Author Archives: SimonChow

Police Brutality and Workplace Comradeship

Black lives matter. Hearing this phrase instantly reminds you of the connotations and controversy surrounding the movement. However, the protest is valid. In today’s world there should never be a disparity between race, gender or culture. Everyone is born and made equal. Today, I want to analyze why this happens? Why are the police the enemy? What kind of workforce would allow for this develop?               

 

source: Time

               The police force is heavily influenced by traditions like brotherhood and fraternity, everyone is in a unspoken union that emphasizes loyalty and teamwork, however, simultaneously sacrificing important values like ethics and a positive team culture. This comradeship stems from officers risking their lives together on the job, unfortunately facing some stereotypes while working; nonetheless, law enforcement should be the last to succumb to discrimination. In a satirical piece, Issac Bailey sarcastically points out “Because cops are good men doing impossible jobs, nothing is more important than shielding them from unfair criticism. ” His tone clearly highlights that cops must be held accountable for their own decisions. The fact that brotherhood would allow covering up each other’s mistakes is illegal; respective checks and balances must be implemented to ensure ethical and proper decision-making. A police officer should not be afraid to expose those above them in the hierarchy, they should communicate freely and keep those in power in check and in balance.

Honestly, I am personally afraid of law enforcement officers, whenever I see someone in uniform I get nervous; this should not be the case. I get a feeling that I have done something wrong if I get a question, getting a dissenting impression or perhaps feeling insulted and personally attacked. However, I know it is their job to do so, for our own safety and security. In hindsight, officers should build relationships with the community and defeat this horrible and unnecessary stereotype, otherwise the reality may become: the people versus police. (317)

CEO quits after argument with founder?

founder Ralph Lauren

              CEO Stefan Larsson of Ralph Lauren Corp, a fashion and clothing company, quit after having “creative” differences with the founder, Ralph Lauren. In an organizational behaviour type perspective, we can immediately see a key problem, the employee leaving the organization because of unresolved differences with the employer. Although there is evidence of the two trying to resolve the problem through private conversations as well meetings with board members, the two ultimately split paths. The arguments came up through discussion on a new direction the company should take. Many organizations face this exact problem, some resolve their differences and some do not, like Ralph Lauren and the University of British Columbia’s previous president.

With decreasing sales over the decade due to increased competition, Ralph Lauren Corp had to take a new creative direction, the decision behind this direction was what led to the ultimate resignation of the Larsson. In organizational behaviour, we can see a generational difference as well as differences in values. Furthermore, there is a clear hierarchy between founder and CEO, with the founder having the ultimate decision making power. It is very admirable, in my opinion for a CEO to leave because of differences that they know that cannot be solved, rather than just listen to the founder and follow aimlessly. If the CEO does not believe in the vision set forth by the founder, it is very hard for any success to follow, so I am sure that Mr. Larsson made a very admirable and smart choice by leaving.

 

Ralph Lauren company logo

              In conclusion, if differences cannot be worked out even after strenuous attempts, it is definitely for the best to leave in a situation like that. I believe that the declining sales in Ralph Lauren may see a positive turn should the founder find a suitable replaces that aligns with his vision.

 

Citations:

Wong, S. H. (2017, February 02). Ralph Lauren CEO Leaving After Creative Clash With Founder. Retrieved February 06, 2017, from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-02/ralph-lauren-ceo-is-leaving-company-after-clash-with-founder

Worst job- In class exercise

My worst job ever was doing work experience at Starbucks. The program there was no pay, so there was no incentive to do well, basically volunteering for a corporation. Furthermore, the sanitary conditions were not very good with things being rinsed and not properly washed, seeing the occasional rat in the garbage area. I also disliked how enclosed the space was, making me feel claustrophobic at times. Most importantly, the manager was never there when I worked, providing no counselling or guidance whatsoever, I did not feel a sense of team unity there and there as an overall disconnect in the workplace environment.

Loss of the real employee

With the prospects of new technology there is an imminent risk in the job security of employees. Citing Lauren Weber’s article on the Wall Street Journal, “The End of Employees — U.S. companies shift work once considered core to contractors, pruning costs and job security” she highlights the fact that there are no more real employees, most of today’s companies prefer to outsource to other companies, including those overseas. Thus, shrinking employee base and benefits like job security and pay. The growing loss of the employee leads to onslaughts of problems in the organization, a behavioural analysis of these issues will provide a more insightful understanding.

 

 source: Clover Network

The underlying issue behind outsourcing your employees is that you loose the personal relationships that can be built through hiring directly. Furthermore, you could personally motivate your employees through    providing incentives. This would lead to higher worker efficiency in the long run even though it may not be as cost effective. I believe that by using different incentives like intrinsic rewards, we will be able to save company funds whilst motivate employees.

 

source: Prelude Services

An example in the article says that employees hired for a movie production do not have long term contracts, as soon as the movie is done, so is their job. The problem here is that the teams form and adjourn in a very short period time, limiting the amount of success and efficiency that a team can potentially bring to the table. As companies decide to outsource more of their employees elsewhere, competitors are faced to do the same, thus increasing the divide between employee and employer. My value added to this article is that with the promises of technology coupled with globalization, increased outsourcing is inevitable. How major companies as well as outsourcing firms adapt to these changes will be up to the future. Because if employers are asked, “What company do you work for?” no one will actually know because of outsourcing.

Citations:

Weber, L. (2017, Feb 03). The end of employees — U.S. companies shift work once considered core
to contractors, pruning costs and job security. Wall Street Journal Retrieved from http://ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/docview/1864014900?accountid=14656

 

Learning about yourself- in class exercise

1/ Post your results to your blog, with the tag “in class exercise”. On separate “lines” list each of the four traits, your score, and whether this represents a high, medium or low value for the personality trait.

Machiavellianism: 45

Since this is ranked out of 50, I scored extremely high on this trait compared to the national averages. Basically this means that I will manipulate others and be pragmatic into achieving short-term goals.

Self-Monitor: 35

In this test I scored rather low on which I completely agree because I feel like sometimes I just say things before I think, thus limiting my self-monitor. I think that my filter is rather low and that I say things on impulse.

Emotional Intelligence: 87

For this test, I scored rather high, above the normal averages. I believe that this is somewhat true giving cause to the fact that I am able to detect emotions and signs of stress rather easily. I can use others emotions to by benefit, thus giving me a higher than average EQ score.

Competing Values Framework: 5.3

This test I valued traits like initiative, delegation, and communication. Especially communication between team members as well as between potential clients, I value these skills rather than the others because I believe a leader must be able to talk, communicate their ideas and lead indecently.

 

2/ Below the list of personality traits, blog about your results. Summarize your personality characteristics, as measured, and then show your thinking about how these might affect your ability to work with others. 300 words MAX.

My personality traits are that I am an Introvert, Sensing, Thinking and Judging, the “logistician.” Some of the traits associated with the “logistician” can certainly be beneficial to group work. Namely that I will get something done if I want it done, having a sharp mind that appreciates autonomy as well as hierarchy. However, it notes that I prefer to work alone rather than in groups, on the contrary, I do not mind working with groups at all, to that extent I disagree with the diagnostic in my results. Another point that I certainly agree with is that I extremely value honesty, however it gives off the impression that I am brutal and cold. In reality, ISTJ’s have trouble expression emotion however they certainly do and the assumption that they do not would hurt them. Interestingly, ISTJ’s make up most of the population in the world rather than extraverts. I believe that my personality characteristics will able to bring me to new heights rather than drag me down, this is because these small flaws can certainly be diminished through confidence in my positive traits. I think that I will be able to work well with others because I am pragmatic and will do whatever it takes to achieve my goals.

Toxic Leader?

Times Person of The Year: Donald Trump

With the 45th President of the United States in office for just about two weeks, we’ve seen unprecedented decisions made, protocols broken as well as series of new legislature and executive orders. This blog post will analyze Donald Trump’s leadership and its effectiveness in his organization, the government of the United States.

Donald Trump’s attitudes towards policymaking are attributed to an underlying concept in organizational behaviour, perception and personality. His perceptual errors stem from negative stereotypes, prejudice and selective perception; creating distinguished divides between minorities under his presidency. In addition to improper perception, his personality is also skewed with unpredictability. Under the Big Five Personality Model, I see Trump as an extravert who is disagreeable, conscientious, emotionally unstable and open to new experience; after all, he is a successful multi-billionaire real estate mogul. In terms of emotion, I believe that Donald Trump has high Emotional Intelligence, because he is able to manipulate other’s emotions into doing his bidding; whilst possessing characteristics from the Dark Triad like Machiavellianism, Narcissism and Psychopathy. Literally, all Donald Trump really cares for is himself and his business, citing Twitter rampages linked to self-esteem as well as evidence of strong ties still remaining in his company. What other organizational behaviour problems do we see with this unprecedented type of Presidency?

Trump’s values for workplace diversity can be clearly evidenced through his pick for cabinet nominations. Clearly, there is a higher ratio of white males in his cabinet compared to past Presidents, showing how little he cares about diversity in the workplace, namely gender, cultural and religious diversity. However, we have yet to see how his cabinet, or “employees” will be committed to the organization in terms of engagement, involvement and satisfaction. In Donald Trump’s workplace we also see the use of Theory X where employees will be punished should results not be visible; Trump has already fired and criticized publicly on Twitter those employees who displayed disloyalty in the execution of his orders. Lastly, the communication is his government is truly non-existent, as evidenced with the confusion in citizens as well as border patrol agents in regard to his recent “Muslim Ban”. There are clear problems in Donald Trump’s leadership and his government. However, this may be due to the fact that the organization is still forming. We must remain hopeful as he has yet to accomplish the forming stage and move on to storming. Only by uniting together and recognizing what Donald Trump is doing is morally incorrect can we have a chance a defeating hatred and evil.

 

Citations:

Langton, Nancy; Robbins, Stephen; Judge, Timothy. Organizational Behaviour. Pearson Canada, 2016. Print.

 

 

 

Marks and Spencer, living in a dying industry.

 

marksspencer_lead

British retail giant Marks and Spencer (M&S) just recently announced their plans to slash stores and realign their focus to the food division. Founded in the late 1800s, M&S is traditionally known for their posh clothing and luxurious home products, so why are they now concentrating more on food? Is phasing out of their traditional base the right move? Notably, these changes come months after the installation of a new CEO as well as a long period of declining sales.[1]

CEO Steve Rowe believes that shifting towards the food industry is extremely profitable because of the increasing trend in online shopping[2]. M&S will be able to devote more floor space to food, a department that has proven to be more profitable, without entirely neglecting sales from fashion, thereby adjusting to customer demands.

 

msfood

M&S Simply Food

Declining sales are mostly attributed to lower priced competitors like Uniqlo and Zara, a failure to realize their customer segments, and failed investments on overseas franchises[3[. Upon further analysis, I discovered that many of their inherent problems are correlated with the concepts discussed in class. Rowe said the company incorrectly focused on younger shoppers while they forgot about their most loyal segment, middle-aged women. Moving on, Rowe has pledged that he will “cherish and listen” to this segment. Additionally, the cost of shutting down overseas franchises will be an additional 200 million pounds[4]; although a sunk cost, these cuts will allow for M&S to regroup and adjust accordingly.

Alena Goncharova‘s blog post mentions all the steps that M&S is taking to survive in the retail industry. It highlights the need to gain a competitive advantage, the importance of e-commerce, and the ability to adapt and modify a company’s business model canvas. I completely agree with her opinion and believe that M&S is on the right path by making similar adjustments.

A Porter’s 5 forces of industry attractiveness[5] shows that the fashion industry is unappealing. As e-commerce becomes more popularized, there will be little to no need for actual clothing stores. Sure, trying something out in a fitting room may be appealing, but expedited shipping and returns allow for that to happen at the convenience of your own home. Buyers are becoming increasingly powerful with unlimited choices as new competitors enter the sector day in and day out. With certainty, the industry is highly unattractive and in rapid decline.

In order to survive in the dying fashion trade[6], M&S is differentiating themselves by adjusting to customer demand and shifting to food . In my opinion, M&S is making the right move to focus on something that has proven to be more profitable. These changes may hurt them in the short-run, but they are inevitable to survive in the long-run.

Word Count (450)

Citations:

[1] “M&S Retreats from Foreign Markets in Store Shakeup.” Financial Times. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2016.

[2,3] Wood, Zoe. “M&S to Close 30 UK Stores and Cut Back on Clothing.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 2016. Web. 12 Nov. 2016.

[4] “Marks and Spencer Plans Store Closures after Profit Drops.” Wall Street Journal. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2016.

[5] “Porter’s Five Forces.” Porter’s Five Forces. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2016.

[6] Murdock, Sharifa. “4 Reasons The Retail Industry Is Declining.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2016.

AT&T trying to merge with Time Warner

new_att_logo_in_dallas_tx

An 85 billion dollar Merger and Acquisition, (M&A) is no small feat. The proposed merger between Time Warner and AT&T [1] has been especially criticized because of their sheer magnitude. Merging these two giants together would create a great imbalance in the market and potentially a monopoly if details were overlooked. Politicians from both Democratic and Republican parties have slammed the deal, saying that it is too much a concentration of power.

“This deal would mean higher prices and fewer choices for the American people.” – says Bernie Sanders. [2]

This merger is a problem dying to explode. Applying Porter’s 5 forces [3] to this case, a merger would mean less rivalry in the market, a higher concentration ratio and therefore a high barrier to entry. Leaving the industry highly unattractive to enter for potential entrepreneurs meanwhile hurting consumers with limited choices. Furthermore, consumers will be left with limited buyer power; with few substitutes in the market, buyers are fragmented and virtually have no influence in the prices set by the industry.

Additionally, this merger would mean that AT&T will be controlling the devices consumers use to watch TV as well as what kind of content they choose to watch on the device. They would be expanding their segments and be able to capture a new stream of revenue by diversifying. Similar companies in Canada already provide telecommunications and multimedia; examples are like Bell and Rogers. They do not pose a big of threat as AT&T and Time Warner because of two reasons; there is strong competition in the Canadian market and the size of these companies cannot compare to the two titans. This deal is bound to damage the income of the American people; it is up to the government to decide whether or not to approve this deal.

3102894-game-of-thrones-daenerys

TV Show Game of Thrones, owned by Time Warner.

According to Market Watch’s Mark Hulbert, his opinion is that this deal would be would inherently bad for the stock market, potentially sparking a renewed wave of M&A’s. He believes this wave will end up bursting like the tech bubble in 2001. A high percentage of M&A deals have been financed with cash recently, reflecting an overvaluation in the bond market. Overvaluing or undervaluing something for a long period of time can conceive the potential for financial crisis.

In my opinion, I whole-heartedly believe that this deal is doing more bad than good. Especially for the average consumer, there is no reason to want this merger to succeed. Phone plans and TV bundles are expensive enough already. Allowing two giants to merge together will permit for unreasonable price surges; being done gradually so that consumers will not notice. This deal is clearly dangerous and absolutely should not proceed, I cannot see any benefits to consumers; the government must reject this proposal and stop the deal all together.

 

Word Count (450)

Citations:

[1] Merced, Michael J. De La. “AT&T Agrees to Buy Time Warner for $85.4 Billion.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 2016. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

[2] Gryta, Thomas. “AT&T Faces Political Barrage Over Time Warner Deal.” WSJ. Wsj.com, 2016. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

[3] “Porter’s Five Forces.” Porter’s Five Forces. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

Trump and Clinton, a hit to Canada’s economy.

 

 

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are tightening their grips on the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations.

source: CNN 

 

With the US Election approaching in less than a month, the consequences of this grave decision will follow us for the majority of our time at Sauder. Should Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton be elected, the world economy, and certainly Canada’s, will deviate from the status quo. Both candidates’ position on economic policies will obviously affect us Canadians; especially because we are the number one trading partners to the States [1].

Incumbent President Obama’s push for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) allows for lower trade barriers to Canadian imports [2], a benefit to Canadians and a direct influence on Porter’s 5 forces. Contrarily to the TPP, the North American Free Trade Act (NAFTA) is negatively looked upon; many Americans see it as outdated and was a job breaker [3], calling for the renegotiation of the deal.

Interestingly, both candidates oppose the TPP, in addition, Clinton wants NAFTA renegotiated [4] and Trump is willing to remove it completely [5]. The two presidential hopefuls oppose Obama’s policies on trade because they believe it shifts focus away from American workers; and is therefore going to be unfavorable for Canadians. According to Curtis Kothe’s blog NAFTA is actually beneficial to free trade within the continent, especially in Canada. However with the onslaught of public opinion against NAFTA in the States [6], its reformation will be seen with either candidate; and Canada, will most likely loose out as a result.

The rejection of the Keystone Pipeline from Obama is supported by Clinton [7]. Trump however, is much in disagreement arguing that the profits are going to make the US rich again [8]. Trudeau’s dream for the pipeline ended as a result of President Obama, a President Trump will certainly revive that dream. Resulting in the introduction of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars of revenue over the years in both Canada and the United States [9]. Having said that, the implication of even a single oil spill will lead to disastrous environmental consequences as well as financial.

 

screen-shot-2016-10-16-at-2-27-11-am

Historically, Democratic presidencies benefit the Canadian economy.

In my opinion, Hillary Clinton is undeniably the safer bet. She is a known quantity and won’t be unpredictable like Donald Trump; additionally, Democrats have proven to increase the Canadian economy. These external factors all relate to the Political and Economic aspects of the PEST analysis learned in class. Referring to Porter’s 5 forces, placing tariffs and removing trade agreements yields high barriers to entry especially for Canadians who want to expand to the States. With increasing difficulty, Canadians are limited and would have to stay local, thus decreasing economic growth. Overall, both candidates will limit the growth in Canadian economy; it’s just a matter of how drastic one goes compared to the latter.

 

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Citations

[1,5,8] @globeandmail. “How a Trump Presidency Would Affect Canada’s economy.” The Globe and Mail. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

[2] “Why the TPP Is Such a Big-and Good-deal for Canada.” Macleansca. N.p., 2015. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

[3,6] “Obama Defends Free Trade Push to Supporters: This Isn’t NAFTA.” Washington Post. The Washington Post, n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

[4] “Hillary Clinton Statement on Endorsement by the UAW.” Hillary Clinton Statement on Endorsement by the UAW. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

[7] @globeandmail. “How a Clinton Presidency Would Affect Canada’s economy.” The Globe and Mail. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

[9] @globeandmail. “Keystone XL: The Benefits and Costs of a Controversial Pipeline.” The Globe and Mail. CALGARY — The Globe and Mail, 2013. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

 

Pokémon Go, a failed Augmented Reality.

Pokémon Go, if you have never heard about it, you must have been living under a rock for the past couple of months. Since its launch in July, the augmented reality game already broke five Guinness World Records 1, including most international charts topped for downloads and revenue; surpassing competitors like Tinder, Facebook, Candy Crush and Instagram. Although the initial success brought Nintendo unexpected revenue, investors are now questioning whether this triumph will be sustainable on the long run.

 

 

pokemon_go_logo

Nearing the end of the summer, the amount of active users and engagement in Pokémon Go steadily declined 2; adding fire to doubts on the future of the game and the augmented reality sector as a whole. Some have argued that this trend is logical because it represents loyal users reaching a plateau 3, however investors are very skeptical. The initial prediction for Apple’s revenue on the game was 3 billion dollars over two years 4, but any success at that magnitude seems overly optimistic with the current trend.

 

According to Google Trends, interest in the augmented reality sector spiked with the release of Pokémon Go and declined in cohesion. This proves how consumers have minimal interest in the field and would rather invest in virtual reality on the contrary 5. The difference between the two is that augmented reality is adding virtual components to our current world as is, whereas virtual reality is the construction of an entire world where the developer can program anything to their liking, for example, a video game.

 

screen-shot-2016-10-02-at-9-09-06-pm

I believe that users just got tired of the game quickly, without any new updates or innovation, the initial surge lost momentum and interest became deprived. So, moving forward, where can this former champion go? Some have suggested including updates that draw parallels to the original game, person to person battles as well as trading Pokémon.

 

As an attempt to recapture interest, Niantic and Nintendo invested on wearable technology, Pokémon Go Plus 6. In my opinion, I do not see any benefit from this investment. A specific piece of technology for the sole purpose of playing a game use will not satisfy the growing needs of efficiency and innovation for consumers.

 

My suggestion for the company is to capitalize on what made them so successful initially, the nostalgia of the player’s childhood. Many players have commented on reliving their childhood through playing the game, I believe that is what attributes most to the success. Converting to virtual reality instead of augmented reality is another option worth seeking. As evidenced by Google Trends, consumers prefer a fantasy world, like the original game, as opposed to an augmented one 7. If Nintendo focuses on providing what the consumers want, I believe that they will capture success once again.

 

Endnotes:

 

[1] Swatman, By Rachel. “Pokémon Go Catches Five New World Records.” Guinness World Records. N.p., 2016. Web. 03 Oct. 2016.

 

[2,5,7]“These Charts Show That Pokemon Go Is Already in Decline.” Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2016.

 

[3]Morris, David Z. “Pokémon Go Is Stalling Out, Probably Because There’s Not Much Game There.” Fortune Pokmon Go Is Stalling Out Probably Because Theres Not Much Game There Comments. N.p., 2016. Web. 03 Oct. 2016.

 

[4] How Big? Pokemon Go Set a New Apple Record as the App with the Most App Store Downloads in Its First Week. Ever. Apple (AAPL. “Pokemon Go Breaks Apple Download Records.” CNNMoney. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2016.

 

[6]Farber, Madeline. “A Wearable ‘Pokémon Go’ Device Is Set To Launch Next Week.” Fortune A Wearable Pokmon Go Device Is Set To Launch Next Week Comments. N.p., 2016. Web. 03 Oct. 2016.