45 Peppo Foods in Canada

Team 102 Poster

Individual Reflection

Our story focuses on Peppo Foods, a Canadian food manufacturing company with a strong focus on both environmental sustainability and providing a safe option for those with dietary restrictions. Their notable efforts to make an impact include electric forklifts, recyclable energy, and a manufacturing process that minimizes allergens to ensure a level of safety that is unmatched. On top of their environmental impacts, they also make efforts to remain community-focused through supporting local charities regularly. We felt as if the company’s innovations were both having a positive impact on the community/environment and have given them a competitive edge in the food manufacturing industry. By providing a product specifically designed for companies needing to be acutely aware of allergens (ie, schools, hospitals, etc.), they are creating a niche section of the food manufacturing market for themselves.

In examining how our story can be related to the content we have learned thus far in our coursework, we found there was much overlap between our previous knowledge regarding CSR and the body of our story. Return on investment is a term used by every company worldwide, it is a metric that is studied heavily to determine the financial health of any company. In recent years, the question of why CSR is not studied the same way has been posed. In order to be used effectively, CSR must create the most social good at the least possible cost (Husted, 2003). Peppo Foods encapsulates this concept by focusing its efforts on aspects that can create a positive external impact, while also even positively impacting their financial health. As mentioned above, their CSR efforts allow them to stand out among competitors, meaning that it is likely that their revenues are positively impacted by their CSR innovations.

Furthermore, this project encapsulated perfectly what the course Management 301 has taught us. We clearly saw the impact of the framework’s triple bottom line. People, planet, and profit are all important factors that matter to a business. Peppo Foods was a perfect example of catering to a specific group of people while succeeding economically and sustainably. Through our story, we were able to communicate the positive impact our company has brought to Canada for both its people and economy. Triple bottom line can and should be used by many companies to aid in measuring success.

The overall experience of this project connects with the content covered in class at UNAV with regards to culture, and cross-cultural knowledge. Working with people from other countries and backgrounds allowed us all to gain some experience with working in an international team, and understand through experience how culture can influence different aspects of work/study life, such as communication, decision-making, and leadership. It also allowed us to see how Hofstede’s Theory of Cultural Dimensions can be observed in real life, such as differences in uncertainty avoidance between countries/cultures.

As a whole, our research into Peppo Foods reinforced some of the content we have been learning in our coursework and provided us with a more practical application of our existing knowledge. We collectively agreed that the story exceeded our expectations for the extent to which Peppo Foods practices corporate social responsibility. Prior to conducting our interview, we were only aware of some of the environmental practices performed by the company, however, after the interview was conducted we were thrilled to discover the amount of charitable work and the efforts made to be allergen-aware. These efforts in our opinion, set Peppo Foods apart, alongside their commitment to ensuring each and every employee is proud of where they work. We feel as though this reassures the idea that the company is interested in more than just creating a positive image for the public. Their core values are centered around taking care in everything they do, and their efforts with regard to corporate social responsibility align with that.

In collecting all of our research, we also recognize that the COIL experience has been overwhelmingly positive for our whole group. Each meeting was left on a very positive note, and each team member participated with interest and dedication. With respect to division of work, we opted for Gabriella to complete the interview, as the connection was her father and it allowed for the most flexibility for both her and the interviewee (Sari Saati). In booking our team meetings, we did have some struggles working around time zones for all 6 members and agreeing upon a date that worked for every member. As a result of this, we divided our team into two teams of three as we felt this was the easiest way to ensure group members could work as a team at a reasonable hour for all. Gabriella, Molly and Viktor would complete the story aspect, and Grace, Julio, and Evelyn would complete the poster. This system worked extremely well for our team, and the group’s communication was very strong.

As we wrap up this assignment, we can all agree that this experience will definitely shape the way we think going forward, especially from a professional standpoint. Not only did the time zone differences require a level of problem-solving we had never considered before, but our research on Peppo Foods made us aware of some of the practical applications of aspects of CSR outside of the environment. Although environmental awareness is key, we all agree that the social aspect of CSR has become increasingly prevalent to all team members throughout this experience.

Individual Reflections

Evelyn: Working on this project was an amazing cross-cultural experience. I gained knowledge from a successful foreign business and got to interact with people from other countries. I was fascinated by everything I learned from the company Peppo Foods and its success. The time differences were our biggest challenge which we managed to overcome thanks to WhatsApp. We used this as our main source of communication. The meetings went well. All of us agreed on specific times that worked well for everyone. During the meetings we were able to divide the workload fairly so we could all contribute. I, along with Grace and Julio, developed the poster on Canva. We used the story that was written by Viktor, Gabriella and Molly to highlight the main ideas. Everyone worked together and communicated extremely effectively. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed working on this project with my peers. I hope that everyone who comes across our poster and short story can learn about what a wonderful company Peppo Foods is.

Julio: Overall I really enjoy the experience with learning about Peppo Foods. I learned that  a successful business should be cultural, respectful, and encouraging. Peppo foods is very interesting when they had electric forks, this makes the business environmentally friendly which I really liked. I would say that it stood out to me when Peppo Foods was very gluten and vegan free!Helping out with hospitals and society in Canada really makes it sustainable. Peppo Foods employees look very happy as well since they are supported by the leadership that the CEO represents. I can tell that the food production is a very well place to work with since the mission is to be friendly environment and society helper in hunger, I hoped that anyone that encountered this company gets to learn about them! Everyone in this group project worked perfectly and I would like to do it again. During the meetings it was very interesting to learn about people from all over the world and its cool how we can network throughout social media!!

Viktor: Working on the AIM2Flourish assignment about Peppo Foods was a truly rewarding experience. It was inspiring to learn about Peppo Foods’ commitment to sustainability, especially through their gluten-free and vegan-friendly product offerings and their support for hospitals and local communities. It’s clear that Peppo Foods genuinely cares about its role in society and seeks to make a meaningful difference. We used WhatsApp to overcome time zone differences, ensuring smooth and effective communication. Each person contributed equally, whether it was through designing the poster, writing the story, or sharing insights. I particularly enjoyed developing our story on Peppo Foods. This assignment not only taught me about Peppo Foods’ business model but also reinforced the value of teamwork and adaptability. Working with students from different backgrounds enriched the project and allowed us to learn from each other.

Molly: This Aim2Flourish group project has been both challenging and rewarding, leading to a great overall experience. I enjoyed getting to know more about the company, Peppo Foods, and how it is contributing towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals in various ways. It was nice learning about a company which so clearly cares about its impact on society and the environment. Being able to meet and work with people from different countries was a particular highlight. We used WhatsApp as our main form of communication which proved to be effective and efficient, allowing us to have weekly video calls as well as messages in between to check on progress and details of what we were doing. As I had anticipated going into the project, time zones and conflicting schedules were our biggest challenge and at times it was a struggle to find a time where everybody was free and available to meet synchronously. However, whenever we did have meetings, they went well – everyone was very friendly and respectful of each other and contributed meaningfully to the conversations. We set clear expectations for who was responsible for specific parts of the project, and these expectations were generally well met, allowing us to complete the project to a high standard despite the challenges we faced. Each member did their part and contributed to the project. Ultimately, the overall experience of this project was very positive and I enjoyed working as part of an international team.

Grace: This COIL experience has been extremely unique and fascinating from start to finish. Not only did I find interest in the content we learned about Peppo Foods, but honing my collaboration skills by working with students from other countries was exciting. With regards to Peppo Foods, it was fascinating to read about their efforts to not only improve their environmental and social impact but also ensure the happiness of their employees to as high of a standard as possible. Based on our research it is clear that they are making valiant efforts to live up to their values and beliefs in every way they possibly can, which ultimately reflects their efforts in CSR. As a team, we successfully coordinated with one another to the best of our ability. Working around time zones and complicated school schedules was certainly a challenge, but when we succeeded in booking a meeting we collaborated well and had no troubles with delayed work completion or lack of communication. Our primary source of communication for this project was WhatsApp and it worked very well for our purposes. As our meetings progressed, we were very successful in assigning clear roles and responsibilities to each member, with Viktor, Molly, and Gabriella working on the story aspect, and Julio, Evelyn, and myself working on the poster. All work was completed in a timely manner and progress was communicated clearly both in meetings and in our team group chat.

Gabriella: Upon reflection of this experiential activity, I can feel proud of the work we have accomplished and grateful for the opportunity to build a global connection. Each of us approached this unconventional experience with an open mind, with collaboration made easy by our mutual respect for our separate lives. Though deadlines are involved in such a project, the stress did not reflect in our behaviour toward one another but rather required a mutual trust to be built. Given that our COIL company’s interviewee is my father I feel a sense of pride to be able to share this part of my life with others and feel we a gained better understanding of one another by learning about the unique parts of our lives beyond what we offer as students. Peppo Foods has demonstrated that when consideration towards others and our environmental footprint are prioritized, sustainable practices become embedded in the company. We learnt a similar lesson about respecting and supporting one another in pursuit of our shared goal.

Resources

Husted, B. W. (2003). Governance choices for corporate social responsibility: to contribute, collaborate or internalize? Long Range Planning, 36(5), 481-498.