40 Jasmine Garden Nursery in The United States

Team 82 Poster

Team Reflection

Our group consisted of three different universities: Dominican University (Hassan and Adriana), the University of Guelph (John and Mitchell), and the University of South Wales (Zara and Sanjida). It was intimidating at first to have to connect with each other, since we were essentially strangers to each other. A key thing we did early on that helped open each other up was talking about shared interests. For example, Mitchell and Hassan had shared interests in sports, while Adriana and Zara both liked Taylor Swift. These shared interests were key in forming a more cohesive group. Something we wished we could’ve done better was figuring out a consistent meeting time earlier, since it took a few days for us to get a good time due to the differences in location.

Our objective with Aim2Flourish was to pick a company that we all felt we could make a case for its sustainability to the community. We asked each group member what SDG goals they were interested in, and over the course of a few weeks, looked for companies that suited them. We ultimately went with Hassan’s Jasmine Garden Nursery, since it connected with our shared belief in climate and innovation. Once we had a business, each week we’d review who was responsible for what part of the project, to ensure each of the parts got done. Overall, we felt that the group was cohesive, engaged, and effective. Our main form of communication was Instagram, and our communication through the app was quick and timely. This was a major strength for the group.

In management, we’ve learned extensively about the SDG goals, and how they’re increasingly being used to measure a company’s performance beyond just the balance sheet. As we chose a small business, it was a challenge to connect the SDG goals specifically to this business, as according to the owner, it was never something that was considered. However, following Hassan’s interview, we learned that many of the things Jasmine Garden Nursery was doing that contributed to its success related to the 17 SDG goals.

Seeing how the SDG goals could apply to businesses big and small changed how we viewed sustainability from a smaller perspective. Usually, when we think of these initiatives, we view them as the goals of larger corporations and businesses with the time and money to pursue them. However, as we learned through this COIL experience, the SDG goals can be achieved by any business, and sometimes even unintentionally. However, it is important to note that this may not be true for other countries. We chose an American business, but would this be true if we’d chosen a Canadian or Welsh one?

Putting together our Aim2Flourish story was a learning experience in itself. We were challenged to think about this small business through a lense it’d never even thought of, which in turn honed our critical thinking skills. We came out of this experience with a broader understanding of what really goes on in a smaller business. The themes of family, customer service, and consistency were something we learned through our interview with the owner of this plant nursery.

In management, one key concept is the differences between an organic and mechanistic structure of management. Our group leaned more towards the organic structure, as we all equally made comments, provided ideas, and communicated. There were no natural leaders or people who spoke up, the leadership and responsibility were shared. Having this open, inclusive, and engaging environment really helped us do our best work and do so as a collective rather than have one person do everything.

As we reflect on our Aim2Flourish story, and our journey as group through this COIL project, we come to the conclusion that COIL can be a powerful tool in bringing together different cultures and forming connections that otherwise may not be made. We learned how similar we all were, despite being very far apart. We learned how important communication was to have a successful group project. Through the SDG goals, we learned how extensive the concept of ‘’sustainability’ truly is, and how it can apply to businesses big and small.

In the future, as we all pursue our different careers, our group hopes to use this experience and apply it to any future decisions we may make in business. Through our group work, we hope that we end up finding more in common with those from other countries than we may otherwise assume at a glance. Ultimately, we hope this experience makes us better business leaders, both from a financial perspective, but increasingly from a sustainability one too.

Individual Reflections

Hassan: This was actually not my first experience with COIL. Last year, I did a COIL project with students from Sonora University in Mexico, and I thought that overall, this experience went more smoothly than that one. I did a presentation last year on how COIL could be improved, and many of the recommendations that were made (predetermined groups, better communication, more organization from the beginning) seemed like they were implemented in this COIL Project. I had a great time working with the students from Canada and Wales, as well as Adriana from Dominican. Everyone was engaged in every meeting, and unlike other projects I’ve had, everyone in the group wanted to participate, which really made the work easier for everyone.

Adriana: I liked working with my team, everyone was super open-minded and respectful. I liked that everyone was included in all the conversations we had. I would love to participate in something like this again if I could, since this was the first time I’ve ever participated in COIL.

Johnny: I really enjoyed working with a great group of people from different parts of the world, everyone was friendly and nice. Everyone was respectful and welcoming, I never felt like I had to hold back any of my ideas and thoughts which made me feel comfortable. I would really like to have a COIL project again.

Mitchell: It was a great experience to work with and get to know other students from around the world. This was a unique opportunity that I didn’t anticipate. The peers in my group were friendly and super intelligent. Overall, I enjoyed this group structure since it seemed like everyone was able to present their ideas freely. Overall, I think it went very well.

Sanjida: It was a pleasure to meet the entire team. They have all been incredibly helpful and supportive. I really enjoyed getting to know them, and our business. I thought it was interesting that we chose a smaller business, which made the SDG application more challenging for us, but I think the collaborative work we did helped make it easier.

Zara: I really enjoyed working with my team, everyone was very motivated and hardworking and made the project really enjoyable. I really liked how well structured everything was. We had a set time on Sunday every week, and everyone always showed up at the right time. It was something I was worried about with the time zone differences but it didn’t turn out to be as bad of an issue as I thought. Overall, a really great experience.

References

Lumen Learning. (n.d.). Organic versus Mechanistic Models | Organizational Behavior and Human Relations. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-organizationalbehavior/chapter/organic-versus-mechanistic-models/

THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development. (n.d.).  https://sdgs.un.org/goal