During the last class of the semester we discussed innovation as a value added. We talked about Innovation and Technology combined. The Eight Pillars of Innovation was something new that I learned. They included things such as Institution and Policies, Infrastructure, Human Capacity, and Technological Sophistication. Five input pillars represent aspects that enhance the capacity of a nation to generate ideas and leverage them for innovative products and services.
Three output pillars define the benefits of successful innovation to the citizens and organizations of the country. I found a very good article that was in World Business that goes into depth about the eight pillars of innovation http://www.innovendo.net/pdf/Global%20innovation%20index%202007%20-%20subranking.pdf
Monday, April 20, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Norma Castaneda: Innovation
In class we discussed how important being innovative is. Innovation means a new way of doing something. It may be radical, incremental or revolutionary changes in the way of thinking, product, processes or organizations. Organizations are seeking for innovative people that will help in great deal to the development of the country.
I found this pretty interesting website which allows you to discover new innovative ideas that you hadn’t though before. Enjoy!
http://www.jimcarroll.com/blog/how-to-be-innovative/
I found this pretty interesting website which allows you to discover new innovative ideas that you hadn’t though before. Enjoy!
http://www.jimcarroll.com/blog/how-to-be-innovative/
Norma Castaneda Twitter. What are you doing?
Twitter is the latest free social networking in which you can communicate briefly with people all over the world. I believe this is a great idea as emails and texting are to send long and specific messages. Twitter is a relaxed network in which you answer simple questions such as “what are you doing?” Sharing small events such as how are you feeling and what are you doing have fascinated millions and millions of people around the world. Twitter is a great example of innovation and networking.
To begin twitting just go to www.twitter.com
To begin twitting just go to www.twitter.com
Tiffany: Performance Measure
During class we discussed measuring performance in the workplace. Questions that were asked were "What is performance measure?" and "How do we measure it?". Performance can be measured in a variety of ways including evaluations, tests, and outcome. Based on the results of your performance, many organizations will place you into a specific job. Good performance evaluations can result in promotion. Bad evaluations can result in firing or negative job evaluations. We also watched a short clip of the movie The Devil Wears Prada. The clip showed a woman who was trying very hard to impress her boss, but it seemed like her boss didn't like her and made her job very hard. Another character in the movie looked at the situation from a different perspective and felt like she should be privileged to work for such a great company no matter how hard it seemed. He pointed out that there were hundreds of young women who wished they had her position. She seemed to be quite shocked at his response and started to look at her position from a different perspective.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Tiffany: Globalization
One of the topics discussed was globalization. This can be a very controversial topic with people around the world. Many in the United States think of globalization as a positive way to spread business, culture, and ideas around the world, but others disagree. One of the clips we saw in class was of people rioting in masses to stop decisions being made to globalize. The common fears of globalization are that the culture of the home country will be lost. Often people can lash out violently when they feel as though they don't have a voice in their own country. After doing a little research on the topic, I've found that their is actually a "Anti-globalization movement". Some of the topics regarding the theory of anti-globalization can be found at the following link:http://www.newformulation.org/1antiglobalization.htm
Tiffany: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
During class we watched multiple videos featuring Stephen Covey during his seminars. He is a an author that is known for the bestselling novel titled "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" and "First Things First". I think that people gravitate towards the ideas in his books is because
" it ignores trends and pop psychology for proven principles of fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity."https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits.php
" it ignores trends and pop psychology for proven principles of fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity."https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits.php
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Gabriela: globalization [03/24/09 class]
today's class centered around globalization and the effects it holds on the economy. Many argue that globalization is good for the economy, other differ. A current example of this can be found on the posted link. http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7961106.stm
Albania : 7 Habits of HIghly Effective
I've read the book once and it been a great benefit to my personal life as well as my professional life. In class we completed a quiz to help us find the area in which we were the weakest, the habit in which I need most improvement is to "begin with the end in mind" and to "put first things first" instead of living in crisis mode and always putting out fires like I've been living but have made much improvement.
Well the book goes through three stages the first is dependence which is the paradigm we were born which is, relaying on others to take care of us, the second stage is independence which is the paradigm in which we can make our own decisions and take care of ourselves, and third is the interdependence stage which we are able to cooperate well with others to achieve common goals.
After taking the quiz the professor gave to us I noticied that stage that I need most important is the dependence stage, which caught me by surprise but when I really taught about it made alot of sense, so I will be reading this book again so I can fianlly master that stage.
Well the book goes through three stages the first is dependence which is the paradigm we were born which is, relaying on others to take care of us, the second stage is independence which is the paradigm in which we can make our own decisions and take care of ourselves, and third is the interdependence stage which we are able to cooperate well with others to achieve common goals.
After taking the quiz the professor gave to us I noticied that stage that I need most important is the dependence stage, which caught me by surprise but when I really taught about it made alot of sense, so I will be reading this book again so I can fianlly master that stage.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Gabriela: .com [03/10/09 class]
Today's class was mostly about the ".com phenomenon." The following link explains that concep and how it came about in detail.
www.redtiger.co.uk/dotcom.html
Monday, March 9, 2009
Norma Castaneda:7 Habits of highly effective people
The professor brought to our attention how the book “The seven habits of highly effective people” may be helpful for our business education. The book lists 7 main principles that are supposed to help a person achieve effectiveness. The 7 habits include: Be proactive, Begin with end in Mind, Put first things first, Think Win/Win, Seek first to understand, Synergize, and sharpen the saw. This book has been so successful that has sold over 15 million copies in 38 languages since first publications. Great successful people have read and keep encouraging people to take advantage of it.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Gabriela: Covey's 7 Habits [03/03/09 class]
Last class we watched a video that featured Stephen Covey, distinguished author of "7 Habits of highly Effective People." Professor Rocha even made us take a test to measure each student's effectiveness. I was curious to learn more about each habit and stumbled upon this website that gives a brief summary of each habit. If you want to learn more about Mr. Covey's seven important habits go visit this website: http://www.businessballs.com/sevenhabitsstevencovey.htm
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Tiffany: Social Entrepreneurship
During last class we watched a series of videos and had an in depth discussion on the topic of social entrepreneurship. It was my favorite class so far because it really made me think about my decision to pursue employment with a well known corporation. I started to think about possibly working for a company with a mission to better society. One of the main topics was an organization by the name of Ashoka. This organization has changed society all over the globe. Ashoka's main goal is to accelerate social change around the world by helping non-profits implement their objectives by giving them access and connections to make a difference.
Another thing that I learned is that social entrepreneurs are different from regular entrepreneurs. Social entrepreneurs seek to make a difference in society through their business. They are not as concentrated on making a profit. One example of such company's are "green businesses". Going green is a big trend now with businesses. It is such a big trend now that company's are using the term "green" to promote their business. It's a good idea to inspect and do a little research to check whether or not it's really green.
Another thing that I learned is that social entrepreneurs are different from regular entrepreneurs. Social entrepreneurs seek to make a difference in society through their business. They are not as concentrated on making a profit. One example of such company's are "green businesses". Going green is a big trend now with businesses. It is such a big trend now that company's are using the term "green" to promote their business. It's a good idea to inspect and do a little research to check whether or not it's really green.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Norma Castaneda: Companies are going "Green"
Buildings fundamentally impact people and the health of the planet. In the
Green design not only makes a positive impact on public health and the environment, it also reduces operating costs, enhances building and organizational marketability, potentially increases occupant productivity, and helps create a sustainable community.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Albania: Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Presidential Address to Congress:
The speech given by our 44th president Barack Obama was awesome it revived us as a society even though it looks as ugly as it does right now, he said it best when he said " we are not quitters." The speech focused on the economy and the assurance that " we will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before." The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which is law already will be focused on energy, healthcare reform and education. The plan will create 3.5 million jobs in the next two years, families who are struggling to pay for college will receive a tax credit for $2,500, and 95 percent of working housholds will receive a tax cut starting April 1. The president also mentioned that vice president Joe Biden will oversee the plan and he also let us know that each cabinet member, mayor, governor will be accountable by him and American people for any wasteful spending, and there is also a website recovery.gov where we can see exactly where and how the money is being spent.
The speech gave me an assurance that we are going to make it, and he also mentioned that for change to come we need to act proactively with him to make it happen, I'm ready!
" Yes We Can" "Yes We Can" "Yes We Can" "Yes We Can" " Yes We Can" "Yes We Can"
The speech given by our 44th president Barack Obama was awesome it revived us as a society even though it looks as ugly as it does right now, he said it best when he said " we are not quitters." The speech focused on the economy and the assurance that " we will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before." The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which is law already will be focused on energy, healthcare reform and education. The plan will create 3.5 million jobs in the next two years, families who are struggling to pay for college will receive a tax credit for $2,500, and 95 percent of working housholds will receive a tax cut starting April 1. The president also mentioned that vice president Joe Biden will oversee the plan and he also let us know that each cabinet member, mayor, governor will be accountable by him and American people for any wasteful spending, and there is also a website recovery.gov where we can see exactly where and how the money is being spent.
The speech gave me an assurance that we are going to make it, and he also mentioned that for change to come we need to act proactively with him to make it happen, I'm ready!
" Yes We Can" "Yes We Can" "Yes We Can" "Yes We Can" " Yes We Can" "Yes We Can"
Gabriela: SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP [02/24/09 class]
After discussing in detail social entrepreneurship during the last class i went online to find a site dedicated just to social entrepreneurship news and found one! For those who are interested the site is: http://social-entrepreneurship.alltop.com/ This site is a great tool for those who are planning to become social entrepreneurs. It gives out ideas, examples and tips. Everyone should really read this blog at least once a week. It is really inspiring. ENJOY :D
Albania: Tuesday, February 10, 2009
The Role of the Social Entrepreneur:
In this chapter, in the book " How to Change the World..", it discusses how over the past century, researchers have studied business entrepreneurs extensively. The social entrepreneur has recieved little attention in comparison to the business entrepreneur who we analyze every aspect from the orientation to action, to there personal values.
However we do acknowledge the abilities and strengths of social entrepreneur and have named them humanitarians or saints. The ability to shift people's perceptions and behaviors is by skillfully marketing the idea , and marketing the idea is the sling shot to creating change and to push it forward you need individuals who are obessed with seeing change and who year after year find research and will not quit until the job gets done even if they are alone at the beginning stages. The role of social entrepreneur is to be committed to making an impact and having the necessary motivation and energy to see it through.
In this chapter, in the book " How to Change the World..", it discusses how over the past century, researchers have studied business entrepreneurs extensively. The social entrepreneur has recieved little attention in comparison to the business entrepreneur who we analyze every aspect from the orientation to action, to there personal values.
However we do acknowledge the abilities and strengths of social entrepreneur and have named them humanitarians or saints. The ability to shift people's perceptions and behaviors is by skillfully marketing the idea , and marketing the idea is the sling shot to creating change and to push it forward you need individuals who are obessed with seeing change and who year after year find research and will not quit until the job gets done even if they are alone at the beginning stages. The role of social entrepreneur is to be committed to making an impact and having the necessary motivation and energy to see it through.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Tiffany: Does Corporate Social Responsibility Really Pay Off?
This article brings up a few really great points. Companies are using ideas like corporate social responsibility to gain a competitive edge in the market. When we think about organizations that aren't practicing social responsibility, are they actually punished because of it? If they are, then it us probably very weak or else we would hear more about it.
http://www.forbes.com/2008/10/16/csr-doesnt-pay-lead-corprespons08-cx_dv_1016vogel.html
"We increasingly hear that corporate social responsibility has become a business imperative. Newspapers, magazines and books glowingly describe the business benefits of behaving responsibly--and caution managers about the business risks of a poor CSR performance.
Executives are repeatedly informed that by demonstrating concern for the environment, human rights, community development and the welfare of their employees both in the U.S. and abroad, they will make their firms more profitable. Their firms will gain a competitive advantage by appealing to the growing numbers of socially and environmentally oriented consumers, investors and employees.
The belief that corporate responsibility "pays" is a seductive one: Who would not want to live in a world in which corporate virtue is rewarded and corporate irresponsibility punished? Unfortunately, the evidence for these rewards and punishment is rather weak. There is a "'market for virtue," but it is a very limited one. Nor is it growing.
One can certainly find examples of firms with superior CSR performance that have done well, as well as firms with poor CSR reputations that have performed poorly. But there are at least as many examples of firms with good CSR records that have not done well and firms with poor CSR reputations that rewarded their shareholders.
The good news is that firms with superior CSR performance have not performed any worse than their less virtuous competitors. But the disappointing news is that neither have they done any better. For most firms, most of the time, CSR is largely irrelevant to their financial performance."
http://www.forbes.com/2008/10/16/csr-doesnt-pay-lead-corprespons08-cx_dv_1016vogel.html
"We increasingly hear that corporate social responsibility has become a business imperative. Newspapers, magazines and books glowingly describe the business benefits of behaving responsibly--and caution managers about the business risks of a poor CSR performance.
Executives are repeatedly informed that by demonstrating concern for the environment, human rights, community development and the welfare of their employees both in the U.S. and abroad, they will make their firms more profitable. Their firms will gain a competitive advantage by appealing to the growing numbers of socially and environmentally oriented consumers, investors and employees.
The belief that corporate responsibility "pays" is a seductive one: Who would not want to live in a world in which corporate virtue is rewarded and corporate irresponsibility punished? Unfortunately, the evidence for these rewards and punishment is rather weak. There is a "'market for virtue," but it is a very limited one. Nor is it growing.
One can certainly find examples of firms with superior CSR performance that have done well, as well as firms with poor CSR reputations that have performed poorly. But there are at least as many examples of firms with good CSR records that have not done well and firms with poor CSR reputations that rewarded their shareholders.
The good news is that firms with superior CSR performance have not performed any worse than their less virtuous competitors. But the disappointing news is that neither have they done any better. For most firms, most of the time, CSR is largely irrelevant to their financial performance."
Monday, February 16, 2009
Gabriela: Something to Think About [02/10/09 class]
something to think about....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7850945.stm
Monday, February 9, 2009
Norma Castaneda: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
In the business and society class we talked about charity. Organizations often help society in different ways and for different reasons. Some small organizations may do it for publicity, because they want the company to be known as a charitable organization. Owners of huge organizations such as Bill Gates are also well known for charity. Bill Gates and his wife have the “Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation” which enhances health care and reduces poverty and in America to expand educational opportunities and access to information technology. To know more about the “Bill and Melinda Gates foundation” you may visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_and_Melinda_Gates_Foundation
Tiffany:2009 Annual Letter from Bill Gates: The Economic Crisis
In class we talked about different Foundations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has taken on a huge corporate responsibility. They taked on different issues around the world and provide resources that people need to make a difference on a large scale. Bill Gates has a annual letter that addresses many concerns that the foundation will target for the year. Below is an excerpt from the 2009 Annual Letter addressing the Economic Crisis.
"Although it will be difficult to keep aid-related issues on the front page during this crisis, we need to meet the challenge by making sure the success stories are told and making sure that inequity that is out of sight is not out of mind. Only with broad public awareness and voter interest will we keep aid on the positive track it needs to stay on.
I am impressed by individuals who continue to give generously even in these difficult times. I believe that the wealthy have a responsibility to invest in addressing inequity. This is especially true when the constraints on others are so great. Otherwise, we will come out of the economic downturn in a world that is even more unequal, with greater inequities in health and education, and fewer opportunities for people to improve their lives. There is no reason to accept that, when we know how to make huge gains over the long term."
"Although it will be difficult to keep aid-related issues on the front page during this crisis, we need to meet the challenge by making sure the success stories are told and making sure that inequity that is out of sight is not out of mind. Only with broad public awareness and voter interest will we keep aid on the positive track it needs to stay on.
I am impressed by individuals who continue to give generously even in these difficult times. I believe that the wealthy have a responsibility to invest in addressing inequity. This is especially true when the constraints on others are so great. Otherwise, we will come out of the economic downturn in a world that is even more unequal, with greater inequities in health and education, and fewer opportunities for people to improve their lives. There is no reason to accept that, when we know how to make huge gains over the long term."
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Albania: How to Change the World
The book " How to Change the World, social entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas" by David Bornstein has provided me with a number of insightful lessons, in the beginning of the first chapter it defines and describes the characteristics of a social entrepreneur, which could be a parent, doctor, lawyer, or teacher. A social entrepreneur is an individual who addresses a major problem on a large scale and is relentless in the effort to find a solution, they have powerful ideas which shift behavior patterns and perceptions.
It alo discusses the increase of this field of social entrepreneurship and of non governmental organizations or how the term is favored in the book, the increase of the citizen sector, the citizen sector and NGO's help to foster social entrepreneurship. For instance, in the United States, between 1989 and 1998, the # of public service groups jumped from 464,000 to 734,000 a 60 percent increase.
The reason for this emergence of the citizen sector is that people now a days are becoming aware that change is urgently needed, due to techonological advances people are educating themselves about what is going on in the world, like human rights abuses, tremendous poverty, and the failing education system, and people are taking matters into there own hands and taking action.
It alo discusses the increase of this field of social entrepreneurship and of non governmental organizations or how the term is favored in the book, the increase of the citizen sector, the citizen sector and NGO's help to foster social entrepreneurship. For instance, in the United States, between 1989 and 1998, the # of public service groups jumped from 464,000 to 734,000 a 60 percent increase.
The reason for this emergence of the citizen sector is that people now a days are becoming aware that change is urgently needed, due to techonological advances people are educating themselves about what is going on in the world, like human rights abuses, tremendous poverty, and the failing education system, and people are taking matters into there own hands and taking action.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Gabriela: Social Entrepreneurship [02/03/09 class]
During the february third class the main topic of conversation was social entrepreneurship. A great example of this would be the Gates Foundation, founded by Bill Gates and his wife Melinda. Their mission statement reads as follows, " Our life that every life has equal value is at the core of our work at the foundation. We follow 15 guiding principles, which help define our approach to our philanthropic work, and employ an outstanding leadership team to direct our strategies and grantmaking."
The Guiding Principles are the following:
1. This is a family foundation driven by the interests and passions of the Gates family
2. Philanthropy plays an important but limited role
3. Science and technology have great potential to improve lives around the world
4. We are funders and shapers-we rely on other to act and implement
5. Our focus is clear-and limited-and prioritizes some of the most neglected issues
6. We identify a specific point of intervention and apply our efforts against a theory of change
7. We take risks, make big bets, and move with urgency. We are in it for the long haul
8. We advocate-vigorously but responsibly-in our areas of focus
9. We must be humble and mindful in our actions and words. We seek and heed the counsel of outside voices
10. We treat our grantees as valued partners, and we treat the ultimate beneficiaries of our work with respect
11. Delivering results with the resources we have been given is of the utmost importance-and we seek and share information about those results
12. We demand ethical behavior of ourselves
13. We treat each other as valued colleagues
14. Meeting our mission-to increase opportunity and equity for those most in need-requires great stewardship of the money we have available
15. We leave room for growth and change
These principles give shape to this organization. To learn more about the Gates Foundation visit the following link:
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Pages/home.aspx
Monday, February 2, 2009
Gabriela: The Economy [01/27/09 class]
Last class was spent mostly talking about what is going to go on in the class, regarding the syllabus, chapter 1 & 3, and the projects that are to come. Because no major topic was discussed i have chosen to talk about the Economy, specifically on President Obama's new predictions. President Obama warns that " more US banks are likely to fail, as the full extent on their economic losses in the economic crisis become clear." He goes on to say that, " We can expect that we're going to have to do more to shore up the financial system." I invite you to read the BBC link i will post to continue reading in detail what President Obama expects to do himself to better the US economy.
http://new.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7865165.stm
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Tiffany: Inaugural Speech
When listening to President Obama's Inaugural Speech I was deeply moved like most were, but there were parts of the speech that stood out to me more than others. The fact that he aknowledged and reminded Americans of the past and how far we have come along, was a very important part of his speech. Many times we complain about the things that we are still struggling with as a nation, but never celebrate on how far we have come. If we would even just take the time to compare ourselves to other nations and measure the amount of progression America has made, we would be astounded. From the work of our forefathers, African-American slaves, and immigrants from all over the world, the United States has grown to be the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world. Of course we have things that need to worked on, as with any country, but look at how far we have come in comparison to other country's; in such a short amount of time. Below I have extracted a portion of the speech that moved me greatly. Please take the time to read and reflect on it.
"In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the fainthearted -- for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again, these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction."
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/20/obama.politics/index.html
"In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the fainthearted -- for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again, these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction."
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/20/obama.politics/index.html
Monday, January 26, 2009
Albania: 1/20/09 Inauguration of Barack Obama
The inauguration of our 44th president Barack Obama was unbelieveable, and an indescribable moment because America had elected the first African American president ever. A job that just the other day it was a position only held by white American men, now its like that wall came tumbling down like the Berlin Wall. After hearing and reading the inauguaration speech I got the sense that he was ready for the challenge but that we as a society have the responsibility to work proactively with him and the administration to get things done. Personally, I have never felt so empowered, like I can make a difference in my community, in my state, and in my country I'm definitely ready to act. At church , at school, and work you get a sense from people that " Yes we can", its an overwhelming feeling in my spirit.
Gabriela: American's New President [01/20/09 class]
During this week's class the most popular subject was the Presidential Inauguration of the 44th President of the United States of America, Barack H. Obama. Seeing how this class revolves around the impact that society has on businesses I began to search the web for the new Presidents goals. The most interesting of all of his goals is to reduce oil dependance. Other goals include: review of decisions to block states from setting own emission targets, orders the transportations department to come up with new short-term rules on how carmakers can improve fuel efficiency, federal buildings to become more efficient, double 'green' energy from wind, sun and biofuels over the next three years (according to bbc.com) This will greatly affect the oil industry business and the power the have over many nations and will change the auto industry entirely. I hope all of this takes place because the environment has been suffering for many years. For more on the link please go to http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7851038.stm
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Norma Castaneda: Opinion on Obama's speech
Obama’s speech was overwhelming. What I most liked about his speech is that he always referred to America as “us”. He did not single out anybody but pleaded for unity. I believe that he sees America with a different view; he believes that if we all work together we would make this a better place. He also encouraged us that we need to work hard meaning less leisure and more work. We need to sacrifice a bit in order to get up all over again and have the stable and strong America we were. Another important point that the President made was that America is going to get out of this situation not because of the government but because of the people. I think this speech will be considered as one of the best ever.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Helicopter Parents
One of the topics mentioned during my MAN4701 class was "Helicopter Parents". Our professor advised us to read some articles to become more informed on the topic. Helicopter parents is a term used to define parents that are over-involved in their children's lives. Many times these parents don't allow their children to fail and learn on their own. The article that is linked is titled Hovering parents need to step back at college time. This article addresses issues that can arise from these over protective parents. Such protectiveness can hinder development of problem- solving skills and confidence. http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/family/02/04/hm.helicopter.parents/index.html
Albania: January 13, 2009
Last class one of our many topics that we spoke about was technology and how it is not only affecting our society today but how much of an impact it will bring to our communities in the future. I read this article today and it was to my surprise how everything sooner or later will be through the internet even a farmers market as stated in the article I have posted from the new york times. The purpose of this organization is to provide an outlet to advertise artisan food producers and growers there products. Foodzie which is the name of the company will display the sellers products for free but will take 20 percent of the price cut from each sale. This will be a great opportunity for farmers sell there products to a broader market which is amazing to me.
January 16, 2009, 10:55 am — Updated: 9:41 pm -->
An Online Farmers Market
By Claire Cain Miller
The local food movement has been all about buying seasonal food from nearby farmers. Now, thanks to the Web, it is expanding to include far-away farmers too.
A new start-up, Foodzie, is an online farmers market where small, artisan food producers and growers can sell their products. Foodies in Florida, say, can order raw, handcrafted pepperjack cheese from Traver, Calif., or organic, fair-trade coffee truffles from Boulder, Colo.
“You get a similar experience to a farmers market, when you get the opportunity to meet farmers, but it is much more scalable and you get a better selection,” said Rob LaFave, a Foodzie co-founder. “Ninety-seven percent of the country does not have this kind of access to artisan foodmakers.”
Foodzie was started by Mr. LaFave and two of his friends, who met during college at Virginia Tech, where they would frequent farmers markets. Last year, while living in North Carolina, one of them, Emily Olson, now 24, came up with the idea. She was working as a brand manager for a gourmet grocery chain and realized that other foodies who did not work in the business had no way to discover artisan foods outside their local farmers markets. Small farmers had no way of finding or selling to far-flung customers, either.
Mr. LaFave and the third co-founder, Nik Bauman, both 25, worked in corporate sales and software development. “With business, food and computer science backgrounds, we figured we had everything we needed,” Mr. LaFave said.
The three quit their jobs, packed up and moved to Boulder, where they joined TechStars, an incubator program for tech start-ups. They opened the site to the public in December and moved to San Francisco in January.
Foodzie is a gourmet version of Etsy, the online marketplace for handmade goods that has been hugely successful, selling $12.9 million worth of products in December. Like Etsy, sellers set up virtual storefronts on the site to post their wares and tell shoppers about themselves. On Foodzie, sellers can post their goods for free and Foodzie takes a 20 percent cut of each sale.
While a 20 percent cut is high for an e-commerce site (Etsy sellers pay 20 cents to list each item and the site takes a 3.5 percent cut), it is low in the food business, Mr. LaFave said. Food retailers typically take 50 percent of the sale price and distributors take another 10 percent.
Unlike Etsy, where buyers and sellers do the entire interaction independently, Foodzie serves as a middleman. It takes the purchase information from the buyer, processes the payment and e-mails the seller a prepaid shipping label.
One seller, Seth Ellis Chocolatier in Boulder, wanted to reach customers in other states, yet could not take on the challenges of building and operating an e-commerce site and marketing the site to national customers, Ms. Olson said. “We can give them new customers who would have never known about them.”
Foodzie is adding video and other social networking features to help shoppers get to know sellers, as they do at offline farmers markets. “There’s not a great place to talk about the food and artisans they’re buying from,” Mr. LaFave said. “It’s really important to connect these people, make it easier for people to learn the story behind the food and where it comes from.”
Foodzie raised $1 million in funding in December from angel investors, led by First Round Capital and SoftTech VC, and it is considering raising a follow-on round. Though some investors who had expressed interest in the site pulled out when the economy soured, most were impressed that Foodzie, unlike many Web businesses, had a revenue model from day one, Mr. LaFave said.
Foodzie was an attractive investment, said Jeff Clavier, managing partner at SoftTech VC, because unlike many Web 2.0 social sites, “Foodzie makes money every day as people buy products. We have learned a lot from Web 2.0 about adding the involvement of users. Services built using that technology, but focusing on generating revenue by serving a certain marketplace, will be compelling in this environment.”
The site has only been live since December, and it has had 43,000 visitors in the past month. So far, 29 sellers have opened shops and 41 are in the process of opening them. The founders recently hired a fourth employee to help Ms. Olson recruit new food producers at farmers markets and food shows. The founders will not disclose the volume of sales that have been made through the site.
Mr. LaFave is convinced that the recession will not diminish people’s interest in buying locally grown and handmade food. “There is a misconception that all these foods are more expensive than mass-produced alternatives,” he said. “People are pouring their heart and soul into these products, using the highest quality, heirloom ingredients. Buyers are really supporting the local economy and small, independent food makers and growers.”
January 16, 2009, 10:55 am — Updated: 9:41 pm -->
An Online Farmers Market
By Claire Cain Miller
The local food movement has been all about buying seasonal food from nearby farmers. Now, thanks to the Web, it is expanding to include far-away farmers too.
A new start-up, Foodzie, is an online farmers market where small, artisan food producers and growers can sell their products. Foodies in Florida, say, can order raw, handcrafted pepperjack cheese from Traver, Calif., or organic, fair-trade coffee truffles from Boulder, Colo.
“You get a similar experience to a farmers market, when you get the opportunity to meet farmers, but it is much more scalable and you get a better selection,” said Rob LaFave, a Foodzie co-founder. “Ninety-seven percent of the country does not have this kind of access to artisan foodmakers.”
Foodzie was started by Mr. LaFave and two of his friends, who met during college at Virginia Tech, where they would frequent farmers markets. Last year, while living in North Carolina, one of them, Emily Olson, now 24, came up with the idea. She was working as a brand manager for a gourmet grocery chain and realized that other foodies who did not work in the business had no way to discover artisan foods outside their local farmers markets. Small farmers had no way of finding or selling to far-flung customers, either.
Mr. LaFave and the third co-founder, Nik Bauman, both 25, worked in corporate sales and software development. “With business, food and computer science backgrounds, we figured we had everything we needed,” Mr. LaFave said.
The three quit their jobs, packed up and moved to Boulder, where they joined TechStars, an incubator program for tech start-ups. They opened the site to the public in December and moved to San Francisco in January.
Foodzie is a gourmet version of Etsy, the online marketplace for handmade goods that has been hugely successful, selling $12.9 million worth of products in December. Like Etsy, sellers set up virtual storefronts on the site to post their wares and tell shoppers about themselves. On Foodzie, sellers can post their goods for free and Foodzie takes a 20 percent cut of each sale.
While a 20 percent cut is high for an e-commerce site (Etsy sellers pay 20 cents to list each item and the site takes a 3.5 percent cut), it is low in the food business, Mr. LaFave said. Food retailers typically take 50 percent of the sale price and distributors take another 10 percent.
Unlike Etsy, where buyers and sellers do the entire interaction independently, Foodzie serves as a middleman. It takes the purchase information from the buyer, processes the payment and e-mails the seller a prepaid shipping label.
One seller, Seth Ellis Chocolatier in Boulder, wanted to reach customers in other states, yet could not take on the challenges of building and operating an e-commerce site and marketing the site to national customers, Ms. Olson said. “We can give them new customers who would have never known about them.”
Foodzie is adding video and other social networking features to help shoppers get to know sellers, as they do at offline farmers markets. “There’s not a great place to talk about the food and artisans they’re buying from,” Mr. LaFave said. “It’s really important to connect these people, make it easier for people to learn the story behind the food and where it comes from.”
Foodzie raised $1 million in funding in December from angel investors, led by First Round Capital and SoftTech VC, and it is considering raising a follow-on round. Though some investors who had expressed interest in the site pulled out when the economy soured, most were impressed that Foodzie, unlike many Web businesses, had a revenue model from day one, Mr. LaFave said.
Foodzie was an attractive investment, said Jeff Clavier, managing partner at SoftTech VC, because unlike many Web 2.0 social sites, “Foodzie makes money every day as people buy products. We have learned a lot from Web 2.0 about adding the involvement of users. Services built using that technology, but focusing on generating revenue by serving a certain marketplace, will be compelling in this environment.”
The site has only been live since December, and it has had 43,000 visitors in the past month. So far, 29 sellers have opened shops and 41 are in the process of opening them. The founders recently hired a fourth employee to help Ms. Olson recruit new food producers at farmers markets and food shows. The founders will not disclose the volume of sales that have been made through the site.
Mr. LaFave is convinced that the recession will not diminish people’s interest in buying locally grown and handmade food. “There is a misconception that all these foods are more expensive than mass-produced alternatives,” he said. “People are pouring their heart and soul into these products, using the highest quality, heirloom ingredients. Buyers are really supporting the local economy and small, independent food makers and growers.”
Gabriela: Relating Technology to Business in Society [01/13/09 class]
During the first meeting of the MAN4701 class we discussed the importance of technology and education for Business in Society. Without education and technology there will be no future. Here in this BBC January 15th news link we find out that an education technology trade show took place in London. Its good to know that plans are being made to provide children from "low income families a free computer and broadband access." It goes on to state that the purpose of the trade show was to "give those who work in education a taste of what the classroom of the future will look like." Some of the innovations that stood out where the: virtual school in second life, intel classmate laptop, microsoft surface, face recognition, rapman, and engaging places. I have provided the link to the article, inviting all of our readers to learn more about the subject.
http://new.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7831827.stm
Sunday, January 18, 2009
The role of Business in tomorrow's society
The role of business in today's society has changed throughout the years. It is important on helping develop countries fight scarcity, poverty, and the effects of climate. Therefore, students should come out of college well prepared in areas such as computers, and technology (which is developing more and more). This website will help you understand the role of business in today's society.
http://www.wbcsd.org/DocRoot/PFbJgZTDrnMXtaVa3u4K/BADialogue.pdf
http://www.wbcsd.org/DocRoot/PFbJgZTDrnMXtaVa3u4K/BADialogue.pdf
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