Read Heidi’s blog post here

Read the original article here

Upon Heidi Leung’s post on the issue of part-time jobs, I had have the chance to read a great article called “The 15 Hour Work Week: Canada’s Part-Time Problem.” The article argued that on a financial scale, most companies prefer hiring part-time employers as this form of employment helps to save up labour cost such as compensation, health care, and much other benefit. Therefore, in Canada’s market, “part-time work accounted for 80 percent of net job creation.” Indeed, whether to work part-time or full-time is a decision made by the employees; however, due to the low full-time job offers, many employees faces financial struggle as their part-time working hours are too flexible to be secured. In the blog post, Heidi came up with the great solution in response to the issue as she claims the necessity to set regulations on minimum part-time hours that could benefit the employees for fixed hours. However, in my opinion, I don’t believe this form of regulation would be enough as not every part-time employee face the same financial issues and wish to have more hours. In fact, for employees facing financial struggle, I do believe that this is the area that the government should intervene on. Due to the fast advancement of technology and globalization, the need for pure labour has been highly deducted; however, the mechanism in technology could never replace humanity. These employees, ones who are in need with financial support, rather of getting financial funds by the government of NGO, should rather use the money as investment and educate themselves. While financial support and regulations could be a short-time solution, company’s training program and educating these workers with a higher set of skills are eventually the long-term solution that could spark a light upon the labour market.

Sources:

“How Do I Survive If I Can Only Find Part-time Work?” About. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.

“Heidi Leung.” Heidi Leung. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.

“The 15-hour Workweek: Canada’s Part-time Problem.” The Globe and Mail. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.

Jacqueline Novogratz, the founder of Acumen fund, an impact-investing firm, has once stated, “my dream is to find individuals who take financial resources and convert them into changing the world in the most positive ways.”

Perhaps, this marks the main point of differentiation between the UN fund and the social entrepreneurs. Where United Nations tends to raise fund and simply donate them to where it’s need, social entrepreneurs are the ones who use the money and create something that’s even more ever-lasting to the locals. For instance, in the video, “Social Entrepreneur: Pioneering Social Change,” Muhammad Yunus by lending small amount of money to those who are unable to start-up a business on their own. Not only Yunus has created a movement called microfinance, Yunus were able to help the local village to prosper as these borrowers have use the money to create business that help to sustain the village. Therefore, indeed the UN through its funding have provided communities a short-run solution with financial support; however, without social enterprise, the communities would never learn how to be self-sufficient, and these are the areas where the social entrepreneur help to develop. Unlike UN, social entrepreneurs often have a deeper knowledge of the local communities and strategies of improvements, which UN could never achieved with specific investments. Hence, social entrepreneurs are essentially the major forces that drives communities into better efficiency with suitable approach. Perhaps, the major differentiation between UN funding and social enterprise is the degree of influence. Just as Yunus’ contribution with his Grameen Bank, it’s not solely lending money, but rather creating a movement that paves the village to a better lifestyle.

Sources:

“Announcing Another Social Enterprise Discovery Workshop!” The Zugunruhe Project RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.

“What Is Social Entrepreneurship?” Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.

“10 Social Entrepreneurship Quotes That Will Leave You Inspired.”SocialStory. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.

Read Chealsea’s Blog Here

Read the Original Article Here 

Recently I have came across my classmate Chealsea Choi’s blog post upon Chipotle’s restaurateur program and rewarding system. Instead of rewarding employers for the number of sales, Chipotle measures the effectiveness of employer’s positive influence upon others.

As Steven Kerr, in his article “On the Folly of Rewarding A While Hoping for B,” has stated, sometimes what the company want to promote may not be accurate according to its rewarding system, and a false rewarding system might lead to an ineffective and unsatisfied working environment. Therefore, Chipotle’s rewarding system could be seen as a break-through, as it aims to promote the working force internally that encourages genuine team work. This form of rewarding system that promotes brand culture and values are worthwhile as it establishes a much stronger working force. A similar example would be the company Zappos, in which its CEO in the article “Happy Feet,” published by the New Yorker, has stated that rather of being passionate in shoes, he is in fact more interested in creating a working force that brings a sense of gatherers in the company. Moreover, the past experience of working in Starbucks has led me to believe the importance for a company to establish its cultural value. Even though the job content of a barista is repetitive and simple, the working environment is rather abundant and worthwhile. I’ve been motivated everyday by my colleagues or customers through the conversations I have with them. Indeed, some may argue that having conversations is solely a store policy, a marketing strategy, the company aims to establish. However, as each employer strive to share a little bit of themselves to the customers, and vice versa, a genuine friendship, a shared contentment, and the nourishment of human culture have been created. Hence, indeed, the best way to advertise a company is by developing its culture value as it not only create brand recognition, it promotes a sense of unity inside the working force where all employers share the same value of making the company better.

Sources:

“Check out What’s Crossing the Bridge.” Brand and Culture: ‘Two Sides of the Same Coin’ N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.

Lutz, Ashley. “A Chipotle Manager Worked Her Way Up To Be The Company’s Top FemaleExecutive.” Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 04 Nov. 2014. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.

“CHELSEA CHOI’S BLOG.” CHELSEA CHOIS BLOG. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.

Kerr, Steven. “On the Folly of Rewarding A, While Hoping for B.” Academy of Management Journal 18.4 (1975): 769-83. Web.

“Happy Feet – The New Yorker.” The New Yorker. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.

Read James Altucher’s Blogpost Here

Through browsing an entrepreneur adviser James Altucher’s blog, called The Altucher Confidential, I have came across this interesting blog post: “How to Persuade Anyone of Anything in Ten Seconds.” Even though James interestingly uses the approach of elevator pitch as an example, the advices and tips he portrayed substantially outlined the main business marketing strategies that help to provide companies to create brand value for their products.

James has stated, these methods aren’t just about “persuasion,” but rather, “its about connection.” Indeed, through different forms of advertisements, not only companies are trying to persuade the consumers in buying their products, they are also a form of connection, a mutual bridge, inside the consumer’s mind that connects the companies’ core brand image with consumers’ expectations and desires. Hence, James tips of persuading others are not only valid for an everyday use, it is also suitable for all business models as their advertising tactics.

Here are the short takeaways from James’ blog:

1.)   Who are you?

Here, James advocates the importance of politely introduce oneself to others as it deliver a very genuine, honest, and trust-worthy image.

Therefore, before launching product that companies thought that would appeal in the eyes of the consumers, perhaps it’s more important to identify the company’s own image as it best outline the company’s core value. With a distinct value, the brand is no longer persuading consumers with solely its physical product, but rather a concept.

2.) Relax

Indeed, as individuals are more relaxing and expressing their truest state of mind, this not only gives others a more sincere image, the persuader as well becomes more practical and easy to relate to. The same concept could be applied to business models, in which by providing a more sincere brand, consumers will more likely to be engaging and inclined. Especially in this over-communicated world, as Trout has stated in the article Positioning, a simplified and clear message is simply enough to grab the consumers’ interest.

3.)   Use of Language (Avoid Um/mm-hmm/yeah)

James stated that by using intellectual words and language, it gives the persuader a very intelligent and straightforward image. This could as well as applied in a business world as it gives the consumers a sense of security knowing that the company is the lead in the industry.

4.)   The Six U’s

Urgency

Unique

Useful

Ultra-Specific

User-Friendly

Unquestionably Proof

Here, James outline the six U’s, which could be seen as the points of differentiation in the business world. These points outlined the important approaches in developing brand image that could perhaps drive customer incentives in purchasing the product.

5.)   Desire

James stated that in effort to persuade others, it is important to know their desires first and act accordingly. He outline the individual’s desires which includes：

• recognition
• rejuvenation
• relaxation
• relief
• religion
• remuneration
• results
• revenge
• romance

Hence, perhaps, these points could give the companies a direction in targeting customer segmensts and to meet their needs and desires.

6.) Objection

James expressed that there will always be objections. Just as Jack Trout in his article Positioning, has stated “it’s a mistake to build a brand by trying to appeal to everyone.” Perhaps, what makes a brand image ever stronger is the fact that it has a very distinct and identified customer segment the company targets and able to meet these targeted customers’ need accordingly.

Indeed, in the business world, the core objection is always to be persuading the customers, and even the society that certain products are worth buying. Hence, by evaluating James tips of how to persuade others, these tips as well outlined the important marketing strategies that helps companies in identifying their positions in the market.

Sources:

“How to Persuade Anyone of Anything in Ten Seconds.” Altucher Confidential RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.

“Product Positioning.” Product Positioning. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.

Read Article Here  Just as Jack Trout has stated in the article Positioning, he has indicated the importance for companies to portray simplified and clear messages into the consumer’s mind that correspond to their belief in the product, especially in today’s environment where the market has been over-communicated with advertisements. Indeed, through the use of polar bear as its icon, Coca-Cola has successfully advertised their product through this fun and cute image that attracts all ages of consumers. As the issue of animal extinction rises, one of Coca Cola’s admirable and intelligent tactics is not to avoid this arising issue; instead, the company uses the issue as their point of differentiation for their advertising campaign. Unlike most brands would rather create a new brand images, as it helps to minimize the cost of re-shaping the original brand. Coca-Cola emphasizes on their brand recognition by adding social value into their brand through the cooperation with the WWF. This method not only re-build the Coca-Cola image, it provides a point of differentiation from other soft drinks brand as consumers feel a sense of contribution to the world when consuming the product. Just like the Dove’s The Movement of Self-Esteem campaign, and Tom’s One for One campaign, both companies have successfully created a sustainable and social valuable brand image in the consumer’s mind, in which this form of brand recognition drives customer incentive for purchase and therefore could lead to customer loyalty. Hence, instead of donating funds into WWF, perhaps, Coca-cola could further build on their campaign by donating small amount of money to the organization for each purchase as this approach has could create a better customer relationship throughout the market. Sources: “The Dove Movement for Self-Esteem.” The Dove Movement for Self-Esteem. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2014. “Should the Polar Bear Still Sell Coca-Cola? – The New Yorker.” The New Yorker. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2014. “Product Positioning.” Product Positioning. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.

Read article here

The Tsilhgot’in First Nations has recently declared 1,750 square kilometres of land west of Williams Lake as their landmark of a tribal park. However, controversy takes place when Taseko Mines Ltd.’s Fish Lake property lies outside the title area recognized by the courts. As the Tsilhogt’in people have devoted themselves on conserving the well-being of the environment, have been long opposed for the mining industry around the area and wish to reduce the mining and logging threats. This is a perfect example to evaluate PEST analysis on the two factors and observe of how Taseko Mines Ltd faces the external factor as First Nations issues are tightly connected to their land allocation and political rights. In this case, as the Tsilhogot’in people have the profound interest in preserving the wilderness on behalf of their culture and living condition, their effort in contributing the environment could deeply affect the corporation’s potential business model as New Prosperity’s exploitation would severely contaminate the fish lake. On a social level, as the New Prosperity’s strategy in developing the mine on an environmentally scale, it is hard for the Taseko Mines to take further steps as they are currently challenging the First Nation’s cultural limitations and habitants while standing under the spotlight with national attention. However, would a full denial towards the mining industry be the only solution in this issue. The answer is no. While it is important to preserve the environment, it is equally important to evaluate the issue based on an economic lens as the mining industry does open various doors with employment opportunities in the area. Therefore, on a political level to develop a deeper analysis on the issue, government intervention is a must as it is worthwhile to set government regulation and limitation between First Nations and corporations to avoid further controversies and prevent conflicts.

Resources:
“Tsilhqot’in Set to Declare Site of New Prosperity Mine a Tribal Park.”Www.vancouversun.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2014. <http://www.vancouversun.com/news/metro/Unilateral%2Bpark%2Bdeclared%2BTsilhqot%2Bincludes%2BProsperity%2Bmine/10192766/story.html>.

“Understanding Pest Analysis with Definitions and Examples.” PESTLE Analysis. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2014. <http://pestleanalysis.com/pest-analysis/>.

Read article here

“ ‘This is an evolution,’ Mr. Bawa said. ‘And there’s a lot more to come.’ ”

The frozen food company McCain Foods Ltd is now expanding their target customers from primarily the families with kids to a larger scope of the Canadian population. Instead of limiting themselves from distributing frozen good, the company is now transitioning from their original brand image of fast and convenient into a new image of providing healthy and fresh products. The main reason that drives the company into reshaping their business model is the fact that young consumers, with a higher level of living conditions, now value food that comes from nutritious and safe sources. Therefore, the Vikram Bawa, McCain’s vice-president of marketing has emphasized that they has the intention to reshape their brand with new looks and logos that demonstrate naturalness and warmth. Even though, the company has been aiming to make the transition over a year now, the process remains to be time-consuming and strenuous as consumers already has a basic understanding of the brand in their mind, and it is rather difficult to alter the image and transitioning into something else. Just as Ries and Trout in the article in “positioning” has mentioned, “it’s cheaper and easier to introduce a new brand than to changing the existing brand a new position.” Hence, it is important For McCain to rethink the effectiveness of their current strategy of reshaping the brand and finding even more efficient ways to emphasize their new brand image into the consumers’ mind.

Resources:
“McCain Aims to Bring Warmth Back to the Frozen Food Aisle.” The Globe and Mail. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2014. <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/mccain-foods-reinvents-itself-to-adapt-to-new-priorities/article20937714/>.

“Product Positioning.” Product Positioning. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2014. <http://www.quickmba.com/marketing/ries-trout/positioning/>.

Read article here

By setting default to all videos uploading on Facebook to start playing muted automatically once viewers scroll though their news feed, videos on Facebook now has the opportunity to grab viewers’ attention in an instant. Thus, rather than streaming commercials on television, small businesses with a tighter budget are now being offered a more sufficient and efficient way of reaching their potential customers by posting their advertisement online. To truly create a platform to introduce products and communicate with customers, many brands now have their own Facebook page to easily seize viewers’ attention. Now, with the “auto-play” feature, Facebook is providing these small businesses to an even higher level by developing video analytics for publishers such as view counts and customer preference recommendation. These information not only are useful for developing marketing strategy for small businesses, it could help companies to keep track on video displaying record and useful in future references. Most importantly, with the video analytic database, each business would also have a deeper understanding on how to develop strategy for their future business models. However, with the effect of globalization and an overload of information throughout each viewer’s newsfeed and mind, small business should really start thinking about how to really make a strong and positive impression upon their potential customers’ mind.

Resources:

“Facebook Video Offers Another Way for Small Businesses to Spread the Word.” The Globe and Mail. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2014. <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-marketing/advertising/facebook-video-offers-another-way-for-small-businesses-to-spread-message/article20514969/>.

 Read article here

As MacDonald’s has recently decided to expand their McCafe into the home-brew coffee market as they are now launching their new coffee pods into Canadian Supermarkets. Even though research has been done and proven by the “Coffee Association of Canada ” that 78 percent of the coffee consumption is done at home and it is surely a product with potentials to invest in, the market for grocery aisle instant brewed coffee remains to be extremely competitive. First, powerful competitors includes the Keurig, Starbucks Tassimo, and Tim Horton’s K-cups; however, within this competitive environment, it is important to acknowledge that the concept of instant brewed coffee pods may still not be widely acceptable throughout the market. For instance, besides the convenience of the invention, the debate of whether to consume freshly brewed coffee or purchase the instant coffee maker remains as customers’ preference and priorities vary. Therefore, it is important for McDonald’s to acknowledge a few points as they enter the market of instant coffee pods. First, the taste of the brewed coffee, throughout the competitive coffee market, it is important to distinguish the taste and emphasize the brand quality apart from other brands. Second, the price, as McDonald’s has the intention to actively expand their brand name into the grocery market, developing their “focus low cost” having a lower price while having decent quality may give them an advantage among other coffee brands. Last, but not least, the variety of the coffee pods. Instead of mainly focusing upon brewed coffee, expanding their target consumers to a younger age might give them a great advantage over others as the concept of instant beverage pods remains to be a concept new to the market. Therefore, taking a lead in developing a variety types of pods, not necessarily restricting to brewed coffee would really give McDonald’s a great position in making their brand stronger among customers’ mind.

Sources:

“McDonald’s McCafe Pushes into Grocery Aisle as Coffee Wars Heat up.”Global News. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2014. <http://globalnews.ca/news/1566444/mcdonalds-beats-tim-hortons-to-the-punch-as-coffee-wars-heat-up/>

Beyond ‘no means no’: the future of campus rape prevention is ‘yes means yes’

Just as what Milton Friedman has suggested in the book “Corporate Ethics and Corporate Governance,” school is a corporation for an eleemosynary purpose, in which as a business for higher education, the institution’s social responsibility is directly towards the students. Hence, the institution’s reputation could substantially be in doubt when students accuse the school for mishandling cases that severely disturb their security and rights. In the case of how the University of Columbia misconduct Emma Sulkowicz’s terrible’s experience of being sexually assaulted in the campus, this example best illustrates how institutions’ lack of disciplinary system could crucially affect the institutions’ reputation negatively.

Through the action of carrying a twin-size bed with her all around the campus and each New York City building, by gaining the public’s attention into the issue of sexual assault, Sulkowicz hopes that the institution could respond as quickly as possible and expel the man who raped her off the campus. Even though Sulkowicz is just one of the three women who accuse the same fellow offender, she was treated abysmally as both the cops and the Columbia’s disciplinary panel remain uneducated towards the campus violence. Therefore, even if the University of Columbia has been one of the best universities around the world with a worldwide reputation, its business and social ethnic is severely in disappointment due to its poor performance of mishandling such crucial and sensitive issue. Just as Freeman’s stakeholder’s theory has stated, “for any business to be successful, it has to create values for customers, suppliers, employers, communities, financiers, shareholders, and banks and other people with the money;” hence, the driving force of pushing a corporation to the peak of success shouldn’t be evaluated on the profit it makes, but rather the values it creates. In this case, as the institution fails to respond justification towards the students’ loss, it fails to truly exercise its social responsibility and its business ethnic, as it cannot provide values to the students. The fact that Sulkowicz advocates for campus violence and sexual assaults through carrying the bed that she was raped with her to all her classes best proved the unfortunate truth, not just Columbia but as well as other institutions, that a strong disciplinary system and security are fundamental and student violence should not be ignored.

Resources:

The Guardian “Beyond ‘no means no’: the future of campus rape prevention is ‘yes means yes'”
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/02/-sp-campus-rape-prevention-yes-means-yes August 10 2014

Milton Friedman “Corporate Ethics and Corporate Governance” http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ubc/reader.action?docID=10187339&page=171 August 10 2014

Edward Freeman “What is Stakeholder Theory” https://www.youtube.com/embed/bIRUaLcvPe8 August 10 2014