36 Panda in The United States

Team 75 Poster

Team Reflection

From our research of Panda Express, we recognize what an inspirational company this is. It exemplifies many vital qualities a company needs to be not only successful but inspirational and a model to be followed. With the emergence of ESG and sustainability, we realized how valuable this aspect is to a corporation. Many companies are tailoring to sustainable investors through ESG and are doing so through satisfying the UN’s SDG goals. Through research on Panda Express and in the interview conducted with Jasmine Cosio, a general manager at a Panda Express location in Chicago, IL, we found that there are two SDGs in which the company thrives; Quality Education (4) and Decent Work and Economic Growth (8). Panda achieves the SDG 4 through offering University of Panda to educate their workers on the company and its ESG focus and allow for team building to boost employee value and morale. Panda also offers a Scholarship fund for their employees to make college education more affordable. To satisfy SDG 8, they value their employees as people as opposed to revenue generators by providing ample benefits and allowing time for work-life balance. In this reflection, we will talk about what Panda Express is, what they do in terms of sustainability, go more in depth into the previously mentioned SDGs, what we learned as a team, as well as providing personal reflections from each team member.

Panda Express is an American favorite fast-food chain that inspires cultural awareness, environmental responsibility and exceptional working conditions for employees. It specializes in providing top-quality American-Chinese dinners to guests. Panda Express emphasizes fresh ingredients and offers a variety of customizable meal options. It is known for its commitment to providing quality and customer service by treating them like family. With the introduction of the University of Panda, employees are inspired to participate in training programs to enhance their leadership skills and further foster a positive work environment.

Panda provides accessible, high-quality training to employees, giving them the skills necessary for professional growth. By investing in the education and development of its workforce, Panda Express empowers individuals and “promotes a culture of continuous learning within the organization. Reflected upon this empowerment is the SDG goal of Decent Work and Economic Growth by making career advancement opportunities accessible for employees to reach economic stability and increase community involvement. In short, the company is inspirational in its environmental focus and human relations practices. It is a company by which others should strive to follow. It is inspiration for this innovation and forward-thinking practices.

Panda University at Panda Express was driven by the company’s desire to invest in the development of its employees and strengthen its organizational culture. During the interview, Jasmine Cosio, General Manager, explained: “Panda Restaurant Group created a university for its future leaders so they can excel and learn, ” demonstrating dedication to employee training and skill enhancement. University of Panda impact is significant as it shapes the whole mindset of an individual for the better by allowing employees to become better versions for themselves not just for work but to implement those ideologies into their personal lives as well. We believe that this mantra is truly remarkable and inspirational.

In the short term, the establishment of Panda University has fostered a culture of continuous learning within the organization. Employees feel more empowered and valued, leading to a decrease in turnover rates. The establishment of Panda University enhances employee development and significantly benefits society by fostering a culture of continuous learning and community engagement. With low-cost training programs, Panda Express ensures to be palatable to all its workers, particularly first-generation college students who are in route to obtain their educational goals and achieve financial independence. Companies across the globe should be investigating these practices in attempts to create such profound working conditions.

From our research on Panda Express, we recognize the importance of customer service and customer satisfaction. Panda exemplifies the customer service model by ensuring it is a top priority.  Panda Express lives by “growth, proactive, great operations and giving. Our group recognizes how important these qualities are for a company’s success.

Our team experienced a tremendous amount of cultural awareness from this project in combination with the course content regarding cultural awareness. The practices of this company are incredible and reflect the good practices explored in our course. An example of this is that like Panda, it is vitally important for a team and a company to have a good understanding of a country or business, to partner or be successful in that culture. This experience has helped us collaborate and be adaptable in diverse environments. We learned that interpersonal and social emotional skills are vitally important for teams to be successful. This company helped us gain a good understanding of what qualities are important for sustained success.

In conclusion, Panda Express exemplifies environmental stewardship, exceptional customer service practices, exemplary professional learning for its employees and should be a model by which other companies compare themselves to and strive to replicate.

Individual Reflections

Valentin

I found this experience very enriching, both in terms of the work done, the international context, and the topic itself. Personally, I couldn’t be present the day of the interview with the Panda Express manager, but I contributed to creating the poster and writing the story. About the cross-cultural context, it was sometimes challenging to find a time for meetings that everyone could attend, but apart from that, everything was great. We had a group chat to communicate on Whatsapp, and we held meetings on Google Meet, which made communication easier. For project management, we were able to stay on schedule. The interview was made very quickly, which gave us a lot of time to complete the rest of the work. We were quite efficient. I found the topic very interesting, especially in seeing how a company’s innovation can impact society and the company itself. By discovering Panda Express innovation, the University of Panda, I did not realize an innovation like that could affect not only the company but also society in various ways.

Carla

This experience was very eye opening. Learning about University of Panda firsthand from the manager Cosio herself was enlightening.This project has made me become more appreciative of managerial work and business sustainability. Cosio’s concise and specifically targeted responses to our questions ultimately aided in the narrative’s success reflecting heavily on what our instructor shared with us in class.  Due to this being an international collaboration, timing was probably the biggest conflictive issue but we were luckily able to move past that when everyone was flexible enough to work on set times. Cross-culturally, we all had different ideas on what “teamwork” meant to everyone and how we came about to create a successful end goal to our project.  Something that was challenging was ensuring that everyone was working on specific parts of the project at the appropriate times to meet deadline requirements.

I believe that this would be a great project to work on with a more focused group that has an established company to work with because the challenging part was to get a company on board. Professor Chaudhry did a great job with providing us with resources to ensure that we were up to date on everything.

Our team’s success can only be reflected based on the willingness and drive each of us had from within. Many members were absent consecutively so it was hard to balance work fairly. I believe that there needs to be more accountability in workload just as there is in the workplace when following through with an assignment like this. Many businesses are reluctant but some are happy to assist. For that, I am greatly appreciate of Panda Express and their efforts for a better future.

Matthew

This Experience offered me a chance to work with people from different backgrounds and cultures. Through working with a diverse group of individuals, I feel that this COIL project has prepared me well for working in a corporate setting as I will likely have to work with people from different backgrounds. I have never used WhatsApp as my main form of communication for any project I have been a part of, so this exposed me to a new platform.

To go off of the idea of communication, I found that ample communication is crucial for a team’s success. As a part of a baseball team, I have seen how a lack of communication can result in a team’s downfall which stresses the importance of making sure everyone is on the same page. The same principle applied to this project. There were times when not all of us were on the same page in terms of meeting times, but everyone had a general understanding of what needed to be done by when. The process of communication with this group was everything but flawless, but we managed to achieve all of the deliverables required for each week.

I speak for myself when I say that I had no clue how important SDG has become in the corporate world. From Panda Express to Citi Bank, SDG and ESG have become a main priority in corporate success. Investors and customers are starting to care less about profit and more about how a company is contributing to the “greater good”. I never would have thought a fast food chain would focus so heavily on SDG, but through the University of Panda, the company makes sure that they look out for their employees’ rights and needs. This results in a culture of “buy-in” which helps with company retention.

By working on this project, I learned to play into all of my teammates’ strengths to have the highest success for each deliverable. I want to thank Professor Chaudhry for her assistance in this project in providing us with great guidance and resources for our personal and team success.

Mark

In our first COIL session, we met our team members, creating an engaging, cross-cultural learning environment as each team included members from different countries. This international setting posed some scheduling challenges for meetings, and as a result, I was not always able to participate. However, we utilized WhatsApp for communication and held meetings on Google Meet, which facilitated smoother interaction. Our lecturer, Mr. Liam, along with others, provided ample resources to keep us informed, and our team members were highly supportive. Our project involves collaborating with a small business to investigate their sustainability practices, with three key deliverables:

* A story for publication on the Aim2Flourish website.

* A poster highlighting the business’s activities, to be showcased virtually.

* A reflective piece on the experience.

After evaluating several companies, we selected Panda Express, who agreed to participate in an interview for this project. Initially, we aimed to interview PT Tirta Marta, our top choice, but we were unable to secure confirmation. Currently, we are focused on completing the Aim2Flourish story and poster for Panda Express.

Wojith

This project was a highly rewarding experience, offering both valuable insights into international teamwork and a deeper understanding of business innovation.. These tasks allowed me to engage with the project in a meaningful way and helped me grasp the broader narrative we were building. Navigating a cross-cultural environment had its own set of challenges, particularly when it came to scheduling meetings across time zones. However, with a group chat on WhatsApp and regular meetings on Google Meet, we maintained clear communication and collaboration, which made the process much smoother. Our approach to project management was efficient from the start. Conducting the interview early meant that we had plenty of time to focus on other elements of the project, allowing us to stay organized and complete our work without rushing. This structure gave us the flexibility to fully explore our topic and refine our work along the way. Exploring the topic itself was eye-opening. Discovering how Panda Express’s University of Panda initiative functions as a corporate innovation was fascinating; it illustrated how a single idea can enhance employee development while also contributing positively to society. I came away from this experience with a stronger appreciation for the impact of corporate innovation, both within a company and beyond.