Week Eight Reflection

In the eighth week, my class went over Corporate Social Responsibility–or CSR. I've studied Nadia Reckmann's article titled "What Is Corporate Social Responsibility?", watched a video on Business Case for Sustainability, viewed another video on Triple Bottom Line and Sustainability: The Science of Good Business, read an article on Driving Corporate Growth Through Social Impact, read The Broken "Buy-One, Give-One" Model: Three Ways To Save Toms Shoes, What are B Corps?, Why B Corps Matter, The B Corp Declaration, and of course, a TED Talk given by Paul Tudor Jones II titled Why We Need to Rethink Capitalism. There are a few key takeaways for this week. First of all, CSR encourages companies to improve their communities, the economy, or the environment. There are five ways they could do this and that is by promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace, treating employees with respect, giving back to the community, ensuring business decisions are ethical, and by being environmentally friendly and eco-conscious. There are four kinds of efforts in upholding CSR and that is by doing environmental initiatives, charity work, ethical labor practices, and volunteer projects. Some things to avoid with a CSR model are to not choose unrelated initiatives, don't use CSR as a marketing scheme, and don't wait for the industry to catch up. Lastly, CSR is for all businesses.

What I found rather eye opening and surprising from this week's studies is the impact Toms Shoes has made in third world countries. I thought giving away free shoes to villages and small towns would make things better. According to an article written by Cheryl Davenport titled, "The Broken 'Buy-One, Give-One' Model: Three Ways to Save Toms Shoes" the charitable company has done more harm than good to the communities in other countries. In fact, Cheryl has stated Toms wasn't really created to help bring people out of poverty. Instead, it was just another feel-good company western consumers participate in. Cheryl suggested Toms Shoes should better understand the problem, create a solution and not just a band-aid, and lastly, Toms Shoes should innovate business models, not marketing campaigns. I agree with Cheryl on the fact that Toms Shoes should source shoes from developing countries, small businesses and burgeoning entrepreneurs. I also agree on the fact Toms Shoes should not only give the gift of shoes, but to also help provide improved infrastructures and health facilities to reduce the risk of hook worms and other diseases.

Photo taken from Google Images

I think the reason why CSR has become more popular in recent years because society, as a whole, has become more environmentally-conscious. There are also more people standing up for their rights to a safer, cleaner work environment. CSR helps ensure companies fall in line with the new protocols and regulations to be more fair to everyone and provide a positive impact in the local communities. Being more environmentally-conscious and making workspaces a better, safer area for employees can save businesses money in the long run when done right.

Week Seven Reflection

In week seven, the subject was New Business Model and Lean Start-Up. I had the opportunity to read about The Lean Start-Up Methodology, Why The Lean Start-Up Changes Everything written by Steve Blank, A Better Way to Think About Your Business Model by Alexander Osterwalder, review A Better Way to Think About Your Business Model, and a TED Talk on Five Keys to Success for Social Entrepreneurs given by Llusi Pareras. One of the key takeaways I have gotten from this week's study is lean is about putting a process, a methodology around the development of a product.  There are five principles to remember such as entrepreneurs are everywhere, entrepreneurship is management, validated learning, innovation accounting, and build-measure-learn. There are five keys to success for social entrepreneur. The keys are they look at both the social impact and money at the same time, they are paranoid, they shout their existence to the world, they hate, and they know the real value of an idea. 

The thing that intrigued me most from this week's studies was the business model canvas. Sure, it confused me at first. In fact, it was a little overwhelming trying to take in all the details at once. But after I have taken a closer look and really deciphered each space, things began to click. There is this rectangle and it is filled with nine smaller rectangles and each one has a topic. These topics are Key Partners, Key Activities, Value Propositions, Customer Relationships, Customer Segments, Key Resources, Channels, Cost Structure, and Revenue Streams. Key Partners has us consider who are our key partners, who are our key suppliers, which key resources are we acquiring from our partners, and which key activities do partners perform? Key activities has us ask what key activities do our value propositions require, what are our distribution channels, customer relationships, and revenue streams? Value Propositions has us consider what value do we deliver to the customer, which one of our customers' problems are we helping to solve, what bundles of products and services are we offering to each segment, which customer needs are we satisfying, and what is minimum viable product? Customer Relationships has us consider how do we get, keep, and grow customers, which customer relationships have we established, how are they integrated with the rest of our business model, and how costly are they? Customer Segments has us ask for whom are we creating value, who are our most important customers, and what are the customer archetypes? Key Resources has us consider what key resources do our value propositions require, our distribution channels, customer relationships, and revenue streams? Channels has us consider through which channels do our customer segments want to be reached, how do other companies reach them now, which ones work best, which ones are most cost-efficient, and how are we integrating them with customer routines? Cost structure has us ask what are the most important costs inherent to our business model, which key resources are most expensive, and which key activities are most expensive? Revenue streams has us consider for what value are our customers really willing to pay, for what do they currently pay, what is the revenue model, and what are the pricing tactics?

Sharpening my business skills can help me help others by allowing me to understand the financial side of things. Nothing is for free in this world, ever. Even if I may not have to pay for it, I still have to consider someone else must have paid for it and I should use the resources wisely and with gratitude. The skills I consider most important would have to be patience, staying organized, fulfill tasks in a timely manner, and a charismatic personality.

Week Six Reflection

In week six, I pondered over Revenue Generation. The videos and articles I studied were a Ted Talk by Michael Porter titled, "Why Business can be Good at Solving Social Problems," Financial Model Section and Galvanizing Resources created by the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation, "Social Entrepreneurs Don't Have It Easy Raising Capital" written by Genny Ghanimeh, and "Capital Sources for Social Enterprises" written by Drew Tulchin and Sunny Yi-Han Lin. One key point from the studies is shared value comes from combining social value and economic value together. Another thing to bear in mind are some popular funding sources for a social venture are donations, grants, special events such as annual fundraisers, races, and charity events, selling a product or service, endowments, Patient Capital coming from capitalists who are willing to donate and wait until the organization can return the investment capital and they do not expect high levels or rates of return on the investment capital, and lastly, unconventional funding sources such as using other people's resources or running the organization from home. Some regular start-up ventures are typically investments, banking, equity debt, convertible debt, and crowdfunding.

During my studies this week, I thought what Michael Porter had to say in his Ted Talk was very inspiring and profound. In particular, the moment when he said reducing pollution and emissions actually generates profit rather than wastes money really spoke to me. Most businesses assume it's too expensive to create a safer work environment and making sure the company creates less of a negative impact upon nature will require even more money. However, in the long run, it does the exact opposite. There are less sick days and less worker's compensation to pay for when employees are able to function in a safer, cleaner workplace. He did the calculations after starting up four different nonprofits. He stated "business does not profit from causing social problems." Instead, "business profits from solving social problems."

I do not think money can really buy happiness. It can provide shelter, safety, food, and everything else necessary to live comfortably in this life, but it cannot buy true happiness. The richest man in the world can still be sad. I know of people who attempt to buy their friends and they are still sad because deep down, they know as soon as the money is gone, each "friend" who showed up just for the financial benefits would disappear. However, I do think money can help change the world. Money can finance a project and help people obtain the much-needed supplies and manpower to make things happen. After all, not many people will work for free for long periods of time.

Week Five Reflection

In week five, the class went over Solution and Impact Evaluation. The week's reading and videos consisted of a video about Measuring Your Social Impact: Theory of Change, Getting Results: Outputs, Outcomes, and Impact, Measuring and Improving Social Impacts: A Guide for Nonprofits, Companies, and Impact Investors, Starfish Hurling and Community Service, the Eight-Word Mission Statement, and Kevin Starr: Lasting Impact. One of the key points is outputs are activities done by the nonprofit such as meals served by a soup kitchen, outcomes are observed effects of the outputs on the beneficiaries of the nonprofit such as the degree to which the meals served by the soup kitchen reduce hunger in the population, and impact is the degree to which the outcomes observed by a nonprofit are attributable to its activities such as the impact of the soup kitchen is the degree to which a reduction of hunger in the population they serve is attributable to its efforts. While a soup kitchen might serve a lot of meals and correctly observe that hunger is subsequently less prevalent in the population it serves, the reduction in hunger might simply be attributable to an improving economy, or a new school lunch program or some other activities that are not part of the soup kitchen’s efforts. The eight-word mission statement should have very concrete results and it's about the what, not the how. Kevin Starr says the Mission Statement must have a verb, a target, and an outcome. For example: for an island conservation, the verb is save, the target is island species, and the outcome is from extinction. Put them all together and you have "Save the island species from extinction." Four questions one should ask themselves before starting a project are is it needed? Is it really needed, does the thing work like it's supposed to, will it get to those who need it and a lot of them, and will they use it right when they get it?

During my studies, I was inspired by an excerpt written by Marc J. Epstein and Kristi Yuthas titled, "Measuring and Improving Social Impacts: A Guide for Nonprofits, Companies, and Impact Investors." In this excerpt, there is a five-step process in creating and measuring social impact. These steps are what will you invest, what problems will you address, what steps will you take, how will you measure success, and how can you increase impact? The excerpt went on to describe the donor resources which are human, material, and financial. Lastly, the excerpt described the four stages of impact measurement road map which are prepare the measurement foundation, consider how you will use the results, identify key impacts and metrics, and develop your measurement system. These steps, resources, and stages were stated so simply, it helped me see that it is possible to get out there and do my part in helping the community get to a better standing. 

Keith Morton's article titled, "Starfish Hurling and Community Service" had me rethink the entire meaning and purpose of the starfish story. I think the first time I heard about the starfish story was maybe either in high school or the start of my college career. It initially had me compare people to starfish and even if I could only help one person then that was all that really mattered, However, after reading Morton's take on the story, I have realized perhaps the story really was nothing more than just people throwing starfish back into the ocean. The true purpose of the tale is the fact the story is apolitical, it is just about helping starfish, not people. Starfish are passive and have no voice. It avoids the possible complexity of ecology. The story suggests we should work from an emotional response rather than with our heads. Lastly, the story privileges random, individual acts of kindness. Based on what I have learned from Morton's insight on the story, I should talk to people who may have an issue in the community, listen to their problem, build relationships within the community, know myself and my environment, and work with others where they and the situation itself can teach me how to act with more knowledge and effectiveness.

Individual throwing starfish. Art found through Google Images.

Week Four Reflection

In week four, my class went over Design Thinking. I was given the opportunity to ponder over articles and videos that explained the importance of design thinking in the social innovative world. The Fast Company Staff wrote an article titled, "Design Thinking... what is that?" There is a video titled, "What is Human-Centered Design?" Martin Kirk, Jason Hickel, and Joe Brewer wrote an article titled, "Using Design Thinking to Eradicate Poverty Creation." I also read a few pages from D. School's book titled, "Bootcamp Bootleg." Lastly, I watched a Ted Talk by David Kelley titled, "How to Build Your Creative Confidence." Some key points I have gotten out of this week's reading and videos were  Herbert Simons' seven steps, a three step process, design flaws, and the empathize mode. Simon's seven steps of Design Thinking consist of define, research, ideate, prototype, choose, implement, and learn. The three step process of Design Thinking consists of see, shape, and build. Some design flaws consists of how the development industry defines the problem itself, a built-in blindness to power dynamics, and metaphors matter. The empathize mode consists of observe, engage, and immerse. 

What really got me excited this week was learning about Doug Dietz and his work on helping children overcome their phobia of MRI machines. I was born with multiple health issues, so I am familiar with the hospital setting. As a child, a lot of things in the hospital used to terrify me ranging from the operating room itself right down to the needles for a basic blood draw. I was even afraid of the x-ray machine. Fortunately, I did not encounter an MRI machine until I was much older and no longer had a fear of scanning machines. What Doug has done is transform MRI machines into a pirate ship and made the procedure into an adventure for children to enjoy and not as many children needed to be sedated anymore. Doug's story made me wish his line of thinking existed about thirty years ago. It would have been nice to enter an operating room painted like a tropical island and the operating table was like a boat. I would have gladly gone aboard on that kind of table instead of fighting and screaming to the point where I had to be sedated with a sharp sting from a needle to the leg then knocked out with anesthesia through a gas mask.

New York Children's Hospital CT Scanner

Design Thinking is an important skill in social innovation because it can help the innovator really empathize with the community and their current issue at hand. In fact, the first step from the Bootcamp Bootleg reading is empathize, followed by define, ideate, prototype, then finally test. Design Thinking helps an individual be aware of the fact they are working with live, actual fellow human beings and it is imperative to focus on solutions which can address their specific needs. Doug is a great example of a social innovator. He was initially proud of just getting children through the MRI machine and locate the problem at hand, but then he really paid attention to how the children behaved with the machine. He empathized with the children and did something about it.

Week Three Reflection

By the third week, my class dove into the subject of Root Cause Analysis. At the start of this semester, my teacher has asked us which topic we were most interested in for this semester and this was the subject I've mentioned. I think it is crucial to always get down to the root of the problem and resolve it for good instead of just providing a temporary fix by sticking a band-aid on the surface. For this week, we studied cause and effect, getting to the root of the problem, how to use the fishbone diagram for root cause analysis, the Mind Control Team's Five Whys, and how a U.S. team rescues child slaves. The Ishikawa Diagram or Fishbone Diagram should start out with an agreement on the problem statement. This statement is placed at the mouth of the "fish" and it should be as clear and specific as possible. The problem shouldn't include a solution such as "we need more of something." Next, there should be an agreement on the major categories of the problem. These categories should be written as branches from the main arrow. These categories could be equipment or supply factors, environmental factors, policy factors, and people factors. The next step is to brainstorm all the possible causes of the problem by asking, "why does this happen?" As the ideas come up, they are added to the fishbone as causal factors under the designated branches labeled with the appropriate categories. These causal factors can be placed under multiple categories if necessary. Continue to ask, "Why?" and create sub-causes branching off the cause branches. This will help create deeper levels of causes and help reach the root cause to help prevent future issues. The Mind Control Team's Five Whys is a fairly easy concept and can be used for simple or moderately difficult problems. The way it is done is by assembling a team with a facilitator to help keep people on tract on finding the root of the problem. Next, the team discusses the problem. Then the facilitator asks why. After the first response, the facilitator asks why four more times–all while sequentially working towards the bottom of the main issue at hand with solid facts instead of speculating. A U.S. team rescued child slaves by having Tim Ballard lead a small group of people in Colombia and set up a fake prostitute ring by disguising it as a bachelor's party to extract the children before the criminals could get to them. Tim Ballard has created Operation Underground Railroad and rescues children from slavery on a regular basis.

Below are examples and templates of what I have previously discussed regarding the Fishbone Diagram and the Five Why's so an individual is able to get a better picture of what I have described.

The Ishikawa Diagram or Fishbone Diagram

The Five Whys Template

This week I have also learned about the non-profit organization called the Southwest Creations Collaborative–or SCC. I learned about the SCC from an article titled Good Business Creates Good Business: Southwest Creations Collaborative (A) written by Jeanne M. Logsdon, University of New Mexico and Jonathan N. Bundy, University of Georgia. This sparked some interest in me. It was fascinating to see a woman by the name of Susan Matteucci wanted to create a better society by uplifting women in poverty so they can become productive members of the community. She helped the woman utilize the skills they already had to earn some money. The particular skills she focused on was sewing because most women in poverty already knew how to sew their own clothes. If a woman did not know how to sew, it was simple enough for a woman to learn quickly. 

Week three was the week I had to come up with a social issue to stick with for the rest of the semester. The social issue I have chosen to work on was children getting an early childhood education in Orange County, California. The thing I'm looking forward to the most will be to learn how much the established organizations have already done for the children so far. I want to research and see how the funds are acquired, which policies have been created to ensure children can obtain an early childhood education, and how they reach out to the parents and guardians so children have a better chance at succeeding in the early childhood education program.

Week Two Reflection

In week two, the class focused on becoming the change we wish to see. I thought it was a very enlightening subject. I read through various articles and contemplated their meanings. Jeffery A. Thompson wrote an article about "What Is Your Calling In Life?",  HELP International made an incredible short video I would like to encourage others to check out sometime, and I even read an article about how not everyone should be a social entrepreneur and that is just fine. It helped reassure me that even if I can't do what a social entrepreneur can do, I can still contribute in other ways such as through volunteer work.

I spent a great deal of time reading Chapter Three from How to Change the World Second Edition. There is this incredible story about a man named Fábio Rosa who helped improve the rural lands of Brazil in the 1980's and 1990's through some of his version of social entrepreneurship. He improved the farmlands through cheaper and more efficient means. This chapter gave me hope and inspiration in the fact we can achieve anything through baby steps. This chapter also taught me when there is a will, there is always a way. One just has to be determined to find those alternative ways.

Now, back to Jeffery Thompson's article, he discussed five different Heresy's. These five are if you're lucky, the one true calling, bliss awaits, the praise of the world, and work gives life meaning. First of all, luck has little to nothing to do with our calling in life. If you want something done, you have to at least put a little bit of effort into it. There is no such thing as just one true calling. A person may have various callings throughout their life. An individual could start out as a volleyball champion in high school, a line cook for the Navy, and a friendly neighborhood mechanic well into retirement. A person doesn't have to work towards bliss, they could have bliss now if they truly desire it. One could find joy in the calling they wish to be a part of. To participate in a calling, one doesn't have to be the praise of the world. Most callings end up being a humble responsibility and that is just fine. Work could give life meaning, but there is so much more to life than just work itself. There is also family, friends, and so many other joys found in this world. Thompson's article can easily be tied into the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the fact that everyone has a purpose here on Earth. We all have callings. When we need help with something, the Lord will assist us as long as we put a little bit of effort in as well. Social innovation can be tied into the gospel and Thompson's article in the fact that social innovation requires some effort on our part, some people are called to come up with ways to improve society in some way, shape, or form, and Jesus Christ can inspire people to do the work of the Lord.