David Martin’s Blog post highlights the massive kind efforts from the Canadian government towards Syrian refugees as juxtaposition towards the efforts of the United States. Martin emphasizes the great difference of populations of Canada and the United States, and the vital fact that Canada took in 39,000 refugees where our great big neighbours down south only took in 13,000. He expresses concern for the waitlisted Syrian refugees who were refrained from entering the United States due to President Donald Trump’s “Muslim Ban”. The United States’ “Islamophobia” is shameful as a nation – thousands of Syrians are unable to flee to safety, unable to begin new lives, unable to be safe from unspeakable harm. David Martin points out that the civil war is not the people’s fault, “it was the tragic result of America’s ill-thought-out and illegal incursion into Iraq”. He follows through by explaining how the Syrian conflict began, through George W. Bush’s involvement with Iraq.
What I want to concentrate on is the United States’ stance towards helpless Syrian refugees. The nations’ perceptions on Islam are truly detrimental to the lives of Syrian refugees. Even those who are not Muslim are affected, as the United States have not matched their efforts to take in refugees to those efforts of Canadians – despite their contrasting enormous population. The racism, the unethical treatment of others, the negative connotations and biases, even to an extent, the “Islamophobic” people are refraining those helpless Syrian souls from bettering their lives.

As another Canadian commenting on another Canadian’s blog, as a message to all my fellow Canadians, please continue these efforts. Please continue to be ethical. Let us forward our nation in place of encouraging Medieval perceptions. An ethical nation has so much more to be proud of, to fight for. Let us push these Americans to follow our footsteps towards a better future.

Word Count: 307

Works Cited

Martin, David. “America’s Shameful Treatment Of Syrian Refugees.” The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post, 10 Mar. 2017. Web. 16 Mar. 2017. <http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/david-martin/americas-treatment-of-syrian-refugees_b_15237804.html>.

Following the failed coup attempt last July in Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erogan has been keenly pushing for a referendum – one that is to take place this April. If this referendum were to succeed, it would shift Turkey’s government system to presidential from parliamentary. “Three legislative bodies into one executive branch under Erdogan” thus giving him more power than ever.

Two Turkish politicians who were sent to the Netherlands wanting to take part in a constitutional referendum campaign rally were denied entry, it is said for security reasons. Erdogan, outraged blatantly named the Dutch government of Nazism, threatening to brutally retaliate. He did, in fact, use those harsh words against Germans as well. “I thought Nazism was over but I was wrong… What we saw in the last couple of days in Germany and Netherlands are the reflections of Islamophobia.” Said International Goodness Awards in Istanbul on March 12^th 2017.

On one hand, countless European governments question Turkey’s democracy and assertion of basic human rights. It is vital to note that Turkey is, on record, the country with the highest number of jailed journalists in 2016. The nation exercises frequent media censorship, and immoral arrests of extremely large numbers. Not to mention, as Germany officially declared the massacre and illegal deportation of 1.5 million Armenians “a genocide”, Turkey really lost it.

Without getting into this extremely long, complex conflict, let us analyze these outlined issues in relation to Organizational Behaviour. Erdogan exerts a sense of coercive power, essentially instilling fear and threatening the government of Netherlands and Germany. When he does not like the outcome, the tactics he uses are completely immoral and senseless. He uses negative pressure, in the place if rational persuasion. Erdogan is not using positive types of political activity, he is in fact unjustly attacking others, and being extremely unethical as a leader of a nation.

Word Count: 310

Works Cited

McLaughlin, Eliott C. “Tensions Rising between Turkish, European Leaders before Elections.” CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2017. <http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/12/europe/turkish-dutch-tensions-increase/>.

Minkoff, Yoel. “Turkey’s Souring Relations with Europe.” Seeking Alpha. N.p., 13 Mar. 2017. Web. 16 Mar. 2017. <http://seekingalpha.com/news/3250517-turkeys-souring-relations-europe?ifp=0>.

Palkot, Greg. “Tensions Flare between Turkey and the Netherlands.” Fox News. FOX News Network, n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2017. <http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/03/14/tension-flare-between-turkey-and-netherlands.html>.

Concordia University in Montreal, Canada was evacuated on March 1^st, 2017 due to a bomb threat against Muslim students. A letter from the so-called organization of “C⁴” – the Council of Conservative Citizens of Canada – sent a letter to several news media outlets, such as the Montreal Gazette. The letter stated that explosives would be set off between the 1^st and 3^rd of March of the H and EV buildings, its primary goal to injure Muslim students. The C⁴ group aims to have Concordia University ban any Islam-related activities, which is asserted that they will continue setting off bombs every day of the time frame until the University takes this discriminatory action. The letter also mentions the root of their complaint, that “Friday prayers, men washing their feet in sinks and men walking in bare feet or flip-flops and often anti-Christian and anti-Jewish speeches” need to be ceased at once, as their previously filed complaint did not result in any necessary action from the Concordia Student Union. The letter was also sent to McGill University, and the Montreal Police are conducting further investigation of the issue. It is vital to note that the letter clearly states “Now that President Trump is in office south of the border, things have changed…”.

The C⁴, in my personal perception, must be listed as an official terrorist group for their extreme acts against Muslims. They are a group that is incapable of positive conflict management and ethical behavior. There is a notable cultural difference among Muslims and non-Muslims, however this is not a proactive method of creating change. John Krotter’s eight-step plan in my opinion, will most definitely help create change for Concordia University. Neglecting the issue is definitely not aiding the situation, the best approach to creating change is to be respectful and ethical on both sides of the conflict for correct conflict resolution.

Word Count: 310

References:

Riga, Andy. “Concordia’s Hall, EV, GM Buildings Evacuated Because of Bomb

Threats against Muslims.” Montreal Gazette. Montreal Gazette, 01 Mar.

2017. Web. 02 Mar. 2017. <http://montrealgazette.com/news/local-

news/montreal-police-investigate-bomb-threats-at-concordia-university>.

In Natasha Widjaja’s blog post entitled “The Effectiveness of Money Motivation”, she uses a firm as exemplar to stimulate the greater argument of money as a primary source of motivation. John Schnatter, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Papa John’s has eliminated the workplace hierarchy through distributing equal amounts of dividends to all members of the organization, despite their exclusive positions.

I agree with Natasha’s statements supporting her claim that equity is a foolproof way to motivate employees. The first is Theory X, that belief that most people are not keen about their tasks and need a sort of external motivation – as they somewhat lack in the department. Natasha’s second statement is that through additional equity (workplace bonuses), physiological needs such as homeostasis, breathing, food, etc. are entirely fulfilled. A final assertion is the potential value one has to capital, and that if a worker does perceive money to be of value they will, in fact be motivated – driving an improved performance.

It is quite controversial if I were to agree with Widjaja’s last claim that money is only a short-run extrinsic motivator. Some individuals – some more in certain careers, such as finance – really do dislike their jobs and are solely working for the vast amount of capital. As an aspiring finance major myself, I am aware of the extremely long hours and tedious work which is a definite given in the workplace. Despite the horror stories I have heard, I am fully prepared to push through the tough tasks and dreadful hours to acquire a salary that would compensate for my hard work. Henceforth, I do partially agree with Natasha’s point that yes, money would not be a long-run motivator for a firm, however I can say with no doubt that some fields – finance in particular – are not examples of this claim.

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References:

Zappos – one of the many firms that was brilliantly showcased in the Comm 101 Class of my first semester at the Sauder School of Business. The company’s extreme generosity, exertion of ethical behavior and remarkably unique business scheme truly piqued my attention. I was thrilled when I noted Nikki Abbott had conducted further research on Zappos. She enlightens her blog post with accurate relevancy to Organizational Behaviour (Comm 292) through elaboration of ethics and positive organizational scholarship.

As noted in Comm 101, Zappos is composed of a very diverse workforce. With a dominating group of women (60.65%) and outstanding percentage of minority groups (37.27%), it is evident that the company truly acknowledges the importance of equity. As Nikki mentions, Zappos discards prehistoric mentalities and biases of gender and racial discrimination. I applaud the corporation as it differs itself immensely from others, such as Microsoft, who was sued for gender discrimination in 2015.

Positive organizational scholarship is the greater concept in Organizational Behaviour that puts emphasis on the positive outcomes, systems and goals of a firm and its employees. Zappos is known to treat their employees with utmost respect and attempts to satisfy any and all needs of their workers. The company wants all employees to be in full control of their undertakings, as quoted by NPR in Abbott’s blog, “no one and everyone is the boss”. This lack of supremacy and hierarchy allows for a positive, interconnected workplace environment that is enjoyable for everyone.

Through embracing twenty-first century norms of equity and positive organizational behavior, Zappos is a role-model company that all firms should take note of.

Word Count: 267

References

This blog post will highlight a few key ideas in organizational behaviour, ethics, politics, organizational culture and conflicts.

The consequents of United States President Donald Trump’s signature on an order to keep out Muslim refugees have unsurprisingly been appalling. Trump’s reasoning for his act? To protect the country from foreign threats. His goal of eliminating potential terrorists in the nation is a phenomenal goal. However, Trump is not taking a step forward for Americans and his actions are an impending violation of the United States Constitution. Trump has noted that Christian Syrians will have priority when applying for a refugee status, which discriminates between other religions. Ethics are the morals that guide one’s actions, behaviour and priorities, to treat all equally and to not hold a bias towards culture, religion or gender. Trump’s doing is not exerting ethical behaviour. When he is faced with the dilemma of “radical Islamic” (Trump, 2017) terrorists entering the United States, he handles the issue in a demeaning manner by banning emigration and the return of Muslims from seven counties – Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Libya, and Sudan – for four months. It is important to note that these seven Muslim countries are ones that do not have current or past business deals with the Trump Organization in United States (Bloomberg, 2017). Despite valid visas and United States Citizen passports, passengers are being re-directed back to their home countries. Families that were away for visiting their motherland are ceased from returning to their homes, careers and families in the United States. This irrationality in the current day in age is extremely unacceptable. I do agree that there should be measures taken to keep out potential terrorists, however, President Trump’s illogicality is a symbol of racism, prejudice and unethical behaviour. His intuitive decision making has caused thousands of innocent Muslim-American citizens and legal residents from returning to their homes in the United States.

References

Who is Garo Paylan? If you sufficiently keep up with international politics that name may ring a bell. You may be reminded of the undemocratic, hostile events that occurred in Ankara, Turkey earlier this year in May. Still puzzled? Christopher Atamian’s blog post accurately outlines the following unruly events.

Garo Paylan is one of the three Armenians in the Turkish parliament. Atamian states Paylan has expressed a great urge towards the Turkish government’s recognition and reparations in regard to the atrocities of 1915. The deportations and the deaths of over one and a half million Armenian people, an unspeakable tragedy, is known as the Armenian Genocide. To present date, unlike the atonement of the perpetrators of the Holocaust (against the Jews), there has been no proper acknowledgement or reparations on behalf the Turkish government.

On May third 2016 during a session of parliament, Garo was personally victimized, physically attacked and verbally oppressed by the governing Justice and Development (AKP) party members. The sight was absolutely appalling to the world. GOPAC exclaims, to develop vital trust of the public, parliamentarians should execute ethical behavior when “actively and visibly carry[ing] out their democratic roles (representation, legislation and oversight) in the public interest”.

Turkey is known for its corrupt and unlawful acts of anti-democracy. The nation is consistently one among the top countries with the highest number of jailed journalists. An example, the Hrant Dink murder of 2007 (journalist for the Agos bilingual newspaper) who was assassinated in broad daylight for writing about the Armenian genocide.

This video shows AKP member Mehmet Metiner attacking Paylan, followed by full-fledged acts of verbal and physical violence that viciously broke out amongst the members. In a press statement Paylan exclaims “during the attack, AKP members pointed at me and yelled ‘Come, Garo is there,’ and stressed my Armenian heritage, yelling hateful slurs directed at me…”.

As someone who lives in Canada, I am accustomed to expecting a certain level of integrity, accountability and ethical behavior of sorts in a professional environment. It truly angers me to witness these tragedies happening in this current day in age. It goes to prove that unless condemned, history does repeat itself. (Paraphrased from George Santayana: “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it”.)

I am proud that I live in a country that explicitly recognizes the massacres of 1915 as the “Armenian Genocide” (2004). I am aware as to how vital it is to practice ethical behavior since [my family and] I have witnessed inequitable, unjust behavior simply from our ethnic background and historical past. I will stand for justice against unethical behavior, and I will stand for the justice of Garo Paylan.

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Works Cited

The international community shares a common ambition of combatting the critical issue that is of global warming. It is a crisis that increasingly affects everyone and their environment. As consequence, people have begun taking immediate action to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, some countries making it a top priority. Hamburg, Germany has thus banned large trucks from its city center to realize its twenty-year plan of a “greener” vehicle-free city.

The world’s largest package delivery company, The United Parcel Service (UPS), proudly announced that it will utilize an “electric assist cargo tricycle”. Nikki Abbott successfully outlines the phenomenal benefits of the UPS Green Line, such as decreasing carbon footprint whilst delivering packages at a much faster rate. I fully support Nikki’s positive outlook towards UPS’s new system. The Green Line still abides by the city’s regulations and is able to deliver packages in congested areas that other delivery trucks (competitors) are unable to. The company will function at a comparable rate and efficiently level with the tricycle similarly if they were to use UPS’s traditional delivery trucks. The firm wishes to reduce its “carbon intensity” (amount of pollution emitted per package delivered) by 20 percent by the end of 2020. Through the use of their eco-friendly Green Line innovation, the company will potentially be able to attain their future goal.

I strongly believe that UPS’s Green Line is an outstanding example of business ethics. The company created a system that appealed to consumers, assisted their personal carbon-footprint goal and took a smart step forward to increasing their profitability. This suggestively disproves the common correlation of an inefficient business to an ethical business. With a system as successful as the Green Line, UPS should most definitely look into expansion to their other operating countries.

The UPS Green Line is an innovation that has provided an advantageous edge for the company towards their competitors and has effectively paved the way to a global environmentally-driven future.

Word Count: 322

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Works Cited

Abbott, Nicola. “Nicola (Nikki) Abbott’s Blog | Just Another UBC Blogs Site.” Nicola Nikki Abbotts Blog. N.p., 1 Oct. 2016. Web. 31 Oct. 2016. <https://blogs.ubc.ca/nicolaabbott/2016/10/01/blog-post-2/>.

Muller, Joann. “UPS Is Conducting A Vast Rolling Lab Experiment To Create The Clean Truck Of The Future.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 30 Sept. 2016. Web. 31 Oct. 2016. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/joannmuller/2016/09/30/ups-employs-vast-rolling-laboratory-to-discover-clean-truck-of-the-future/#233aa1c81f31>.

Nintendo is one of the most world-renowned gaming companies to date. Timeless classics like Super Mario Bros, Kirby and Pokémon have been childhood favourites for millions around the world. As years passed and technology progressed, mobile gaming became an enormous fad. Despite the popular trends, Nintendo decided to maintain emphasis on the conventional console gaming. As Nintendo introduced Pokémon Go—their first emergence into mobile gaming—the company’s once immobile stocks doubled in price. Jason Tse’s blog post highlights the epic rise of the app, discussing how Nintendo’s surfacing mobile gaming addition has initiated a new demographic to all their other existing segments. With all this being true, I dedicate this post to the unfortunate outcome that followed the launch of Pokémon Go.

It is undeniable that the app was an absolute phenomenon. Nonetheless, after several weeks of actively hunting Pokémon, app users soon grew tired of the game. Many began to criticize the developers—Niantic—as they failed to introduce different features to captivate and uphold user interests. The removal of the tracking system was a vital trigger to the wave of disinterest, which restricted the pursuing of rare Pokémon. These bugs were not treated by Niantic, who was essentially unresponsive to the issue. In addition, people began to “cheat” the game, thereby finding new ways to get around without physically getting up and about. Through these glitches, gamers lost immense incentive to play the Pokémon Go app.

With numerous users still active, the app has not entirely crashed and burned. Nevertheless, I strongly believe Nintendo lost crucial potential to improve Pokémon Go. If they were to act sooner to cater to their consumer wants and interests, they would have possibly kept many gamers intrigued, thus sufficing consumer wants.

As a Pokémon enthusiast myself, I hope to see several improvements in the upcoming “Generation 2 Pokémon Go” which is to be released in 2017. Nonetheless, Nintendo will not cease to disappoint as their presence in the mobile gaming world will only continue to develop and progress significantly.

Word Count: 343

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Citations:

Placido, Dani Di. “The End Of ‘Pokémon GO'” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 30 July 2016. Web. 16 Oct. 2016. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2016/07/30/the-end-of-pokemon-go/#408826a670d7>.

Tse, Jason. “The Comeback of Nintendo? | Po Hong (Jason) Tse.” Po Hong Jason Tse. N.p., 1 Oct. 2016. Web. 16 Oct. 2016. <https://blogs.ubc.ca/jaytse/2016/10/01/the-comeback-of-nintendo/>.

Suffering from a great downfall, famed dessert company Jell-O from Kraft Foods has announced it will return to its classic “food for fun” branding (Schultz 2013). Once popular for their celebrity-starring advertisements, Jell-O had begun an adult-focused approach, consequently causing over fifty percent of sales to decline. The company’s new campaign marketer has future plans to rebrand Jell-O back to its familial, fun approach. The advertising budget is said to double and will include prints, digital and TV marketing.

Jell-O could have potentially avoided their current predicament if they had adapted to consumer tastes throughout the years. We discussed a similar scenario in class about Blackberry, once an extremely popular company that proceeded in a downward spiral. With their recent phone sales declining tremendously, they decided to shift their efforts towards software development (Monica 2016) and eradicate their production of phones for good. Both companies did not immediately evolve their products to suit current consumer wants and tastes.

With several months of debating Jell-O’s new image with qualitative and quantitative consumer testing, the company has ultimately come to perfect their stance among other snack competitors in the market. This ties in to Class eight’s topics regarding positioning and value propositions (Cubbon 2012). Jell-O established the socio-demographic of “familial” with a psychographic of a “fun” lifestyle. It was apparent that Jell-O struggled in the positioning segment, as it is nearly impossible to change a consumer’s perception—in their case concerning the unhealthiness of the snack. Jell-O was popular during the Atkins-diet era, however it failed to essentially keep up with the current healthy eating trends.

Through the use of specific marketing tools (segmentation, targeting, positioning and value propositions) Jell-O from Kraft Foods will theoretically combat their competitors with a re-established, up-to-date successful brand.

Word Count: 292

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Works Cited

Cubbon, Paul. 2012. Vimeo. September 13. Accessed October 1, 2016. https://vimeo.com/49370591.

Monica, Paul R. La. 2016. CNN.com. September 26. Accessed October 1, 2016. http://money.cnn.com/2016/09/28/technology/blackberry-outsource-phones/ .

Schultz, E.J. 2013. Adage. August 12. Accessed October 1, 2016. http://adage.com/article/news/kraft-launches-campaign-revive-jell-o/243616/.