BUS 374 Week 13 Reflection

 This week, we learned about disciple leadership and how it relates to social innovation. The readings this week were all spiritual in nature and reflected on how social innovation and the gospel work together. We are all children of God and we should all do what we can to help others. Being a disciple leader means taking on causes of social innovation by seeing the needs of others and working out ways to help them.

My favorite reading this week was Elder Holland's talk "Are We Not All Beggars?" This talk was a great reminder that Christ himself came from poverty and even homelessness. We all have needs of one kind or another and and different points in our lives. Not one person is exempt from this. We, as children of God, should do whatever we can to help those around us.

Another thing that I really enjoyed this week was the format of the quiz. Instead of memorizing facts, it was nice to have essay questions so we could focus more on the application of our knowledge. 

As I reflect on my future social innovation goals and the gospel, I wonder if I can merge the two even further. I am interested in helping families with special needs students, specifically those with learning differences. I am thinking about advocacy and after this week, I am thinking about how I can also work some type of social/emotional content into it. I think many of these students and the families they come from can feel insecure because of their differences and I want them to get not only the school support, but I want them to be able to be proud of themselves and see themselves through Christ's eyes.

BUS 374 Week 12 Reflection

 This week, we covered self-reliance and microcredit. The focus was mostly on self-reliance. Changes can come to those that work for them. When individuals are taught how to do for themselves and then have the drive to apply that information, they can make changes to their own lives instead of waiting for companies or charities around them to make the changes for them. Sometimes, however, self-reliance needs a boost. Microfinance is one of those ways. Individuals can be given a small loan to finance something small. KIVA, for example. might finance the purchase of a goat. The goat alone will not bring in income, but the milk from the goat can provide food for the family as well as selling the extra or turning it into soap to sell. The income can then get the individual well off enough financially that they can repay the loan and thrive. 

I enjoyed Paul Godfrey's video on how self-reliance can eliminate poverty. The line from it, "Responsibility fuels action, self-efficacy focuses it into productive activity," really stood out to me. If an individual sees that they are responsible for their own outcome, not the government and not a charity, then they can channel it into self-efficacy or the believe that they can do the hard things needed to make the changes their situation requires. That is when the actions the individual takes play a vital role. The choices and actions they take are what will propel them out of poverty. This doesn't only apply to those in poverty however, it can apply to any situation that you might find yourself in. Knowing that no one else is responsible for you own success and that you hold within you the ability to do the hard work required is empowering and can help you to succeed in whatever challenges you might face.

In my own personal development with self-reliance I think I have come a long way. When I was 17, I started college and after 2 semester, I dropped out. I was frustrated because I had no support and no one helping me. I didn't know how to manage my time and I didn't know how to get financial aid on my own. I thought that I just didn't have what it takes t succeed at college. Here I am now, at the age of 36. I have been married, had 2 kids, divorced, started and stopped school 3 different times. Along the way I have learned so many things about myself. I have learned that I can do hard things. I can do seemingly impossible things! I know that I am responsible for my success and for the health and well being of my family. I also know that I am not destined to be a failure in life. I can still change things around. That is why I am now, almost 20 years later, back in college, and doing well. I have the ability to rely on myself to learn what I need in order to thrive in classes. I will get my degree and use it to pursue a better career so that I can more fully provide for the needs of my family. I am not looking for someone to solve my problems for me. I am able to solve them for myself.

BUS 374 Week 10 Reflection

 This week's focus was on Hybrid companies. These are companies that are working to make a difference instead of working to make a profit, but aren't isn't reliant on the "hustle" for funds from donors and grants because it has a product and service that is for sale. The sale of the product or service all goes directly back into the business to make it self-sufficient.

For the Application activity this week, we created a fictional hybrid company. This sparked interest for me as something that I might actually look into doing. I am working on my degree to either become an elementary school teacher or to go into special education. This was prompted by my own experience trying to navigate the system and advocate for my son. A hybrid makes so much sense because I do want to help families in my community but I don't want to spend all of my time and energy trying to figure out where the funding is going to come from.

What is it about hybrids that make them so successful?

I think the nature of hybrids makes them successful. They have the heart behind them that non-profits and social businesses do. They have a goal to make a difference in the world and to solve a problem. They are successful because they are not in it to make a huge profit. High profit businesses rely heavily on marketing and ad campaigns. They also do not have to rely on grants and donations; both of which take so much time and energy away from the goal of the company. Instead, they can focus on the solutions they are driving forward.

BUS 374 Week 9 Reflection

 This week, we covered non-profits and nongovernmental organizations (NGO). These are companies that are set up not to make money, but to make a difference.

The assignment this week that stood out to me the most was the case analysis regarding the brand Timberland. Not only did I learn that this company was heavily active in the world of CSR, but that it was an all around good company. The package that they offer to employees includes lactation rooms, coverage for infertility treatment, tie off for volunteering, and a host of other things designed to make the employee feel like they are cared about by the company. This is something that I can argue to be CSR. Companies should have the responsibility to the people that work for them to make sure that they have the best opportunities available to them because it benefits everyone. There is a saying that goes "When momma's not happy, no body's happy." I think the employees are momma in this. Happy employees make better companies. Timberland is setting an example that other businesses should follow.

I can use these lessons on how non-profits run in my life by placing the focus on individuals around me. The focus needs to be on humanity, not on personal gain.

BUS 374 Week 8 Reflection

"What the public thinks of your company is critical to its success," Schmidt told Business News Daily. "By building a positive image that you believe in, you can make a name for your company as being socially conscious."

This week the focus was on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This is businesses being socially accountable by working to have some sort of positive impact on the community, the environment, or the economy. 

In Skye Schooley's article, "What is Corporate Social Responsibility,"she states that there is no one "right" way for companies to practice CSR. In the same article she quotes Susan Cooney saying, "If decisions [about CSR] are made behind closed doors, people will wonder if there are strings attached and if the donations are really going where they say." This made me think about a CSR initiative run by BP Gas in my home state of Louisiana. In 2010, the oil rig, Deepwater Horizion, exploded because of negligence on their part. By 2011, just about every Children's Museum, park, and school had a plaque somewhere that a new addition as provided with funds from BP. What should have been a thoughtful act of CSR, came across as nothing more than an attempt to buy back a positive company image. 

Respond to the W08 prompt:

• Why do you think CSR has become more popular in recent years?

I think that CSR has become more popular in recent years because consumers expect more out of the companies they buy from. People have more options today than ever on where and how to spend their money. It is also much easier to know details about the companies with the internet and quick access on our phones. Because of this, we want the most from companies. There was a statistic in the reading this week that said, "more than 60% of Americans hope businesses will drive social and environmental change in the absence of government regulation." People want changes around them and when government doesn't make the change, people want businesses to be the "bigger man" and make the positive changes. 

BUS 374 Week 7 Reflection

This week we covered the Business Model Canvas and Lean Start Up. The Business Model breaks the business down into parts and asks specific questions about each of the 9 parts to see if it makes sense and is what the consumer needs. The Lean Start Up is an approach that gets products to market faster by starting with the most basic idea first then after feedback it keeps moving forward, stops, or pivots and makes changes. 

 This week we also posted our Innovation Presentations. I really enjoyed watching some of those. I learned about new companies like ArtLifting that is helping artists that are disabled or homeless. It was great to see just how many companies can be considered to be in the realm of social innovation. 

• How can sharpening your business skills help you help others? What skills are most important?

I think business skills can be good life skills as well. In this class we have talked extensivly about creativity and out of the box thinking. This can help me to help others because it will allow me to look at problems from a different perspective. One business skill that I think is really important is the power of networking. Establishing and growing relationships with people helps in business, but it also helps in life. It also allows you to help those around you because you know more people that have talents and abilities that can help in a myriad of ways.

BUS 374 Week 6 Reflection

    This week, the focus was on revenue generation. While I know that revenue is what makes businesses work, I never spent much time thinking about where the money originally comes from. I think about the show "Shark Tank" and think that all companies must have investors and then they just go from there and either make money or don't. So this week was very informative in all the internal and external ways companies can generate revenue.

    The activity this week was very interesting to me. I have been using Parents Helping Parents as my example for a non-profit organization. It was interesting to take an actual company and find they ways they generate revenue. I was surprised to see that it was multiple avenues and not just one. I learned a good deal from this activity. 

Does money buy happiness? Can money change the world? 

    I don't think that money buys happiness, but I do think it makes it a lot easier to get there. Happiness is a state of mind and that means a person is able to be happy in whatever circumstance they might find themselves. However, that might take more effort for some because of the situation they are in. If someone doesn't have a safe place to live, adequate nutrition, or access to clean drinking water, it is going to be much harder to find happiness. This is where the next part comes in. Money can change the world. Even if that just means changing it for a small group of people. If there is a community that cannot afford the basic things like water and medicine then they are not able to do much to improve their situation. However, with the means to make money, like a goat that provides milk to sell, they can begin to change their world.

    This also makes me think if the saying, "It's really expensive to be poor." This is as simple as a pair of shoes. Someone with little income might only be able to spend $20 on a meager pair of shoes and someone better off financially spends $60.  The $20 shoes are not high quality and have to be replaced often causing that person to spend $80 over time replacing the shoes 4 times in the same amount of time that the $60 pair lasts. This is just a small example. Those with lower incomes generally have lower credit scores and are required to put deposits down for gas and electric bills or higher deposits for rent. This is money that they struggle to have and someone in a different financial position can afford it, but isn't required to do so.