Milan Pintar E-Portfolio Starting the E-Portfolio
La Trobe MBA’s subject “PP SKILLS AND DEVELOPMENT” requires setting up an E-portfolio in week 3.
We are at the end of week 2 now. This should be interesting but at the moment I have an essay to complete and the beings for reviewing CV’s.
So far I have posted on the courses internal forum:
TOPIC:
“Great leaders are not heads down. Great leaders see around corners, shaping their
future, not just reacting to it” Roselinde Torres, 2014, TED Talk, “What Makes A Great Leader” (Transcript available.)
In an unpredictable present and facing an uncertain future, what might be a good portfolio of qualities for a business leader hoping to grow a sustainable yet profitable business? Using relevant literature, discuss.
POTENTIAL ARGUMENT:
Profits come from selling something that people want to pay for and also people want to be associated with. Being a leader you must be able to positiong a business with products and services to not embarress people associated with it. This is a competitive advantage especially if competitors take short cuts associated with increasing their short term profits at the expense of the environment.
EVIDENCE
“Nike has turned sustainability prompted design changes into materials savings and positioning gains.” (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009, p. 6).
“There is mounting pressure from stakeholders — employees, customers, consumers, supply chain partners, competitors, investors, lenders, insurers, nongovernmental organizations, media, the government and society overall — to act” (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009, p. 6).
REFERENCE
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009, The Business of Sustainability, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, viewed 10 March 2015, http://www.monitorpro.si/media/objave/dokumenti/2010/4/20/sas___the_business_of_sustainability.pdf
My review of another MBA students topic is below
TOPIC:
“Unless we take action on climate change, future generations will be roasted, toasted, fried and grilled”. International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde, 2014. Despite the dramatic language, Christine Lagarde is making a valuable point. What should be the role of business organisations in mitigating the effects of climate change on the economy and the environment?
POTENTIAL ARGUMENT:
Gradual early adoption of changes will decrease the burden on businesses and in turn the economy.
EVIDENCE
“The reasons that they are making these emission reductions are decidedly strategic. They are searching for ways to be prepared for the long term should GHG emission reductions become mandatory” (Hoffman, 2004).
REFERENCE
Andrew J. Hoffman, 2004, “The Business Logic behind Voluntary Greenhouse Gas Reductions”, Working Paper, University of Michigan, accessed 10 March 2015, < umich.edu>
My Opinion
Just my opinion on the thoughts and impact of the statement from International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde –
Assumption 1 Financial investment banks and their fund managers control most of the investments through retirement and managed funds and therefore are the key people to influence.
Assumption 2 The financial markets being much larger then governments
My concern is do people and more importantly financial investment bank fund managers care about the environment more then short and long term profits?
Fund managers are required but law and the rules governing holding a Chartered Financial Analysts (CFA) license, to allocate assets for their clients based on risk and that is generally associated with their clients age and time to retirement. Younger clients more often have high risk investments and older clients more often have low risk investments but the fund manager is required to regularly confirm a change in their clients goals. (http://www.cfapubs.org/toc/ccb/2014/2014/6)
(http://www.monitorpro.si/media/objave/dokumenti/2010/4/20/sas___the_business_of_sustainability.pdf) If the long term pressure is for businesses with sustainable models to have an competitive advantage then I understand fund managers will choose to invest in these businesses for their low risk clients. If the young generation believes that climate change is a serious issue then the pressure will be for fund managers to invest in sustainable business for both their high risk clients.
Depending on how the evidence is presented to the world the pressure, if the world believes in negative climate change then society will force investments into sustainable businesses and it is the profitable position for a business to go with the evidence that climate change is real and building a sustainable business. Evolution takes time and is based on pressure, businesses need to take care not to invest in sustainable business too early before society is ready to recognize its importance and reward them for their position.
I believe the only issue here is education and making people care. Education is the responsibility of governments.
Milan Pintar E-Portfolio 