at a market price of $300/pair[4], which is double the salary earned per month. This means that the workers are not receiving proper remuneration and appreciation. Thus, they are not maximizing their value in the company, as they are not benefiting from the sales of the company. This ruins the Nike brand image as the community is dissatisfied by their ethical and social responsibility. As a result less people would be willing to buy $300 shoes if they knew how Nike conducts itself towards the Indonesian workers.

In conclusion, the article “Nike Supplier ‘Resisting pay rises’ in Indonesia,” show how ethically irresponsible Nike is, as they can survive in the market by offering the set minimum wages but have decided to be selfish. Thus hurting their employees by not offering them what they sincerely deserve. For Nike to be recognized as ethically responsible to the community once again, they need to act with fairness, equity and integrity to all their stakeholders that include their employees. Following the laws and regulations set by their target countries can do this.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 [1] http://www.statista.com/statistics/250287/total-number-of-nike-retail-stores-worldwide/

Website Title: Statista

Article Title: “Total number of Nike retail stores worldwide 2009-2013”

 [2] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/nike-supplier-resisting-pay-rises-in-indonesia-8452946.html

Website Title: The Independent

Publisher: Independent Digital News and Media

Author: Kath Marks

Article Title: “Nike Supplier ‘resisting pay rises’ in Indonesia”

[3]http://www.teamsweat.org/2011/01/31/nikes-indonesian-workers-are-still-paid-a-poverty-wage/

Website Title: TeamSweat »

Article Title: “NIKE’S INDONESIAN WORKERS ARE STILL PAID A POVERTY WAGE”

 [4]http://search.proquest.com/docview/1034345684

Publisher: The Wall Street Journal

Author: Banjo Shelly

Article Title: Le Bron Sneakers to test $300 limit