Opal Leung's Blog

Coming into Sauder, we believe that what sets us apart from others is our ability to think on our feet, our quick-to-act personality, and our mentality that pro-acting beats out reacting.

We begin to think that our talent lies within our ability to come up with a sound presentation without preparation and bluff our way through sounding like an expert on the case. Is this just a myth?

One major takeaway from Comm 299 is the difference that preparation can make. A big component of the course is geared towards interviews. I originally thought that part of being in Sauder gives us a free pass to bluff our way through an interview and still get that admission letter. This way of thinking did not persist for long, as I soon discovered that the key to interviews is preparation.

No matter how good we are with words, improvising a smart response on the spot takes years of experience. Understanding ourselves to the point where we are fluent in speaking about our accomplishments, strengths, and weaknesses takes more than several minutes given to us during the interview.

Sauder students do not hold a free pass to bluffing our way through interviews. If we choose to commit this myth, it will come back and haunt us at the end of the day.

The Sauder School of Business is our spring board, a sneak peek or trailer into the business realm in reality. Business clubs become a preview of careers. Networking events serve as an early bird pass to constructing a network of industry professionals.

Presentation is everything. The greatest lesson I have learned is not simply how to present myself in a positive light that accentuates my strengths and talents, but how far passion can carry me. In hope to be at an advantage over others, we are taught the correct words to say and the correct actions to perform.

Lauren, my TA, has taught us more than just the etiquette that will win over the hearts of professionals. Instead, she has told us her own success stories. Success is not measured by the business cards that we have collected along the way or the number of hands we shake with professionals.

Success relies on a genuine passion. I have come to realize that business is not merely a world of numbers. It also requires a passion that drives us towards success, and it is this very passion that shines through when we present ourselves in front of peers and professionals.

Among the various definitions of entrepreneurship, Schumpeter places emphasis on:

a. new products,

b. new production methods,

c. new markets, and

d. new forms of organization.

Apple is definitely a pioneering company in terms of change and innovation. Not only does the company release innovative products on a periodic basis, Apple also works towards engaging different sectors of the market. For instance, while targeting youth with the iPad and iPod, Apple has also introduced office-oriented products geared for professionals.

Innovation is not limited to products, as changes in organizational structure are also encouraged in the company. Steve Jobs’ transformational leadership instils a sense of vision among the employees and develops a culture rewarding positive changes to the company.

As opposed to small businesses, Apple has the resources and reputation to generate a significant amount of wealth in a relatively short period of time. Furthermore, the risk of Apple’s entrepreneurial venture is considerably high, but this is justified by the incentive of the profits that the company can earn.

Innovation is necessary for an entrepreneur, but it does not necessarily lead to entrepreneurship.

“It’s partially BlackBerry’s fault – that’s the device that first said your business life is your personal life.”

In a recent article about BlackBerry, the author claims that the device has successfully meshed the business life with the personal life. It is this invisible dividing line that engages the market with BlackBerry products.

I recently made the switch from an LG phone to a BlackBerry, and it is undeniable that putting down my new device is a challenge. By equipping the device with popular social media applications, allowing access to emails and work-related software, and introducing programs offering access to personal functions, this CrackBerry is becoming a trend today. This is an effective marketing strategy, as consumers now hold a device that acts as a portal to three separate doors: the personal life, the business life, and the social life.

Convenience is Blackberry’s selling point. It is because of convenience that consumers are in a mad scramble to follow this CrackBerry trend.

Recent iClicker question:

What motivates you?

a. money

b. fame

c. other

Among Sauder students, I was caught off guard by the fact that many people chose c. other as their answer. At the Sauder School of Business, I expected wealth and reputation to be the primary driving force. To my surprise, happiness is of higher value than many extrinsic rewards. This is a pleasant surprise because it shows that there is a human touch to the field of business and that satisfaction is not measured by the digits on a paycheque or the figures of an income statement.

This also sheds light on employee behaviour. Many employers tend to reduce turnover by increasing workers’ benefits and adding zeros to their paycheques. What they overlook is that what gives someone a push may not have the same effect on another. Not everyone is driven by money or fame, and this should be considered when bosses try to boost job satisfaction.

Money and fame are not always the driving force behind every action, every decision. Rather, happiness is a long-term goal sought by many.

A large part of being a Sauder student is to become a leader. We often define a leader as a guiding individual who is first to initiate an idea or a movement.

This TED Talks video presents an alternate definition of leadership. In the video, a man begins to dance in front of a crowd. Before long, a second person joins in and sets off a chain reaction, with other people following suit. In many cases, we consider the first dancer as the leader because he initiates the movement. However, the speaker shines the spotlight on the second dancer, as he is the one who transforms the lone nut into a leader in the eyes of the audience.

Many of us are in a mad scramble to be the first, but we rarely pause to think if that is the right move to make as a leader. It is not always the chronological order of events that define a leader. Rather, it is the person’s effect on the crowd that transforms an individual into a leader.

Capital isn’t scarce, vision is. – Sam Walton

An efficient team is driven by a common vision. This does not imply that members must have identical values. Instead, a common vision is a shared objective that the team, as a collective whole, seeks to achieve.

The cartoon makes transparent a widespread problem in teams today – gaps in vision among managers and employees. Although the potential success of the team achieving its goals is not impossible, the efficiency of the team is not at a maximum.

The vision is the soul or the driving force of the people. When members are motivated by varying reasons, work may still be done, but their underlying intentions, be it intrinsic motivation or extrinsic rewards, will affect the quality of the work.

A manager bears the responsibility of informing employees about a common vision. Only when the team is driven by the same force will its aim be accomplished with desirable results.

In the ethnography, Where Have All The Homeless Gone, capitalism and the flourishing of business are associated as the origin of poverty. As individuals strive towards maximizing their profits and utility, the wealthy tend to get wealthier and the poor get poorer.

Over time, economy climbs to a new high, but often at the expense of the ones truly in need.

This provides an alternative to my perception of business. In Sauder, many of us are here to become an active player in the business world of the future, often neglecting the possible harmful effects of only striving for profits. This is not to say that Marcus’ association with capitalism and poverty is the absolute truth. Rather, it reveals the flip side of the coin.

Capitalism is necessary for the growth of an economy, but it is of importance that governments issue the laws needed to ensure that profits are not made at the expense of others.

“Great organizations aren’t built on yes men. And great schools don’t create them.“

The Sauder School of Business is advertised in The Globe and Mail. Written on a green background are the words, “We respectfully disagree.” Although it is simple, it gets to the point.

What makes a strong team is not conformity, but room for conflict. This is not to say that arguments are the foundation of success. Rather, cognitive conflict breeds creativity and learning. Efficient teamwork does not necessarily equate with instilling common concepts among individuals. Instead, teamwork is the process of bridging gaps between different ideas and perspectives.

In Organizational Behaviour, we learn that conflict, to a certain extent, increases performance. Conflicts that are aimed to improve the situation and better the team’s performance is beneficial to the growth of the team. This is a concept that all of us should take with us when we graduate. It is not the supply and demand laws that we learn from economics nor the equations that are taught in accounting that drive our motivation . Rather, it is these values that should be taken to heart.

The Social Network is a drama film about the founding of the omnipresent networking tool of Facebook.

“You don’t get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies.” The film revolves around the founding of Facebook and the enemies made by Mark Zuckerberg, the genius behind the computer screen, throughout his adventures of creating the social network.

While the film presents to us the limitless power of social media, it also draws our attention to the potential flaws in the system. When information travels through the numerous pathways of social media, privacy no longer exists to the players of the network. Once a spark is lit, the fire will spread. The catch to social media is that the fire spreads in every way possible, making it more difficult to be contained.

Businesses are now taking advantage of social media, such as Facebook, as a platform to reach every nook and corner. The consequences faced by Mark in the film offer insight into the risks of businesses by becoming an active participant in the social channel.  The Social Network provides the audience an alternative perspective to social media and its active role in our day to day lives.