66 Voets in The Netherlands

Team 65 Poster

Team Reflection 

We explored Voets, a pioneer in selling sustainable agricultural machinery, which aim to significantly reduce emissions and foster a circular economy by converting farm waste into biogas fuel. We were particularly impressed by how Voets aligns its business with the thirteenth SDG (climate action), while solely acting as a selling point, thus not producing the machinery. Before we started this group project, we used to assume that only companies that produce certain sustainable products would be considered within the SDG. Voets’ way of sustainable business surprised and inspired us. Finally, Voets’ commitment not only addresses environmental concerns but also enhances the operational efficiency and profitability for farmers, which was a surprising revelation for us as a team.

During a guest lecture last week I learnt about how companies can transcend the original theory of CSR through creating impact. In my opinion, Voets creates a strong environmental impact on their industry, as it is extremely innovative and disrupts the market, leading to more and more competitors turning their heads to more sustainable practices and machineries (Echandi, 2024). Not only does it impact their competitors, it also impacts the farmers and consumers, which on its turn influences overall health and well-being of the population. It was a fascinating discovery to see how everything is intertwined with one another. [Adile]

In reflecting on the interview, I can see connections to concepts from my Introduction to Business course (Naim, 2024). Specifically, the focus on sustainability and innovation in agricultural machinery aligns well with topics like corporate responsibility and competitive strategy that we discussed in class. Seeing these concepts applied by Voets gave me a practical understanding of how companies can innovate toward zero emissions and meet environmental goals, reinforcing what I learned about the balance between profitability and sustainable impact. [Farid]

Likewise for Daffa, after reflecting on the interview, he noticed how much it related to ideas they covered in Ms. Amel’s Introduction to Business class (Naim, 2024). Voets’ focus on sustainability and innovation in agriculture really brought to life our discussions on corporate responsibility and building a competitive edge. Seeing these principles applied in a real-world context helped me grasp how companies like Voets can make serious strides toward zero emissions and environmental objectives. It gave me a clearer picture of how businesses can balance their financial goals with a strong commitment to sustainability. [Daffa]

For Adile and I, it was etiquette to come on time in meetings, especially if you don’t know the other people. The people in Indonesia, for example, were late a lot, so that was something that we had to deal with. Besides that, Adile and I knew a lot more about the project, than the others. That has maybe to do with the power distance, in Spain it is really low, so whenever we had a question, it was easy for us to ask (Rodríguez Tejedo, 2024). In Indonesia, it is way higher, so maybe it wasn’t as easy for them. Also, Adile and I wanted to have everything in writing and everything in hand, while the others went with the flow. This could have to do with the uncertainty avoidance, which is quite high in Belgium and The Netherlands, and lower in South-Africa and Indonesia. [Laura]

Reflecting on our groupwork, we feel inspired to incorporate sustainability into our future careers. As aspiring business leaders, we now recognize the importance of making decisions that prioritize environmental stewardship alongside profitability. We envision ourselves advocating for sustainable innovations similar to those developed by Voets. We hope to lead initiatives that contribute to both a healthier planet and a thriving economy, proving that businesses can indeed be a force for good.

Working on this project taught us valuable lessons about collaboration in a cross-cultural context. We organized our efforts by delegating roles and to-do lists, which facilitated a smoother workflow. The weekly meetings allowed us to share updates and address any challenges. While managing different time zones could pose a challenge, we utilized polls to effectively to communicate. In addition, we also used shared google documents for it to be easier to see when someone was working on their part of the story. This experience highlighted the significance of flexibility and strong communication in team dynamics, which taught us a lot as many of us want to work in an international business context.

Individual Reflections

Tanyaradzwa Mushure

At first,  I was really nervous, considering that I was going to be working with different people from different countries. I always wondered how it was going to be like but realized that It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I remember during our first meeting, I had a problem with my microphone, and my team members were really patient with me. They even helped me fix the problem, and we continued with our meeting. It really showed me that I had nothing to worry about as I was working with a great team willing to help whenever they could. During our first meeting, I was also shy, I didn’t participate that much, but what really helped me was the fact that my team members would constantly check up on me and ask if I’m still fine which helped me engage with them and as time went by I was able to freely engage with them. Apart from feeling nervous and shy, I was worried about how we were going to work on our assignment and make sure that we met our deadlines. Surprisingly, we worked so well together by constantly reminding each other to finish tasks that we would have been assigned to do. One of my team members would always point out important deadlines and what everyone is expected to do on our whatsapp group that we used to communicate, which really helped us not forget. This also helped in terms of teamwork. I got to understand what it means working as a team through delegation of tasks and assisting each other with the tasks we would have given ourselves. I didn’t really face challenges in terms of time zones as everyone had the chance to point out the time they would be available for the meetings, except that in most cases, I was free during the afternoon, after a long day of classes, and I would be exhausted, however it taught me to work around my energy levels and to be understanding that the time might not be convenient for me but can be for my other team mates which also taught me to  be considerate.  In terms of communication, everything went well as we used English, and everyone was comfortable with that, which helped us conduct our meetings smoothly without any communication barriers. Overall, I had a great experience working with my team members.

Adile Emirov

In the beginning, I was very excited to start working on this project as I love communicating and working with people from around the globe. At the first meeting I was a bit disappointed as I did not feel the same excitement from the other students, however I quickly understood after talking with my professor that that was totally not the case and it might just be a culture barrier. I now, more than before, realise that Belgians are very direct in their way of communicating and that this is something I have to work on. It could have been that my excitement was perceived as too direct, which could have scared the other students. Which is why during this project I tried to work on this aspect by having some personal conversations, giving more background information on the project and my thought process, asking the other students if they were okay with a certain decision before moving on and reassuring them that they were doing super good. I would also try to ask their opinions or write them separately on WhatsApp to create a more comfortable feeling if they were too shy to share it in the group. In addition, we had a difficult time reaching one of the students (UMP – Mahlangu Nqobile Prudence), which could have led to some confusion and disorganization in the group. However, we all decided not to focus on this person too much and divide the work by ourselves, which was very doable. I am very grateful for my teammates.

In the beginning I realised there could be some issues with the time zones concerning Indonesia versus South Africa and Spain. That is why I started sending e-mails and messages on WhatsApp with updates and to-do lists, so that everyone could look back on it whenever would be more convinient. After a while we realised that it was a very effective way for our team to move forward.

I hope the other students had a good time and feel that they were treated fairly during the group project. I enjoyed getting to know the other students a lot and wish them the best as they are very intelligent and bright people. I wish I had spend more time getting to know them personally.

Laura Werkman

At first, we had some problems with our team, people didn’t respond, showed up late to meetings or didn’t show up at all. Adile and I then took matters into our own hands and took the lead of the group. We contacted the company, planned the meetings, led the meetings, divided the work, set internal deadlines and checked all the work in the end. Eventually, our teamwork got better, everyone did their part on time and it was of good quality. The time difference wasn’t that hard to deal with, because South-Africa had the same time zone, and the guys from Indonesia didn’t mind meeting late in evening, so it was pretty easy to find a time where everyone was available. In the end Tanya, Daffa & Farid did really good, they asked for help when needed and because of that, they delivered good quality assignments. Nqobile unfortunately didn’t respond at first, then after two weeks she eventually responded, saying she wanted to help. Adile and I wanted to give her another chance at participating, as we did not yet start the assignment. So, we told her to get into contact with Tanya, to write the part of the story that was assigned to Tanya together. Unfortunately she didn’t get in contact and neither was she at the meeting, although she said she would be there. So, in the end we wrote the story and made the poster with the 5 of us. In conclusion, it was sometimes a bit hard to work together with such different cultures, but I also learned a lot. For example, if you make explicit deadlines and things to do, it is easier for others to know what is expected from them. Also, if you keep saying that they can always ask questions, they will ask more questions, which results in a better assignment.

Ahmad Farid

Working in a virtual, cross-cultural team has been an exciting and educational experience. I enjoyed the opportunity to communicate with team members from different countries, which exposed me to diverse perspectives and new ways of thinking. At first, managing time zone differences was challenging, especially when we tried to find a meeting time that worked for everyone. However, this situation taught me the importance of flexibility and consideration in scheduling. Using tools like Zoom and Google Meet to communicate felt dynamic and engaging. These platforms allowed us to collaborate effectively, share screens, and work on documents together in real-time, which created a strong sense of teamwork even though we were in different locations. I found it rewarding to see how technology can bridge distances and make remote collaboration successful. This experience has shown me how valuable it is to adapt to virtual settings and how rewarding it can be to overcome communication barriers in a global team.

Putra ⁠Daffa Arindra

Being part of a virtual, multicultural team has been both engaging and enlightening. Working with team members from different parts of the world introduced me to a variety of perspectives and new approaches to problem-solving. Adjusting to time zone differences was challenging at first, especially when scheduling meetings that everyone could attend. However, this taught me the importance of patience and flexibility in coordinating across distances. Using tools like Zoom and Google Meet added a sense of immediacy to our interactions. The ability to share screens and collaborate on documents in real time made it feel as if we were working side-by-side, despite the physical distance. This experience demonstrated how technology can truly bridge geographical gaps, and it was incredibly rewarding to see how well a global team can function when everyone is willing to adapt and overcome communication challenges.

Sources

(P. Echandi, personal communication, October 30, 2024)

(A. Naim, personal communication, September 17, 2024)

(M. I. Rodríguez Tejedo, personal communication, September 16, 2024)