New Year, New Beginning - Start Attending Class

Happy New Year, Everyone!!!!!

Any resolution for the new calendar? Read my cousin's posting on FB that his resolution is to make no resolution. Usually, resolutions don't stick and his resolution not to make any resolution only stuck for 2 seconds. In his next statement, he's already resolved to starting work on his new book.

Saw another posting by my colleague regarding attendance for his lecture on the last day of last year. LOL!!!! He always sends attendance statistics to me, but what can I do? The desire to learn must come from the inner self of the students, even if they are forced to come, they are physically there but may not be learning. Worse still, they may prevent others from learning!!!

The New Year is a good opportunity for all of us to start new. It lets us have that fresh start kind of feeling - "Ok, forget about the past, let's look to the future. Let bygones be bygones". It's an opportune time for you to wipe the slate. LOL!!!! I see this as the positive point of starting the university's new semester this week!!! Psychologically, this should motivate students to attend lectures. So, I'm expecting a good attendance for my lecture tomorrow!!! You don't have to wait for New Year to rejuvenate yourself - your birthday can be equally inspiring, the beginning of the month will also do.

So, guys, make your resolutions. Your resolutions CAN stick even though your resolve may waiver. But we can have other points in time to regularly have fresh starts.

Scoring in Exams & Assignments

My last post for 2013. Goodbye 2013. Thanks for everything - I exit 2013 with lots of hope and optimism for the future, and I wish everyone the same.

Now that exams are on, and at the same time, the commencement of the 2nd semester of the Bachelor's Program, there have been some queries as to how to score high marks whether in exams or coursework assignments. Here are some tips for you:

Markers/Examiners love examples from exam candidates. Give at least an example for each point. The example that you give should not be taken from lecture notes or your reading text. It should come from your own observations of the environment. It's your example - not somebody else's example. Given your own version of things, it demonstrates to the marker that you are able to relate what you study to happenings in the real world. You will be given credit for that!!! So remember to give examples to support your explanations.

Knowledge alone will not get you high marks in the exam. I'm taking about courses at higher levels - not first year diploma. You know, those courses with codes starting with 4 or 5 and also those degree ones. You just cannot depend on memorizing your lecture notes and vomit out those points in the exam. The lecture notes are just meant to help you to follow the lecture and act as a guide for you to do additional reading. You need to read extensively (journals, articles), think critically, adapt and apply to the current environment. What you read may have come from research done sometime ago and from then till now, the environment would have changed a lot. Remember we live in a dynamic world - things are constantly changing. Therefore, what you read may no longer be true or applicable in the present circumstances. That's why you need to adapt. Knowledge gained needs to be applied. It's not meant to be kept inside your head or given back to your lecturer. You must know where and how you can apply the knowledge. For example, you study about price elasticity of demand, you know the formula and you can calculate and you can interpret whether it's elastic or inelastic. But where do we apply such knowledge? That's the thing. Application. Knowing that demand is inelastic, and you are a cigarette firm, you would want to pass whatever increase in tax to the consumer through raising prices. You are not going to absorb the higher tax. Do that for a product which has elastic demand and you are a gonna!!!!

Think out of the box - don't be constrained by stereotype thinking. Don't think whatever is written in the text is the gospel truth. Be adventurous and come up with your own unique way of doing things. Your lecturer may not agree with your suggestion, but most probably he will give you due respect. You may be right and lo and behold - you have set the wheel of revolution into motion!!!!

And of course, write with passion. Present with passion. Just write what you think, I always say, write from the heart. Just make sure that what you write is rational, logical and reasonable. When you do presentations, speak with power, authority and faith.

You may add your comments or suggestions or questions in the comment section below. 

Inspire the crowd for social good

Oh boy, this is interesting!!! Just found out that there is a crowdfunding platform in Malaysia whereby individuals can source funding for their projects. The company's name is pitchIN. Any Malaysian citizen above the age of 18 can pitch their projects in pitchIN. Joining pitchIN is FREE. It is only when your project is successful in getting the required funds will you be charged a commission of 5% and a processing by Paypal. If your project doesn't get the required funds, there will be absolutely no charges. Here's the link if you are interested to find out more:

http://pitchin.my/learn

There is an interesting story I got from the pitchIN site. Seems that crowdfunding was already applied in Malaysia way back in 1982. Yeah, I remember that time - I was studying in UM then. There was no Astro back then, but the World Cup was on in Spain. RTM would only broadcast live the opening, semi-final and final matches. But, Malaysians wanted more, so Patrick Teoh suggested hey, why not Malaysians donate RM1 each to raise money so we could watch more. One local newspaper (if I remember correctly, it was the Malay Mail) picked up the cue and started a People's Live Telecast Fund. There was overwhelming support and the amount raised was RM300,000 and we got to watch an extra live matches. Those were the days!!!

I am now toying with the idea of getting Entrepreneurship students to do some crowdfunding. Hmmm, wouldn't it be interesting? Let it be part of the coursework - if successful, get a straight A for coursework. LOL!!!!

Anyway, for those of you still in the blur as to what crowdfunding is, here's a bit of enlightenment. Crowdfunding is a way of sourcing for funds for a personal creative project. Funds are raised through people in the internet. They don't know you and neither do you know them. They contribute non-equity money to you to help you kickoff your project, mainly because they share in the cause that your project is fighting for. You don't do crowdfunding to startup a chicken rice stall!!! But you may try out crowdfunding if your project has something to contribute to society, for example, you want to start a center to teach single mums how to be economically independent. People around the globe who love your idea may pledge monetary support to you. That's it - just like that. But, it is important that your project has a cause that you are passionate about.

Man United News #5 Canaries clipped by Devils

News filtered through that Rooney's out of this game. Oh, sh*t!!! Our top 2 strikers out!!! Who else do we have? Chicharito and Welbeck? Chicharito got the nod over Welbeck. Oh no!!! You must be joking!! Chicha's a supersub in the mode of Solskjaer aka The Baby Faced Assassin. He can only score as a sub!!! The turning point of the game? That would be the start of the 2nd half when Welbeck replaced Giggsy.

Anyway, the Devils started well enough in the first few minutes, having 70% of the ball. Gradually, Norwich began to play more and more as the game progressed and in fact looked the more dangerous and more likely to score. Evra was a disaster and the midfield was without energy. The whole team must have got fried by Moyes in the dressing room. Whatever treatment they got inside, they came out with more purpose. Welbeck's coming on made all the difference really. Suddenly there was speed, yes, that's what's needed. You need to fly faster than the Canaries. 57th minute, the two forwards, Chicha and Welbeck combined for the goal.

Final Score:
Norwich 0 Man United 1

Hymmm, first time I got the prediction right!!!!!

Crowdsourcing

Crowdsourcing seems to be the in-thing nowadays, so if you do not know what crowdsourcing is, you are off. As simple as that. So just to make sure that you are not a dinosaur, here's something about what crowdsourcing is.

Crowdsourcing is actually a combination of two words: Crowd and Outsourcing. It was a term coined by journalist Jeff Howe in 2006. Crowdsourcing, aka open sourcing or fansourcing, is the practice of companies making an open call to a broad community to solve a problem. By involving more people, companies hope to get a better solution.

Through crowdsourcing, businesses get connected to their audiences and customers. The product developed could be better as it is developed through collaboration with customers. It is already market tested as it is being developed. Crowdsourcing helps to reduce the research cost of companies because the ideas come from freelancing communities. At the same time, it also provides opportunities for budding designers and innovators to enter the market.

Man United News #4 Preview Canaries vs Devils

Kickoff at 11 pm Saturday 28 December 2013. So do whatever you wanna do before 11 tonight and have another from hell to heaven drama!!! That is the life of devil's fans!!!

Valencia's out for this game due to his red card on Boxing Day. So he's decked - TKO!!! No worries, we have in Januzaj a most able replacement. I wonder who's coming on at right back now that Rafael is crocked, Valencia can't stand in, and Jones is out too with a knee injury. Most likely, Smalling will move to the right, with Evans and Vidic in the center and Evra on the left.

In the middle of the park, likely to see Carrick making his starting eleven after coming back from injury. Give him a 90-minute run out before the showdown with Spurs on New Year's day. We might also see Giggsy coming on for Cleverley. Anderson might just get a game too. And Kagawa - whatever happened to him? He should be getting a game!!! So we have these 5 guys to choose from for midfield. 

Of course, Rooney has to be on. He is Man United's talisman this season. After all the hoohaa pre-season, he has been a revelation - taking leadership of the team, inspirational, scoring goals, and numerous assists. Btw, he's ranked 28 in the world's top 100 players for 2013. On top of the pile is of course Messi and Ronaldo at 1 and 2 respectively. Oh, if you remember "porcelain legs" RVP, he's at 11.

Should be an easy game on paper. Norwich lost 2-1 at home to Fulham. They are down at at 14th in the table having the 2nd worst defensive record in the league. So what's your take for this game? My prediction 1-0 MU. Likely Norwich will park a bus in front of their goal. :)) Enjoy watching the game!!! Have a great weekend!!!

Thumbs Down CSR

As with all things, there are pros and cons. Some of the up points for CSR have already been mentioned in a previous post. It's the turn for the down points now.

CSR is unrelated to the primary aim of business which is to make a profit for its shareholders. This argument against CSR stems from the perception that social responsibility means being philanthropic - giving money to charity. Thus, it is tantamount to taking money from shareholders and giving it to others.

Another point of debate is that companies are in the business of producing and selling goods and services to satisfy needs and wants. Managers should therefore use all available resources to concentrate on this function. Welfare of society should best be left to the government. Managers are not trained nor do they have the expertise to manage society's problems.

There ain't no free lunch in this world. Implementing social responsibility initiatives involves costs which someone would have to bear. Critics of CSR contend that these costs are passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices. On top of this, the higher costs also become a source of competitive disadvantage to businesses.

CSR is often seen as a public relations exercise. The aim is project a good image for the company and to keep the government at arm's length. It is therefore not a sincere act on the part of the company caring for society's welfare. CSR is merely a tool to serve the self-interest of the company.

Man United News #3 Tigers vs Devils

Final score Hull 2 Man United 3

I told you!! Man United brings its supporters to hell and then raise them to heaven!!!

Two goals down before even a quarter of the hour gone, the Devils came back to even the match before the end of the half. It was a blessing that Rafael was injured and came off to be replaced by Januzaj. Almost immediately the reincarnation of Giggsy sped down the wing, drew a foul and Rooney placed a perfect freekick to the head of Smalling. Zoom! 2-1. And then, came the best goal of the match - a contender for goal of the season - a 25-yard volley from Rooney which gave the goalkeeper no chance. In doing so, he scored his 150th Premier League goal. The previous time when Rooney faced Hull at Old Trafford, he scored all the four goals against them. Hmmmmm, he loves to create numbers against Hull, doesn't he??

And then in the 66th minute, an own goal!!!! Haha!!! Not off the backside of Rio, but the head of Hull's Chester (he was once a United player) who gets the man of the match award from me for scoring at both ends. He nearly got an odd hattrick towards the end but his shot was blocked by DeGea. 

There was still drama to come as Hull crashed a header against the bar, and Valencia got himself sent off. Oh dear, he's going to get the hairdresser treatment from Moyes.

Goal of the match

Rooney's volley

Turning point of the match

Januzaj coming on for Rafael

Man of the match

Chester (LOL)

Gunning for CSR

What is there in it for companies to be involved in CSR?

Innovation - yeah, it seems like an overused word but being involved in CSR or sustainability if you like, companies come up with new products or new processes that help to preserve the environment. There is no need to look far and wide. Just look at the fridge in your kitchen. Is it a green fridge? If it's not, maybe it's time to change to one. I'm not an Electrolux salesman, but looking through the lens of sustainability, Electrolux was able to come up with new products, such as the green fridge, washing machines and dishwashers, that do not behind a carbon footprint. Without concern for sustainability, such products would never have been created.

What better way to motivate a company to be involved in CSR than the fact that it helps to reduce the company's operating cost? This, in turn, will be translated into higher profits. It's so simple really!! Companies' efforts to conserve energy, for example, will definitely lower the energy bill!! Environmental measures such as minimizing wastes will also reduce operational costs. Very often, conserving energy and reducing wastes are the kind of measures prioritized by companies.

Many companies now have CSR as part of their overall corporate strategy. You can say it represents a form of product differentiation or just getting ahead of the pack. Companies can position itself as a market leader in this field. I remember years back, Amway was already producing SA8, a laundry detergent that was bio-degradable. Below is a testimony from a very happy consumer of SA8:

"I started using this product just due to the fact that it is organic and is cost effective The water used to rinse the cloths is very less and it is biodegradable. It gives excellent results. this product uses natural products only.

This product was introduced to me by one of my friends who showed me an experiment in which it was showed that how chemical based products react with turmeric and SA8 is does not react to turmeric. The strong chemicals which we are using daily are slow poison which are playing part in pushing us to life style diseases. I was moved by the statement that in india only we are using few thousand crores of chemical based detergents every month. and it turns out to be several lac crores of detergents dumping into mother earth ( alone in india) and we can help in controlling it. THANK GOD I CAME ACROSS THIS PRODUCT"

Btw, I'm not an Amway distributor. Not doing any promotion here. 

Socially responsible companies are also able to source for capital from institutional investors. There is an increasing number of institutional investors out there who have a sort of socially responsible investment portfolio. These "green" investors look favorably upon socially responsible companies as they believe that these companies have a positive impact upon business.

Companies become involved in CSR for different reasons. CSR is not going to solve the world's problems, but it does move us towards enlightened capitalism!!

Man United News #2

Remember guys, tonight's BPL match against Hull City is on live at 8.45 pm. Is it going to be a goal feast or another heartache? Mind you, don't go overboard with optimism!! Hull has the best defensive record in the league, having just conceded 3 goals at home this season. Go on, have an early dinner - that's exactly what I'm going to do - get your beer and Mister Potato out and enjoy, hopefully, 90 minutes of sexy football.

Just got news that Rio Ferdinand's contract is not going to be extended beyond this season. Moyes is banking on youths as he lowers the average age of the team. We have seen Evans, Smalling and Jones being regular starters and poor Rio has only made just one appearance in the league since September. And with more signings coming in next summer, maybe Rio should go for one last mega payday in the Middle East.

Guess what? Michael Carrick is in line for a return tonight. We do miss him in midfield, don't we? Fortunately, we have Cleverley returning to something like his best form and the evergreen Ryan Giggs and that rampaging bull of a man, Jones, charging around the middle of the park. With Carrick around, expect some killer passes through the enemy's defense!!!

So, what's your take on tonight's game? Being the diehard optimist, I'm going for a 3 - 1 win for the Devils. Rooney, Januzaj, Welbeck and Ferdinand (own goal!!!) being the scorers!!! What say you? Give your predictions in the comment box below. Starbucks on me if your prediction matches the final score!!!! Yum Cha!!!

Doing Business With A Heart

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is generally believed to be that businesses have responsibilities that extend beyond the mere generation of profits to investors. Businesses also have responsibilities to other stakeholders such as customers, employees, government, the community and the natural environment. Most of the time, CSR is usually associated with big businesses because they are more visible and have more power. And we know that with power comes responsibility.

There are many terms which are used interchangeably for CSR - corporate responsibility, corporate citizenship, sustainability, triple bottom line - anyway, it does not matter. It gets pretty boring and meaningless trying to draw a line between all these terms.

CSR is not just about being philanthropic - not just donating money to help the poor or the disabled. It is about using the business's resources to maximize the benefits and to minimize the costs to society. It is a series of voluntary programs or initiatives aimed at addressing social and environmental issues. 

Man United News #1

Fellaini is out for 6 weeks after having surgery on his wrist. Miss him? No, not me. He has been disappointing since his signing from Everton. I was pretty happy that we got him just before the close of the transfer window, but so far he has not been able to produce his Everton form. Hoping that he will be back to his old destructive self, in time for the Champions League showdown with Olympiakos in mid-January.

Injury to Danny Welbeck casts doubts over his participation in the Boxing Day game at Hull City. Kickoff 8.45 pm Thursday 26/12. He received a kick right on the knee cap in the match against West Ham. With 3 goals in 3 games, the striker is on fire at the moment and with RVP out, Moyes will be praying that Welbeck will be fit for the busy festive period's cluster of games.

Antonio Valencia's return to form has been one of the most welcoming features of the month. The powerful winger is forming a devastating partnership with Rafael and with these two bombing down the right wing, there will be a host of chances for the guys in the box. So expect lots of goals coming!! Hopefully, they will bomb away at Hull. :))

Any comments from Man United lovers and haters? You can bomb away in the comment box below. Merry Christmas to you guys and gals!!!!