From: https://www.istockphoto.com/ca/photo/group-of-multiethnic-people-studying-about-teamwork-gm485465920-71897961?esource=SEO_GIS_CDN_Redirect

A throwback to the beginning of the semester, we had a class on “team building”. I remember prof saying, “the reason we are teaching this class very early in your career is that teamwork can be the most important thing in your whole life.”

From:http://aib.edu.au/custom/files/media/form-submission-7464-teamworkisimportantintheworkplace.jpg

Teamwork is definitely one of the most significant process, lesson, and skill that a business person must learn. Working with others, especially people with different background can be fun, but sometimes challenging. I personally have had a lot of experience working in teams with different people; some went well, but some didn’t. When all the group members have the same goal and trying their best, despite the different level of skills or contribution, it will be a delightful and enjoyable experience, which enables the group to achieve the goal together. However, sometimes there can be people not doing their job or be violating the rules, in worst cases, people can be disrespecting others. As a result, it will lead to poor team performance and end up failing the task or job. Even though it is hard to change or manage how other people act, but doing the right thing and making positive impacts can make a difference.

In Kirk Hsu’s COM101 Blog#4, he discussed “how to make a positive impact on your team?” I find it really useful on what you can do as an individual to contribute or influence the team. He states:

1. Be supportive: “Being a supportive teammate could really influence the team’s atmosphere in a positive way”(Hsu 2017). Helping people out can get to know more about each other in a personal way. Working together as friends will greatly enhance the team’s atmosphere and work quality.
2. Be transparent: “Keep your teammates updated on your progress” (Hsu 2017). Be honest with yourself and everyone on the team. If you are falling behind, seek help! If you are ashamed to ask, it will only end up failing your part. Be transparent helps to make sure everyone is on track!
3. Giving feedbacks: Feedbacks are the best thing to check on yourself or give advice and opinions on how other people are doing with their tasks. It enables the entire team to reflect on themselves; despite good or bad. It’s a chance to know what you are doing well and where/how you can improve on. However, sometimes it is really hard to give or receive criticism, in another word, it is hard to be 100% honest.

From: http://cnsinc.tv/wp-content/uploads/team-work-makes-the-dream-work.jpg

“Teamwork makes the dream work!” I really think teamwork enables everyone to learn new things and know more about themselves. It will not only make the dream work but also make everyone a better person.

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Bibliography:

Hsu, K. (2017, October 28). HOW TO MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT IN YOUR TEAM? Retrieved November 09, 2017, from https://blogs.ubc.ca/kirkhsu/

Hansen, R. S. (2010, August 07). Benefits and Problems With Student Teams: Suggestions for Improving Team Projects. Retrieved November 09, 2017, from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3200/JOEB.82.1.11-19

From:https://www.franchiseindia.com/uploads/content/edu/art/entrepreneur-1024×768-5a1ba4661f.jpg

Starting up my own company in my hometown Taiwan has always been my entrepreneurial dream. The blueprint of it is a company that makes high-quality clothing and accessories, and specializing in “hat and cap”. In one of the readings of COM101 class, it talks about how entering early in the market will have a big advantage. For example, it can make a lasting impression, more time to refine the process to perfect the product, and has less competition. In Taiwan, there are a lot of companies in the market, for example, Zara, H&M, Uniqlo, and other local companies. However, no one is specializing in producing hat/cap. With the first-mover advantage, it is highly likely my company can find its position in the market. A big problem is how to choose the location to set up stores.

Choosing a location for a new business is one of the most important decisions entrepreneurs make during the planning phase of launching a venture. It will affect the profitability such as the total sales made (window-shopping customers) and the total cost (rent). Refering to a blog in allbusiness.com, “finding the best location for your small business: 5 factors to consider” (Wood, 2017), it talks about how and why to choose the best location to set up small businesses.

From: https://www.scrumstart.net/sites/www.scrumstart.net/files/2017-06/Captive%20location%20strategy.jpg

1. Most Popular; before starting up, finding and connecting with other entrepreneurs that are either in the same boat or have been through the starting-up stage can be a valuable asset. Built-in networking opportunities and sense of community can be vital for start-up entrepreneurs.
2. Lowest cost of running a business; reducing cost is crucial for start-up companies. Low cost can lead to higher profit and therefore enable further investments to expand the company. By choosing a location with lower office space, utilities, legal costs and filing fees, it can significantly reduce cost.
3. Highest revenue; High revenue is equally important as low cost, where it increases profitability to enable investment and expansion. Choosing a location that usually generates the highest revenue such as Taipei city will be ideal to start up my business.
4. Most lenient government policies; choosing a location that is friendly to small businesses will make it easier to obtain licenses, hire employees and reduce taxation.
5. Highest survival rates; looking at cities that have great numbers of companies that stay in the business for more than 5 years will enable my company for long-term survival even its not making a profit at the beginning.

From: https://www.google.com.tw/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=0ahUKEwi6nfzS9JHXAhUX5mMKHQvxAdkQjBwIBA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.travel.taipei%2Fimage%2F66995%2Foriginal&psig=AOvVaw2od-cdE7fXFpgfkVdZW1uf&ust=1509231780403476

In conclusion, after setting up my hat/cap company, considering these 5 factors, an ideal location will be the capital of Taiwan, Taipei city.

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Bibliography:

Wood, M. (2017, October 16). Finding the Best Location for Your Small Business: 5 Factors to Consider. Retrieved October 27, 2017, from https://www.allbusiness.com/start-small-business-5-factors-consider-114034-1.html/2

Susan, F. First-Mover: Advantages, Disadvantages & Examples. Retrieved October 27, 2017, from http://study.com/academy/lesson/first-mover-advantages-disadvantages-examples.html

From: http://www.centralparkjakarta.com/image/1995362933_20170411105407_Under-Armour-Logo.png

“While most of us think of Under Armour as just a clothing company, a deeper dive into its business strategy reveals a content producing machine (2017, Congdon).” Under Armour’s marketing strategy allows them to apply new methods and assure them to keep growing. When Nike, Adidas and Puma are developing towards a more voguish and fashionable sport wears, UA focuses on a more sport related aspect, “health”. They created a “robust health blog” that competes with the best health blogs and video channels. Moreover, UA created a free smartphone APP called MyFitnessPal with over 175 millions of users. This accessible APP helps the user to create a healthier lifestyle by keep track of calories consumed, footsteps and getting critical health information. In the 21^st century, the internet is one of the most important resources. UA invested heavily to ensure that Google search will lead people right to its sites.

From: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kvKDzgawnII/maxresdefault.jpg

“Coca-Cola is more than a drink; it’s an essential part of the American culture (2017, Congdon)” Coca-Cola invested heavily on their social media content. Its contents are always about its business, its brand, and its customers. When Coca-Cola share an article or video, they always did it in a creative way that encourages people off social media and clicks into its website. This marketing strategy enables Coca-Cola to continually remind clients about the brand, and lead them to make a sale and make an offer. Moreover, it also helps them to gain more information about clients that dedicates to the future focuses of marketing.

In COM101 class, one of the articles about marketing states, “If marketing has one goal, it’s to reach consumers at the moments that most influence their decisions (2009, David).” Under Armour and Coca-Cola, both invested heavily on social media that allows them to promote the brand and to reach consumers moment of decision. As an Under Armour APP user, it really helps me to keep track on my health. The product “UA band” that connects to their app allows me to keep track on my sleeping time and quality, amount of exercise and also resting heart rate. It encourages me to purchase Under Armour’s sports wears when deciding which brand to go to. On the other hand, Coca-Cola’s social media strategy has always entertained me with the creativeness of the videos that reminds me of the brand whenever purchasing soft drinks.

From: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/WkGXEesGEu4ayZctjADlDKdscS3Ve1hmoVzhHQYh9NuK9QpDA3Rx6ae3jg7VH2dFZqk=w300

From: https://www.formfonts.com/files/1/4257/low-poly-coca-cola-bottle-refrigeratornotes-lightwave-model_1_Cokefrige.jpg

In conclusion, I think UA and Coca Cola’s marketing strategy really reaches the moment when purchasing that increase their sales. I will suggest companies to imitate their marketing strategy.

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Resources:

Congdon, L. (2017, October 09). One Thing Coca-Cola, Geico and Under Armour Are Doing That Every Company Should Do Today. Retrieved October 14, 2017, from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/302119

David Court, Dave Elzinga, Susan Mulder, and Ole Jørgen Vetvik. (2009, June 15). The consumer decision journey. Retrieved October 14, 2017, from, https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/the-consumer-decision-journey

Is the world ready for Self-Driving Cars?

From: https://s1.cdn.autoevolution.com/images/news/exclusive-ny-pols-want-to-fix-1971-steering-wheel-law-to-allow-for-self-drivi-107966_1.jpg

The fast development of new technologies has brought a more convenient and efficient life to the society. Tesla, Nissan, different automakers and even Google and Apple are putting in a lot of resources to the development of self-driving cars; however, implementing self-driving cars has always been a controversial issue.

Around 1.25 million people die each year and 20-50 million people injured or disabled as a result of traffic crashes; 81% of them are results of human error(Sheet, 2017), including drunk driving and other distractions. Self-driving cars are computerized and designed to respond to emergencies by calculating complicated algorithms, which means the implementation of it will massively reduce the number of casualties. On the other hand, the self-driving car is still a type of electronic device, if the system accidentally shuts down, it’s highly likely to cause grievous car accidents. The problem is, “who holds the responsibility?”

From: http://www.geomarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/self-driving-car.jpg

Implementing self-driving cars could benefit elders, children, and people that’s disabled such as vision-impaired. Furthermore, self-driving cars bring a variety of benefits to businesses. A self-driving truck will be cheaper than hiring different truck drivers. It will also increase efficiency by delivering faster since it reduces traffic jam by increasing the rate of speed and reduce commute times in high-traffic areas. However, the implement of self-driving cars will massively increase the rate of unemployment. Cab and Uber drivers will be replaced by self-driving Uber; truck, bus, and subway (public transportation) drivers will be replaced by self-driving vehicles.

From: http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/586536f8ee14b6c7148b5944-800

The implementation of self-driving cars still has a long way to come. I believe the beneficial impacts to the society are greater than negativities as a whole, however, the controversial issue is “ethics”, which is covered in the COM101 course. When accidents happened, whose life will be prioritized to be saved? The passenger or driver? Who holds the responsibilities? On June 2017, an ethical committee formed by 14 lawyers and scientists has finished a research to establish regulations toward self-driving cars. It includes the necessity of “black box” that helps determine the liabilities of the accident, it also includes that human life should be prioritized besides animals, plants, and objects. Google indicates that their system is designed to prioritize passengers’ safety; on the other hand, Mercedes Benz CEO disagrees with Google and states self-driving car should prioritize driver’s (people in the car) safety.

In conclusion, the world is not ready to implement self-driving car. It does not only require technology maturity that keeps accident rate to the lowest, but also an integrated regulation and legislation to determine liability that ensures justice is given to victims.

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Sheet, F. (2017, May 15). Road traffic injuries. Retrieved September 25, 2017, from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs358/en/ (car crash data)

Center, A. I. (n.d.). Top 20 Pros and Cons Associated With Self-Driving Cars. Retrieved September 25, 2017, from https://www.autoinsurancecenter.com/top-20-pros-and-cons-associated-with-self-driving-cars.htm

Chang, E. (2017, August 25). Germany brings moral standard to self-driving car system (德國為自駕車系統帶來道德指標). Retrieved September 25, 2017, from http://chinese.engadget.com/2017/08/25/germany-implement-ethical-guidelines-self-driving/

Is Tesla Really Ethical?

Picture from: http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/57c703f709d2935f0f8b565b/15-surprising-facts-about-tesla-cars-you-probably-didnt-know.jpg

Ethics is the essential behavior and moral standard for every company, firm, and business; it can be environmental, cultural, political, and social. A proper business ethic does not only increase its profit, but also benefit all stakeholders, including the employees, government, consumers and the society. Tesla, an automaker that builds one of the best electric cars in the world claimed, “to accelerate the advent of sustainable transport by bringing compelling mass market electric cars to market as soon as possible,” US government and environmental lists supported Tesla’s idea where electric vehicles are the key to alleviate climate change. However, the Washington Post has found that the materials of lithium-ion-batteries for electric cars can cause environmental problems such as air pollution, furthermore, the production line is linked to child labor in Congo.

Picture from: https://blogs.ubc.ca/hsiuchenglin/files/2014/11/gasoline-vs_-hybrid-cars-800X800.jpg

Gasoline transportation such as cars has massively contributed to green house gas emission that stimulates global warming and climate change. The market and development of electric vehicles have rapidly grown in recent years since electric vehicles are the best substitutes and government provides the incentive for purchasing by subsidizing and broadly advertising. Telsa devoted to creating the best and most sustainable electric cars, their business ethics are established by protecting the environment and has ensured a great level of trust with consumers.  However, the news indicates the way they maintain ethical potentially involved in child laboring and pollutions. In my point of view, if protecting the environment involved other environmental problems and even social issues, it will no longer be considered ethical, but immoral to the society, environment, and also the consumer.

Tesla’s key to success heavily depends on maintaining their business ethics. To solve Tesla’s problem, I recommend the business to ensure their business ethics did not involve other ethical issues. First, the development of batteries must avoid materials that are considered unfriendly to the environment, which indicated development is needed. Secondly, the production line must avoid child labor problem which can be done by moving into more developed countries and cities. However, the cost of production will increase due to more investment and higher wages.

In conclusion, in order to maintain positive brand awareness and business ethics, they must eliminate potential possibilities that threaten the environment of pollution from the production of batteries, and also avoid child labor issue.

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Resources:

http://www.afr.com/technology/is-a-tesla-really-ethical-company-wont-say-how-its-batteries-arent-tainted-20170101-gtkjex

http://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/business-ethics.asp

http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/57c703f709d2935f0f8b565b/15-surprising-facts-about-tesla-cars-you-probably-didnt-know.jpg

https://blogs.ubc.ca/hsiuchenglin/files/2014/11/gasoline-vs_-hybrid-cars-800X800.jpg