“Social entrepreneurs are society’s change agents, creators of innovations that disrupt the status quo and transform our world.”

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The Arc Initiative is a social enterprise that seeks to build a connection between the exchange of knowledge and business entrepreneurship. Its vision is to increase the overall economic wellbeing at the community level to establish business management and leadership skills. On the other hand, the United Nation’s objectives mainly specifies of  international peace and security, promoting human rights, fostering social and economic development, protecting the environment, and providing humanitarian aid in cases of famine, natural disaster, and armed conflict. 

Although United Nation is an influential organization that is significant to helping and promoting issues around the world, it’s not solving the root problem. The Arc Initiative offers a long-term solution, creating a two way flow of ideas and knowledge between the third-world countries and the developed countries. This idea of the flow of learning and sharing promotes the learning of business concepts and management skills to undeveloped communities so communities can independently maintain themselves. 

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Google Inbox, the new email app for iOS, Android and Chrome web browser has its customers feeling bitter. The newly designed app is different from every email app out in the market, introducing new functions like pin, snooze, and mark, but too different for many consumers.

I presume that many users have already gotten used to how normal e-mails works, and learning to use a whole new app for doing the exact same function as before is just a total waste of time. The complexity of the innovation lacks the handy and time-saving features traditional e-mail has. This product is too sophisticated and too complicated for most customers in their market and creates more work for them instead of saving their time. Google Inbox’s difference is the problem of the product that gets in the way of it being truly useful.

This intricacy is what will eventually allow for “disruptive innovations”, noted by Clayton Christensen. Alternative to striving to create the most sophisticated and eye-catching innovation, I believe the companies that focus on designing simpler, more traditional, and user-friendly products, or “sustaining innovations”, will attract customers and move upward in the market.

What is our recipe for success? The answer is – our people.

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Subsequently reading an interview with Google, I gained a better insight of Google’s culture at work and how it became number one on Fortune’s list of the best companies to work for in 2014. The five key beliefs of Google that was mentioned in the article highlights how Google brings out creativity which is not brought out in many other companies due to their strict rules and stern offices. I remember that during tutorial the TA commented that in just one single day, Google received around I think 10,000 applications, which was astonishing to hear. Now I truly understand the reason for which so many individuals choose to apply to Google instead of millions of other enterprises out there – It is for reason that Google understands the fact that its employees are its most important asset and Google values its employees so that in turn, they can bring equal, if not, greater value to the company. I think when a company compensates and motivates its workers well for their efforts in ways Google does, employees will feel more at ease and in their element at work which will help them achieve the highest efficiency.

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After reading Dan Alexander’s blogpost, I became aware of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, who donated $50 million to help support the emergency efforts of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The foundation announced that it will aide the funding of research centres that are exploring new vaccines, treatments, and technologies to fight the virus. This shows that they’re not just business people, but they are philanthropists who actually care beyond the statistics and money–they care for the society as a whole and wants to create a positive change in society with the wealth that they have accumulated. It shows that they’re aware of the issues that are happening around the world. I think every corporation should adapt to this act of giving back to society because I think using the money they have earned from society to increase the overall welfare is what makes businesses indispensable.

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In Rene’s blogpost, she discussed the point of difference many corporations possess of providing fair trade and ethically sourced products. Carrying fair trade products are often more costly as workers are paid fairly and the facilities are safer. My image of fair trade, however, is reversed after coming across an article on the guardian that brought up the issue a UK government-sponsored study found after investigating the production of flowers, coffee and tea in Ethiopia and Uganda. They revealed that farmers in Fair trade certified markets received very low wages. Although fair trade serves positive purposes, this is not providing equal benefit to all. In addition to low wages, researchers also found evidence of the use of children being paid to work on farms growing produce for Britain’s leading ethical label. I think these corporations are not benefiting themselves by putting on a fake front, as they are corrupting the goal fair trade is promoting which is seeking greater equity. In my opinion, fair trade should be practiced through ethical standpoints, its purpose should not be distorted.

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If wifi brought in more customers, shouldn’t every store offer free wifi? According to Wifi Alliance, studies revealed that 47% of shoppers would be more likely to choose one store over another if it offered wifi and 28% would stay in a store longer if it had Wi-Fi access.

Frankly, I wasn’t surprised at all when I read this article as I somewhat expected this since the internet is the most powerful network in the information age we are experiencing. These days, people are more mobile instead of being fixed to conducting their businesses in an office. Rather, business is often managed on-the-go and this has been made happen through the globalization of businesses over the internet.

I think providing Wi-Fi is a must since we use it all the time in our daily lives. In particular, restaurants and cafés should take this issue into consideration as everyone seems to be on their phones or tablets while they’re munching on something whether it’s browsing webpages, on-line shopping, searching up their next destination, or finishing up on any work tasks they may have. Providing wifi is not only a great way to attract customers, but it can also help build long-lasting customer relationships.

“It’s our church, it’s our store, it’s our school. We have elders’ gatherings there annually.”

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Chiefs of First Nation groups are declaring their property of their unceded land in BC, rejecting BC Hydro’s $8 billion Site C hydroelectric megaproject. First Nation Chief Roland Wilson proclaims that the Aboriginal tribes will challenge the decision in the Federal Court of Canada if Ottawa approves of the project. If BC hydro launches this project, the finished dam would flood 83 kilometres of the Peace River Valley, destroying farmland, wildlife habitat, and impair the Aboriginals’ right to carry out their daily rituals.

I think it’s a wrong move for BC Hydro to challenge the First Nations, since they are not only one of BC Hydro’s key customers, partners, but they are the suppliers to BC’s resources since they have ownership to most of BC’s land. For a business to thrive, it has to form positive customer/supplier relationships considering that their main goal should be to generate the greatest value to their stakeholders. 

Instead of committing to this project, I suggest BC Hydro to choose another alternative source of power, such as wind, solar and geothermal power. These substitutions will not only resolve the conflict with the First Nations, but create a positive eco-friendly external image for BC Hydro.

Cadillac decides to make a twist?

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General Motors recently announced their planned release of a new Cadillac Sedan that is surprisingly larger than all the releases from their German competitors. Their plan of entering the luxury market is brave but is a very risky move, considering they’re competing against the MW 7 Series, Audi’s A8 and the Mercedes S-Class. According to General Motors, they plan to expand beyond the European market, and are arranging to spread their sales to China, where they see a potential in not only the market for larger, more luxurious vehicles, but are that the Chinese are more open to switching from one auto brand to another.

Through the release of the new larger sized Sudan, General Motors’s point of difference is their size and utilizing Porter’s differentiation strategy in order to capture more consumers’ hearts. This new product may be geared towards certain consumers who are looking for a bigger car but this need could not be achieved with any other car competitors in the German market. Moreover, General Motors has also set a very clear and distinct target audience/focus – the rich.

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Peggy Young, a part-time driver at UPS became pregnant in 2006. She requested a few months of a lightened load, however, since pregnancy did not fall into any of the three categories of workers eligible for alternate assignments (Workers who were injured on the job, disabled under the terms of the Americans With Disabilities Act, or who lost their driving credentials), she was forced to carry 70 lbs during her pregnancy.

Peggy fought on behalf of all pregnant women who face similar situations and the PDA (Pregnancy Discrimination Act) introduced an act prohibiting employers from discriminating “because of” pregnancy and holds that pregnant women must not be treated differently from other employees who are “similar in their ability, or inability, to work.”

UPS’s denial of Peggy’s request violates the 12 ethical principals for business executives as it cannot offer fairness and ethical behaviour to its employees, whom they have the responsibility to respect and protect. I think the establishment of this act served justice to the women that had to undergo abortion because she cannot afford to leave her job without pay to carry out the full term of her pregnancy.

Is American Apparel going too far?

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Once again, American Apparel has showed the public its ability to catch consumer’s eyes; however, not in an ethical way. Following a long history of controversy, American Apparel has had its shares of banned ads. This times, similarly, it’s not an ad but a sweatshop-free tee. This controversial tee, known as the “Period” shirt,  by artist Petra Collins, shows a menstruating, masturbating vagina – or otherwise described as “self-pleasing artwork” by American Apparel. I would be surprised if anyone’s comfortable wearing this around. As Charmian mentioned in her blogpost about Urban Outfitters’ controversial newly designed sweater, young consumers should understand what they’re buying, and not simply just chase after a brand that is in trend. Like American Apparel, this is a reoccurring offence and it seems like these brands are doing it for publicity on purpose. I think these actions are unethical and is offending to all the women in the world. If these companies can’t even abide to the basic corporate ethical code, they are not creating any value for their customers.