judyli

Nowadays, there are many debates on gender equity. I totally agree with Zhao’s opinions that “skills and knowledge should be top priority when hiring personnel”. More and more women take the lead in big enterprises currently, and they have demonstrated great communication skills and leadership in different areas. Therefore, it is not necessary for firms to hire a fixed ratio of  male employees and female employees. However, it is true that there are always more man at the top than women now.  So, women should always “seat at the table” with those man, and take the lead. The way women thinks are different than the way man think, and it is important for firms to hear different voices and make better decisions. Most important, it is even more significant for women to believe that they should “seat at the table”, and their voices worth billions of dollar. Zhao also mentioned that “business organizations should not alter their operations and take matters to please social whims.” I think companies who conduct this kind of value will challenge themselves. Firms should look at their peoples’ abilities, not their genders.

After reading Lucy Yan’s blog “Should energy business take social responsibilities?” I agree with Lucy that big energy companies should take more social responsibilities.

Everyone uses gas, and gas is also significant for many industries.   It is easier to tell that our society has a huge demand for gas. Also, most energy companies are monopolies. Therefore, national energy companies are making big bulks due to their monopoly powers.  I think those companies should pay back the social by taking more responsibilities.  For examples, big energy firms can make donations to non-profit organizations.  Furthermore, some energy industry makes negative impacts on environment, and it has made many problems. In opinion, companies must take responsibilities for sustainable development. For firms who make large pollution should be fined.

When it comes to how can energy firms do to make positive social impact, Lucy mentioned that “they could collaborate and communicate with government to discuss energy conservation effective efficiency.” I think this is a good way for energy firms to take social responsibilities and make positive effects.

It is very brave for Apple’s Tim Cook to come out, and we should all think about why Cook is doing this.  In my opinion, we all should be proud of who we are. Not all gays and lesbians are lucky to live in a world that people respect individuals that are different. For example, some people in China still don’t show respect to homosexuals, and many gays and lesbians are suffering from this. If more homosexuals come out like Cook did, more people will start to understand others that are different.   Making choices are not easy, but sometimes you need to make some differences for yourself and others. I love how Cook describe himself.  That is, “I’m an engineer, an uncle, a nature lover, a fitness nut, a son of the South, a sports fanatic, and many other things. I hope that people will respect my desire to focus on the things I’m best suited for and the work that brings me joy.”  I feel that being myself makes me comfortable. Let’s be proud of who we are.

“The federal government has unveiled a retooled education plan for First Nations that it says recognizes aboriginal control over schooling”

Education is significant for human beings, and it is important to ensure that aboriginal people in Canada can have fair education.  I am glad that the federal government has recognized aboriginal control over education, and “the Prime Minister Stephane Harper also promised that an additional $1.9 billion in funding for aboriginal education starting in 2015.”   It is important to ensure that first nation people have a fair education system.  Reforming First Nations education is important for ensuring aboriginal people’s right.   However, the new legislation requires a lot of work to be done.  “The new legislation would require teachers on reserves to acquire provincial certification and include measures to improve attendance records and low graduation rates on reserves.”  Therefore, it is important to make sure that the federal government is going to keep funding the aboriginal education system. There are some voices that against this new legislation. One of the against voices is that “The reason that I object is that the AFN has no right to negotiate on our behalf because treaty negotiations are a nation-to-nation agreement”. Thus, maybe the federal government should make a better agreements with First Nations.

Comm 101 is the most interesting and challenge course I have taken. I begin to understand what business is and realize I still have a long way to go for being a good business student.

 1 Do more reading

We have done much reading in Comm 101. Reading enables me to understand cases and business models profs teach in lectures and enrich my background knowledge about business. I found Economist.com is a good price to go.

 2 Be more critical

I feel there is no right or wrong in business. Thus, it is important for me to think more critically to make better decisions.

4 Improve my writing skills

As an international students, my writing is not strong enough to write high-quality papers. It was so difficult for me to write the SWOT analysis because I cannot express all my ideas in English precisely.

5 Contribute your ideas

The most important thing Comm 101 teaches me is to make my ideas heard. In Comm 101, people all think differently and it is so exciting to exchange ides with them. I am nervous at first, but I become more confident to put my hands up after few tries. I am glad there is a class where I can hear so many excellent ideas.

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As a business student, I think reading is a great way to gain new skills and see new perspectives. I have read a post called  “13 Must-Read Business Books That Could Change Your Life“, and I want to share some with you.

1. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey

2. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

3. The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss

4. Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler

5. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

6. The Millionaire Next Door: Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko

7. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink

8. We: How to Increase Performance and Profits through Full Engagement by Rudy Karsan and Kevin Kruse

9. Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godi

10.The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber