When I first saw the topic I had to ask myself: “what is the point of the UN?”.  I believe that what the UN stands for is very similar to the motives behind the ARC Initiative, to give people in need a chance at a better life.  Whether it’s through financial aid or the exchange of ideas and knowledge, the result is the same.  The reason I believe that programs like the ARC Initiative and social entrepreneurship would still be needed is because the UN is intrinsically flawed.  Not only does the United Nations not represent every country, but in this case I feel like the democratic process can get in the way with decision-making.  Since so many countries are included, it can be difficult at times to come to a decision in which every delegate is happy.  With small initiatives, they can focus on the problems of a single population immediately as opposed to having to go through a long process.  Also, in my opinion, grassroots initiatives are usually more invested in these types of social issues and as such will be more committed to achieving the goal of a better life for people.

In reply to a post by Akbar Karamali, I am a real fan of AT&T’s decision to move into Mexico.  As Akbar explained in his post, Mexico has become ripe for investment, a growing middle class and government reforms make for an ideal situation.  What I like most about this move is the fact that AT&T will become the first US telecommunications company to become international.  Verizon and AT&T have been in competition for years over who gets to be the premier telecommunications provider in the States, but after this I think AT&T will take a huge edge.  With the amount of workers coming from Mexico to find jobs here there is a great demand to be able to talk to relatives back home.  Although there are currently alternatives such as Skype and Viber to talk over long-distances, having an integrated network is much more favorable.  The only issue I see with this venture is that this advantage won’t last long.  With talks of Verizon expanding into Canada, it seems like most telecommunications companies will begin going international and AT&T will lose its advantage unless it continues to expand.  However, in the meantime, AT&T has one-upped other companies with a strategy that will put them on top for the foreseeable future.

Source: https://blogs.ubc.ca/akbarkaramali/2014/11/09/att-roams-into-new-territory/

In reply to a blog by Lawson Parker concerning the implementation of a carbon tax in Canada, I believe that there could be both pros and cons from the introduction to an emissions tax.  I agree with his points on creating shared value through improving the state of the environment as well as that of the economy.  I believe that if the government went by the plan proposed (taxing carbon emissions and funneling the funds into the economy) then it would work out great, but I fear that the government wouldn’t follow this plan.  In the article, it states that the Canadian government willingly spends their money from taxation, opposite of Norway’s system of saving for future generations.  The Canadian government also doesn’t tend to invest in education and other more social outlets than Norway does.

Another issue I see is that the economies of Canada and Norway differ greatly.  Norway’s main exports are petroleum and other gas-related products, whereas Canada’s GDP is mainly composed of tech-products and natural resources, oil comprising a small fraction of that.  In order to mimic Norway, Canada would have to put more focus on the tar sands in Alberta, which is contrary to the idea behind a carbon tax.

Sources: https://blogs.ubc.ca/lawsonp/2014/11/09/norways-solution/

www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-business/european-business/norway-proves-oil-rich-nations-can-be-both-green-and-prosperous/article21514455/

A New York lingerie company, Journelle, truly achieves their strategic statement “[making] women feel amazing every day”.  During a time when other companies were cutting costs and releasing employees due to the recession, Claire Chambers, the CEO of Journelle, decided to increase her staff as well as upping their training.

What I think made Journelle successful in this time was properly identifying the opportunities provided by the recession: other firms cutting costs and therefore having weaker service and consumers looking to fill the gap left by those companies.  Through this examination, Chambers created shared value by creating better value propositions for both men and women, resulting in a 55% increase in profits.  Despite this, I disagree with Chamber’s idea of increasing staff.  Although the end result was a success, there was a great deal of risk associated with her decision considering the economy was in a recession.  Extra training for existing staff as opposed to hiring more staff and having to train them as well would have been a better idea.  A change in organizational structure would have worked as well, instead of having each staff member helping a customer, having a system where certain employees identify a customer’s needs and then passing them on to a different employee, presumably an expert in that category, would make the whole system more efficient while still providing excellent service.

Source: https://hbr.org/2012/10/how-this-lingerie-store-booste