Source link: http://skollworldforum.org/about/what-is-social-entrepreneurship/

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-growth/day-to-day/can-fair-trade-boutique-expand-without-alienating-customers/article4405520/

Picture link: http://www.fabjob.com/socialentrepreneur.asp

The term social entrepreneur refers to an individual or organization that applies business strategies in order to achieve the goal of benefiting the society. According to the article “What is Social Entrepreneurship?”, social entrepreneurs are usually ambitious, mission driven, strategic, resourceful and results oriented.

Getting back to the question, in my own opinion, social entrepreneurs not only seek for making a profit, but their strategic decisions often aim to increase community’s standard of living. The United Nation may be fully funded, but it does not have the ability to improve everyone’s quality of life. Therefore, social and Arc entrepreneurs are needed. As the pre-reading article “Can fair trade boutique expand without alienating customers?” mentions, Ms. Tesfaye and Mrs. Kassahun are able to benefit their community by not only employ local individuals but also offering them with financial support through two weeks of training. This is a clear result of the Arc Initiative’ involvement, where they would not have been able to do so without the help form social entrepreneurs.

In my point of view, social entrepreneurs and Arc Initiative have played an important role in benefiting the society and spreading awareness. The United Nations would be fully funded but it is not able to be involved in every country’s community problem. Therefore, social entrepreneurship and programs like the Arc Initiative should be encouraged by everyone.

Article link: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/basics/google6.htm

Picture link: https://blog.kissmetrics.com/googles-culture-of-success/

Google, one of the world’s top Internet technology companies that employs more than 19,000 people all around the world, provides its employees with a unique working environment. Its headquarter offers a list of special amenities for employees such as exercise rooms, café stations with free food and games rooms with video games. In my opinion, this relaxed office environment is provided due to Google’s organizational culture, and it is one of the main reason for Google to maintain its leading position.

Unlike other traditional companies, Google has a flexible and innovative business culture. Its unique working environment is created for a reason. As working in Google’s headquarter, employees are able to manage their own time schedule, and they can sit in the café, talking to each other while eating free food. Thus, Google’s has created a stress free environment, where its employees are able to truly enjoy working. By doing this way, Google’s employees are offered with time to think and exchange creative ideas, leading to a higher probability in creating new innovations.

As a high technological company, Google has to be innovative continuously in order to keep its market position. Its corporate culture truly helps to fulfill the need of being creative. Therefore, in my point of view, Google’s success proves that organizational culture sometimes truly affects a company’s market competitiveness.

Blog link: http://www.sweetleafteablog.com/how-green-tea-can-help-you-lose-weight/

Picture link: http://www.sweetleafteablog.com/how-green-tea-can-help-you-lose-weight/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Leaf_Tea_Company#mediaviewer/File:SweetLeafTeaCompany.png

The blog “How Green Tea Can Help You Lose Weight” seems to be a normal educational blog post. However, it is written by the Sweet Leaf Tea, which is a company that sells specialty teas. The blog is posted on the Sweet Leaf Tea official blog website, where none of the posts are directly linked to the company’s product. However, in my point of view, the company is actually promoting its product indirectly.

The blog itself gives a brief scientific explanation of how drinking green tea can help people losing weight such as it helps to mobilized fat from fat cells etc. I believe it is a smart way to attract potential consumers as people with the habit of drinking tea often prefer a healthy diet. Therefore, the topic truly attracts people’s eye. Also, it is written in the format of a blog, which it indirectly brings a less formal, and more human touch to the brand.

Posting blogs with supporting facts that positively influence the company’s product is a creative way of indirectly promoting both the brand and company. Comparing to the traditional advertisements, it has a relatively low cost and it can also be more convincing as it has no direct connections with any of the company’s product. In my opinion, creative thinking like this one should be encouraged.

Article link: http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/jan/31/tata-nano-safety-crash-test-results

Picture link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tata_Nano#mediaviewer/File:Tata_Nano_im_Verkehrszentrum_des_Deutschen_Museums.JPG

The article mentions that the Tata Nano was launched in 2009 with a price of $2000 in India, and Tata expected to expand this product to European and North American countries. However, for the Ncap test, “Tata Nano received a zero-star adult protection rating and failed to meet even the most basic UN safety requirements”. In my point of view, it would almost be impossible for the Nano to achieve a qualified safety requirement.

The Tata Nano is known as the world’s cheapest car. It is targeting the group of consumers in India whom do not have the ability to afford a normal automobile. In order to meet this customer segment, the price for the model has to be lower than the existing cheapest car on the market. Therefore, the main design and materials used for the model is to lower the manufacturing the cost as much as possible. Hence, Nano’s low selling price is based on the sacrifice of both comfort and safety.

Tata Nano is able to be sold in India due to a low safety standard, however, European and North American countries often have a higher safety requirement for automobiles. Thereby, Nano has to achieve a higher rating in the Ncap test in order to expand to these markets. But to do so, the manufacturing cost will has to be increased and the model may even need to be redesigned. In my opinion, Tata would not be willing to do so as it will increase the selling price and the model may no longer be competitive against other models. It would be impossible for the Nano to meet the requirement while still maintaining the lowest price.

Blog link: https://connect.ubc.ca/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_45359_1%26url%3D

Picture link: http://www.redorbit.com/media/uploads/2013/09/3dprinter.jpg

According to Yihan’s blog, the development of 3-D printer providess young entrepreneurs and businesses the opportunity to compete with the market leaders. In my point of view, this new innovation brings both pros and cons.

In my opinion, 3-D printer technology and market has a great growing potential where in the future, small businesses and individuals would be able to afford. Thus, with 3-D printers, small businesses would be able to develop and produce products within a lower cost, preventing them from early stage cash liquidity problem, and therefore, gain a higher opportunity to survive and compete with the market leaders. When this happens, markets will be more competitive and thereby, more creative innovations would be developed under the pressure, leading world’s technology to the next level faster.

However, 3-D printers are great substitutes for factory workers, where firms may lay off employees and replace the old assembling line to save costs. Therefore, there will be less job opportunities provided, and many people will lose their jobs causing an increase in unemployment rate. This would be a serious social problem that has the potential of causing chaos in the society.

Overall, 3-D printer is a great innovation that brings benefits to the society. But in the main time it also has the potential to harm the existing market system. Thereby, in my own opinion, both advantages and disadvantages it would create should both be under consideration.

Article link: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/resources/First+Nations+Haida+development+company+runs+forestry/10228684/story.html

Oher reference link: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/resources/First+Nations+Haida+development+company+runs+forestry/10228684/story.html

The article mentions about the First Nations taking control of BC north coast’s businesses and economic development with the help with their own management companies.

The First Nation has not only aiming for profit, but also maximizing employment, respecting the environment and spreading the culture. In my point of view, this condition is beneficial to the aboriginal group in Canada. Native Indian people were the original owners of the land, it is still their right to keep it. According to the article “Background: The Indian Act”, Canadian government was trying to assimilate the aboriginal group. This action lasted for over 100 years, which I believe it had truly violated the local Indian culture. Therefore, by controlling the land and starting up businesses, the First Nation is able to protect, maintain and spread their culture.

Also, one of the main objective of the Haida community is to maximize employment in the north coast area. This action will not only benefit the aboriginal group, but it will also bring job opportunities to everyone, which is benefiting the society. At this point, the Haida community can also be considered as a social enterprise.

By taking control of the businesses and economic development of BC north coast, the First Nation is not only able to benefit themselves, protecting their culture, but they are also bringing positive impacts to the local society. Thereby, in my opinion, this action should be encouraged by the Canadian government.

Blog link: https://blogs.ubc.ca/robbiegrills/2014/09/26/does-blackberry-have-a-passport-to-survival/

Picture link: http://crackberry.com/blackberry-passport-keyboard

According to Robert’s blog, Blackberry is having a hard time in the smartphone business during the recent years. The company has missed some of the key opportunities, and now it hopes to gain back competition by releasing the new smartphone model, Passport.

Even though, the Passport has some unique features such as it has the largest battery among other smartphones, and its screen has higher resolution than the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5, but it is a square shaped cellphone that can be considered as an abstract comparing to the rectangular shapes of other leading models. In my personal opinion, it would be hard for people to use the Passport with one hand due to its shape. Hence, it could be considered as a weakness of the product.

The blog also mentions about Blackberry’s recent launches such as the Z10, Q10 and Z30, which they are “not-so-impressive”. I believe it means that Blackberry hasn’t drawn consumers’ attention on to the company and its product, which may negatively affect the Passport’s promotion. Consumers may not care about Blackberry’s new product as they are all attracted by the new released iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5. Therefore, it may be hard for Blackberry to meet competition just by releasing the Passport.

Article source: http://bgr.com/2014/09/29/iphone-6-release-date-china-report/

Picture source: http://9to5mac.com/2014/06/24/5-5-inch-iphone-6-mockup-compared-to-iphone-5s-and-other-android-phablets-video/

The founder of Apple, Steve Jobs believed that a cellphone can only be convenient when the size remains small. Due to this theory, iPhone was able to differentiate itself among its competitors’. However, the new released iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus completely overturned this belief.

As the above picture shows, iPhone 6 has a 4.7-inch screen and the iPhone 6 plus has a 5.5-inch screen, which they are much bigger than the iPhone 5s. A 4.7-inch screen iPhone is no longer different than the other common smartphones on market, where the new iPhone is no longer unique in its size. This means that the iPhone 6 has lost one of its major unique selling point. In business, people believe that a popular product often has at least one advantage that either be a relatively low pricing or a unique selling point. But the iPhone 6 is still more expensive than the other products. Usually it means that the iPhone 6 may not be as popular as the iPhone 5s. However, the article mentions that “Apple sold more than 10 million combined iPhone 6 and 6 plus units, topping the 9 million iPhone 5s and 5c handsets the company sold during their debut weekend in 2013”.

In my opinion, this fact is due to consumer loyalty. The iPhone 6 is the eighth generation of the Apple smartphone series, where Apple has done a great job in designing and producing the hardware and software for the previous models. In the result, Apple has gained a great amount of loyal customers that prefer to purchase the iPhone series regardless of its high price. This fact has shown that consumer loyalty is sometimes powerful enough to ignore the other factors.

Article source: http://cleantechnica.com/2014/04/24/tesla-factory-china-within-3-4-years/

Picture source: http://www.manufacturing.net/news/2014/09/tesla-plant-decision-sparks-criticism

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, raised the idea of building a factory in China within the next 3 to 4 years. Tesla currently has only one factory, which in the future when the demand rises, the production may not be able to meet the demand. Therefore, setting up a new factory is a way to solve the potential problem.

However, in my opinion, Tesla planning to build a new factory in China has more purposes. Firstly, the article mentions that “because of a hefty 25% import tariff, the Model S still starts at over $121,000 for the 60 kWh model”. By bringing the production into China will reduce the price to under $100,000. This will make the Model S much more competitive in China than its competitors’ products. As China is a huge market with an increasing trend of demand in automobiles, Tesla may be able to gain a great percentage of market share.

Secondly, Tesla’s current factory is located in California, where the average labor cost is high. Unlike the USA, China has a relatively low labor cost. Hence, building up the factory in China will reduce the unit cost per car produced. According to my previous SWOT Analysis Assignment on Tesla, one of its major weakness is the high price of Model S, which the high labor cost is one of the main causes. This future plan is able to solve this problem, making its product more competitive among the global market.

Article link: http://www.democracynow.org/2014/9/8/big_tobaccos_child_workers_young_laborers

This article talks about US tobacco firms are hiring children for working at the tobacco farms. In this case, it is a clear child labor issue that relates to social responsibility. The article also mentions that “many suffer from “green tobacco sickness,” or nicotine poisoning”, which “children are especially vulnerable to toxic pesticides since their bodies are still developing”. Therefore, US tobacco firms are not only illegally hiring children for adult labor, but also causing illness among them.

US tobacco businesses are legally barred from selling cigarettes to children. This means the demand for tobacco is forced to drop, and it harms US tobacco companies’ total sales. As the sales drop, US tobacco firms are making less revenue. Thus they have to find a solution to maintain profitability. Child labor is a way to lower the cost of production, and leads to a decrease in unit cost. Therefore, the unit profit will increase and the firms are able to maintain profitability with a lower demand.

Milton Friedman believes that a company’s only social responsibility is to increase profit, which seems like the tobacco firms are making the correct decision by applying to his theory. However, I personally consider that these companies are using the theory is an incorrect way. As the media explores the Child Labor issue behind the tobacco firms, it is not only against the law, but also harming companies’ reputation because it is negatively affecting the society, which may lead to a sudden drop in demand. This will certainly harm these businesses’ profitability. Therefore, in my opinion, I believe that Friedman’s theory is correct, but it doesn’t mean that a firm can do anything for profit maximization, ethical and social responsibility objectives play an important role in the decision making process.