Team: COPRA

Members: Ami Yoshimura, Michelle Hu, Sammantha Powers, Jake Donoghue, Brianna Wanbaugh, Tri Nguyen, Brianna Cimaglia, Rozhin Zahrouni

 

Top 20 FAQs and Answers

 

 

• What happens to the middlemen if you eliminate them in the supply chain? (Ami)

 

A: At this stage, we don’t have a concrete answer yet, because we are still in the development phase of our products. 

 

 

• What is the scale of the coconut farms in the Philippines? (Tri)

 

A: The majority of coconut farms are small to medium sized (around 5 hectares / 40 – 100 trees per farm).

 

 

• How will you implement your product in the Philippines? (Sammy)

 

A: We are not yet sure at this stage, as we do not currently have a definite business model since we are still developing our product. 

 

 

• How do you know that there aren’t better antioxidants out there that are just as effective or more than the antioxidants that you are using now? (Rozhin)

 

A: We have done extensive research on many different potential antioxidants and have read many scientific articles and journals on them before coming into our conclusion of the top antioxidants for us to use on our experiments. Unfortunately, there is no way for us to know about all of the potential antioxidants that exist, however, we believe that from our research we have found the best ones that are available and cost-effective.

 

 

• What are some of the current solutions to the aging tree problem in the Philippines? (Bri C)

 

A: There are replanting, intercropping, and education programs designed by the Philippines Coconut Authority to address these challenges.

 

 

• How do you make sure the coconut farmers will benefit from your solution? (Tri)

 

A: We will provide coconut farmers the cost-effective technology to produce high-quality copra and higher-value added products that they can sell directly at a higher price, which will earn the farmers additional income.  

 

 

• To what extent do coconut farmers have access to energy? (Tri)

 

A: It is noted that 6.1 million households (half of the rural population) have no electricity in the Philippines. Our investigation suggests that more than 30% of coconut farmers do not have access to the power grid.

 

 

• How will this solution be sustainable? (Brianna W)

 

A:  We hope to partner with a company based in the Philippines that can continue to aid and distribute our solution after we leave the Philippines

 

 

• How successful are efforts to address the aging tree problem? (Bri C)

 

A: The PCA has established a few programs to address this issue, but many of them are purely informational with little execution and direct aid to farmers. These programs have certainly helped inform farmers about the issues, but there has not been significant change.

 

 

• How long will this copra & antioxidant experiment take? (Rozhin)

 

A: This is a two part experiment that has been started from July, however, since it was decided that better results were needed with improved procedure plans, the experiment will be restarting during the fall semester and will most likely finish before the end of the semester depending on the results found.

 

 

• What do you expect to see in your experiments and what is the goal of the experiments? (Jake)

 

A: On the engineering side, the experiments are set up with the goal of optimizing air flow inside the drying chamber. We expect to gather data that will allow us to decide whether we should utilize horizontal or vertical airflow moving forward.

 

 

•  What are your next steps for the venture? (Ami)

 

A: The next steps entail testing antioxidant solutions, prototyping the dryer, and submitting research proposals to a few conferences. 

 

 

• What are you doing in your experiments currently and what is next? (Jake)

 

A: We are constructing benchmark prototypes of our drying chambers and comparing the effectiveness of horizontal vs. vertical airflow on drying time. The goal is still to uniformly dry all the coconut meat in the drying chamber as fast as we can, so whichever method works better is what we will include in our drying design moving forward. Once we have identified the optimal air flow method, we will move to experimenting and designing our heating source and heat exchange mechanisms. 

 

 

• Why are you doing this experiment and how do these antioxidants work on the copra? (Rozhin)

 

A: The current problem is the copra browning which reduces their financial value because of their unappealing visual quality, even if they are safe to consume and use even for other means. The browning of the copra occurs from a chemical reaction from its exposure to oxygen, known as enzymatic browning. The enzyme that plays the major role in this chemical reaction is called Polyphenol Oxidase (PPO) and another major enzyme that contributes to the enzymatic browning and is involved with the internal browning is called Peroxidase. Therefore, this reaction can be prevented from occurring through the application of higher acidity (pH<4), which lowers the chances of oxidation of the food and causing the enzymatic reaction to occur. Moreover, the copra also needs to have antimicrobial protection, so that they can last longer and prevent spoiling. Since the best antioxidants that we have chosen from our research are both acidic and have antimicrobial properties (which we also plan on combining the best ones together to create an even stronger antioxidant preservative), they are one of the best natural and cost-effective preservation methods for us to use on the copra.

 

 

• Why are natural antioxidants being used instead of cheaper alternatives? (Rozhin)

 

A: Natural antioxidants are the best materials to use as preservatives of copra as this will make it safe and have no/less harmful side effects than other chemical or other cheaper alternatives. Natural antioxidants are the next best option, from their effective protection against oxidation and microbes, in comparison to more expensive preservation treatments (e.g. freeze drying), so they are the best option considering their ease of access, effectiveness, and reduced cost.

 

 

• How do you imagine implementing these antioxidants into the supply chain and how will the farmers gain access to them? (Rozhin)

 

A: We are still in the process of determining which antioxidants will be used for preservation, so we have yet to know the full logistics of when and how they will be incorporated into the supply chain. We imagine that the antioxidants will be either sold to the farmers in packages or the farmers will be taught how to make those antioxidants treatment themselves (depending on the antioxidants chosen as preservatives).

 

 

• How will the optimal antioxidants be integrated into the engineering team’s product? (Sammy) 

 

A: The antioxidants will be included in the drying and preserving process, though we are not sure exactly how until we discover more through our experiments. We are still determining if the antioxidants will be put on the copra before or after drying, and if they will be included as a part of our product, or if they will be sold separately.

 

 

• How will you be able to scale this effectively? (Ami)

 

A: By improving one niche/aspect of the drying process and building a better drying solution with affordable materials, accessibility will be easier. We also have connections in the Philippines who could help with distribution. 

 

 

• How likely is it that farmers will take to this kind of solution? (Jake)

 

A: This is something that we still need to figure out. Given that our project is in early stages, and that we have not been able to conduct field work, it has been rather difficult to gauge interest in our ideas. 

 

 

• Why are we choosing the specific antioxidants we are using?  (Michelle)

 

A: All the specific antioxidants  we are using are all cost effective so it will not be another hardship on the farmers. Also all of these antioxidants do not affect the taste of the copra or the texture and they are accessible. 

Team members: Jacques Pelman, Rozhin Zahrouni, Nathaly Rodriguez, Ami Yoshimura

Ethical Decision-Making

Step 1: Determine the facts in the situation-obtain all of the unbiased facts possible. Clearly state the ethical issue.

• 35% of children have stunted growth
• The research group received a grant 
• The longer the mothers breastfeed the more likely the babies are to be exposed to HIV/AIDS
  • After 6 months almost guaranteed to be infected
  • Few women are tested for the virus 
• 500 women interested in cooperative 
• The food may contain pesticides which may transfer in the breastfeeding process
• Crops are grown in the area 
• Mothers are concerned about the health effects of pesticides 
• There is a taste testing that the mothers will take part in

 

Step 2&3: Define the problem and the stakeholders – those with a vested interest in the outcome & their personal/professional motivations

• Mother
  • Highly believe that the gruel is beneficial for their children
  • Can’t easily trust foreigners who say they are supposed experts on telling the mothers what to feed their children
• Kids
  • Want good tasting food, may reject food if tastes bad
  • Want/Need to eat 
  • Don’t want potential adverse health complications 
• Researchers
  • Want to make the cooperative succeed
  • Want to gain publicity and build up their credibility.
  • Want to help the children from being stunted from eating non-nutritious gruel
  • Want to give the kids a nutritious porridge
  • The ingredients of the porridge may give potential adverse health complications as a result of the pesticide, but the porridge would still be healthier than the gruel
  • Want to convince the mothers that the porridge is more nutritious for their children

Secondary Stakeholders:

• Government (Secondary)
  • Want to improve the livelihood of those in East Africa 
• Donors (Secondary)
  • Want their investments to be fruitful
• Men (secondary)
  • May take money from the women
  • May want their children to be healthy

        

Ethical Problem:

• Children being infected by HIV/ AIDs through breast milk vs being infected by pesticides 

 

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

 

1. Having an educational portion led by respected members that guide mothers through wean process 

• • Ethical code: consequence-based thinking this would help most people even if they do not buy our product
  • Pros: 
    •  Fosters community and healthier children
  • Cons:  
    • May cost way more money to compensate the respected members more than they already are
    • Incredibly time-consuming 
    • Less likely to scale 

 

1. Create a gruel additive that will nutritionally enhance the gruel with packaging 

• • Ethical code: virtue-based because a person who is a professional would try to create a product to solve the solution
  • Pros: 
    • Adding more food ingredients by enhancing the original gruel recipe
    • Healthier children
    • The packaging would have an education component about nutrition and suggestions on how to use the product
  • Cons:
    • Very small amounts of social change to change the current formula

 

1. Continue with breast milk until the babies are 4 months old instead of 2 months

• • Ethical code: duty-based thinking model because this would be our recommendation along with the WHO on how to prevent potential HIV transmission
  • Pros:
    • Reducing the risk of HIV/AIDS
    • Receive more nutritional 
    • More diversity 
  • Cons:
    • The potential risk of health effects from pesticides earlier than usual 
    • Families and children may be reluctant to use it

 

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

• Use alternative home-made made milk powder that is cost-effective and natural
• Thought leaders and those experienced in operating successful cooperatives 

    Peers and the Professor helped us optimize our rough ideas into a more polished solution.  

    Personal experience about how babies work.

 

Step 6: Select the best course of action-that which satisfies the highest core ethical values. Explain reasoning and justify it. Discuss Your stance vis-a-vis other approaches discussed in the class.

• The best course of action is options 2 and 3.
• This solution is also ideal and is better than including option 1 because it will ultimately scale better, which is a huge component of this situation and problem. Having an educational component is not only incredibly time-intensive but also extremely expensive. 
• All stakeholders will be somewhat satisfied with the solution, with this consensus

 

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

1. We would create and perfect our product and packaging and test the tastes and convenience of it with children and mothers.
2. Next, we would create the packaging and what exactly it would say and make it easy to understand. After this, we would mass-produce the product. The information on the package would include when exactly to start weaning the baby onto the formula. 
3. Lastly, we would make sure the product is at an adequate price that is available to most if not all mothers. An extra step would be to continue to take customer surveys to help improve the product.

Grassroots Diplomacy Strategy

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

• 35% of children have stunted growth
• The research group received a grant 
• The longer the mothers breastfeed the more likely the babies are to be exposed to HIV/AIDS
  • After 6 months almost guaranteed to be infected
  • Few women are tested for the virus 
• 500 women interested in cooperative 
• The food may contain pesticides which may transfer in the breastfeeding process
• Crops are grown in the area 
• Mothers are concerned about the health effects of pesticides 
• There is a taste testing that the mothers will take part in
• The women work for about nine hours every day and earn KES 300 (about $3).
• They are not necessarily opposed to the men taking away their money but are upset that their hard-earned money is not used to feed their children.
• Cooperative lets them grow their money, unlike banks that take away money to save money 
  • Men are less likely to take money away from women when its a larger sum that has been saved up 

 

Step 2&3: Define the problem and the stakeholders-those with a vested interest in the outcome

• Mother
  • Personal:
    • Highly believe that the gruel is beneficial for their children
    • Can’t easily trust foreigners who say they are supposed experts on telling the mothers what to feed their children
  • Profesional 
    • Want a source of income and keeping their income for essentials
• Kids
  • Personal:
    • Want good tasting food, may reject food if tastes bad
    • Want/Need to eat 
    • Don’t want potential adverse health complications 

 

• Researchers
  • Personal:
    • Want to gain acknowledgment and build their resume by working in this project
  • Profesional: 
    • Want to give the kids a nutritious porridge
    • The ingredients of the porridge may give potential adverse health complications as a result of the pesticide, but the porridge would still be healthier than the gruel
    • Want to convince the mothers that the porridge is more nutritious for their children 

 

Secondary Stakeholders:

• Government (Secondary)
  • Want to improve the livelihood of those in East Africa 
• Donors (Secondary)
  • Want their investments to be fruitful
• Men (secondary)
  • May take money from the women
  • May want their children to be healthy

 

Step 4: Formulate (at least three) alternative solutions-based on information available

Solution 1: Give choice between food and other essentials as payment instead of money

• How does it solve the problem?
  •  Pros:
    • Prevents husbands from taking extra money in certain situations Children are more likely to be more well-fed.
  • Cons: 
    • May take the extra money away from the mothers

 

•  How does it save face of those involved?
  • It saves the face of the coop. from having to tell the patriarchal side of the families how to use their money. This way the woman can use their work profits in the way that they want to spend it – on their children and household instead of alcohol and other things that their patriarch could spend the woman’s work income on. This choice would grant the woman the liberty to not have to give up their money to their male counterparts to use on stuff that does not bring the family any benefits or food. 

 

• Implications on the venture
  • Short-term
    • The woman would be able to choose to receive food in place of their money income, which will mean that those families will be able to eat better food without having to worry about unnecessarily spending the money
    • The men of the family may tell the women working in the family to receive the money instead of the food, so the women may not be able to have the individual choice in the matter.
    • They can choose between money and food in case an emergency comes up where they need money (e.g. hospital bills, debt, etc).
  • Long-term
    • The families that we’re able to get food instead of money can give their kids and other family members nutritious meals.
    • The families that constantly choose money instead of food, may still come across the same problem of not being able to use their money for food and other beneficial things for the family as they would have to give up their money to their male counterparts.

 

Solution 2: Give food and other home essentials such as diaper or clothes

• How does it solve the problem?  
  • Pros: 
    • Prevents husbands from taking extra money
    • Children are more likely to be more well-fed. 
  • Cons:
    • Takes the extra money away from the mothers
    • Potential for conflict between women and men, especially since women did not have an issue giving them the money
      • Can give a negative light to the cooperative that leads to losing workers 
• How does it save face of those involved?
  • It saves face on the Co-op by making sure the social goal is achieved. It saves the face of the women by still bringing home goods by working and improving the lives of the children. Stops the men from using their money on booze and other nonessentials entirely. However, this may anger the men because they won’t have extra money for the nonessentials. 

 

• Implications on relationships
  • Short-term
    • Solves the issue of women wanting the children to have their essentials
  • Long-term
    • Men can still take the items and sell them for booze if they are that desperate for money
    • Can create distrust in relationships since the women have been receiving some sum of money already so if it suddenly stops that can lead to issues. 

 

Solution 3: Giving a smaller portion (⅓) of money earned to women for their usage (that can and may likely be taken by men), but keeping a larger majority (⅔) inequity within the Co-op, while also providing small servings of porridge every day. 

• How does it solve the problem?
  • Pros: 
    • Allows the moms to not cause strain on their relationships while still getting some money.
    • Creates a good and convenient way of saving money.
    • Still allows the children to have a better quality of life
    • Equity stake in the Co-op will exponentially increase as it scales, which means the money that they might cash out in the future will be much higher than when started and men will be much less likely to use it for other things.
    • Still provides some “beer money” for men, while the money in equity can’t be taken away immediately 
    • Still will be able to have food due to the small servings of porridge that is provided. 
  •  Cons:
    • Men still have the opportunity to take all the money
    • If women don’t trust the Co-op entirely they may be skeptical about saving their money there.
    • If an emergency happens the women may not be able to easily withdrawal their savings 

 

• How does it save face of those involved?
  • It saves face on the Co-op by making sure the social goal is achieved. It saves the face of the women by still bringing home goods by working and improving the lives of the children. Discourages the men from using their money on booze and other nonessentials entirely.

 

• Implications on the relationship
  • Short-term:
    • Both men and women are happy since they are both getting what they want
  • Long-term:
    • A potential issue is when men see that women receive the other sum of money, they may try to cash out all the equity and use it for themselves

 

Step 5: Seek additional assistance, as appropriate-engineering codes of ethics, previous cases, peers, reliance on personal experience, inner reflection

• Thought leaders and those experienced in operating successful cooperatives 
• Peers and the Professor helped us optimize our rough ideas into a more polished solution.  
• Personal experience about how babies function, e.g. what nutrition they need to grow and what they normally consume.

 

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. 

• The best course of action would be solution 3 because it creates a situation where you are still providing money when it is needed for the women in the area of big cash withdrawals. You satisfy the men by the small income. There is still some food being given to the women and their families which allows the children’s quality of life to improve.
• In comparison, the other ideas fall short in terms of not being able to facilitate a stable relationship where in the second option the men may get mad at the women and it wouldn’t allow the women to buy things that they need cash for. The first idea falls short because the men will have full opportunity to take the money.

 

Step 7: (If applicable)What are the implications of your solution on the venture. Explain the impact of your proposed solution on the venture’s technology, economic, social, and environmental aspects.

• Technology:
  • Giving them access to a system on a computer that allows them to see how much has gone to the men vs how much is being saved in their account. It can be as simple as an excel spreadsheet or more high tech depending on budget 

 

• Economic:
  • Create an ability for the family to save up money for large purchases like weddings, home improvements, and funerals. Doing all this while still providing them with healthy food to give to their children. 

 

• Social: 
  • It would create more agreement between the relationship of the women and the male figures in their lives as this would give the men their needed money to spend frivolously and the women the credits and food to support their family otherwise.

 

• Environmental:
  • If there are no conflicts between women and men in terms of money, cooperation is more likely to continue running. This means that the land will continue to be used for agriculture. 

GSIF Post #15

 

Grassroot diplomacy: A set of delicate and deliberate techniques for working harmoniously and effectively with diverse entities to catalyze social change

 

Grassroots Diplomacy Strategy Development Methodology

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

-Jack living at youth center for 5 months

-Donor Org sent gifts and staff invited Jack to hand them out

-Four kids did not receive gifts and were handed black hats after the ceremony had ended

-Only one kid looked upset with Jack for not giving them a gift

-Staff upset at jack for bringing up such a trivial problem

-Cultural differences between staff and Jack→ American vs. Kenyan

 

Step 2 & 3 : Define the problem and the stakeholders – those with a vested interest in the outcome

The problem is that Jack wants to make the kids that were not gifted happy without making the staff or the kids that were gifted upset.

• Staff
  • Professional→ give out what they were given/doing what they can do
  • Personal→ saving face→ it’s not their fault the kids didn’t get gifts
• Jack
  • Professional→ having good relationships with the children during his stay
  • Personal→ saving face→ kids blame him since he gave out the gifts
• Kids that were not gifted
  • Personal → want to receive their gifts in a ceremonial manner
• Kids that were gifted
  • Personal → want the situation to be fair to everyone

 

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

Dance Performance 

• How does it solve the problem? A dance performance event can be made for which all the kids and staff can attend. The kids that were given only the black hats can be taught a choreographed dance in which they get to perform by highlighting their hats during their dance. Afterwards, the staff can also have a dance off and the other kids who want to dance can also participate in a free dance at the end of the event. The point is to highlight that the four kids were able to use their hats in a special way that will make it more memorable for them than having the toys.

 

o Pros: 

• The ungifted kids can get their own special moment and find a better use of their hats
• The staff can also participate in the dance, so there would be less chance of them not liking the idea 
• The gifted kids can cheer on their peers who are doing a dance routine (the ungifted kids) and then they can also show off their dance skills during the free dance part of the event
• Doesn’t add additional costs to make this event 

o Cons: 

• The staff may not want to throw the event as they have other plans for the kids
• The kids may not want to take the time to learn the choreography
• The ungifted kids may not like having the dance event instead of gifts
• The other kids may get jealous of the ungifted kids being given preferential treatment to have a choreographed dance and be the center of attention of the event

 

• How does it save face of those involved?

The staff wouldn’t have to take the blame for not giving the 4 other kids any gifts by having the dance event to make up for it. Jack could take part of the blame and make the hats more special to the kids without needing to buy more gifts. The ungifted kids would get to feel “equal” next to the gifted kids for having these “special” hats.

 

• Implications on relationships

o Short-term – The staff may be hesitant to help set up the dance performance, so the relationship may be momentarily tense

o Long-term- The relationship of the kids + Jack and the staff + Jack won’t be compromised

 

• Implications on the venture

o Short-term – Kids will be happy with the opportunity to receive their gifts in a ceremonial way

o Long-term- May be difficult to get good data from the staff members if they were unhappy with the solution

 

Jack goes out and buys 4 gifts for the Kids who didn’t get anything 

• How does it solve the problem?  
  • Pros→ children feel special, Jack saves reputation with children 
  • Cons→ staff upset at him for intervening, give staff the impression he’s a “white savior” and is just doing this work to make himself feel better, teaches kids that if they complain they will be rewarded, the gifts may not be unique to “western” toys that the other kids got from the international donors.

 

 

• How does it save face of those involved? 

 

• • Saves Jack’s face because he is able to reestablish to good relationships with the children

 

 

• Implications on relationships 

• Short-term→ good relationship with kids, especially the kids who were left out originally, staff members’ trust in Jack diminishes

• Long-term→ agitated relationship or continued lack of trust with staff members due to Jack undermining them, children expect gifts regularly from Jack 

 

 

 

• Implications on the venture 

• Short-term→ staff members unwilling to participate in aspects of the venture or interact with Jack, lack of motivation to help the venture succeed, added cost of buying gifts takes away from other aspects of the project

• Long-term→ flawed data due to lack of trust from staff, staff members don’t trust anyone from the venture (even if Jack leaves)

 

 

Jack apologizes to the staff and proceeds to present the remaining kids with the black hats and other gifts through another ceremony

o Pros: Jack will allow the staff members to save face, the children will be happy that they are receiving unique gifts in a ceremonial manner

o Cons: Costly for Jack in terms of money and reputation

 

• How does it save face of those involved? The staff will be relieved of some of the burden associated with making a mistake, as Jack will be taking ownership for the mistake while also making up for that mistake

 

• Implications on relationships

o Short-term – Kids will be happy and so will the staff

o Long-term- The relationships will continue to grow without tension

 

• Implications on the venture

o Short-term – Since the relationships are healthy, there should be no issues with uncomfortableness or lack of participation

o Long-term- The venture will continue to grow

 

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

• Ask the four kids personally on if they would like the hats replaced with another gift (and if so, then what – within budget and reason) or if they would like to learn about how else they could make cool uses out of the hat – such as dancing with the hats, doing magic tricks with them, or personalizing the hats with available materials.

 

• Jack could ask just one of the staff members about their opinion and what the kids usually enjoy, so that he could get to know the kids better before making a decision on what to buy or substitute for the gifts. This would also be helpful later in being able to persuade the rest of the staff, given the staff who helped would also be willing to convince the rest of the staff on why your idea about what to do next matters and to pull them on board.

 

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.

• The best course of action would be setting up the dance performance event – specifically for the ungifted kids. The ungifted kids can have a choreographed dance involving the use of their hats, so it highlights them and makes the hats an iconic part of their performance. This way the ungifted kids can feel better about being given the black hats and have a special memory attached to them. Having this unique hat performance in front of the other kids can make the other kids want the hats too, so it would make the ungifted kids happier to know that they have something that other kids don’t, which can make them feel unique and special about having it. The staff and other kids can also dance in the event after the special performance of the hat kids, so they would also get the opportunity to show off their dance skills and have fun without feeling left out. This saves the face of the staff and Jack from having to take a huge blame for not gifting the remaining kids and it can make the ungifted kids feel equal to the kids that were gifted. The short-term effect on the relationship might be that the staff may feel hesitant to set up this event because of needed space and possible costs, but the ungifted kids may feel happier and not blame Jack anymore for not being given a gift. The long-term effect on the relationship may be that none of the relationships will be compromised between the staff, the kids, and Jack. The short-term effect on the venture would be that the kids would be given the opportunity to present their hats and themselves in a ceremonial and special way, so they would feel happier about being given that opportunity. The long-term effect on the venture may be that either the staff will acknowledge Jack’s ideas/opinions more in the future or they could sour their relationship between the staff and Jack even more if they are not happy with the results of the event. This event could be fairly cheap to produce given that the event could be put in the same room as the ceremony was (which we presume the youth center owns) or the dance could be done outside during the day and either live music can be played (vocally or instruments) or it could be through the radio or recorded music and played through a speaker or on high volume.

 

• In comparison to the other approaches, the dance event is able to save more money and make good use of the hats to make the kids feel more grateful for them. The other solutions would cost Jack money for having to buy those gifts for the remaining kids out of his own pocket and it may or may not make the kids feel happy as they are not gifts donated from an international country, but bought from their own country. Another negative factor of the second solution is that Jack would not be apologizing to the staff for making himself look better in front of the kids and for not taking part of the blame for the remaining kids not being able to receive any gifts during their ceremony even though he’s not directly responsible for this problem. Another factor would be that the kids could feel being given petty gifts for only being able to receive hats and they may not feel good about that depending on their age range. In addition, the other kids may feel like the ungifted kids are being given preferential treatment if another ceremony is done just for them to receive those gifts along with the hats that they received last time.

 

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

Economical: The most pricey situation would be if the previous ceremony/auditorium room was rented and they also hired a live music group to play music for them. However, the cheapest option would be if they did the dance outside (the audience would sit to watch the performances and then join in dancing at the end) and the music was played through the radio/other music devices or if some of the students knew how to play some instruments and sing and they volunteered to do it.

 

Environmental: This solution would not have any immense impact on the environment unless the kids decided to litter their hats or there was a sudden increase in sale of purchasing these hats that the production may or may not be bad for the environment.

 

Social: The kids would be happier knowing that they were not left out and that their opinion matters. This could make the relationship between Jack and the kids stronger and the staff might also like and appreciate Jack’s opinions more if the kids also like him.

Technology: This may require a radio or another technological device that has music in it. If there are no radios/music devices nor any music instruments, then Jack will have to make the music either vocally or create makeshift instruments to make music/sound for the dances.

Step 1: Determine the facts in the situation – obtain all of the unbiased facts possible. Clearly state the ethical issue. 

 

• The research team (10 people, including you) is going to Lesotho for two weeks to conduct research on the pathogen in their water source
• The goal of the research is to investigate the lifecycle and chemical/biological features of disease-causing pathogen
• There are no stated benefits to the locals in their research proposal
• The results from this research could be used to develop chemical additives to make the water safe to drink.
• The researchers will release publications on their findings of the pathogen
• The researchers will need the help of the local people to locate where the people obtain and store their water.
• Assume we have all necessary approvals needed for research
• Ethical issue: As of right now, the locals are not benefitting from the research in any way, and the academic researchers have no intentions to pay the community members.

 

Step 2 & 3: Define the Stakeholders and assess their motivations 

• Academic researchers:
  • Test the water in Lesotho for disease-causing pathogens
  • Understand the lifecycle and characteristics of the pathogen
  • Write several publications from the research study → further your professional career
  • Possibly develop chemical additives to make the water safe to drink
  • Patent discover to possibly profit from findings 
  • Driven by social impact or fame in helping the local community

• Locals 
  • Provide location of water sources 
  • By providing access to the water sources, they contribute to the development of chemical additives in hopes of getting access to them for safe consumption of water
• Your research university/institution:
  • The findings could add to their reputation, making them highly regarded
  • Strengthen new/existing partnership with other funding agencies
  • Open rooms for future collaborations within the area/country (e.g., new ventures)
  • Create opportunities for students to gain experience on social impact projects
• Sponsors of the research:
  • Want to gain the benefit of discovering a new pathogen
  • Gain the opportunity to develop chemical additives against any harmful chemicals that are found in the water
  • Can potentially earn monetary benefit from the chemical additives that will be developed
  • Gain a better reputation and have their name attached in the breakthrough of helping treat water issues in another country
  • Publicity that will aid in gaining funding for other projects or investigations
• Local government: 
  • Make sure the research team does not cause any harm (mentally or physically) to its own citizens (for example, poison the water sources, etc)
  • Validates whether or not the water source in the area is safe to drink for the community
  • Ensure that the citizens have accessibility to the research
  • Ensure the area have some sort of benefit to the chemical additives that is developed if pathogens are found in the water
  • Building/expanding relationships with other funding agencies/countries 

 

Step 4: Formulate (at least three) alternative solutions 

 

1. Potential Solution: Get a map to find the water source (Use sources like Google Earth which 3-D renders Earth)
   1. Pros:
      1. Not have to rely on locals for help/take time out of their day
      2. Less of an obligation to pay back locals in some way
   2. Cons:
      1. Maps may not be updated
      2. Local knowledge can be really useful, and we wouldn’t have that in this scenario
      3. Not using locals can create distrust with the researchers – conflicts can complicate things
      4. Do not have access or knowledge to places that the town is storing water (the storage area could be a potential location where the pathogen is entering the water source)
   3. Ethical Principle: 
      1. Concern for others: we would be doing the work on our own, reducing disturbance among the locals, keeping them in mind

 

1. Potential Solution: Ask the government to assign some local leaders and supervisors to assist the research team to find the locations of the disease-causing pathogenic water 

1. 1. Pros:
      1. Local leaders might also help facilitate the communication between the researchers and the locals 
      2. Local government permission makes the research less intrusive 
      3. Researchers will obtain guides or a map of the locations of the water source and storage location
   2. Cons:
      1. Might be more work to set up beforehand
      2. Might cost a lot of money to train locals to properly extract the water sample (assuming locals do not have the education to do so)
      3. Local government may not welcome the research team to conduct investigation on their water
   3. Ethical Principle: 
      1. Respect for others: we would be communicating with local leaders to get their insight and expertise on the community, respecting them and their culture

 

3. Offer the local government access to the research and a promise to provide/implement water purification system to clean their water if harmful pathogens are discovered (could be through an organization such as Engineers Without Borders)

1. 1. Pros:
      1. Locals benefit! They will be happy that their water is clean
      2. Locals will have access to the researcher’s findings
      3. A relationship between the institution and the local government can be created
      4. School receives prestige through findings and project
   2. Cons: 
      1. Cost a lot more money to implement -promise to clean water
   3. Ethical Principle: 
      1. Promise Keeping & Trustworthiness: we will keep our promise to the community and earn their trust through them having access to all our research and us aiding them in implementing a water purification system

 

1.  Share the information/results to the Lesotho government; make the publications accessible to the research community (who focus on researching disease-causing pathogen)
   1. Pros:
      1. Advance the knowledge frontier of disease-causing pathogen that can benefit the community (e.g., development of chemical additives that make water safer to drink).
   2. Cons:
      1. There might be competing interests among the researchers about the use of insight gained from this study (e.g., profits, reputation, service)
   3. Ethical Principle: 
      1. Transparency: We are giving the country of Lesotho access to all of our findings in exchange for conducting research in their country. This way they would see all that we did and not question any of our intentions. This can also add to trust worthiness.

 

1. Creating clean drinking water for Lesotho, which can increase tourism 
   1. Pro
      1. Tourism can bring more profit for the government, which could be a good motivator for why they should allow us to do research for them in order to create a potential solution for their contaminated water
      2. The locals will be able to drink clean water and not get sick as well as experience their country become wealthier through tourism
      3. Potentially create more jobs for locals as a result of the success of the tourism
   2. Con
      1. Not many foreigners might know that Lesotho is a tourist worthy-destination, so the government might not be able to afford the promotions to advertise their country as a tourist destination and they could have a low tourist turn-out.
      2. Might not be able to create a solution that is affordable or available to clean all the drinking water sources in Lesotho, so the deal would not be able to be met and the government/locals might not receive any benefits
   3. Ethical Principle:
      1. Care-based thinking: Create/maintain a relationship between the researchers and government/locals of Lesotho by being granted to find solutions to the contaminated water problem and in return, the clean water as a result of our solution can bring better health to the community and possible tourism for its beautiful scenery.

 

1. Reach out to healthcare workers in Lesotho and convince them to help educate the locals about the methodologies to have a safer way to drink/clean water/persuade locals to support researchers in their study. 
   1. Pros
      1. Healthcare workers would be able to understand the benefit of the research to the community and help the researchers in gaining access to the water sources
      2. Educate the community on methodologies in obtaining clean drinking water and improve their health
      3. Trusted by the local community
   2. Cons
      1. Not that easy to reach out and find the right people to trust or understand your research 
      2. Healthcare workers may be too busy or limited in number to help
      3. Healthcare workers may not know where the water sources are located
      4. The locals may or may not have other superstitious beliefs about the causes of the illnesses that happen from unclean water, so they may or may not believe that it is caused by bacteria and unsanitary water.
   3. Ethical Principle: 
      1. Virtue-based thinking: Researchers would help educate the locals on methodologies in obtaining safe drinking water in exchange they would get aid in their research.

 

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

• Peers: listening to other classmates talk about their thoughts and ideas, helped with creation of some of our ideas and overall collaboration 

 

• Treat a local for lunch to find out their thoughts and determine which approach would be the most appropriate solution

 

Step 6: Select the best course of action – that which satisfies the highest core ethical values. Explain reasoning and justify. Discuss your stance vis-a-vis other approaches discussed in the class. 

 

• The best course of action would be to offer the local government access to the research and a promise to implement a water purification system to clean their water if harmful pathogens are discovered. Through this, the research team would be able to do their research comfortably and build a good relationship between the government and their school (who’s reputation and prestige will also rise from the researchers’ findings and solutions towards combating the problem). Institutions that have or gain high prestige and reputation are usually well-funded by their alumni, donors, and the government, which means that the school would be able to fundraise enough money to help implement the solution such as creating a water filter that the community will be able to use or help create a water filtration system by collaborating with other non-profit organizations such as Engineers without Borders and other organizations that can help send interested volunteers to help deliver this project. 
• The fulfillment of this project, would mean that the locals will be able to enjoy clean water and eradicate the disease from disease-prone pathogens in the water. The purification of the water could potentially interest more tourists to visit Lesotho to view its grand scenery, which means the government will be able to create more jobs for their people and gain more money. On the other hand, if the school is not able to get enough funding to help deliver on their end of the promise, then that could cause a bad relationship between the Lesotho government and the institution, if not the government of the country that the institution is localized.

 

• The other solutions mentioned above such as the using a screenshot of a digital map to get out of the sense of obligation to pay back the locals for helping them find their drinking water sources, but this could provide many problems such as the map not being able to show all of the water sources available and the researchers could get lost on their way. Another potential solution like asking the local Lesotho healthcare workers to help advise and teach the locals about the problems that the unsanitary water they could be drinking can cause them. This could potentially not work as it might be difficult to find a healthcare worker willing to spend so much of their time to help out the researchers and teach the public or the locals may or may not have other superstitious beliefs about the causes of the occurring water-borne diseases (pathogens), so they may or may not believe that it is caused by bacteria and unsanitary water.

 

Step 7: (If applicable) What are the implications of your solution on the venture. Explain the impact of your proposed solution on the venture’s technology, economic, social and environmental aspects.

 

• Economic: The Lesotho government will be able to profit from having their people live longer and healthier due to the cleaner water as well as the incoming tourists. This could produce more jobs for the locals as well because of the increase of tourists and ability to work better from having a healthier body from the clean drinking water. This could help boost the economy of the country and institution of which the researchers are from as their discoveries and potential solutions could become renowned.

 

• Social: The locals will be able to live longer and healthier lives from drinking the clean water. This could improve their social lifestyle as well.

 

• Environmental: The cleaner water will be better for the environment as more animals and other species will be able to drink or live in the clean water and live longer if the pathogens were negatively affecting their bodies too.