Ray Anderson committed to sustainability and turned around the way its company worked. Mission Zero is the promise the company made,  stating that by 2020 they wouldn’t be harming the environment.

To achieve this they have three strategies: reducing their footprint by not wasting energy,  also they rely on product innovation by designing and producing their products with environmentally friendly methods, and finally by creating a culture in the company     of respect for nature.

I believe that building a corporate culture in which every member of the company shares a vision and has a passion that drives them to work towards a goal is the most important aspect this company posses.

Nowadays every commerce student should have some extent of knowledge regarding sustainability. Being sustainable does not mean not being profitable, we should instead appreciate sustainability as the road towards entrepreneurship success, and Ray Anderson and his company are an excellent example.

All companies should work towards sustainability, and it is no longer to increase sales from a marketing campaign. They should because being sustainable is no longer a luxury but a necessity, which should be included un every companies’s vision.

Coca cola is taking a huge step by changing its can from the iconic red to white. Working together with World Wildlife Fund, they proclaim this  enormous statement to express their concern and increase awareness about the polar bears problem. The campaign pledges millions of dollars for research and conservation of the arctic areas.

For years Coca cola’s holiday campaign has been inspired in polar bears, so they became an important aspect of their marketing.

Coca Cola has a very strong and well positioned brand image, within the market. I believe this change  will have a positive effect in their sales.

It will show Coca Cola’s social responsibility, willing to risk its sales to fight for a cause. Customers will buy Coca Cola anyways, and with this campaign they will feel that as they buy their favourite drink they are also contributing towards a good cause.

Nonetheless, Coca Cola needs to advertise this change strongly. Customers must be aware of it,  since customer’s automatically search for the bright red can, and as they don’t see it, they may think the product is nit available.

When reading Sarah Wang’s post Are Air Canada flight attendants asking for too much?, I strongly disagreed with her opinions.

As stated in the article being a flight attendant is not an easy job. It demands sacrifices, which employees are aware of before they take the job. Nonetheless, the employeessafety and well being should be at the top of the list on the manager’s agenda.

As necessary as it is for workers to make sacrifices, the least the company can do is recognize their e

fforts.  A monetary reward will be a good place to start.

Workers are factors of production, but they are also human beings, that cannot be used as simple tools for profit maximization. When

treating with labour is not the same as when working with machinery.

Workers have rights, the company should try to keep them happy and motivated in order to increase their productivity. (No passenger likes to be served by an angry flight attendant.)

Going on strike is a worker’s right, if they don’t agree with the conditions they are being put through then they should make their opinions be heard! Even if we are facing difficult economic times.

Africa has  low access to basic necessities, we can imagine that access to internet and technology is even more limited, but it’s not.

Digital Africa describes their improvement on technology and mobile networks,  almost like science fiction. It seemed impossible that Africa one day would be able to be in touch with the world

The introduction of mobile networks has revolutionized small businesses in Africa. In the small region of Janga, smartphones are used to help women in their bu

siness, collecting nuts. The phones connect them with the buyers in Germany, and this allow women to receive a fair pay for their job.

Nonetheless, it seems ironic than in Janga they have better access to mobile network than to water. I find interesting and promising that smartphones are prompting l

ocal producers towards growth. But it seems they have deviated their priorities. Shouldn’t they be concerned with covering their basic needs first?

A prosperous business leads to an increase in income which leads to an improvement in the standard of living. But i still wonder why would investors would disinterestedly, as they say they are, invest in their business and not help them with their basic access to water?

Do you know what responsible investment looks like?

When we think about responsible investment we immediately associate it with investing your money in business that act accordingly to society’s  ethical rules.

 Nonetheless, we may not all share the same ethical rules,  what  you consider ethical, may not be for me or other classmates. In the documental Responsible Investing: An Evolving Story, the concept is explored and discussed, stating it’s a new concept that is not yet clear to everyone.

        I agree with Chris MacDonald in his blog Ethical investing and values-based        investing, as he says that  responsible investment, should actually be referred to as Value alignment investment. Which means we should invest in those industries that act in accordance to our own values.

When responsible investing, we should try to invest in companies that share our values.

How can we judge what responsible investment is for others? I believe is more important to stay faithful to your values and invest in companies that you agree with, than invest in what everyone else considers is ethical. As Mr.MacDonald states, it is very difficult to reach a general consensus on ethics, therefore is difficult to reach one for Responsible investment as well.

Using technology in business is becoming  a necessity more than an asset, since it helps businesses grow and innovate.

Technology has facilitated the job of many employees. Nonetheless, everything in excess is bad. Technology is meant to be a facilitator not a creator, this means it is a tool for employees to use in their job, not to rely completely on it, as rogue traders do.

The article states that, technology leaves aside some important factors, which should be considered by the employees. If the over rely on it, these factors are not considered at all then things may go wrong.

In this high speed world, employees are extremely concerned about time. They dedicate the least amount of time as possible to tasks, prioritizing quantity over quality. Business decisions should be carefully reflected on, using technology as a tool , which in combination with the employee’s skills will help to encounter the best possible answer. Some employees are able to manipulate the system and this is why Mr. Van Leueen suggests back office workers should not be promoted.

Technology is meant to be used, not abused. It helps workers in their jobs, it does not do their job for them.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15063918

Homebase is a program in New York city, United States. The program aims to ease the homelessness problems present in the city by providing families with the necessary tools and aid.

APA awards 2009: NYC Department of Homeless Services Homebase – New York, New York

The video states how they use certain data to determine which individuals qualify to receive the program’s assistance. Nevertheles, when it comes to their data collection methods is when the ethical problems arise.

In word of experimental economist Esther Duflo, the program uses similar techniques as those of the drug testing industry. They do so by denying their assistance to certain subjects and then tracking them for two years checking if they become homeless or  not.

I personally applaud the initiative of the program to seek for solutions to the homeless problem. Nonetheless, I disagree with their methods which  I believe are unethical, since by denying assistance to certain people who truly need it they are contradicting  their entire mission and vision. Even though, data is necessary for an efficient allocation of the resources they have available to offer, the end doesn’t justify the means. Their mean is pushing people in need towards homelessness.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2010/12/social_science.

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