Me and a homie are using Steemit as an example of an innovative product/platform for a business school class project; the plan is to demo Steemit live for the class for our final presentation. For the purpose of creating a post, I have compiled a random collection of writings we turned in during our time as MBA students.
("Panhandler Sign" 2016)
Excerpts from case write-ups, projects and footnotes (2016-2018)
- Ethics
Further considerations beyond the ethical toolkit have come to light, namely whether my decision was rooted in the fear of an undesirable plausible scenario, as opposed to a clearly defined prioritization of values. If this is true, I still have some soul-searching to do - among my highest aspirations (and in line with a core value) is to live completely free of fear. While a lofty notion, it seems the elimination of fear from ethical decision-making could have a clarifying effect on analyzing consequences and lead to more grounded and less biased courses of action…..Of all the wonderful tools imparted to us in SRE, the gut stands alone in its simplicity and unconventionality. Based on my own feeble-minded understanding of science and mysticism, it seems that in a sense, the gut is always right. At some point in time, our ancestors developed a predisposition to “rational” thinking, which usually yields an ethical decision, but more often than not, leads us off the greater course. - Microeconomics:
An examination of the variation in marginal propensity to spend and save among the different economic classes will shed light on this otherwise socially and politically-charged debate. The argument, “rich people create jobs” can only hold true if the rich are willing to spend an equal or greater proportion of increased income as low income people. The reality, however, is that given additional income, the wealthy (who already enjoy lower levels of taxation) do not spend at a proportional level as lower-income people, their propensity to save exceeding increased spending. So, a proportionate increase in income across the board will not have as meaningful a stimulating effect on the economy were the increase to be focused on the lower and middle classes. - Macroeconomics
Trump’s adversary in what has been described as the ugliest election in US history is someone, who according to CNN, pushed for the Trans-Pacific-Partnership forty-five times before eventually changing her tune to appeal to progressives incensed by Bernie Sanders’ anti-TPP platform. Ms. Clinton once referred to the TPP as the “gold standard” of trade deals and perhaps, the public simply did not find her reversed stance on TPP to be genuine. After all, as revealed in transcripts from her paid speeches to the “too big to fail banks,” she has both a “public and private face.” The private face is one which is beholden to banks and multinational corporations, those who pushed hardest for the TPP, and stood to benefit most from it. - Marketing Mgmt.
It should be noted this writer is of the belief that Unilever is a fascistic-multinational entity, especially given its shady ties to the [sic] group and nefarious neo-liberal financier [sic]; for the purpose of this exercise, these views will not bear undue influence, although said writer is ultimately ideologically opposed to any such corporation expanding its monopolistic grip to poor consumers in the developing world or elsewhere….. - Strategy
The practical application of what we have learned from The Art of War with respect to strategy and how to best engage one’s opponents is of great import to the entrepreneur. The greatest lesson, however, does not pertain immediately to the strategic tactics of war or business, but more so, to introspection. The Taoist precept Wu Wei, which translates literally to “acting without acting” is a universal theme in mysticism and the key takeaway from Sunzi’s text. To “fight without fighting” is another way of expressing Wu Wei and among the best practices the entrepreneur can adopt…..thus giving the entrepreneur greater confidence and peace of mind as she embarks on her journey. - MarCom
While in 2016 activist investor Bill Ackman, a 10% stakeholder in CMG, was bullish on Chipotle’s stock, others were not. In this same year, a prominent hedge fund manager took to social media to essentially troll Ackman and those who were optimistic about the company’s rebound bringing to light, once more, Chipotle’s string of food-poisoning outbreaks. Further muddying the waters was a resurfaced conspiracy theory, which suggested CMG was the victim of corporate sabotage with regards to these outbreaks. A prominent restaurant industry consultant, Aaron Allen, bolstered the corporate sabotage theory in an interview with Bloomberg, in which he noted a highly statistical improbability of the recurrent outbreaks and suggested a potential culprit in the form of Chipotle securities traders, who shorted the company’s stock some 400 million dollars before there were any “inklings” of food safety concerns. - Entrepreneurship
As an alternative form of exchange, [startup] is considering issuing its own digital currency…..which users can maintain in their [startup] wallets. The [startup] Coin will be issued via..…[blockchain]….. exchangeable with other digital currencies. Users will be given the option of receiving their payouts in the form of [startup] Coins, which can then either be converted to other digital currencies or cashed out per norm. In a sense, the value of [startup] Coins will be tied also to the company’s primary growth, giving [startup] users an opportunity to realize further gains as the company profits. Interested lessees may also maintain a [startup] Coins balance in their dashboards to be used for the purchase of rental services. - Innovation
Ford’s history is paradoxical indeed. It’s founder, an ardent anti-Semite, but brilliant innovator demonstrated both a knack for efficiency and ruthless business tactics. Henry Ford did build his prototypes out of hemp composite, but historically speaking, Ford is not recognized as a “conscious” enterprise. For the company to spin a “green” persona is likely for naught…..What is not holistically encompassed by the disruption framework is the above noted collusion/corruption within the auto industry. So, can the larger players who conspired to stymie disruptive innovation in the auto industry (e.g. the electric car) actually be expected to challenge the status quo, let alone pose as environmental stewards?