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

While the United Nations (UN) is undoubtedly focused on resolving economic and social issues throughout the world, I believe that its goals are generally too broad to satisfy specific needs. For instance, when faced with political issues in developing nations, the UN loosens its goal on sparking business start-ups and other forms of economic growth in those countries. Unfortunately, the UN is simply too large and deals with a variety of different problems in today’s world. Therefore, the Arc Initiative, in my opinion, does a better job of meeting smaller, more detailed demands.

The Arc was created to partner students and alumni with workers in foreign nations who are interested in business development but lack proper knowledge to act. This is why the program initiative is to foster sharing knowledge between communities by sending these students to countries such as Ethiopia and South Africa. Again, the Arc outperforms the UN in that it seeks and dives directly into the heart of the issue, which emphasizes doing more than just acknowledging a problem.

Images and References:

http://www.chnook.org/partner/the-arc-initiative/

In late 2013, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos introduced his plans for Amazon Prime Air, a 30 minute delivery option via drone-like “octocopters.” These octocopters will have a 10 mile radius and initially carry items up to five pounds. Although this idea seems unrealistic for another twenty to thirty years into the future, Bezos believes that Prime Air can go live by 2015. However, many Amazon consumers are less optimistic.

The main concern is how safe these robots will be and the possibility that they could be shot down from the sky. Bezos proposes that the drones will fly at an altitude of 300 feet or higher, which is why he will need approval by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) before making further progress. However, present-day technology also  limits how powerful these drones can be during flight. According to Missy Cummings, an associate professor at MIT, Amazon will have to design and develop machinery that can withstand rain, snow, wind, and other forms of distractions in air.

While there are obvious setbacks, I believe that Prime Air is a revolutionary advance. It will change the way products are delivered for years to come, since it satisfies the consumer need for faster shipping, which draws in new customers

Images and References:

http://techland.time.com/2013/12/26/amazon-holiday-delivery-woes-send-in-the-drones/

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazon-unveils-futuristic-plan-delivery-by-drone/

In an article published in 2013 by USA Today, writer John Waggoner discusses the theory of treating employees better to earn a higher profit in the long-run. He starts off by stating that most people assume there to be an “economic karma”; good employee treatment leads to higher earnings, stock-prices, etc. However, upon analyzing the article, I realized that the idea behind being a benevolent employer can be summed up in three words: low turnover rate.

What most companies fail to do is maintain a firm employee base, which is especially noticeable in companies well-known for poor employee benefits. For instance, typical retail stores tend to have high turnover rates due to minimal training, unsatisfactory policies, and, most importantly no incentives other than for employers. No one wants to work overtime  to reward someone else, which is strikingly similar to what happens in retail businesses.

I believe that in order for employers to achieve desired goals without having to replace employees, who are costly to train, they must put a certain amount of money aside to benefit workers. Medical insurance, higher wages, and job enjoyment are all factors that should be considered when trying to satisfy employees and earn higher profits.

Images and References:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2013/02/19/treating-employees-well-stock-price/1839887/

http://www.retaildoc.com/blog/8-reasons-why-your-retail-employee-turnover-is-so-high