The question posed to us was ” If  the United Nations was fully funded why would we need the Arc or social enterprise?” 

The status difference between the rich and the poor is increasing day by day. It is a global issue that is plaguing the every nation, both in developed and developing countries. This problem requires a unique solution, both on a local or global level; however very few, myself being probably the last on that list, know how to approach/ solve this issue.

The question posed is food for thought, would we need organizations like the Arc or social enterprise if the UN was fully funded? I feel the answer to this lies in the heart of the issue, it is a global issue. The scale and magnitude of this issue is so large it appears almost impossible (to me at least) to solve simply by the efforts of one organization. Hence, even if the UN was fully funded, it seems unlikely that they would be able to provide a solution for every problem, there are simply too many problems that require attention.

Plus, let’s not forget that money is a limited resource. Even a fully funded UN will run out of money at some point, their solutions will be money based, and not necessarily sustainable. Hence, initiatives such as the Arc and social enterprise would still be necessary because they they provide more sustainable solutions. They provide the people with the necessary skills so the that they can provide for themselves when they leave, a solution much more tangible than just money. The Arc or social enterprise can reach and tackle more local issues that even a fully funded UN wouldn’t be able to. Thus, I feel it is only fair to say that even a fully funded UN wouldn’t be able to erase the need of initiatives such the Arc or social enterprise.

The toxins in discarded mobile phones polluting waters

As we develop new technology, we discard the old one in a flash. With no thought, we get rid of our old smart phones to buy the new product, without thinking of its implications. The BBC article talks on this fact, how mobile phone waste in particular is becoming a growing problem in the Ivory Coast, mentioning how people simply throw old phones away “in the bin” rather than fixing old phone. Thus accumulating waste that is spreading toxic material into the water (Erbie Lagoon) and affecting health. It also speak on the efforts of Mr.Akim to help run a local recycling centre that helps reduce this waste.

This is an issue not just in Ivory Coast, but here as well. The current mobile phone industry is structured in a way that a launch of a new product makes customers replace their old phone immediately, even if it is in working condition. But is this a good practice? Clearly, as the article showed, it isn’t, especially if the waste of the phones is producing negative side effects. I admire the work Mr.Akim is doing; by recycling the old mobile phones thrown away, not only are they creating a bit of profit for themselves, but the centre is helping create a better environment for the children and residents of the area.

Source: BBC article: Mobile recycling centre and Mr. Akim

This again reinforced the benefit of CSV in my eyes. Mr.Akim said in the article “Somehow they are useful to us and we are also profitable to them,” and this in my eyes is essential in business. Customers and producers share a symbiotic relation, they are incomplete without each other. If both parties can gain something from each other, the relation reaches its peak. I think achieving this concept of shared value in our buying and selling practices will help reduce such issues in the future. Mr.Akim and the recycling centre in my eyes have grasped and implemented this concept perfectly! And as for us mobile phone consumers, it’s time someone reminded us that the
planet is not a dumping ground for our out of demand phone models; it’s time we cleaned up after ourselves!

Works Cited

Ford, Tamasin. “Ivory Coast Tackling Its Toxic Mobile Waste Problem.” BBC News. BBC, 6 Nov. 2014. Web. 09 Nov. 2014.

Source: Microsoft Band

“I want a Microsoft band, I need to be healthier” is how my conversation with my parents began yesterday. Being a tech follower myself, the sudden spike in this health-tech category drew my interest, especially since Microsoft was involved. Fact is, many established (Google, Microsoft) and startup (FitBit) companies already have announced or introduced their fitness tracking applications/products. However, the blog post “The tech industry is turning health trackers into commodities before the even go mainstream.” from the PandoDaily blog website caught my eye and got me thinking.

Source: HubPages

The post comments on an issue other than the privacy issues with these health-related products; “the danger of drowning consumers in apathy.” It comments on how companies are turning the health tracking products category into commodities before they actually go mainstream. Fear of this market becoming similar to that of the television industry where there are too many similar choices that make it difficult to make judgment based on the product quality is also mentioned.

I had never considered this aspect, but the concept is interesting to note and I agree with the writer. I’m the type of person who gains interest in a tech product if it has a certain level of exclusivity to it. With every company producing it, what is motivating me to continue to follow this product? We know that most new product categories become commodities eventually; however, by over flooding the category so early in the game, these companies are making health-tech products into commodity even before the market assesses it, which seems utterly pointless. Now, I don’t the pressure tech companies have to keep up with the next technological trend; not selling a popular product can be a detrimental decision. But sometimes, over flooding a new category isn’t always a good idea if that entails loosing customer interest. The blog post brings up some great points, and sums all of it up with a great last line,
“Sometimes a rising tide raises all ships; other times it just drowns everyone aboard them and sends them to Davy Jones’ locker.” This is a possible future for this category. I agree fully with this blogger’s warning, this rising tide may drown the product category entirely. All companies joining the health-tracking product craze, consider yourself warned.

Works Cited

Mott, Nathaniel. “The TechIndustry Is Turning Health Trackers into Commodities before They Even Go Mainstream.” Web log post.PandoDaily. N.p., 30 Oct. 2014. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.

Source: “Burger King tests India waters, starts with 12 outlets”

Burger King (BK), the hamburgerfast food chain, popularly known and famous for its Whopper, is entering foreign Indian water with 12 new stores, first one opening in Delhi today! Tapping into a completely new and large customer market seems like a perfect opportunity, but how good of an idea is this really? What are they giving up for this predominantly vegetarian market?

Source: “Burger King brings a new kind of Whopper to India”

Brand Image: BK is known for their hamburger; customers seek the beef, which will be missing here to accommodate the religious bindings of the population. Cow being a holy animal for both Hindus, and Muslims, BK has had to alter their menu to take this ingredient out. However, beef is what BK serves, many people go to Burger King for the sole purpose of eating their beef. McDonalds, Subway and similar brands have had to make this change too, but their image was never centered on a certain ingredient based product. Burger King’s image is related to its beef products, so this change could negatively influence its image.

MacDonald’s location in Southern India

Competition: there is a lot to consider in the completion region. The fast food market in India is as large as the population. There are numerous, both local and international, companies competing in the market. And BK is entering a bit late. For example, McDonalds has been around for years now, and the place and impression they have created in the minds of consumers is immense. As we discussed in class, McDonalds came way before BK and has established a great image for itself. It is going to be a huge challenge for BK to set themselves apart and shift the consumers’ preferences away from the established competitors to themselves.

And these are only some of the issue that could make it difficult for Burger King to be successful in India. Yes the market is large and untapped by this brand, but there is a lot to tackle and lose for BK in this expansion plan. In my eyes, perhaps this expansion wasn’t the best idea. Burger King is simply a bit too late to tap into this opportunity; companies like MacDonald’s have long beat BK to reach India, and have already succeed. But my eyes will remain glued to BK’s future, let’s hope the Veg Whopper will make a big of a splash as the McAloo Tikki Burger did.

Works Cited

“Burger King Tests India Waters, Starts with 12 Outlets.” The Times of India. Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd., 08 Nov. 2014. Web. 08 Nov. 2014.

“Burger King Brings a New Kind of Whopper to India.” Fox News. FOX News Network, LLC., 31 Oct. 2014. Web. 08 Nov. 2014.

Source: “Disruptive Innovation.”

The preparation for class 14: Innovation and Entrepreneurship lead us to the article “Disruptive Innovation”, which claimed that companies who practice “sustainable innovation” often lose as they make room for disruptive innovators to come in and take over the market. We discussed companies such as Amazon, Apple, Tesla that came in and redefined their respective markets and creating success for their companies. The discussion made me question whether I should even attempt in the future to pursue entrepreneurship. Is it possible for a business to become a success without creating this disruption? At the time class 14 ended, I remained on the fence without a definite answer and a certain uncertainty around the concept of disruptive innovation. However, the Sauder Alumni class helped altered my view of entrepreneurship.

We had the great honor of hearing Sauder graduates and successful entrepreneurs Paul Davidescu, Jenny Duffy, and Tom Dobranski speak about their experiences in the forming of their respective businesses. The fact then dawned on me, after hearing their success stories, that to be a successful entrepreneur, having a “disruptive innovation” isn’t always a set in stone need. Yes, having one would be perhaps ideal and definitely useful, however it isn’t required, as not all of their businesses strived to be disruptive. In my eyes, Jenny Duffy, Paul Davidescu and Tom Dobranski’s businesses were more about delivering a great product to an underserved market (at least for Paul and Tom) and doing something you enjoy (for Jenny, and Tom). There will always be a fear that a service/product won’t succeed as it hasn’t disrupted the market, however I have begun to feel that this fear shouldn’t hold us back from trying- if I love what I do and I am providing a good product, as seen with our alumni, entrepreneurial success can be achieved.

A blog post from The Experts section of the Wall Street Journal about the fallacy of “disruptive innovation” and touched on the same point of how every business seeks this disruption, but fact remains that the occurrence of this disruption is rare. All three alumni have found their own success without necessarily creating a disruption. Does this mean I’ll be able to create a successful business in the future, only time will accurately tell, however I am more willing to step into the ring now. A great thanks to all three of our sections incredible alumni for redefining entrepreneurship for me.

Works Cited

“Disruptive Innovation.” Clayton Christensen. Clayton Christensen, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.

Ulrich, Karl. “The Fallacy of ‘Disruptive Innovation'” The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, Inc., 06 Nov. 2014. Web. 06 Nov. 2014.

In class 15, we discussed the role of CSR play in business and it got me thinking about the importance this role really plays. What motivates businesses be practice CSR? Is it beneficial for all businesses to practice CSR?

Source: “Dying Tongues”

An article I recently read that hits close to home was about Tata Steel’s tribal language preservation project. They built numerous centres in Kolhan, Jharkhand to teach and preserve fast-fading oral languages and traditions. Being from India myself, I understand and see the merit of such an initiative as I myself have seen traditions and languages fade away as the people’s culture changes to mimic a more Western culture. Tata’s Steel initiative for that reason appears great in my eyes, as alongside preserving a rich part of the Indian heritage, they are allowing people in the community to grow through education.

Based on class discussion and the following article (link here), I believe the motivation behind a company’s engagement in CSR goes far beyond simply wanting to do the right thing; there is a lot to gain. In the case of Tata Company, they have developed a strong on brand image as they have gained intensive recognition for their work. They were listed as one of the “World’s most ethical companies” by the Ethisphere Institute in 2013. Such recognition must have had a good effect on the value and image of the company, setting them apart from others in the field. Good company values in my eyes attracts both loyal employees and customers, an ideal combination.

Keeping this in mind, should all businesses invest in engaging in CSR, I believe they should. Yes, there is likely an additional cost to CSR, both financial and labor related, but if making a good social impact can improve the reputation of the company, why not? It seems that more companies now days are embarking the boat of CSR, as CSR and CSV appears to be future of business in our culture. Not everyone will have an identical impact on society, however, as I saw with Tata Company’s initiative, if what they do works, the benefits the company reaps is immense. I am all for boarding on the boat of corporate social responsibility.

Works Cited

“Tata Steel’s Tribal Language Preservation Project Gets Positive Response.” The Economic Times. Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd., 2 Nov. 2014. Web. 06 Nov. 2014.

“Why Do Companies Engage in Corporate Social Responsibility?” The Economic Times. Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd., 21 June 2013. Web. 06 Nov. 2014.

Kamath, Gayatri. “Dying Tongues.” Tata Group. Tata Sons Ltd, June 2012. Web. 06 Nov. 2014.

Fernando, A.C. Business Ethics: An Indian Perspective. N.p.: Pearson Education India, 2009.Print.

Image Source: The Huffington Post

BC Hydro’s Site C hydroelectric megaproject is being strongly protested by BCs First Nation chiefs as they believe that the flooding of the valley would negatively affect fishing practices, and the environment as a whole. BC hydro however remains firm on their point that the environmental impact isn’t that large, and the project is necessary to meet growing energy needs. This article shows how First Nations land issues can prove to be a both a political and social factors that can influence a business plan. There are both cultural and lifestyle attitude limitations that are impairing the tract of the project; if these limitations are not sorted out, they will influence BC Hydro’s business plan as a whole.

This is similar to the well known Northern Gateway Pipeline where the First Nations fear the negative environmental impacts that may tamper the delicate ecosystem in the area, similar to the concerns of the First Nations in the Site C megaproject. In July, an article was released in the Globe and Mail informing that more lawsuits are being filed against the pipeline as the  B.C.’s Tsilhqot’in Nation “holds aboriginal title to a specific tract of land in the province.” Issue such as these are causing major delays in the project. This is an example of how companies like Enbridge and the government need to consider the views of the general public and the specific parties involved in their project, as clear, external influences can influence the implementation of their future endeavors. 

Works Cited

Moore, Dene. “B.C. Regulator Should Review Site C: Mayor.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc., 09 July 2014. Web. 05 Oct. 2014.

O’Neil, Peter. “First Nation Chiefs to Stage Site C Showdown.” The Vancouver Sun. Postwork Media Inc., 18 Sept. 2014. Web. 05 Oct. 2014.

Stueck, Wendy. “B.C. First Nations Challenge Northern Gateway Pipeline in New Court Action.” The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail Inc., 14 July 2014. Web. 05 Oct. 2014.

Shopping for good deals in the States entails one location, TARGET!! Target in the United States was a symbol of good quality at a good price. So as the news came out that Target was targeting the Canada, I greatly excited.

However, Target missed the Canadian target greatly! With an extensive loss, Target opened to some rough Northern waters. As the article  “How to fix Target Canada in six easy steps” stated, the road to fix Target Canada is a big job and the advice given in the article addressed a lot of issues the company seemed to face.

Step 1 in the article really stood out to me as it emphasizes and advises them to “Target Canadians.” There was no real stand-out factor that pulled a customer like me from Walmart to Target. We may be geographically close to our southern neighbors, however there are some big demographic and cultural differences that needed to be addressed by Target, which they failed to do. Despite having a significantly smaller population than that of US, Canada has a lot of cultural diversity packed into small areas; a failure to address this factor makes the company lose a whole section of the market. This advice seemed most helpful to me; to create a strategy that was made-in-Canada, aimed at Canadians. It appeared that the strategy used to attract the customers was adapted from US consumer base, which clearly did not play out well in the Canadian market.

Ever since Target missed the Canadian target, all eyes are focused on Target’s path to recover. What will be the future of Target Canada? Will it be as successful as it is in the US? Maybe, maybe not, but as the article suggests, there is hope for improvement. I hope Target will be able to make a significant comeback because as Target Canada is showing, they won’t go down without a fight.

Works Cited

Hansen, Darah. “How to Fix Target Canada’s Problems in Six Easy Steps.”Canadian Business. Rogers Media, 28 July 2014. Web. 01 Oct. 2014.

This is a response to Julia Tran‘s post on a new Netflix rival and Amanda Bamford’s response to Julia’s post.

  versus 

With businesses who have attempted to take on the giant Netflix and having failed, the possibility to beat Netflix seems difficult. But Canadian users know, the content available to us is quite a bit less when compared to our southern neighbors and certainly not up to date. With an estimated 4 million subscribers in Canada, having an up-to-date service with the same variety of programs as Netflix provides, at the same price, would be an ideal and appreciated service.

This move on behalf of Rogers and Shaw in my eyes is a smart move. With millions of people turning to online streaming, it comes down to who provides a better service. If Shomi in the long run ends up providing a better service than Netflix at the same price, I wouldn’t mind making the switch.

However, the journey to make Shomi a success in my eyes seems difficult. Shomi, for the time being, will only be available to paid TV users of Shaw and Rogers, leaving many who don’t used paid television without the service. Netflix is just more widely available, and because anyone can subscribe to it, it gives them the advantage in the market.

Also, as discussed in class 8, Netflix is already such a well established brand. The company has already made a lasting impact on consumers’ minds, and other than the lacking content, the impression Netflix has left is a good one. I agree fully with Amanda’s view that it will be very difficult for Shomi to replace the image and impact Netflix has built up over the last 4 years.

But as the article about Shomi in the Canadian Business states, “there is room in the market for an additional service in Canada because the appetite for movie and TV content online is only increasing and Canada is undeserved.” There is definitely room for a new service come in parallel to Netflix and make its place. I wish Shomi the best in the steep climb to their success that I perceive ahead. In the end, we want good service, and I hope that the one providing the better service will be the winner of this battle! 🙂

Works Cited

Bradshaw, James, and Christine Dobby. “Shomi Gives Rogers, Shaw a Toehold on Netflix’s Turf.” The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail Inc., 26 Aug. 2014. Web. 01 Oct. 2014.

Nowak, Peter. “Don’t Underestimate Netflix Rival Shomi.” Canadian Business. Rogers Media, 27 Aug. 2014. Web. 01 Oct. 2014.

reply to June Ong’s blog post

Urban Outfitters’ recently released a product, a  bloodstained sweater with a Kent State University logo on it..

In her blog post, my fellow classmate comments on how the product itself was merely a strong marketing strategy that gave the company the publicity they appeared to desire. I agree with her completely on this fact. The product and the company as a whole are gaining wide attention in the public; even if the company chooses to discontinue this product, the brand itself will likely not fade as they have now caught the public’s attention.  However should we be going to the extent that Urban Outfitters has in order to bring their product into the public view?

The issue around what is appropriate marketing appears to be around for years. The well known retailer brand Calvin Klein’s advertisements have been seen to have explicit sexual imagery and have stirred up controversies over the years. The target customers are from the younger age groups, as most of the models are young themselves; this factored into the great dislike for the ads that lead to their removal 24 hours later.  

Both these companies have the marketing/ product approaches that are morally questionable. Because these marketing tactics/ products are against convention and defy what we consider “right” or “appropriate”, they make ensure a place in the customer’s minds. But should this occur?  In my opinion it shouldn’t. Serious issues shouldn’t be used to increase sales and awareness of the brand. Whether Urban Outfitters did this intentionally or this actually was an accident, the impact it had however was not a good one, definitely not for those connected to Kent State shooting event. Companies like Urban Outfitters needs to consider how their marketing campaigns will impact the public, because as seen with many companies, bad publicity may not always be such a good thing.

https://blogs.ubc.ca/juneong/2014/09/15/no-such-thing-as-bad-publicity/

Works Cited

Charnock, Brendon. “Bad Ads: Explicit Sexual Imagery In Marketing.” MSN Business. Microsoft, 10 Jan. 2013. Web. 20 Sept. 2014. <http://businessnews.howzit.msn.com/bad-ads-explicit-sexual-imagery-in-marketing-4?page=3#image=4 >

Rupp, Lindsey. “Urban Outfitters’ Bloodstained ‘Vintage Kent State’ Shirt Sparks Outrage.” The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail Inc., 15 Sept. 2014. Web. 20 Sept. 2014. <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/fashion-and-beauty/urban-outfitters-bloodstained-vintage-kent-state-shirt-sparks-outrage/article20599281/>.