Blog Post 14

Samantha Powers

Who is Sammy?

-a student

-a sister and daughter

-an avid learner

How will you change the world?

I will use my strengths and resources to help others. Exactly how and in what realm I am unsure, as I am still developing my skills and interests while embracing serendipity.

Epitaph:

My epitaph might read something like, “did what she loved while helping others in the process.”

Blog Post 13

Samantha Powers

Living an Impact-Focused Life

What’s your Why?

I believe I was put on this earth to:

  • create impact by using my resources and abilities to help others

My purpose is to:

  • recognize issues in the world and act to create positive change

I believe (my core values):

  • Empathy
  • Honesty
  • Respect

The one thing I must do before I die is:

  • explore other cultures

My advocates and supporters all believe I:

  • Have the ability to create positive change guided by my skillset and empathy

The evil I want to eradicate in this world is:

  • Acts done out of greed for money and power
  • Evil that facilitates industries like human trafficking

I want to work in order to:

  • Provide for myself and my family while fulfilling my purpose to create positive impact

Walk the Talk – Your How

If you are truly committed to your Why, you show it in your everyday behavior. It is all air until you do it. Working from your Why, How do you prove that you are true to your Why in all you do?

I always:

  • Seek opportunities to help others
  • Treat others with respect and kindness
  • Am open and attentive to the ideas or thoughts of others
  • Value differences in thought and culture

I never:

  • Treat others with disrespect because of differences
  • Am passive when I see an issue needing attention
  • Am narrow-minded

My work style is:

  • Detail-oriented

I try to treat people:

  • With respect
  • With kindness

I approach problems by:

  • Clearly defining the issue
  • Gaining all contextual knowledge surrounding the problem
  • Considering all stakeholders
  • Generating my own ideas and hearing thoughts from others
  • Taking action to implement ideas

Victories are time to:

  • reflect

If another attacks my point of view I:

  • Listen to their view and acknowledge their points while explaining the reason behind my own

If I fundamentally do not agree with what an organization or person is doing, I will:

  • Try to speak with others in the organization or the person directly to express my views. If we still do not see eye to eye and it is very important that we do to continue working together, I may dissociate from the person or organization.

Your Credibility – Your Whats

You have just spent some considerable time at Lehigh, and specifically in the Global Social Impact Fellowship, on many whats. Your whats include lab research, formal presentations, writing research papers, engaging with people in other cultural contexts, building prototypes, designing and building systems, raising funds, hiring employees, etc. The whats you have collected along the way are critical to your credibility when you are entering the workforce or applying to the best graduate and professional schools. They signify a credible currency to which organizations can assign value. Create a list of your Whats that are truly reflective of your Why & How.  You did these things because you believe (Why) and you acquired them in the following (How) manner. These are examples you can use in interviews.

What Have I Done List of Experiences, Accomplishments, and Lessons Learned
Degrees, Minors, Certificates, Fellowships  

Financial Engineering

Yellow Belt Certification

Global Social Impact Fellowship

Research Experiences

 

 

 

 

 

Global Social Impact Fellowship

 

Mountaintop Summer Experience

 

Inventions and Innovations

 

 

 

 

N/A

(Social) Entrepreneurial Ventures

 

 

 

 

Project Copra

 

 

 

 

Publications

(Formal and Informal)

 

N/A

 

 

 

 

 

Formal Presentations

(at Lehigh and Beyond)

 

 

 

Mountaintop Summer Experience

Global Social Impact Fellowship

Awards and

External Recognition

 

 

 

 

 

 

N/A

 

 

 

Articulating and learning from GSIF-related Experiences. For each of these prompts, we want you to identify one and only one specific and compelling event/incident/experience/moment and identify exactly how you grew personally and professionally through that moment.

Teamwork Experience

(and Lessons Learned)

 

 

 

The first time each sub-team came together as one cohesive team to create a presentation last semester, I remember feeling as though we did not accomplish what I thought we would because we spent a significant amount of time updating each other rather than getting work done. However, this was necessary and I learned that I need to practice patience and better communicate plans with my teammates so I know what to expect during meetings.

 

 

Conflict Resolution Experience

(and Lessons Learned)

While making the final presentation as one large team last semester, we had small disagreements about things like how the presentation should look and what information we should include. These types of disagreements can be difficult to handle since you want to resolve them quickly to move on while still making sure everyone feels as though their voice is heard. In these situations, each member who wanted to would briefly explain their reasoning for their stance on the issue and we would usually proceed with the majority’s side.

 

 

Leadership Experience

(and Lessons Learned)

 

 

 

 

Throughout the Global Social Impact Fellowship, our team rotated the leadership position. When I was team leader, I facilitated communication between sub-teams and advisors. I also created the agenda for each team meeting for which I was leader and I directed the discussion during the meetings to ensure the team stayed on topic and was timely in addressing each item of the meeting. This experience strengthened my leadership and interpersonal skills.

 

Dealing with Chaos, Ambiguity, and Uncertainty (and Lessons Learned) With the state of the world’s current environment, our team had trouble leveraging connections in the Philippines to speak to farmers and other potential stakeholders. Though this hindered our progression, it taught us that sometimes we need to accept what we cannot control and look for other ways to move forward when there are obstacles.

 

 

 

 

 

Personally Challenging Experience (and Lessons Learned)

 

Since GSIF relies on the self-discipline of the students to get valuable work done, it took some adjusting to properly allocate weekly time dedicated to the project since it is so different than simply completing an assignment for a class by a specific deadline. Through the nature of the fellowship, I gained better time management skills that I can carry with me throughout the rest of my professional experiences.

 

Cross-cultural Experience (and Lessons Learned)

 

When first meeting with the UPD team, I was surprised to see the UPD team show up an hour late after our GSIF class. It seemed as though they were very relaxed with their time and did not find it abnormal to show up at a different time than planned. Through this experience, I learned to be conscious of others’ tendencies that may or may not simply be a result of their cultural environment.

 

 

 

 

An experience that helped you connect your GSIF work to your discipline / major.

 

Though our project was not at the stage to create a definite financial model last semester, I enjoyed creating the financial model as it was an instance that I saw a clear crossover between GSIF and my major.

 

 

A moment that boosted your sense of agency and self-efficacy – you felt like you can speak for yourself, get stuff done, take on the world and make it better.

 

Participating in Mountaintop virtually boosted my sense of self-efficacy because it showed me that I can produce valuable work even when the environment is not ideal for working in groups. Despite not being physically together to work on the project, the summer experience proved to me that I can adapt to changes and successfully work in different environments.
A moment where you felt like you truly have a strong sense of purpose and belonging in this dynamic, globalized interdependent world.

 

Hearing from speakers during Mountaintop was very inspiring and made me feel motivated in my purpose on the project. Their experiences were very encouraging and made me feel engaged in a way that I do not usually feel in the typical classroom environment.

 

Blog Week 12

GSIF Conceptual Framework

Team: Sammy Powers, Ami Yoshimura, Brianna Wanbaugh, Tri Nguyen , Jake Donoghue

Develop a systems framework for the Global Social Impact Fellowship contrasting it with traditional programs. 

Figure 1: Traditional classrooms

In a traditional classroom, students typically attend lectures, complete assignments, study for exams vigorously and receive a degree once they have completed all the necessary requirements for their curriculum.

Figure 2: GSIF Conceptual Framework

In the Global Social Impact Fellowship, students apply what they learn in lectures and workshops and apply it to their projects, in the real world, which has real impact. These real world impact projects give students other opportunities for learning that is based upon more experiential experiences.

Actors:

  • Khanjan and Bill (office of creative inquiry)
  • The teams (including the students and project advisors)
  • Partnerships
  • Students

 

What are they trying to accomplish:

  • Sustainable Impact, Impact, and Impact
  • Different from norm because of the real world application of what is learned

 

How are they trying to accomplish it?

  • Inspiring students to generate sustainable impact and providing them with a proper knowledge of how to do it
  • 1-year commitment 
  • Interdisciplinary learning
  • Fieldwork
  • Inclusive
  • Publish original work and travel to conferences to present the work if applicable

 

Why are they doing what they are doing?

 

  • Impact. Impact. Impact.

 

What do all the actors gain from GSIF?

  • Group work experience across disciplines
  • Connections
  • Educational, hands-on, authentic experience
  • Entrepreneurial mindsets
  • Reputation
  • Travel
  • Life-long friends 🥺
  • Class at 7pm 🙂 
  • Inspirational quotes from our lovely instructor
  • Opportunity for publication  
  • Opportunity for full-time summer research positions 

 

Blog Week 10 and 11

Team: COPRA

Grand vision

  • Increase the income of 3.5 million Filipino coconut farmers
  • Filipino coconuts farmers should be able to earn a livable wage
  • No Filipino coconuts farmers should live below $2/day 

 

Develop a conceptual framework that captures your vision of how your innovation and the ensemble/coalition you build around it will address the systemic challenges and improve the QoL for the target group.

 

Systematic challenge: Small-hold copra farmers do not have access to processing equipment or technology to produce higher value-added products.

Figure 1: Farmers harvest their coconuts, smoke/sun dry them, and sell them to the middleman broker, and the middleman broker sells it to the processing plants where it is then processed into higher value added products. In this process, the coconut farmers are unable to make significant income due to the middleman broker paying lower costs due to the consistency and quality of the Copra.

Figure 2: Our innovation will reconfigure the extant system by enabling farmers to process their coconuts into higher value added products on their own, thus enabling them to take in more money than they did before.

Blog Post 8

Name: Jake Donoghue, Brianna Wanbaugh, Sammy Powers, and Tri Nguyen

Systems thinking challenge #1: Police corruption in Afghanistan 

  • 35M Population; 250,000 Policemen
  • 27% Literacy Rate (2019: 32%)
  • 13 Yrs, Billions Later →  Poor Personnel and Payroll Data (No verification)
  • Extremely High (Hierarchical) Corruption
  • 10% “Ghost” Policemen
  • Commanders get a cut from salaries
  • Poor Morale; Defection to the Taliban
  • Law and Order Crises; Public Trust

Solution:

The corruption in the Afghan police bodies can be accounted for by the following factors: 1) low salaries; 2) poor working conditions; 3) poor recruitment and selection procedures resulting from poor literacy rate among the population; 4) a lack of training programmes 5) and opportunities for corruption due to inadequate controls of payroll data.

As a commander in chief of the police, we will have to collaborate with different entities among the governing bodies of the Afgan to bring in significant police and institutional reforms. The entities will be included but not limited to educators, influences, policy makers, citizens, governors, and more. To address the root cause of corruption and not just the “symptoms,” our solution will be grounded on these pillars: education, enforcement and prevention. The reform practices will be as follows:

 

  • Education:

 

  1. Implement additional education for policers to uphold integrity, professionalism, and adherence to human rights and laws
  2. Promote public education of anti-corruption intervention by publicizing the arrest and successful prosecution of prominent corrupted police officers
  3. Promote the public knowledge of anti-corruption laws and use the public to report corruption. 

 

  • Enforcement:

 

  1. Adding police auditors and anti-corruption intervention bodies to increase the accountability of the police force. These anti-corruption investigation bureau can be given authority to freeze assets, seize passports, propose reforms, etc. They might also have extensive powers to conduct an investigation, arrest police officers who are suspicious of bribery, and probe into a suspect’s financial evidence
  2. Within the anti-corruption investigation bureau, make sure there is a regulation system to make all anti-corruption investigators accountable for their granted power. For example, classify the main body into 3 sub-components, and have one group reviewed by the other 2 groups in terms of transparency and evaluative performance on a regular basis.  

 

  • Prevention:

 

  1. Provide incentive for fairness by making sure the working conditions are reasonable, the salaries are justified for a comfortable living environment, heavy penalties for bribery, and large bounties for reporting corruption
  2. Put emphasis on the recruitment and selection procedures of future police officers; making the process more selective so that the 
  3. Strong leadership, as demonstrated by the commander-in-chief of the Afghan police, will be essential to serve a role model and the beacon of hope and justice.

Systems Thinking Analysis:

Differentiation: The individual components of this large system include the community, Afghan Uniform Police, Afghan Highway Police, Afghan Border Police, Criminal Investigation Department, the Afghan Local Police (ALP) Now part of ANP, and the Afghan government.

Interdependence: Our solution depends on mutually beneficial and reciprocal relationships within the system, including connections between bodies and pillars. As a commander in chief of the police, we will work with several governing bodies in which both the people within the police system will benefit in addition to the governing bodies facilitating reform, as the improvement of the country will reflect them and their work. Additionally, mutually beneficial connections exist between pillars. For example, establishing an education plan can encourage accountability and in turn improve enforcement and prevention by emphasizing police responsibility to act in accordance with the law.

Holism: In order to increase the anti-corruption in Afghanistan, all components of the problem need to be considered in order to fully solve the problem. In this case, the police cannot exist without the community because there would be nothing to protect. If there is nothing to protect then any governing body of higher rank is not necessary. Therefore, these independent components depend on each other to create the problem and solve the problem.

Multifinality: The goal of our solution is to promote public trust in police, to minimize corruption, increase morale, and improve quality of life for the community. With this solution all parties involved will have their goals met. The community will have more trustworthy police because the rate of corruption will have decreased and if there is less corruption the community will be willing to report more crimes. Corruption will be minimized through education of the police and the public. The police will be educated to uphold strong core values such as integrity, professionalism, and their human rights and laws. The people will be educated through the shared knowledge of arrests and successful prosecutions. A strong leader will allow for the increase in morale among police officers. All of these together will lead to a higher quality of life for all of those involved.

Equifinality: As previously stated, our solution is founded on three pillars in which there are several paths to achieving our overall goal. Though there are many different approaches or “inputs” involved, the overall result or “output” to reduce corruption remains the same.

Regulation: Our solution has a system in place that helps hold the police accountable through our implementation of anti-corrupt bodies, public broadcast of arrests and prosecutions, as well as higher salaries to increase the will of the police officers to not be corrupt.

Abstraction: Though this issue focuses specifically on anti-corruption, our solution has broader applications. The implementation of our solution will result in a higher quality of life for the people of Afghanistan by ensuring a proper system that convicts crime and reduces the abuse of power. 

Leverage: If the salaries are being raised the selection process can be more competitive which will ultimately allow for higher quality police officers.

 

Systems thinking challenge #2: Water hyacinth

  • Water hyacinth infestation is a major problem on the shores of Lake Victoria. The moss doubles every month and blocks the fishermen’s access to the lake. It also results in spread of disease and hence they want it removed at all costs.
  • An entrepreneur has figured out that she can take the hyacinth, crush it, and use it to make compost and briquettes. She hires four people to cut the hyacinth, crush it with manual machines, and bring it to her workshop. 
  • This system works well for 2 weeks and her need for the hyacinth increases substantially. But the communities on the shores are unhappy that she is making money from the hyacinth. They stop her employees from accessing the hyacinth.
  • How does she solve the problem?

Solution:

To address this challenge, the entrepreneur could try to incorporate the fishermen in her water hyacinth business. As the fishermen need to clean up the hyacinth to get access to the fishing area in the lake, they can also store the hyacinth on their boats during the process and give it to the entrepreneur in exchange of the shared profits earned from the production of compost and briquettes later. After having access to the hyacinth, the entrepreneur can hire labor workers to crush the hyacinth with manual machines and transport it to her workshop where she can make compost and briquettes. To prevent the community from thinking that she is solely the one that gets the benefit from the business, she could share 10% profits of the business from her products with the fishermen. To start off, the entrepreneur can partner with a few fishermen, and if these fishermen earned additional benefits in addition to their finishing income, this might motivate other fishermen to come and join the business. This will be a win-win situation for both sides. The entrepreneur can now get a steady supply of the hyacinth to make and sell her products, while the communities, including the fishermen and labor workers, will be able to earn additional benefits by taking part in the business. In addition, since the hyacinth is the source of the disease that is detrimental to the ecosystems, removing it from the lake on a regular basis is making a positive impact on the environment, which will not only protect the fish in the lake but also the health of the community who is more than likely to eat the fish from where the hyacinth is growing infestedly. 

Systems Thinking Analysis:

Differentiation:

  • Fishers 
  • Labor workers – crushing hyacinth and machining compost/briquettes 
  • Entrepreneur
  • Lake Victoria community

Interdependence:

  • The fishermen would be paid by the entrepreneur to clear the hyacinth from the water
  • The fishermen will be able to catch more fish 
  • The Lake Victoria community begins profiting from this as the local fisherman are bringing in extra money, and selling more fish to the local population

Holism: Overall, the removal of hyacinth will allow for more fish to be bought and eaten (food security) as well as a decrease in the spread of disease which will benefit the community as a whole.

Multifinality:

  • Each individual stakeholder in this hyacinth business is working with different goals:
    • Entrepreneur: get access to the hyacinth that then she can make compost and briquettes 
    • Fishermen: clear out the hyacinth in the lake to do their fishing
    • Labour workers: can still process raw hyacinth and transport it to the entrepreneur’s workshop
    • Lake Victoria community: get rid of the hyacinth which is a source of a disease
  • The system itself also meet its own goals:
    • Get rid of the hyacinth
    • All involved individuals get benefits form the system

Equifinality: 

  • All stakeholders are working on different parts of the hyacinth business, but they all share the same goals: removing hyacinth and earning additional benefits from the business.

Regulation:

  • Create a quota in weight of hyacinth removed for fishermen to meet to ensure steady business
  • Be clear that 10% of the profit automatically goes back to the fishermen

Abstraction:

Our solution has wider applications, as it improves the overall health of the environment and protects the ecosystem.

Leverage point:

 

  • Partnering with fishermen so that they are not left out

Blog Post 7

Describe at least 5 partnerships with individuals and/or organizations that have been formed to support your project and that impact the success or failure of your venture.

 

Please identify partnerships at the individual, team, and Lehigh / GSIF level.

 

1.What constituted the partnership?

2.How did the partner help you? How did you help them?

3.Was this a symbiotic relationship? Why or why not?

4.What would help strengthen this partnership and make it more equitable?

 

University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) (HEED Program)

  1. This partnership was born during the assignment or our project. We were given this connection initially.
  2. UPD students and a professor have given us insights on conditions in the Philippines as well as contacts for the Philippine Coconut Authority.  
  3. No, because of the pandemic we were not able to travel to the Philippines to collaborate with the UPD students. The UPD students were also sent home due to the pandemic where many of them did not have access to wifi so we shifted to communication with Jill Manapat only. However, due to poor connection it is hard to have productive zoom meetings
  4. More communication efforts would help strengthen this relationship but given the circumstances of the Pandemic 

 

Prof. Jedlicka

  1. Professor Jedlicka is the co-advisor to our project (for both TE Capstone team and GSIF).
  2. She provides guidance and insight to our team based on her expertise. We give her more information about different aspects of the copra industry, which in turn allows her to provide us with more suggestions and direction.
  3. This is a symbiotic relationship, as we are both reciprocating value. As we navigated through this complex coconut industry together as students and mentors, we taught and learned from each other: we taught her about the coconut knowledge that we found from literature, and she taught us how to better use that knowledge to advance our venture. 
  4. An increase in the team’s efforts would strengthen this relationship since the more we put in allows for more input on Professor Jedlicka’s end. 

 

Prof. Haden

  1. This partnership was built through GSIF and Professor Haden is a co-advisor to our project
  2. She helped us organize our ideas and helped us with where we should start with our project. We have helped her by teaching her about copra and the marketing of it in the Philippines. Also we will eventually publish a paper which will reflect well on her. 
  3. Yes, because Professor Haden acted as a guide for where we should start and we were able to teach her about our project. 
  4. More communication would strengthen this partnership.

 

Wilber (Brian Slocum and Michael Moore)

  1. Our partnership with the Wilbur Powerhouse is based on our need for help in designing and prototyping our dryer. We connected through our advisor and our own relations.
  2. They have helped us through the design, but also mainly the physical construction of the prototype through their skill sets, expertise, and their access to Wilbur. 
  3. This is less of a symbiotic relationship because they have given us more value than we have given them, through advising us through our designs and helping us build it.
  4. A more proactive approach to our design methods and an increase in understanding of the building process from our team. 

 

Lynne Cassimeris

  1. Cell Biology professor at Lehigh, whom one of our team members is taking a class with. 
  2. This partner has helped in furthering the understanding of what goes on a cellular and molecular level inside of cells, which can be applied to copra.
  3. This is less of a symbiotic relationship as she is providing her teaching on her profession and we are learning from it.
  4. What would strengthen this relationship would be being in more communication with her and asking more directly about potential guidance on how to work on copra more effectively.

 

Gregory Lang

  1. One of our team members worked at Dr. Lang’s Yeast lab
  2. Dr. Lang answered an email about what to do about aflatoxins when our team member emailed him and he provided his knowledge as he is a microbiology professor and has experience working on bacteria and yeast.
  3. This is less of a symbiotic relationship as we do not have anything valuable from our side of research to offer him in return for his teaching.
  4. More communication and working alongside him would strengthen the relationship and bring more equity to our project as we would profit from the more knowledge we gain about how to counteract spoilage and molding.

Blog 6

Q1: List ten specific ways in which your teaming approach has changed/ evolved since you started, teamwork skills you have developed, and lessons you have learned

  1. At the beginning of last spring semester, we simply had one team on the project with a focus on engineering a design to implement in the Philippines for copra farmers. Shortly after, we had more members join the copra project including a business side and a science research side investigating antioxidants and preservatives for copra. This addition has added several new perspectives to our project and has allowed me on the engineering side to really focus on developing a design with my other engineering team members while still learning about the business aspects of our venture and the potential integration of antioxidants from newer members. 
  2. Initially, the copra team was focused on creating a copra dryer. After several discussions questioning the novelty of our approach, we decided to switch our focus to creating a multi-functional coconut processing machine that would turn different parts of the coconut into several value-added products, which we continued with through our research at Mountaintop this summer. Now, as we progress through the fall semester, our approach has returned to our initial focus after realizing that drying the copra is the first step to any subsequent processes that we may add in the future. 
  3. I have learned to be a proactive thinker as a result of the addition of new members to our team. Since I now have a specific focus in engineering, I have had to learn to not only actively listen to the research of the members of the business and science research side, but also think about how each sub-team fits as whole, specifically how their research plays a role in the overall design and implementation of our developing product. This requires asking questions about research from other sides of the team and discussing areas of intersection between groups. 
  4. I have learned how to effectively communicate with my teammates and project contacts.
  5. Through our rotation of roles as leader, I have learned how to direct discussion at team meetings and create a weekly agenda to provide structure for meetings. 
  6. I have learned how to properly prepare for presentations and meetings with contacts to concisely relay what is necessary to convey. 
  7. I’ve become more comfortable sharing my thoughts and findings in a group. 
  8. Our team has learned to use multiple people to present to engage the audience. We have also learned how to translate feedback from peers to improve our presentations.
  9. Our team has learned to foster a fun and positive atmosphere during team meetings while still getting our work done.
  10. I have learned the importance of understanding indigenous knowledge in the implementation of our future product. 

Q2: Provide an updated Collaboration Plan for your team, clearly articulating your Goals (Small g and Big G), Roles, Procedures, and Relationships.

 

Team Name: COPRA                                                                          Date: 09/29/2020
Goals Personal goals:

Brianna: 

Make as much useful contribution as possible, positively influence the group, create strong relationships,Improve my group work skills, ask more critical questions. 

Then I hope to use all these personal improvements to make a social impact that matters.

Tri:

Learn more about coconuts processing and get hand-on experience on making coconuts dryers!

Build life-long friendship with peers at Lehigh and those in the Philippines

Jake:

Provide hands on help with computer aided designing, fabrication (if at all possible), and testing of our drying chambers. Provide next year’s team with the necessary information to build off of and move toward getting our venture going.

Sammy:

Gain experience in conducting meaningful research and working on an interdisciplinary team. Make valuable contributions to move the project forward and create sustainable impact. Improve my interpersonal skills and develop a new mindset 

Ami: 

Contribute to the project in a meaningful way, understanding my own strengths and weaknesses , and learning how I can efficiently and effectively work within a diverse team. Help to better enforce communications within the team and outside the team, and become a better researcher and writer. Improve my own hard and soft skill sets including communications, and better understanding design thinking, engineering design, and supply chain.

Rozhin:

Complete experiments and write results in a lab report

Publish a paper about the experiments and their relationship to the overall copra industry and how the result is an asset to copra farmers.

Michelle: 

Publish a paper about the different antioxidants we have researched on

Pinpoint one antioxidant we can use for the copra processing 

Continue with our research and see if there are other things we can improve on

Brianna C:

Help team with adding background information to paper to provide readers with a deeper framework and history of its problems and clarity on why proposed solution are innovative and helpful

Project Goal:

The project aims to improve copra processing and process streamlining for elevating the livelihoods of copra farmers by generating additional income.

Is our Project Goal scaled to our resources (dreams, materials, skills, differences, etc.) and constraints (assignment, time, skills, etc.)?

As a team, we have the given resources and knowledge needed to design and prototype a device that can better process copra. Unfortunately, due to given circumstances, our access to both each other and the tools required are constraining the timetable for which this project will operate on.  

Since COPRA is a multi-year project, we as a team will lay up a strong foundation so that we can transfer the knowledge to other teams. The hope is that future teams will be able to scale upon the ideas and designs we come up with throughout this year.

 

Metrics for Success

    • Design, energy efficiency, and sustainability of the processing technique
    • Amount of high-quality copra that can be produced using new methods
    • Amount of additional income that can be generated for copra farmers
    • Scalability and Sustainability of the business model (can we actually get people to use this)
Roles Who is responsible for which deliverables?

  • Rozhin, Michelle, and Brianna C. will be responsible for the antioxidant testing and the deliverables that come from this.
  • Jake, Tri, Brianna W, Sammy, and Ami will be responsible for the engineering components and the corresponding deliverables that arise from this.

Which deliverables that require collaboration, subgroups & individual work? Who does each person depend upon to succeed?

Deliverables 

  • Presentation – Collaboration
  • Preliminary Design Concepts – Sub group/Collaboration
  • Prototype – Sub group/Individual
  • Testing Data – Sub group/Individual
  • Final report – Collaboration

Do we need a project manager to coordinate? 

  • Yes, we do need one. However, specific to our group, we rotate our project manager once every three weeks so that everyone has a chance to step up and take responsible for the group’s success
  • We realize the importance of having a manager to help organize and coordinate group work and research, but believe that having a rotating leadership position helps alleviate the stress from one individual
Procedures Decision-making 

  • Consensus, our group has had very few disagreements
    • If consensus can’t be achieved we will default to majority rules/the advice of our project advisor

Effective meetings

  • We’ve conducting weekly meetings (along with multiple weekly sub meetings) to keep everyone on track and updated with all the key information regarding our project
    • Before each meeting we lay out an agenda to increase efficiency of meetings and help steer the conversation in the right direction
    • We write weekly briefs (in accordance with our TE 211 course work) to keep documented records on what work and research we do each week
  • We plan to continue holding these weekly meetings over Zoom at the same time and in the same fashion
  • Keep track of time during meetings
  • At the end of every meeting we make sure to assign weekly work to each group member to ensure that we can hold each other accountable

Meeting roles

  • During meetings the leader will facilitate the meeting and assign a different scribe for each meeting.
  • The leader role will be rotated every 3 weeks

Communication

  • Up until this week we had planned Zoom meetings once a week on Fridays from 2:00 – 3:00 PM
    • Bi-weekly meeting with two sub-groups, Prof. Jedlicka, and Prof. Haden
Relationships Teamwork

  • Our team has been very agreeable up to this point – we’ve had few disagreements if any
    • Our assumption is that transitioning to video chatting as our primary form of communication will not be a problem
  • For the Engineering team:
    • We have backgrounds in Materials Science Engineering, Mechanical Engineerings, Industrial Systems Engineering and Product Design
    • The team also consists of different backgrounds such as athletics, international, cultural, and greek life.
    • We have different interests outside of engineering: make-up and sports, band music, music composition, nature, and chess.
  • The Science Research and Business teams have been added to the to Copra team
    • The Science Research team have backgrounds in biology and are working on developing antioxidant research and experiments to help further the project
    • The business has background in economics and international relations which will help further the project in terms of working on the business background of the project 

Listening – As a team we enter group meetings with an open mindset and are ready listen to each other 

Team Name– Copra

Blog Post #5

Samantha Powers

Team: COPRA

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

Top 20 FAQs and Answers

 

1. 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. 

 

2. 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).

 

3. 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. 

 

4. 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.

 

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

 

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

 

6. 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.  

 

7. 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.

 

8. 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.

 

9. 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.

 

10. 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.

 

11. 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.

 

12. 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. 

 

13. 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. 

 

14. 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.

 

15. 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.

 

16. 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).

 

17. 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.

 

18. 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. 

 

19. 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. 

 

20. 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. 

 

Blog Post 4

Samantha Powers

Teammates: Jordyn, Junior, Ted Renz

Part 1: 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 in this region have stunted growth due to poor nutrition
  • The donor’s intent is to simultaneously improve the nutritional status of children and improve the livelihoods of rural households
  • HIV/AIDS is prevalent in this region
    • Transmission is common through breastfeeding
  • Approximately 500 women from three contiguous sub-locations have indicated their interest in joining the cooperative, in hopes of improving their livelihoods
  • The 500 women are skeptical of the porridge and its use as an early weaning food
  • The longer a HIV+ mother breastfeeds, the greater the chance to infect their child
  • Pesticides are typically used in growing some of the crops and can negatively impact the health of infants
  • Assumption: the women do not know if they have HIV/AIDS

Ethical issue:

Our role as entrepreneurs and trying to find a balance between the following scenarios:

  • Use of pesticides in some crops locally grown can negatively impact the health of infants.
  • If the shelf-stable porridge made from a large mix of locally grown produce is done, it can help mothers feed their kids nutritiously until they turn 6 months old, however it may cause health problems to the children. 
  • If the mothers keep breastfeeding (with the risk of being HIV+) there is a chance that their kids will be infected by the virus.

 

Step 2 & 3: Define the Stakeholders and their motivations 

  • Ourselves as the entrepreneurs
    • To provide the infants with nutrients without the risk of them contracting AIDS/HIV to improve the infant’s life and their family’s 
    • Aid to decrease stunted growth rate
    • Do the most out of the grant and make the cooperative be successful
    • Track records for the future / building their credibility

 

  • The mothers
    • Want their children to be safe and healthy
      • Skeptical of porridge 
      • Believe that gruel is perfectly healthy for children
    • Want to improve livelihoods
    • Reduce risks of HIV/AIDS
    • The possibility of making some money. (by selling the surplus crops they grew)

 

  • The children (primary stakeholders)
    • Want food = base motivation

 

  • The donors (secondary stakeholders)
    • Want to improve the nutritional status of children and improve the livelihoods of rural households
    • Want to make a nutritious, shelf-stable porridge made from locally grown produce available for children at 6 months of age to wean them off of breast milk
  • Pesticide providers 
    • Make a profit
    • Want pesticide use to continue
  • Local Market from the 3 adjacent locations
    • They want the cooperative to be successful so that they have continuous flow of cash/products.
    • By boosting their operations, they will be able to either profit or reinvest in their businesses.
  • Government in east Africa  (secondary stakeholder)
    • They want to stop the stunt of children
    • They want to improve the current situation of HIV/AIDS in their region

 

Step 4: Formulate (at least three) alternative solutions – based on information available, using basic ethical core values as guide 

 

Approach 1: 

  • Potential solution →  Address healthcare for HIV/AIDS in the region directly through testing and education. Address the lack of nutrients in the gruel as well. 

 

  • Ethical Principle or code 
    • Beneficence
    • Nonmaleficence

 

  • Pros 
    • By knowing whether mothers are HIV+ or not, they would know if they would be needing to porridge or not. (i.e., potential clients/workers for the cooperative)  
    • Improved health in children because the mother would know the appropriate time to stop breastfeeding to minimize risk of transmitting the virus to the child

 

  •  Cons 
    • Improving health care approaches (e.g., prevention, testing for HIV) may be costly.
    • The infants are still at risk from the pesticides. 
    • Donor may also be upset because this solution deviates from original goals
    • It may be difficult to get women to get tests or attend educational programs due to transportation challenges. 
    • “Do you realize how incredibly expensive this is?” – Khanjan 

 

Approach 2: 

 

  • Potential solution → Use alternative methods for protecting the crops such as low toxicity pesticides, diversified planting, crop rotation, crop rotation, beneficial insects, trap plants, and/or barriers and traps 

 

  • Ethical principle or code
    • Duty-Based Thinking
  •  Pros 
    • Reduces health risks of food 
    • The mothers may be less skeptical when they are informed the porridge will be free of toxins.
    • Potential positive effects outside of venture

 

  • Cons 
    • Increased labor for devising the alternative methods.
    • Time consuming: time is needed to educate the farmers and for the farmers to implement the new alternatives to pesticides.
    • It may be difficult to persuade the farmers since they are accustomed to using pesticides and may fear crop failure.
    • Donor may be upset about the additional time needed to change the farming structure. 

 

Approach 3: 

  • Potential solution → Identify which nutrients are lacking in the current gruel mothers are using to feed their children. The cooperative could focus on producing the crops that would effectively improve the nutritious value of the gruel. (Thus, achieving the donor’s original goals)

 

  • Ethical Principle or code 
    • Care-based thinking in the sense we would be focusing on improving locals’ habits of nutrition instead of focusing on the development of our own product / maximizing profits.

 

  •  Pros 
    • Requires little adjustment from mothers — They trust the gruel
    • No longer needs to accompany breastfeeding due to more nutrients
    • Satisfies goals of the donor

 

  • Cons 
    • Does not generate any profit for cooperative
    • It may be time consuming to investigate which nutrients are lacking and how to implement the supplementation. 
    • May still require use of local crops — risk of pesticides

 

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

  • Investigation of the different types of alternatives to pesticides to create our second solution
  • Reaching out to family members for the production of traps/barriers for approach 2.

 

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 involves both solutions 2 and 3. This would entail identifying which nutrients are lacking in the current gruel mothers are using to feed their children. Then, the cooperative could focus on producing the crops that would effectively improve the nutritious value of the gruel, overall achieving the donors original goals. Solution 2 is incorporated in this best course of action because the cooperative would focus on using crops that use safe alternatives to pesticides rather than the current pesticides used that cause negative health effects in infants. This combined solution reduces the health risk associated with using pesticides and would be the solution most likely to be accepted by the mothers as it is only an adjustment from the original gruel; it is not an entirely new product. It also no longer needs to accompany breastfeeding due to the new gruel supplying the appropriate nutrients for children after 6 months of age. The combined solution is a better choice than solution 3 alone because solution 3 fails to address the issue regarding negative health effects from the pesticides. Similarly, the combined solution is a better choice than solution 2 by itself because solution 2 would require an entirely new adoption of practices to eliminate pesticide use. While it is true that the combined solution would require the adoption of some new practices, the transition would be to a lesser extent since it would only have to be applied to the few crops specified as additions to the gruel product. Though this solution does require additional time and money, the outcomes would best achieve the donors original goals. Additionally, this solution would require less time and funds than solution 1, which would require a change to a large part of the healthcare system for HIV prevention and testing while still failing to address the negative health effects from pesticide use.

 

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. 

Technologically, my proposed solution can transform farming in the long-term if farmers realize that the alternatives are better options economically to apply to crops other than the ones used as additional nutrients for the gruel. Another area of economic impact is in the cost of the product. Since the gruel now has more nutrients and added value, it will likely be more expensive for mothers to buy for their children in comparison to the original gruel. However, this economic cost is outweighed by the social benefit of my proposed solution. Pursuing the combined solution will both reduce the risk of negative health effects from pesticides and improve the health of the children since they will only intake breast milk until they are 6 months of age, after which they will transition to the new gruel product. 

Part 2: Grassroots Diplomacy

Step 1: Determine the facts in the situation

  • Six months after the launch, the efforts of the women are paying off and business is thriving
  • Women work for 9 hours every day and earn ~ three dollars
  • Besides their salary they can sell the produce grown on their small farms to the cooperative (rates are standard – helps them make money on the side)
  • The women like this work model because it saves them a trip (time + money) to the village market to sell their products 
  • The women enjoy working together and they are happy. 
  • When a woman brings her hard- earned money home, she has no choice but to turn it over to her husband, father, or brothers. Rather than using the money to support their families, the men waste it on alcohol and frivolous things.
  • Though you are loved and respected by the entire community, you do not have a direct say in the cooperative’s functioning.
  • You are one of the seven members of the leadership committee that oversees all operations. The committee is elected on an annual basis and you have six months left on the committee, after which you will practically leave the cooperative completely. 
  • The other women on the committee are convinced that nothing can be done about it because that’s just the way it works in their community.

 

Step 2 & 3: Define the problem and the motivations of the stakeholders

  • Problem: The employed women are not able to use their hard-earned money to buy household necessities or porridge to feed their children because the money goes to their husband, father, or brothers. 

 

  • Researcher/entrepreneurs
    • Personal:
      • To improve the livelihoods of the infant and the families. 
    • Professional:
      • Provide the infants with nutrients to allow breastfeeding to stop at 6 months to reduce the risk of them contracting HIV
      • Prevent the continuation of the stunted growth rate
      • Make decisions that will make the cooperative be most successful
      • Improve record of success for the future by building credibility
      • Enable the women to make profit off of the venture
  • The Mothers
    • Personal: 
      • Improve the safety and health of the child
        • Prevent risk of contracting HIV
      • Improve their livelihoods
    • Professional: 
      • Make a profit from selling the surplus crops they will grow
  • The infants
    • Personal:
      • Sustenance
  • The donor
    • Personal: 
      • Improve the nutritional status of children and improve the livelihoods of rural households
    • Professional:
      • Make a nutritious, shelf-stable porridge made from locally grown produce available for children at 6 months of age to wean them off of breast milk
  • Local Market from the 3 adjacent locations
    • Professional: 
      • Be a successful cooperative so that they have continuous flow of cash/products
      • By boosting their operations, they will be able to either profit or reinvest in their businesses
  • Government in East Africa 
    • Professional:
      • Preventing the stunt of child growth
      •  Improving the current situation of HIV/AIDS in their region 
  • The Men
    • Personal:
      • To achieve personal happiness
      • To be a leader for the family
    • Professional:
      • Make money 
  • 6 other members of the leadership group
    • Personal
      • Desire for the venture to work so that the lives of infants, mothers, and families are improved
      • Maintaining peace within the community
    • Professional
      • Furthering the success of the cooperative

Step 4,5,6: Formulate one optimal solution

Solution: Create a store where the women can, at any time, spend money in the store, but they can only take ⅓ of their money at a time to incentivize them to save money. The other ⅔ would get reinvested in the company, meaning that $2 would equal 2 shares. If they reach $100, the women can withdraw the money to buy something that is approved by the committee. Also, each woman would walk away with a small bag of porridge each day. This solution would involve bringing key leaders together from the community to speak about the issues openly and have them validate the concept. These leaders would include 25-30 men, religious people, or whoever has influence in the community to talk about the problem together.

  • How does it solve the problem?
    • Pros:
      • Women are able to save money for future needs.
      • Women are able to purchase porridge for themselves or infants.
      • The health of the infants will improve since they will be fed the porridge. 
      • Prevents entire earnings from being spent on frivolous things by the men.
      • Men still receive a dollar a day which may satisfy his needs.
      • The goals of the venture are fulfilled.
      • The solution ensures understanding and respect from all stakeholders.
    • Cons: 
      • There may be different, split opinions from the community meeting on how to proceed with the issue.
      • The committee will change overtime, so this solution may also change as a result.

 

  • How does it save face of those involved?
    • Women: Will not have to confront their husband, father, brothers about the frivolous spending of money.
    • Entrepreneurs: The venture can succeed since help will be provided by other members of the community.
    • Infants: Improvement of health
    • Donor: The venture is a success, so they do not have to worry about the issue of the men spending the money.
    • The Men: Involved in the decision making process, which makes their needs feel validated.
    • 6 other members of the leadership group: A solution is implemented that the community agrees on, so they do not have to fight cultural norms.
    • Government in East Africa and Local Market from the 3 adjacent locations: The venture moves forward, so motivations are satisfied.
  • Implications on relationships
    •  Short-term
      • Positive
        • The women are happy now that their money is being put to its appropriate purpose.
        • The committee is happy since the outcome benefits most involved.
        • The entrepreneurs feel satisfied that the mission of the venture is achieved.
      • Negative
        • Men may feel upset that they are not receiving the full amount of money.
    • Long-term
      • Positive
        • Community is happy since cultural norms are sustained.
        • The families feel content that household necessities are fulfilled.
        • The donor is very happy with the work of the entrepreneurs.
      • Negative
        • There may be strained relationships if there is continued disagreement within the community.
  • Implications on the venture
    • Short-term
      • Positive
        • Women are able to use money for their needs, which satisfies the goal of venture.
        • Improved health of infants also fulfills the goal of the venture.
    •  Long-term
        • Positive
          • Increased credibility of the donor and entrepreneurs, showing success and therefore opportunities for more potential ventures. 
          • The government is happy that there are positive relations between donors and entrepreneurs. 
          • The venture has an opportunity to grow and expand to other countries. 
        • Negative
          • When the entrepreneur leaves the committee, negative change can occur in venture regulations. 

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

 

  1. Establish a meeting with important community members.
  2. Propose the solution during the meeting and discuss the pros and cons while gaining validity from the people. 
  3. Come to a general consensus with the community members.
  4. Inform employees of a new payment plan.
  5. Set up a new form of payment with members of the venture.
  6. Women begin to fulfill familial needs.
  7. Infantile health improves in the community. 
  8. The men feel involved and satisfied with the current situation.
  9. The committee leaders feel confident with the decision making process and are thrilled with the outcome.
  10. The government is pleased to see positive changes in the health of infants.
  11. Local markets profit from job growth. 
  12. Entrepreneurs finally have fulfilled goals of the venture, leaving them satisfied. 

 

Blog Post #3

Samantha Powers

Step 1: Facts

  • Children living in youth center in Kenya
  • Children of all ages 3-14 yo
  • Youth center received gifts from donor
  • Gifts already allocated for specific children, Jack is meant to distribute gifts
    • Four children did not receive gifts
    • Staff unconcerned about these children that didn’t get a gift
  • Have black hats which are available to distribute as an alternative
    • These children are unhappy with Jack and feel excluded
  • Assumed cultural difference between Jack (who is American) and the Staff (who are Kenyan)
    • It may be a cultural normal that when gifts come to the center, not every child gets a gift every time
  • Black hat assumed to have some sort of negative stigma

Step 2: Problem & Stakeholders

Problem: Four children at the youth center didn’t receive a gift from the donor because they were short. They were given hats to supplement, but now it looks bad that Jack didn’t get them a similar gift. 

  • Children Without Gifts
  • Children With Gifts
  • Jack 
  • Youth Center Staff 
  • Donor of Gifts

Step 3: Personal vs Professional Motivations

  • Children Without Gifts
    • Personal: might want to take the other children’s gifts because they feel left out 
    • Professional: N/A
  • Children With Gifts
    • Personal: might make the children without the gifts feel bad, want to keep their better gift
    • Professional: N/A
  • Jack 
    • Personal: doesn’t want the kids at the youth center to hate him, wants to be “the good guy”
    • Professional: doesn’t want to upset the staff by blaming the mix up on them or overstepping with his solution; concerned about well-being of children
  • Youth Center Staff
    • Personal: be trusted and liked by the children, wants to be “the good guy”
    • Professional: want to be respected by the children and not to be taken advantage of, wants the operation to keep running smoothly
  • Donor of Gifts
    • Personal: make kids happy
    • Professional: reach as many youth centers as they can

Step 4: Solutions

  • The children can share the gifts so that no child goes without a gift. This solves the problem by combining all gifts for use by any child at the youth center. Assign gifts on a number system each week (to mitigate the effect of cons).
    • Pros: no child will feel excluded, and each child can have access to a variety of gifts rather than one gift. It will instill a positive lesson in the children, as sharing is important for the kids to learn. Jack will save face providing a quick solution to the imminent issue involving the shortage of gifts. 
    • Cons: children may fight over the gifts, some gifts may be neglected because the children choose others. In this situation, it is likely that the children will want something that they can call their own. Asking the children to share the gifts they were given as individuals may take away some of the feelings of pride of ownership. Not all gifts may be appropriate for all children due to the range of ages.
    • Saves Face: No child will feel completely left out anymore and everyone will be able to play at some point.
    • Implications on Relationships: In the short term, some of the children might be upset they have to give up their personal gift for everyone to share, but in the long term all the children should be happy because they now have more gifts overall to play with.
    • Implications on Venture: The youth center will have to monitor when each child can play with each toy to allow everyone to play equally, so it is a little more work in the short term. But long term, hopefully everyone is happier.
  • Jack can tell them their gifts were lost, delayed, give them the hats for now. Get the children gifts at a later date.
    • Pros: eventually all children will have a gift, everyone is leaving with something at the time (although some just have hats).
    • Cons: children will be disappointed until they receive their actual gifts, may not be as interested in the gift at the later time, have to go out and acquire additional gifts.
    • Saves Face: Jack doesn’t blame any specific person for the children not receiving their gifts, and promises them that they will get the same gift eventually so hopefully saving his relationship with them.
    • Implications on Relationships: Children will be unhappy until they receive their gifts, putting more responsibility on Jack to make up for shortcoming. Once they receive their gift they will be happy with Jack after that.
    • Implications on Venture: Short term the youth center (or Jack) will have to spend money out of pocket to get the children their gifts. The children will potentially be upset until they get the gifts. But long term everyone will receive a gift of the same caliber.
  • Jack can take the children who received the black hats aside and make up a fun story to tell them about why the hats are special and how they can use them to play a game of some sort. Make modifications to hats to make them more appealing, add a fun experience to the gift.
    • Pros: This will make the children feel better about not receiving one of the other, more exciting, gifts. It will allow Jack to preserve his relationship with the children. It will avoid setting a precedent or creating a conflict with the staff at the center. This also preserves Jack’s status with the children, which will prevent them from walking all over him because he acts too sympathetically.
    • Cons: The children may see right through the act, making them still feel left out. The staff may be wary that you have chosen to act when they did not perceive a problem. Making decorations on hats requires additional resources- sets precedent. Kids without hats feel excluded.
    • Saves Face: Children will feel better about not getting the other gifts and they will still like Jack. Jack will make them and their gifts seem special.
    • Implications on Relationships: This is a “goldilocks” approach that will not completely satisfy the children because they are still without a conventional gift, but it does not cause conflict with the staff. By acting in this way, Jack is able to preserve relationships with the children and the staff for the long term.
    • Implications on the Venture: By preserving relationships with all parties, the motivation of the venture is saved. If partnerships were strained by the decision made by Jack, they may be less likely to continue working together. 

Step 5: Additional Info

  • From personal experience, children like when they are singled out in a good way, so the solution that makes an interesting story about the hats may be even happier than the other kids because they now feel special.

Step 6: Best Action

  • The best course of action to take is to pursue a combination of two of the solutions offered in step 4, solutions 2 and 3. This combined solution involves giving the children the hats initially and doing an activity / customization of them and then going to get them their gifts. It addresses both the short-term and long-term implications on the satisfaction of the children. In the short-term, the children will be happy because they will receive a gift that, though upon initial appearance may seem unexciting, will become a very special gift to them when the children engage in an activity that makes the hat meaningful. Not long after, the children will have both the hat and an additional gift similar to the gifts that the other children received once the additional gifts are acquired by either Jack or the youth center. This addresses a con of solution 2 that acknowledges that the children may “see right through the act” because the combined solution negates this effect since children not only get to engage in activity that creates meaning associated with the hat, but also receive a gift of the same caliber as the other children to counterbalance them not receiving a “good” gift initially. Though this solution would require additional costs for the gifts referenced in solution 2 and any supplies required for solution 3, it would preserve relationships with all parties. As stated in the implications of the venture discussed in solution 3, if these relationships were strained by the decision made by Jack, they may be less likely to work together in the future, whereas preserving relationships can lead to long-term positive impact. Additionally, this combined solution is a better course of action than solution 1 because it allows the children to keep their feelings of pride of ownership by being given an individual gift instead of requiring the children to share and lose that sense of pride of having something be their own and special to them. It also address a key downside to solution 2 which is that children will be disappointed until they receive their actual gifts. The combined solutions solves this issue by providing meaning in their initial gift so that they will not feel disappointed, but rather special and lucky to receive a hat. Overall, a combined approach of both solution 2 and 3 best solves the problem at hand while preserving the relationships with those involved and the future of the venture.

Step 7: Sequence of Actions

  1. Distribute available gifts along with hats to those without gifts.
  2. Take the children aside with hats.
  3. Speak to the children to establish special quality of hats / decorate the hats.
  4. Acquire additional gifts.
  5. Distribute gifts to those with only hats.