1 Concept Air in Canada

Team 1 Poster

Team Reflection

Learning experience through interaction with other cultures was a rich opportunity, through which we learned important lessons in line with what we learned academically in our curricula, The most important lessons were the realization that the principles of social responsibility, sustainability, and environmental impact are not just academic concepts or strategies to improve a company’s reputation. They are practices that are embodied daily in the business and are an essential part of the company’s culture. According to Concept Air Systems (n.d.), we have seen how the Canadian company has embraced sustainability principles in a way that is balanced between innovation and profitability, enhancing our understanding of the concept Triple bottom line which includes balancing profitability, people and the planet (Harvard Business School Online, n.d.). where the company has been a practical example of this concept and how it has promoted innovation in its products and services energy-efficient air-conditioning systems, their positive impact on the environment and society and increasing the company’s profitability.

Experience has also given us a new perspective on attracting a specialized workforce in industries requiring technical skills. This is consistent with what we have learned in human resources courses. Attracting skilled labor is important to the company’s ability to achieve sustainability and keep pace with innovation. In short, the experience of cross-cultural cooperation has broadened our understanding of different practices and enhanced our understanding of the practical application of what we have learned in theory. This experience has made us realize our important role as future business leaders in achieving sustainability and social responsibility. What we learned during our courses has greatly enhanced our experience in teamwork, through which we have acquired a lot of skills such as conflict resolution, effective communication, time management, strategic planning, and learning about different leadership patterns. These skills were essentially the success of our team. For example, strategic planning helped us organize our work and deal with tasks effectively. In addition, learning about different driving patterns has helped us deal with and adapt to team dynamics. Through the study of the collective situation and the course tasks, we gained the skill of solving problems that helped us avoid many disputes. Whenever we encounter a difference of opinion, we apply the theoretical concepts we learned such as proposing alternative solutions and prioritizing the best solutions(ASQ, n.d.).

Our steps to implement the work were as follows: First, we held a Zoom meeting to discuss the required tasks, and then we started organizing the work and distributing the tasks in the required and appropriate manner. After that, one person from the group implemented questions about the interview to help with the story, while the rest of the people worked on collecting information about the company and linking it to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). During the interview, we participated in some questions to help, and a weekly meeting was held to discuss, exchange ideas, and help each other. which helped us collect ideas and we began analyzing and compiling them into a text that reflected our vision and shared conclusions. What led us to success is that we have achieved great success in time management and on-time achievement, and one of the strengths is the ease of exchanging ideas, sharing and cooperating with each other, and agreeing on the appropriate time for everyone, as there was an exchange of questions, raising ideas and interaction on the topic. But some challenges had to be faced such as new terms and information for us and the process of analyzing, collecting, and understanding information took extra time and individuals tried to comprehend, but in the end, we succeeded in that. It was a valuable opportunity to understand the topic more clearly and a very beautiful experience and that sustainability is not just a theoretical concept, but rather an essential element in the success of businesses over the long term. We also understood that companies that use sustainability create a strong relationship between themselves and the community and enhance customer confidence, which helps them remain in a competitive environment of growth and stability, and that it is not only for profit but also has a positive impact over the years. And that companies are able to create factors capable of change when they adopt sustainability and work to make a difference over the years.

This experience also taught us the importance of innovation in developing sustainable products that help serve the environment, and this is what we seek to achieve in the future years. In short, through this project and through the AIM2Flourish framework, we learned the importance of sustainability in various topics, and we also learned that it is not just a topic but an important direction for the future and we must pay attention to sustainability to ensure a better life in the future. This experience made us learn that true success in business is the balance between making a profit and personal responsibility towards society, which contributes to building a better and more enjoyable life. Also, innovation is a very important key to achieving sustainability. Innovation is not limited to developing a new product but rather helps in solutions and processes. Finally, sustainability and innovation are essential keys to the success of sustainability.

Individual Reflections

­Aljory Aldosry: I have had the privilege of working with a group of collaborative and distinguished people who have always made an effort to understand and support each other, to be able to exchange ideas and interact on the subject, to complete tasks on time, to communicate effectively and to plan strategically. It is a pleasure to work with them. It has been a very beautiful and enjoyable experience in terms of working with people from different cultures and I have learned many things that I did not know, such as the concept of sustainability and that it is a trend for the future and that we must care about it to ensure a better life and that innovation is the key to achieving sustainability and innovation develops products and helps in providing the necessary solutions and that sustainability must be maintained to create a positive impact and that it is not only for profit but it is important to benefit from it and we must work on sustainability.

­ Basmah Alanazi: As a part of this Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) experience, I found this experimental activity valuable, but it takes a lot of effort. In the beginning, it was not easy to coordinate time zones and balance between my personal life obligations and group meetings, but I quickly adapted by setting meeting times in advance and ensuring that I was available during the meeting time. During this experience, I learned to appreciate cultural differences and accept different opinions, particularly in how ideas were given and received by maintaining a respectful and open dialogue, which helps us to navigate any misunderstanding. In short, this experience has had a major impact on improving my adaptability, and acceptance of different opinions. Also, it broadened my perspective and enhanced my skills such as critical thinking, communication skills, flexibility, and time management. and I am pretty sure it will benefit me in future cross-cultural collaboration.

Jasper Traupe: Working on this group project with students from different parts of the world was both interesting and challenging. It was a unique experience to meet and collaborate with people from various backgrounds, each bringing their own perspectives and approaches to the project. This diversity made our discussions more engaging and opened my mind to new ideas I might not have considered otherwise. One of the biggest challenges was coordinating meeting times that worked for everyone. With team members spread across multiple time zones, we had to put in extra effort to find slots that everyone could attend. It took patience and a lot of flexibility, but we eventually found a rhythm that worked. Dividing the work was straightforward enough, but another hurdle came up when we realized that each of our schools had slightly different instructions and requirements for the assignments. This created a bit of confusion, as we each interpreted the project expectations in our own ways. It took some extra discussion to get aligned and make sure we were all on the same page. Despite these challenges, the project was a valuable experience. I not only learned practical skills for working in an international team but also developed a deeper appreciation for the differences in academic approaches around the world.

­ Olivia Freeman: As a participant in the AIM2Flourish project, I found the opportunity to work with team members from different parts of the world and learn about sustainability to be an enriching experience. One of the most interesting aspects of this project was learning about each other and our different cultures. Being able to combine so many different perspectives into one project made this an incredible experience. However, we did sometimes struggle with communication and managing multiple time zones. Since we are all in different classes, the instructions sometimes didn’t align, leading to disagreements on tasks. Most of our communication was done through texting or weekly Zoom calls, making communication slightly more difficult than it would be in person. Since we all live in very different time zones it was also difficult to find times to meet up that worked for everyone. Despite these obstacles, we worked on building our communication throughout the semester to achieve our goals. I have learned open and frequent communication is the key to succeeding in this group project. Overall, I believe my group and I worked hard to succeed in this class and were able to overcome the communication challenges we faced.

­ Helene Lemmen: As a participant in this AIM2Flourish experience, I can say that my perspective on group work has changed significantly, in the best way possible. This project has been an experience unlike any of the group projects I’ve done in my university career so far. I have enjoyed the dynamics of working with people from other countries, in different time zones, whose cultures differ from mine. This experiential activity has allowed me to further my communication skills, and gain experience working in a diverse group of people. Communicating effectively and navigating time differences were the two main learning curves throughout this experience. Communication is a key element to any collaborative effort. As a team member, I tried my best to remain engaged in all group discussions, and communicate effectively with my peers on our expectations as we moved throughout the experience. There were some hiccups in this respect, language barriers, and some discrepancies in the instructions and deadlines for the individual components of the assignment since we are all in different classes. However, by our last meeting, we determined how to effectively work around these issues, and ensure that each team member met expectations. Coordinating our meeting times with different time zones was also a hurdle that we needed to overcome, but we determined that Fridays and Saturdays worked best for all of us. As a result of our consistent planning, we were able to conduct all of our meetings with no absent team members. This experience has allowed me to gain knowledge and skills that I can take with me into my career. In managerial positions, communicating with diverse groups of people and navigating obstacles are skills that need to be used frequently. In conclusion, I would love to participate in experiences such as this in the future, because it can offer insights to other cultures and expand your skills in communication.

References:

­ ASQ. (n.d.). Problem solving. American Society for Quality. Retrieved November 4, 2024, from https://asq.org/quality-resources/problem-solving?srsltid=AfmBOool7kUWjpOgMIJRE8gTLlpkwba-12A5CFT2upAVexDB-TbQ8Dzz.

­ Concept Air Systems. (n.d.). Home. Concept Air Systems. Retrieved November 3, 2024, from https://conceptairsystems.com.

­ Harvard Business School Online. (n.d.). What is the triple bottom line? Harvard Business School. Retrieved November 3, 2024, from https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/what-is-the-triple-bottom-line.