Blog #5 Week 9/24 Class 5

Step 1: Determine the facts in the situation – obtain all of the unbiased facts possible

• Ugochi launched a multi-pronged approach against homelessness and hopelessness through the global language of soccer. She founded the Soccer for Youth Empowerment Tournament (SYE-T).
• SYE-T engages vulnerable young people in urban city centers across the U.S. in soccer coaching and tournaments. 
• Winners of the regional competitions compete for the national title once each year, but even the teams that do not win attend the week-long tournament for professional and personal benefit. 
• Over the course of a week, the young people play soccer, participate in leadership workshops, explore career pathways, and strengthen their communication and teamwork skills.
• The first three tournaments that Ugochi organized had a total budget of about $100,000 which she raised from more than 600 supporters.
• In 2019, a major shoe manufacturer (we’ll call them…Spikey) sponsored the program to the tune of $2 Million which enabled Ugochi to expand the number of participating cities from 5 to 15.
• Schools and churches have provided their ground for practices
• Healthcare systems provided free check-ups and preventative health education
• Local photographers gifted free headshots
• During the five years Spikey supported them, the entities providing Ugochi with in-kind support started dropping out
• Three contractors that manufacture Spikey shoes in Cambodia employ children under the age of 12 and offer unfair working conditions
• One cambodia shoes manufacturer enforces its child workers to attend school before each shift and they can only obtain 20 hours of work a week
• Another manufacturer forces children to work over 60 hours a week
• Spikey executives deny these allegations and ignore the facts when they are brought up
• Spikey only wants men over ages 18 included for more competition
• Spikey makes negative comments toward the involvement of women

Step 2: Define the problem and the stakeholders – those with a vested interest in the outcome 

The Problem: Should you pull the funding or not pull the funding, what kind of changes to your social venture are you okay with and willing to accept for the money? Do you expect the organizations you work with to hold the same values as you, what do you compromise on versus not compromise on?

• Vulnerable young people in urban city centers 
• Ugochi Wilson
• Spikey
• SYE-T staff members
• All the community members involved in the SYE-T
• Local businesses in the host cities
• Local colleges and universities
• Women SYE-T participants 
• Spikey
• Spikey employees – kids in Cambodia 
• Mr. Mikey 

Things we considered when deciding if this is ethical:

• Is there a true community connection happening
• Is the program building character

Step 3: Determine and distinguish between the personal and professional motivations of the stakeholders.

• Vulnerable young people in urban city centers – want to participate in this program and rise above their environment (develop life skills, become employable, and foster a sense of purpose) 
• Ugochi Wilson
  • Personal
    • help all youth and run her program ethically
  • Professional 
    • Ugochi wants the program to thrive as much as possible and in as many locations as possible
    • Help thousands of young people develop life skills, become employable, and foster a sense of purpose
• Spikey
• SYE-T staff members
  • Personal
    • Ugochi having to downsize operations means many jobs will be lost in all the host cities.
  • Professional:
    • Carry out a career in a successful social venture
• Local businesses in the host cities
  • Professional:
    • The local community partners started dropping out because the operation outgrew them.
• Local colleges and universities
• Women SYE-T participants 
• Spikey
• Spikey employees
• Cambodia kids = want to earn money for their families, education, and themselves

Mr. Mikey  

• Personal:
  • Mr Mikey wants to keep his job, by defending Spikey with passion
• Professional:
  • Mr Spikey proves to be an efficient executive if he manages to keep situation under control

Step 4: Formulate (at least three) alternative solutions – based on the information available, to have a win-win situation for your relationship and your venture

• Cut Ties with Spikey and Seek New Sponsors
  • Ugochi could cut ties with Spikey to maintain the ethical integrity of her venture, especially since Spikey’s contractors are involved in child labor practices. She can seek alternative sponsors, particularly those with strong ethical and social responsibility standards. The challenge here would be the potential loss of significant funding, but aligning with sponsors who share her values could help rebuild the venture’s long-term reputation.
• Negotiate for Ethical Changes
  • Ugochi can use her leverage as a recipient of Spikey’s sponsorship to negotiate ethical reforms in the company’s supply chain. She could push for Spikey to end contracts with manufacturers that use child labor or to ensure they implement strict protections for child workers, such as limiting work hours and providing education. This would allow her to continue receiving funding while addressing the root of the ethical issue
• Publicly Address the Issue:
  • Ugochi could take a stand and publicly address Spikey’s involvement in child labor. This move might inspire public pressure on the company to reform its practices. It could also serve as a call for other companies to sponsor her venture, using her ethical stance as a marketing point. However, this could lead to Spikey pulling funding immediately, leaving Ugochi to find new sponsors.
• Collaborate with Advocacy Organizations:
  • Ugochi could collaborate with human rights or child advocacy organizations to bring attention to the issue. By joining forces with groups that campaign against child labor, she can amplify her impact beyond the U.S. and contribute to a global cause, potentially attracting ethical investors and socially conscious businesses to support her soccer tournament.
• Transition to a Hybrid Funding Model:
  • Ugochi could diversify her funding sources by transitioning to a hybrid model that combines community-based crowdfunding with smaller-scale corporate sponsorships. This could reduce her dependency on large sponsors like Spikey, ensuring that her organization maintains ethical funding while still receiving support from local communities and other stakeholders invested in youth empowerment.
• Meet halfway
  • Example: fund both an 18+ program and the women and under (explain how we will be allocating funding)

 

 Step 5: Seek additional assistance, as appropriate – previous cases, peers, reliance on personal experience, inner reflection 

We must look at the reality of ethical dilemmas surrounding fast fashion and sweatshops, and similar study cases. Through this we can observe how these cases were resolved and learn about the different ramifications of this decision. 

 

 

Step 6: Select the best course of action – that solves the problem, saves face, and has the best short-term and long-term implications for your relationship and venture. Explain reasoning and discuss your solution vis-a-vis other approaches discussed in class. 

-Leverage the credibility you have with spikey to go to their competitors 

-It isn’t a lot of money for huge companies in the apparel industry 

–Important parameters – we want soccer to benefit the children personally and professionally not just be soccer.

Step 7: List the sequence of actions you will take to implement your solution

I would advise Ugochi to stick to her values, taking this big hit in regards to funding and downsizing of operations might mean a big step back for the organization. But the efforts don’t have to stop here. I would recommend using this as motivation to circle back to the original roots of the project, supporting the youth and protecting their wellbeing, not just for the kids in the US but also in the Spikey factories. Partnering with other organizations who are actively fighting against child labor and local community partners can strengthen the impact of the organization while staying true to their values.