” If the United Nations was fully funded why would we need the Arc or social enterprise”?

First of all, both organizations are striving to make this world a better place, but there is a difference in their structures and how they function. United Nation provides a broad range of assistance to different problems such as disaster relief and counter-terrorism, and it is best known for international peacekeeping and human rights protection. In comparison, Arc Initiative is the bridge between people from different global communities to connect and build fostering relationship to increase economic well being in community level in different parts of the world.

Secondly, United Nation, Arc Initiative and social enterprise take different approaches toward the solutions. United Nation approaches by donating resources and overseeing international protections and laws to promote social progress and living standards, whereas Arc Initiative and social enterprise approach in a more impactful way by directing helping the communities and people in a smaller scale. Arc Initiative builds connections for the purpose of a two-way exchange of knowledge and business skills. While Arc Initiative provides the opportunity for a mutual and collaborated learning, social entrepreneurs are society’s ‘change agents’ who impact the society by giving promising and innovated solutions to many social problems that transform the world.

How important is organizational culture to a firm?

For Zappos, corporate culture is the brand. The positive culture brings enthusiasm and connects people together in a family-like atmosphere. As suggested by the 80/20 Rule, Zappos Insight encourages managers to spend 20% of their time with their employees to strengthen the emotional connections within the groups.

This may seem counterproductive, but a small investment each day could create a huge difference in the long run. By spending a small amount of time daily to build relationships with team members, leaders can get to know individuals’ passions and strength better and become a more efficient coach. Zappos Insights Trainer, Kelly Wolske, says “when strength and passions collide, that’s real purpose.” It also builds a new level of awareness as mutual respect and trust grow through communication. Employees feel less stressful in the work environment and there is less “boss wall” between the employees and the employers.

It is evident that corporate culture plays a critical role in human resource management. The employers certainly play a leading role in building the organizational cultures within one firm, and leadership and culture are two concepts that are intricately connected.  A company can benefit from various aspect when people feel more comfortable and accountable with each other and there is a team effort working towards a common goal.

This is comment on an external blog:

http://www.zapposinsights.com/blog/item/5-benefits-of-getting-to-know-your-team

Wearable fitness and health trackers are now the hottest devices in the software market. Companies ranging from technology giants like Apple and Microsoft to sports equipment providers like Nike have been surging to announce their latest launching on wearable devices that would provided health-related functions.

While other companies are selling wristbands that can track and analyze a person’s fitness and health data, the Japanese game developer company, Nintendo, announced their new product line of QOL (Quality of Life). The President Satoru Iwata said that the QOL sensors will feature non-wearable, non-contact, non-user operations& software installation that are distinct from other products in the market. 

Best known as the Disney in video gaming, Nintendo has been slow in modernizing its products and services. This time, the company is planning to enter the already crowded health industry with  ResMed, a U.S. medical-equipment developer. Having success in the past with its health-related products include Wii Fit and Vitality Sensor, Nintendo’s new products will certainly stand out with its unique features, and broaden its market in the long term growth strategy.

Comparing the latest wearables: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-30/nintendo-s-next-product-may-look-something-like-this.html

Sources:

http://online.wsj.com/articles/nintendo-introducing-device-to-improve-sleep-1414679356#livefyre-comment 

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-30/nintendo-s-next-product-may-look-something-like-this.html

http://www.dailytech.com/Nintendo+Wants+to+Watch+You+While+You+Sleep+with+New+Bedside+Monitor/article36826c.htm

Careless talk can lead to a loss as great as $25 billion US dollars.

Royal Bank of Canada was one of the 35 banks that brought out Alibaba IPO, but it decided to voluntarily withdrew from this deal. Released on Tuesday, RBC said that it pulled out of its co-underwriting role in Alibaba’s Sept.19 Market debut because an “employee unrelated to the Alibaba IPO process inadvertently made a comment about the transaction”. [1]

Unfortunately, RBC can no longer sell any of Alibaba’s shares to its customers due to the strict rules under the U.S. federal securities laws around the marketing of IPS. During the so-called “quiet period” before one company going public, those related with the deal are legally not allowed to talk about or promote the stock before the offering. [2]

It’s an unfortunate loss to RBC since Alibaba broke the record as the world’s largest-ever stock market flotation with 38% gain on the first day of trading, and then it reached $100 a share later on Tuesday.[3] Moreover, this situation also leads to a bigger concern of RBC’s reputation for confidentiality and securities. It’s very important for companies like banks to be aware of the regulations under the federal laws, especially when dealing with securities and stock issues.

Watch a video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxuGNi8FPsw

Blogs can also affect stock market : http://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/jan/22/south-korean-blogger-minerva-prosecution

Resources: “Loose talk prompted RBC to withdraw from Alibaba IPO.” The Globe and Mail. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2014. <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-business/rbc-pulled-out-of-alibabas-ipo-after-staff-comment/article21352630/>.

Holodny, Elena. “One Chatty Banker Cost His Bank ‘Millions Of Dollars’ On The Alibaba IPO Deal.” Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 28 Oct. 2014. Web. 30 Oct. 2014. <http://www.businessinsider.com/rbc-lost-alibaba-ipo-deal-2014-10>.

“Alibaba’s market cap passes Wal-Mart as shares hit new high.” Fortune Alibabas market cap passes WalMart as shares hit newhigh Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2014. <http://fortune.com/2014/10/28/alibaba-market-cap-passes-wal-mart/>.

Went public last November 11, Twitter started with a high-profile IPO of $26. The stock price went triple in December, and hit a high of $74 a share, but is now down to $ 43.57 a share. Although the company has reported sharply rising revenue for the past two quarters, the stock price went down by 11% after the company reported a meagre growth in new and existing usage during the third quarter.

In its financial report, Twitter’s revenue totalled to $361 million with $320 million in advertising, showing an increase of 114% compared to $169 million in the same period last year. The total net loss amounted to $175 million, a $110 million increase compared to $65 million in the same period last year. The increase in net loss is due to high expense for the its stock compensation, which accounted to $179 million in the third quarter. If excluding these expenses, Twitter earned a profit of 1 cent a share in the third quarter.

Why is the stock falling? Nate Elliott, an analyst at Forrester who studies social media, pointed out “The experience on Twitter today is the same experience people have always had on Twitter.”

The company’s lack of innovation and its slow pace of improvement are disappointing the public. Company like Twitter that are strongly dependent on technology and development  should innovate continuously and lead ahead of its rivals to retain its market and to attract more users. On the other hand, Twitter’s rival-Facebook, “is constantly looking for ways to get people back on their site,” said Mr. Elliott.

Sources:

“Twitter user-growth stalls, shares drop.”New York Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2014. <http://nypost.com/2014/10/27/twitter-user-growth-stalls-shares-drop/>.

“Twitter investors anxiously await first earnings report.” New York Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2014. <http://nypost.com/2014/02/05/twitter-investors-anxiously-await-first-earnings-report/>.

“Twitter Inc..” TWTR Stock Quote. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2014. <http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/sto

Looking at current smartphone trend, we often find that the giant tech companies like Apple and Samsung are taking majority share of the market. When signing up for a mobile plan, we often look at and compare the monthly fees with the price of the smartphones that are offered for a discount price. Without a regular or a premium mobile plan, a standalone smartphone can be easily priced around $500 to $700, which is not an inexpensive investment for people living in developing countries.

To provide better access to its customers in developing countries, Google has found a way to get unstrapped in the markets with their “Android One” series. Manufactured in India, this new series of smartphones are sold for under $120 each. While making these phones more accessible and affordable, Google still managed to offer well-rounded features. This competitive advantage of low-cost production also made these phones as disruptive innovations in the smartphone market.

However, it is evident that other competitors are also promoting their “low-cost” smartphones, such as Motorola and Sony. Moreover, the emerging smartphone makers in China will more likely to bring the most disruptive innovations in the market with their low-price yet powerful smartphones. For examples, Huawei Ascend series offer competitive pice with higher functions. Smartphone maker, Xiaomi, has overtaken Samsung in China after first launched in 2011, making it to the third largest smartphone makers in the world.

This is a comment on Dominique Cai’s Blog

Read more news about Xiaomi: http://www.ecumenicalnews.com/article/xiaomi-now-the-third-largest-smartphone-maker-in-the-world-surpasses-samsung-sales-in-china-27106

Shortly four months after the Supreme Court of Canada gave the Tsilhqot’in First Nation the title of 1,750 square kilometres of land west of Williams Lake, more dispute has risen from the Tsilhqot’in people on the tribal park project.

Covered about 3,120 square kilometres, the tribal park protects cultural, heritage and ecological values, according to the Tsilhqot’in, while connecting to five surrounding provincial parks. The People are claiming that the Taesko’s industrial mining will cause a huge damage on the fish and the fish habitat. Also, large-scale clear-cut logging will destroy the forest that features a unique “rain shadow” forest ecosystem and some of the best habitat for large carnivores in North America. [1]

It is very important for the companies to be aware of their social responsibilities and ethics when they are doing things that have effects on the society. It is also very important to consider what effects a business can have on the local community, such as the social costs and social benefits their actions will bring the community.

In the case of the tribal park project,  the interests and opinions of the First Nation should be heard and put into consideration when designing the business model. Also, evaluating the impact of their actions on the environment, society, and Aboriginal culture should take place in the decision-making process.

Watch a video of First Nation Historic victory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4D85H7lQxE

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/metro/Unilateral+park+declared+Tsilhqot+includes+Prosperity+mine/10192766/story.html#ixzz3FODWrW1v

Source: “Tsilhqot’in set to declare site of New Prosperity mine a tribal park.” www.vancouversun.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Oct. 2014. <http://www.vancouversun.com/news/metro/Unilateral+park+declared+Tsilhqot+includes+Prosperity+mine/10192766/story.html>.

Montpetit, Isabelle. “Background: The Indian Act.” CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 14 July 2011. Web. 5 Oct. 2014. <http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/background-the-indian-act-1.1056988>.

On tuesday, eBay Inc. announced to spin off Paypal into a separate entity next year to reach its full potential in the competitive mobile payment market. In a statement, Mr. Donahoe said “a thorough strategic review with our board shows that keeping eBay and PayPal together beyond 2015 clearly becomes less advantageous to each business strategically and competitively.”[1]

Video-CNN “eBay to spin off Paypal”  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBJXmTzB8is

As its fastest growing segment, Paypal was acquired by eBay 12 years ago for $1.5 billion. Now the service is available in 203 markets worldwide and is on track to process 1 billion mobile payments in 2014.[2] According to CNN, PayPal is involved in one in every sic dollars spent online today. In the most recent quarter, PayPal gained four million new, active registered accounts, up 15 per cent, to 152 million US. Payments revenue rose 20 per cent to $1.95 billion, about 45 per cent of eBay’s total revenue.[3] The eBay’s Board and Management believed that the separation will allow more flexibility and business potential.

Now looking into the international e-commerce/mobile payment service market, statics show that worldwide mobile payments are increasing by about 40% a year.[4] The mobile service is rapidly taking over the traditional way of using credit card and other physical payments.

PayPal’s potential competitor, Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce leader in China, also took the first step to split off its mobile payment service segment, Alipay, in 2011. Recently, Apple Inc. also announced their wireless, digital wallet, Apple Pay, that’s coming out in this October. [5]

Looking at both internal and external factors, the separation will allow Paypal to be more competitive in the growing e-commerce industry. The division would also highlight Paypal’s own strengths while expanding beyond its online payment service. With more flexibility in the management as an individual company, Paypal will be more competitive to face the recent emergence of Apple’s wireless payment service and the hotly anticipated Alibaba.

Resources: “EBay Does About-Face in Decision to Spin Off PayPal.” DealBook EBay Does AboutFace in Decision to Spin Off PayPal Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2014. <http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/09/30/ebay-to-spin-off-paypal-adopting-strategy-backed-by-icahn/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0>.

“EBay follows Icahn’s advice to spin off PayPal.” The Globe and Mail. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Oct. 2014. <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-business/us-business/ebay-to-spin-off-paypal-in-2015/article20853218/>.

Press, The. “EBay to spin off fast-growing PayPal payment service.” CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 30 Sept. 2014. Web. 1 Oct. 2014. <http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/ebay-to-spin-off-fast-growing-paypal-payment-service-1.2782860>.

Accounting rules are widely viewed to be very complex and sometimes even professional analysts cannot understand them. At present, there is not a fixed set of accounting rules and standards among different countries, but the two important accounting systems- U.S. GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) and IFRS (international financial reporting standards) are commonly used. [1]

However, this week the company, Manulife Financial Corporation, shows how tough the Canadian accounting rules are, compared to the one in the south border. It also highlights the discrepancies in accounting rules between different countries can cause a huge problem. The company would have reported a $2.2 billion profit in they were located south of the border. The calculation ends up to be $1.28 billion loss, which result to a discrepancy of $3.4 billion. Manulife’s shareholder equity would also be $16 billion higher when it is calculated according to the American standards.

 Fair value accounting and a standard accounting system should be considered as companies and markets are increasingly going to be globalized in the future. Any discrepancy can cause a huge different when the accounting statements are present to the investors, choices would be made differently, and companies in countries that have a tougher accounting systems will be in disadvantage when competing with other companies that show a better financial statements due to looser regulations in their countries. Differences in domestic standards might also influence a company’s performance in its international market.

 (This is a blog comment on Rachel Lee’s blog-https://blogs.ubc.ca/rachlee/2011/11/14/can-canadian-losses-really-be-american-profits/)

Source: “How a Canadian address turned Manulife’s $2.2-billion profit into a $1.28-billion loss.” The Globe and Mail. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2014. <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/how-a-canadian-address-turned-manulifes-22-billion-profit-into-a-128-billion-loss/article2223793/>.

What jobs are the customers looking to get done? What products or services are valued by our customers?

Theodore Levitt, a Harvard Business marketing professor, once said that “People don’t want to buy a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole!”. It highlights the importance of identifying customers’ problems are, rather than focusing on innovating the products, which has a possibility of a narrower customer segment.

Often time, we hire a product or pay for a service to get the job done. In the case of the reward card provided by the Hilton HHonors Program[1], the product itself serves as a pain reliever. What are the pains that customers want to get relieved? For business travellers, frequent and lengthy flights are the “pains”, and an elite status with First Class priority check-in and free upgrades would be the “relievers” or even “gains” to them.

Other companies also offer business travel cards and rewards program to provide their customers with a more manageable and enjoyable trip that give them a boon in startup and more saving and return from accumulated points. In other industries, what are the improvements can we do to better satisfy our customers?

The interesting video about milkshake:

https://www.youtube.com/watch feature=player_embedded&v=s9nbTB33hbg

Plus, a further reading on the “pain reliever” : http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-money/cash-flow/loyalty-programs-take-pain-out-of-business-travel/article20889672/

Source: “Loyalty programs take pain out of business travel.” The Globe and Mail. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2014. <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-money/cash-flow/loyalty-programs-take-pain-out-of-business-travel/article20889672/>.

Christensen’s Milkshake Marketing — HBS Working Knowledge. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2014. <http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6496.html>.