8 Enza Green in The United States

Team 11 Poster

Team Reflection

In our interview with Enza Green, we focused on the company’s sustainability-driven innovations, particularly in environmental technology. The Managing Partner shared a vision rooted in preserving natural resources and reducing carbon emissions, aligning strongly with our team’s understanding of sustainable business practices. We noted how Enza’s commitment to these values went beyond profit, aiming instead to foster a healthier ecosystem and a positive societal impact. This approach resonated with us, revealing how business decisions can be both ethical and innovative. Our immediate reaction was one of admiration, as we recognized the tangible impact Enza Green has on advancing sustainable development goals (SDGs) such as responsible consumption and climate action.

Reflecting on our academic knowledge, Enza Green’s practices align closely with the principles of ecological sustainability and responsible management that we’ve discussed in class. Our studies in international business have emphasized the importance of sustainable operations within a global context, and Enza Green exemplifies these principles by balancing profitability and environmental responsibility. Concepts from our course on cross-cultural management also became relevant as we observed how Enza navigates the regional cultural landscape to implement their initiatives. By witnessing the integration of sustainability into a company’s core operations, we realized the importance of connecting business strategy with ecological responsibility, an area that is gaining traction as businesses face increasing scrutiny regarding their environmental impact.

As a team, this experience has broadened our view on the role of business in society. Observing Enza Green’s commitment to sustainability and social impact has motivated us to consider these factors more deeply in our own future careers. Each of us, in our own ways, feels more inspired to prioritize ethical and sustainable practices in the business world as well as our personal practices. The Aim2Flourish experience taught us that genuine impact goes beyond short-term profits and that companies have the potential to address some of society’s most pressing issues. This understanding has inspired us to be more conscious in our career choices, favoring roles and organizations that reflect our values and our commitment to positive change. Looking forward, we are determined to carry forward the lessons from this experience into our future roles. As business students, we hope to integrate a similar sense of purpose and accountability within our teams and projects. Whether in setting sustainable goals or encouraging community involvement, we see ourselves advocating for business practices that respect the environment and contribute to society. This experience has shown us that impactful change is not only possible but necessary, and we feel more equipped to lead by example, embedding values of social responsibility in our leadership approach.

This assignment offered us a rich cross-cultural learning experience, as we gained insights into how companies operate in different socio-economic and cultural environments. Enza Green’s commitment to sustainability highlighted the growing cultural shift in Saudi Arabia toward environmental awareness, which we might not have appreciated otherwise. Through this experience, we became more attuned to the importance of cultural sensitivity in business operations, particularly in a diverse, globalized market. This understanding will guide us in future international collaborations and deepen our respect for cultural differences in shaping business practices. The theories we discussed in our course became more meaningful as we applied them to our group work. We shared tasks efficiently, with each member focusing on aspects that aligned with their strengths. This approach worked well in managing workload and ensuring a holistic analysis. For example, Hana and Katie focused on drafting the story, working off of the interview that May and Razan conducted, while Javier and Sebastian created the poster. Effective communication was essential, and we regularly shared updates through our group chat. This approach worked well, enabling us to stay on track and efficiently handle each task. However, we did encounter challenges with scheduling meetings around conflicting commitments and different time zones. Despite these difficulties, our open dialogue allowed us to address issues as they arose, and we successfully navigated differences in opinion, which ultimately strengthened our collaboration. This experience reinforced the value of clear communication, adaptability, and mutual respect in a team setting.

In reflecting on our Aim2Flourish assignment, we see this experience as a catalyst for personal and professional growth. We learned that businesses, like Enza Green, can play a powerful role in advancing social and environmental goals. This cross-cultural experience deepened our understanding of the complexities involved in international business, particularly when it comes to responsible and sustainable management. We also realized the importance of integrating course content into real-world applications and gained valuable teamwork skills. As we move forward in our studies and careers, we hope to apply these insights to foster impactful change in whatever fields we pursue, staying true to the values of sustainability, social responsibility, and innovation that Enza Green exemplified.

Indvidual Reflections

Katie

Participating in the Aim2Flourish project was a meaningful learning experience that expanded my understanding of sustainable business practices while providing valuable insights into teamwork in a virtual and cross-cultural setting. Working on this project required adaptability and patience, especially as we managed communication across multiple time zones. Coordinating schedules and aligning on deliverables was sometimes challenging, but I appreciated how the team remained flexible and respectful of each other’s schedules and other commitments. This experience highlighted the importance of proactive communication, especially in a virtual setting, where misinterpretations can easily arise without face-to-face and language barriers.

From a cross-cultural perspective, learning about Enza Green’s operations in Saudi Arabia was both fascinating and enlightening. It made me realize how sustainability can be adapted to different cultural contexts, as Enza integrated local environmental priorities with broader global sustainability goals. Engaging with this story allowed me to view the role of business as a force for social good in a different way, particularly in settings where cultural expectations differ from my own.

This experience not only strengthened my virtual collaboration skills but also inspired me to consider how my future work can contribute to positive change. As I move forward in my studies and career, I’m committed to applying the principles of sustainable development I encountered through this project. The Aim2Flourish assignment reinforced my belief in the power of ethical business practices and deepened my commitment to sustainability as an essential component of effective leadership.

Hana

Participating in the Aim2Flourish project was a transformative experience that enhanced my understanding of sustainable business practices and strengthened my skills remotely. Collaborating with my team across different time zones required a high level of adaptability and proactive communication, which was rewarding! This project taught me the importance of clear and timely communication to avoid misunderstandings, especially in a virtual setting where we lacked the ability to have face-to-face interaction. Working on this project provided me with valuable insights into how sustainability can be embedded within different cultural contexts. Learning about Enza Green’s initiatives broadened my perspective on how businesses can operate as forces for social good, adapting their practices to meet both global and local environmental priorities especially within the SDG goals. This experience solidified my belief in the potential of ethical business practices to drive positive change and inspired me to consider how I can contribute to sustainability in my future career and personal practices.

A highlight of the experience was making friends globally whom I can reach out to whenever I need support or collaboration! It was especially meaningful to communicate in my first language, Arabic, with the wonderful girls from Saudi Arabia, who were so kind and patient. I am also grateful for the opportunity to connect with Sebastian and Javier from Spain, who brought unique perspectives and made our team discussions engaging and insightful.

I will miss our weekly meetings and I hope we continue to stay in touch in the future.

May

My experience in the Aim2Flourish project was both enriching and rewarding, offering me the chance to interact with colleagues from around the world. This added a diverse cultural dimension to the learning process, which helped broaden my understanding and perspective of the world. Initially, I was extremely excited to seize this opportunity for learning and growth. However, I was also aware that collaboration at this global level would bring its own set of challenges, which required careful handling.

I was concerned about managing cultural differences and time zone variations among participants. I feared these differences might lead to misunderstandings or complications in communication. Yet, I quickly discovered that these challenges could actually be opportunities to enhance mutual understanding. I learned the importance of being patient and practicing active listening, which improved my communication skills with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. The experience also heightened my awareness of the importance of teamwork and adaptability to achieve common goals.

Dealing with time zone differences required precise coordination. We all needed to agree on suitable times for online meetings, which demanded a high level of flexibility and readiness to adjust our personal schedules. I learned how to manage my time more efficiently to ensure effective participation in all activities, which improved my planning and organizational skills.

Through this experience, I gained new skills in working within international teams and learned how to use technology for effective communication and collaboration. Additionally, the program increased my awareness of the crucial role innovation plays in achieving sustainability.

Overall, this experience was an invaluable opportunity to enhance my personal and professional skills. I am grateful for everything I learned from my colleagues in this program and deeply appreciate the knowledge and friendships I gained.

Razan

My experience with the AIM2Flourish project was a rich, challenging and learning experience. I worked with a diverse team that included members from Canada and Spain, which added a unique international dimension to the experience. Another challenge I faced was synchronizing time zones in other regions such as Canada and Spain. While I was working in Saudi Arabia, the team was spread across two completely different time zones, which sometimes made it difficult to schedule meeting times that worked for everyone. However, this challenge helped us improve our organizational and communication skills. We set flexible schedules and communicated using various means such as email and digital platforms to ensure that work continued to flow. I learned from this experience how to adapt to differences in cultures and work styles, the importance of respecting meeting times, and preparing my tasks in advance. As for the project itself, it aimed to highlight inspiring stories in the field of sustainability and socially responsible business, which inspired me to think about how these projects can positively impact communities. I felt proud to contribute to a project with a noble purpose like AIM2Flourish, and gained a deeper understanding of how businesses can grow to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Sebastian

It was very enriching to work in the AIM2Flourish project. It was very cool to have this opportunity of working in a team with people from completely different parts of the world, with different cultures, time zones and languages. It was difficult from time to time to find a time best suitable for the six of us but very glad and proud of my group where we managed to look for a solution by staying calm and respectful with each other’s timetables. Definitely this experience in the social part has helped me to improve my communication skills. How it’s very easy to lose communication with someone if they don’t want to collaborate and be part of the project, thankfully that was not the case.

From learning from Enza green, a company from Saudi Arabia, it was amazing to learn how they want to help have a more sustainable world and what they are trying to do and contribute to achieve their goals and also helping the environment. Very enriching to see how a company can be successful and achieve sustainable development goals.

Overall I’m very happy with my AIM2Flourish experience and very glad to have the opportunity to meet the girls from Saudi Arabia and Canada and with how they worked as a team, always looking for the others in the group and helping to get the group work forward.

Javier

In my experience working in the AIM2Flourish project has been really challenging and interesting. Some of my teammates are from completely different parts of the world and this made the communication a bit challenging. We soon figured out a solution for the different times we had and we fortunately didn’t have any problem with it. I think that this project helped me to get a more international view of how people of other cultures and countries are used to work and in my team we didn’t have any discussion or difficulty with it and from the beginning we managed to coordinate really well.

I think that the AIM2Flourish program is helping us to be more open minded by learning more about the importance of sustainability and how people from other countries such as Saudi Arabia or Canada are so hard workers and want to make the project as good as it can.

I am really anxious to get to know more and better the process and the function of Enza Green products, because they are really helping the society in a sustainable way and I feel that the more I get to know the company, the more I want to learn from it.

In conclusion, I would like to say that I am really pleased with the team’s work, with the AIM2Flourish project and with Enza green. I am really thankful to have the chance to connect with people from other countries and learn about them and their way of working.

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