Incentivizing an Abu Dhabi Neighborhood to Install Solar Panels: Emirati Youth Research Project

This post is a snap shot of another awesome project by a group of senior Zayed University students who have just recently graduated. They employed the principles of the UAE 2021 and Abu Dhabi 2030 Strategic Plans and a unique research method to develop a plan to incentivize families in neighborhood by neighborhood to install solar panels on their rooftops.

Researchers:

Saeed Al Romaithi, Sorour Al Muhairi, Khalf Al Sowaidi, Mohammed Al Midfa, 

Salim Al Midfa, Khalid Al Harmoudi

Research Problem

The UAE is one of the largest consumers of electricity per capita in the world - due in large part to the high demands of air conditioning and desalination. As part of a drive towards sustainability, the UAE government is investing large resources into research (Masdar Institute for example) and large alternative energy installations (e.g. HHS Mohammed bin Rashid Solar Park and Shams 1). However, individuals will also need to contribute to the "greening" of UAE energy and installing solar panels is one way in which families can participate.

Literature Review

Recent research suggests that people are not easily convinced about the long term benefits of installing solar panels (lots of research in Europe about this) - so the students concluded that to persuade people meant making people aware of the long term benefits (in the right way!). Moreover, cost sharing was a successful method used in many countries.

The young researchers concluded, that for Abu Dhabi the best way to move forward with the plan was to provide personalized information and to develop one-on-one relationships with families - something that has been used in China, the US and the UK.

Research Methodology

The students used a mixed method approach - interviews with managers/experts, surveys of 40 young Emirati engineering students and "the majalis approach". We developed the majalis approach as a hybrid of a focus group, tailored to Emirati culture and customs. The findings and analysis were also verified in another majalis setting.

• Majalis Research Method

In the Arab Gulf the majalis is used as a time and place for meeting with family and friends and also for family, tribal and government leaders to listen to issues and problems faced by family/tribe/community members. These majalis are held by both men and women and are generally gender segregated - although government leader majalis are open to both men and women.

My students attended several family majalis to speak about solar panels and to get feedback from different generations. Abu Dhabi was set up in family or tribe neighborhoods - so a large majalis during Ramadan or Eid could have representatives from each house in the neighborhood. Even the daily or weekly majalis by senior tribe members can have dozens of attendees. 

Of course this makes an ideal setting (with informed consent of the person holding the majalis and each person spoken with) for research here. As a qualitative researcher I was very excited with this "innovation" and was happy to see the students excited by it too.

(As a non-Arab speaker it would be impossible for me to conduct research like this without a trained research assistant - but the data and knowledge gained by the students was quite amazing in its depth and richness)

Results

The ten expert/manager interviews of major UAE green energy projects recommended Sharp efficient solar panels and Amonix efficient solar modules - and believed that government and semi-government organisations would need to work together to first raise awareness and also to develop programs to share costs with families wanting to install panels.

There were interesting results with the surveys of young Emirati engineering students and recent graduates and those spoken with in the majalis - Although 94% thought it would be cost effective in the long run, 86% were concerned with how they would make the house look "bad". Results also showed that they would appreciate government programs and that 82% were willing to sacrifice the "look" of the house for green energy.

Recommendations

Based on the literature review of how these projects have been done in other countries and the mixed-method primary research the students came up with several recommendations.

1. As a major concern of the experts and managers (and confirmed in the surveys and visits to majalises) an awareness campaign was needed to explain the benefits and also the best ways and companies to use to install solar panels.
2. They suggest that the government could develop a program to support families through cost reduction of the panels and or installation and hook-up.
3. There is also a concern about the technicalities of the panels, which could be solved with an effective program.

Appendix

Guide for Interested Individuals

Apex Power Concepts

Phone: +971-4-223-1185

Email: info@apexpowerconcepts.com

Panels available: Mono-crystalline type, poly-crystalline type, thin-film type, and flexible

Shams Power Company

Phone: +971-2-653-7200

Email: info@shamspowerco.ae

Panels available: Mono-crystalline type, poly-crystalline type, thin-film type, and flexible

Zenman Energy

Phone: (757)-679-6703

Email: snelson@zenmanenergy.org

Panels available: Mono-crystalline type, poly-crystalline type, thin-film type, and flexible

Jobs, jobs, jobs! A look at job creation solutions in the UAE

Last Spring I gave a final exam asking my students (two groups of young Emiratis from all seven Emirates) to address the issue of Emirati male youth unemployment and develop a strategic framework as if they were consulting for the government. I have finally compiled and analysed their answers. I will start with the general introduction and then go through the visions, missions, long term objectives, SWOT, Strategic Decisions, Priority Decisions, Gathering Resources and then Implementation.

I think there are some thoughtful and wise pieces of advice from these students... as many of them begin their jobs (yes, mainly in the army and public sector), we can at least be assured that there are some bright young minds starting their careers!

Much worldwide attention has been given to boys in the Arabian Gulf. In November 2012 The Economist wrote an article “Where are the jobs for the boys?” highlighting the upcoming “job crunch” in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates – where 90% of Emiratis are employed in the public sector. Young men in particular are not eager to gain the necessary skills through higher education to qualify for public sector or high skilled jobs. In May 2012 the New York Times published a piece “In the Gulf, Boys Falling Behind in School” highlighting an education system that is seen as failing the young men of the region. These articles highlight the enormous challenges faced by an education system which does not appear to be meeting the needs of the future generation of young men and the future knowledge based economy of the UAE...

The first step in any strategic plan is to develop a strong and forward thinking vision. Many students wrote of a vision for vocational training, through hands on experience and apprenticeships with "masters". Others spoke of creating programs to ensure youth were prepared for rewarding and productive work - exploiting natural talent and all working to ensure the Nation continues its quest for sustainable economic diversification and strengthen industries.

On to the mission... (and the fine ideas continued). The programs and plans put forward were often seen as in compliment to current educational institutions and universities. They spoke of equal access across all Emirates and encouraging training programs with private industry. The mission was not only to provide training and skills to the currently unemployed, but better prepare youth still in school to better meet the needs of the future economy.

The strategic objectives were bold - but also based on long term needs over short-term results. Some were specific - "By 2018, increase students' ability to enter university without any preparation years from 22% to 40%". Some were were general - "Create incentive and reward programs for students who excel in their studies" and others saw the need to have increased community involvement in the education system. 

Next came their SWOT analysis which they then used to make their "strategic decisions" and then their priority decision. Their analyses were solid, and provided a logical and thoughtful foundation to their decision making process.

The strategic decisions called for the inclusion of the relevant stakeholders to be part of any process - public and private organisations and policy makers and of course the motivated youth themselves. Some decisions involved lowering the starting salary of public employees (yes, this idea came from them) and developing programs for youth to understand the needs of the future economy. Creating more ties with schools (high schools and universities) so that young people understand the world of work and private firms understand Emirati culture in a clearer way.

One of the most well developed answers for the key strategic decision involved the creation of a motivation program - in particular for young men to acquire and develop skills that will be needed in the knowledge economy. Others focused on the development of a vocational program to target the key areas of strategic industrial growth for the nation. 

The required resources named weren't just human or financial - but involved active efforts to encourage the participation of all key stakeholders.

Each student described a plan (in more or less detail, not everyone gets an A or B!) to implement their decision and outlined the metrics they would use to judge success.

The issue of (un)employment in the Arabian Gulf and the wider Arab world is not going to be a simple one to solve - as my students described it will involve work on the part of all stakeholders and new "ways" of training than have typically been used in this region. I also liked that they saw the need for a motivated and active youth population to take advantage of new training and employment opportunities. 

Yes, they make me proud!

Emirati Male Youth Entrepreneurship: Yousef's poster presentation at the MIT-Masdar Institute Forum on entrepreneurship and innovation

Last Monday I attended the the Masdar Institute and MIT national forum on innovation and entrepreneurship.  We got the invitation a few days ahead of time and I noticed that students were invited to submit posters on "commercializeable research". As you might remember (loyal readers all) I am supervising a project by Yousef Al Shehhi on Emirati Male Youth Entrepreneurship.

Hmmmmm... it didn't really fit, but if I only did things according to strict rules I would still be on Vancouver Island working at BC Ferries.

So, with only a few days to get the poster ready we had to work fast. Yousef was volunteering at the Abu Dhabi book fair and didn't have access to all his notes... so he bbmed me what he wanted to be included and I had an older version of his notes and it got cobbled together!

Al Shehhi, Van Horne and Huang 2013

I should mention that I was taught how to do academic posters by true masters... so while it is not perfect, we are proud of how it turned out.

So, we sent it in a few hours before the deadline - and the next day we learn it was accepted for presentation (but the presentation was the next day!) They said they loved his research :) Yousef arranged with his professors to miss his classes and he started to prepare. It was his first poster presentation - and while he had presented his work before, this was the first time in public.

Monday morning arrives and I get there early and I only see three posters! And the other two are obviously advanced Master's or PhD posters...

Yousef Al Shehhi: Research Assistant at ZU

Yousef, as with all my students to date, do not display the nervousness I add when I first started presenting - it was like he had done this a million times before!

Yousef explaining his project to students from the Masdar Institute

He had many visitors and he had to stay until the end as there were many people who wanted to speak with him. He has been invited to present his results at a few organisations in Abu Dhabi and he impressed the people at the Masdar Institute. Needless to say I am a very proud professor!

The next steps are catching up on Wamda posts (he has been very busy), getting the remaining data and then preparing the final report and presentation. In addition he will prepare a short workshop on entrepreneurship in Arabic to give to some of the students at ZU still concentrating on learning English. Perhaps he will present it in a high school... we will see.

So prepare for another post in the next few weeks :) Perhaps even a guest blog post (I hope you are reading this Yousef!)

Male Youth Entrepreneurship in the UAE: a Research Project

Male Youth Entrepreneurship in the UAE: Questions, Challenges and a Path for Development 

This is an outline of a research project we will be conducting this semester with our research assistant (who will be doing the majority of the work, although we will be there to guide him every step of the way). Yousef will be signing up for wamda where you will be able to follow the progression of the project (posts in English and Arabic). From time to time he will do a guest blog for me as well.

There are many underlying objectives of this project, including creating knowledge in an area which has been under-researched in the UAE and wider MENA region. Of course it is also to say - STOP with the high-paid, fly-in consultants and develop local talent and local knowledge. Also, it is to spread the joy of research to a high-potential student :)

Executive Summary

This internship proposal outlines research to be conducted in the UAE on Male Youth Entrepreneurship, and provide the steps that will need to be taken to gather the relevant information and data required to provide an effective road map to encourage creativity and entrepreneurial activity amongst Emirati male youth.

The supervisory team consists of Constance Van Horne and Victor Huang, two professors of management doing research in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship, and an Emirati research assistant/intern, Yousef Rashed Al Shehhi, a graduating student in the College of Business at Zayed University with a specialization in Human Resource Management, to perform directed secondary and primary research, develop a report with recommendations and prepare a presentation for interested stakeholders.

Purpose of the Research

The UAE is similar to the Arab world in that the majority of the local population is under the age of 24. Although there appears to be an abundance of resources, full and gainful employment of local Emiratis is and will remain to be a challenge in the coming decades. The reluctance of the private sector to hire Emirati youth, coupled with the saturation of government positions by mid-age Emiratis, foreshadows a great need for future entrepreneurial activity – self-employment – by today’s youth.

The challenge is complex, both because youth entrepreneurship in the Arab world in general, and in the UAE in particular, is little understood and the blueprints developed and used in other parts of the world are not suitable for the local cultural, economic, social and environmental context.

According to the data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report in 2011, the vast majority of Emirati early stage entrepreneurs choose to become entrepreneurs due to opportunity recognition and the desire for independence and autonomy, rather than through necessity or economic need. Although there is no current data or research on Emirati youth and the motivations for starting their own businesses, anecdotal evidence from Zayed University students, suggests that they are motivated by passion for their idea or project, a craving for independence and a craving to be well known as a successful business person – a “self-made” success.

Although this seems to be widely “known” and accepted that these are the motivators for Emirati youth, there is almost a complete lack of understanding of how to get from spark – to fully formed idea – to business model development – to financing – to opening the doors for business.

However, an understanding of the motivations and possible incentives is only part of the story. The sustainable economic, social, cultural and environmental needs of the UAE, and its diverse regions, need to be understood to develop “incentives” and guidelines for future Emirati entrepreneurs to follow and be inspired by.

This proposed research will combine field research with local Emirati male youth from across the UAE, combined with an analysis of the strategic plans of the UAE to develop a portrait of the motivators of Emirati youth towards entrepreneurship and a framework of industries, regions and types of small business which should be encouraged. This framework would combine the strategic visions of the nation as well as the stated interests and passions of Emirati youth themselves – what they dream of creating and becoming.

Research tools

The research team will conduct interviews with identified key Emirati young entrepreneurs and Emirati youth advocates. Focus groups of Emirati high school students interested in entrepreneurship will also be conducted (in Fujairah and Abu Dhabi). Interviews with educational, support institutions and parents will also be conducted. This qualitative research will be combined with a review of the longitudinal UAE GEM data from 2006-2011 and an analytical review of the pertinent Strategic Plans of the Nation.

Deliverables 

The deliverables will be a final report to be "published" through i-books, a pilot-lesson plan to motivate young males on the possibilities of entrepreneurship and a formal presentation to interested stakeholders.

Eco-tourism development in Dibba

This blog post uses the results of two graduation research projects about eco-tourism as a tool for economic development in Dibba. The projects were done by many young men from that region:

Abdullah Obaid Al Shehyari, Ahmed Mohammed Al Hafeeti, Mohammed Rashid Al Shehhi, Majed Ali Al Duhohri, Yousef Rashid Al Shehhi, Ali Salem Al-Zeyyodi, Mohammed Abdullah Al-Yammahi,  Abdullah Ahmed Al-Saridi,  Obaied Rashed Al-Saridi and Jumm’a Betti Al – Ka’bi.

The research project began as a collaborative brainstorming effort. Through many iterations between the team and myself as the supervising professor, the teams came up with the following research problem statement:

Research Problem

The local economy in Dibba is underdeveloped and this causes young people to leave the region for Abu Dhabi and Dubai (Farghali, 2012). One of the possible solutions would be the development of the new industries small and medium firms and human capital development of the local population. These issues could be addressed through the support and development of a locally run eco-tourism industry.

Research questions:

•           How can ecotourism contribute to the economy of Dibba?

•           What could be done to train/ prepare the local population to actively participation in the development and the promotion of our culture and the industry?

•           What could be done for Ecotourism development in the Dibba region through economic and cultural tourism?

The groups then divided the work into two separate categories, tangible and intangible heritage (yes, there is a theme in what “projects” I encourage my students to do!)

A lot of this blogpost is almost directly from their report. They know I am doing this and have agreed that I can use the photos as well. If you would like to learn more about their research, please contact me.

The first step was to understand as much as possible about the concept of Eco-tourism. The students liked the concept, the more they found out about it. Here is a short exert from the report:

“There are several characteristics or principles that describe Ecotourism. These principles started by minimizing the negative impacts that can damage or destroy a destination. In addition, the goal of companies is to educate the traveler on the importance of conservation and emphasise the importance of responsible business that works with local authorities and people to meet the local needs and ensure conservation.  Moreover, the concept stresses the need for planning and sustainable growth of the tourism industry and seeks to ensure that tourism development does not exceed the social and environmental capacity and maximize economic benefits to local communities and increase the percentage of revenues by concentrating on the use of locally-owned facilities and services (Wood, 2002).

Therefore, the idea of Ecotourism helps save the environment besides developing economic activities. Furthermore, it creates understanding of cultural and natural history of the area and improve the welfare of local people. In addition, the use of heritage/green buildings and the development of ecotourism guidelines for local people and potential expat entrepreneurial partners and visitors would help to implement the idea of Ecotourism in the area.”

They go on to write that any development would need to be done through consulting the various stakeholders such as the tourism authorities of Fujairah, Sharjah and the UAE, the municipality of Dibba, the hotel operators, current tourism operators and local people. They suggest guidelines to ensure sustainability – in particular cultural and environmental, and they would love to see more people come for the heritage and cultural attractions not just the (marvelous) beach.

Dibba

They researched and wrote about several areas that could be interesting to develop. The local honey industry (which I have written about), heritage dancing and singing (which I also have written about in this blog), food, fishing and pearling, the local date and fruit farms, and the traditional handicrafts of women (and men in the past who worked on basket and net making).

In the mountains of Dibba

Dibba beach: I obviously took this photo considering its awesome quality!

They wrote of the importance of Al Bidiya Mosque, which is now under consideration as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (I reviewed Marco Sosa’s photographic essay on the mosque in December). They also did research on Wam – an abandoned village that very few tourists know about or visit.

Front cover for Marco's book

From their extensive interviews, primary and secondary research they came up with a very well thought out SWOT analysis.

Strengths UAE is a destination for international and domestic tourists  Certified tourism requirements on entertaining part  and high quality of hotels Well-knit communication and transportation system around the seven emirates Rich cultural heritage with castles, archeological sites such old houses particularly at the north part of UAE Wonderful and clean beaches ·         An attractive place for tourists especially in special occasions ·         Suitable place for many tourism activities

Weaknesses Government yet to tap skills of locals to run tourism projects Weak marketing strategy used to market tourism products Lack of training courses and exposure visits New business enterprises related to tourism have to go through different restrictive formalities Absence of clear and well defined polices Tourism projects sanctioned without proper understanding of local conditions Lack of community participation in tourism projects Lack of initiative on tourist agencies by making tourism easy for tourists

Opportunities Availability of experts in several areas of tourism Increasing in tourist arrivals New job and income possibilities from tourism Availability of media support

Threats Competing economic activities Increase of misdirected and uncontrolled visitors Transformation from nature-friendly activities to mass tourism

Of course the next step would be to take the results of this project and see if we (meaning the students of course, I love saying we, knowing they have to do all the hard work!) could develop a project this semester to start on the development of eco-tourism guidelines. We will see!

Bravo gentlemen. You worked very well together on a report that is interesting, timely and provides a good starting point for further research.

Strategy trip to the mountains of RAK

A year ago the young man, Hassan Al Shamala who hosted us so generously in his home, was drowned when a strong wadi swept his car away. Hassan was the first in his family to attend university and his family was very proud that he was a university graduate and an officer in the military. He was greatly loved by all his fellow students, from every Emirate. 

He was also very special to all faculty and staff who learned so much about Emirati culture, from sword dancing to mountain living to an absolute generosity of spirit that still holds the most special memories for me.

Thank you Hassan for the beautiful memories described in this post and the many joyous moments you created for so many of us.

Hassan in his mountains - RAK (Photo by Marco Sosa)

This blogpost was written using first hand research done by the young Emirati men in my BUS 402 Strategy class in Fall 2012. We also took a field trip to the mountains of Ras al-Khaimah (organised by the men) and were hosted by Hasan and his father in their mountain home. On behalf of the class and David Ribott, a Student Life specialist who also came with us, I want to say a very public thank you to Hassan Rashed Bani-Shmeili and his father Mr. Rashed for their hospitality and generosity in sharing their traditions and their family artifacts.

The group projects were all organised around the strategy of heritage - the groups divided into tangible heritage, intangible heritage and cooking. We also had a group visit the Sheikh Zayed Centre in Abu Dhabi (which hopefully I will write about in another blogpost).

However, true heritage cannot be just written about, it needs to be experienced. So the class organised a RAK Day for us to experience what the heritage of the mountains in the UAE really is (in particular the al Shehhi tribe who are originally from the mountains of RAK, Fujairah and into Oman).

We went to the other side of these mountains

Good photo of the road we took

Now, in the UAE the tangible and the intangible get mixed up. For example sword dancing is an intangible tradition that is a specialty of the tribes from mountains and is done in weddings, celebrations, National Day and special occasions. However, the tradition of sword making is also very much a part of the old ways before the discovery of oil and the unification of the seven Emirates in 1971.

Mohammed leaping and Hasan showing why their tribe is known for strength (at National Day celebrations 2010)

Old sword - up close you can see the swirls in the blade

Other tangible heritage or artifacts we don't know a lot about - except what they were used for. For example this pot, we didn't know how old it was, but we know it was used for food.

Old pot

Speaking of food - we ate very traditionally that day and began with a sustaining and delicious harees. It takes hours to prepare and is made with bulgur wheat and lamb (or chicken, I have had both). For lunch we had the lamb and rice meal which you saw in the "Visit to Khaled Hurriyah Restaurant: An Emirati Gourmet Experience" post.

The meals were an example of another important part of the heritage of the UAE - working together for the common good. Take the next photo, in it are young men from four of the seven Emirates (spending the day in  a fifth), preparing breakfast for us all.

Working together from four Emirates

Of course it is intangible heritage that is so hard to capture - I have experienced henna, poetry recitals, cooking, and seen the hair dancing at women's weddings and the sword dancing a few times - but I had never seen (except on video) the yodeling (called nadba) done in the old days to communicate between the mountains and which is now done at weddings and special occasions to welcome guests. I grew up with Dad yodeling so it was quite a treat. I understand now that they welcomed us all... of course at the time it took us back to a time of no phones and where voices needed to carry for safety and even for protecting against invading tribes.

Nadba - Shehhi tribe known for this

We also went for a drive and saw old (really old) abandoned houses made from the stone of the mountain and they explained how people lived and showed me dried fields which used to be filled with grasses in the winter, but for many years there has been little rain. We saw a modern irrigation system being built by Mr. Rashed and older systems for the old houses.

The history of this area of course dates back to before stories were written down - I think the next photo is a fossil, but I don't know for sure.

Fossil

We also spoke about how things have changed and how strategies for tribes, families and individuals have changed. We spoke about entrepreneurial activities that could be developed to create jobs for enterprising young people or retired military personnel - of course we also just soaked it all in and were silent in our own contemplation. The last photo is a photo of me, or a photo of a student looking over the bay far below us. Maybe the best lesson learned on the trip was that developing strategy requires us to know what was, what is and what could be... and it requires contemplation.

How blackberry lost its competitive advantage: An unscientific view from the UAE

I started using my Black Berry again (long story why I stopped using it) - and it got me to wondering why blackberry went from number 1 in the UAE to "I can't wait to get rid of my bb" in just two short years.

Of course, when I want wisdom from my students (and they are wise and speak with their very high disposable income), I ask them. So, on our mid-term one of the questions they could answer was about how blackberry lost its competitive advantage (I use blackberry and not RIM - but you all understand what I mean):

The question:

In November 2011 Blackberry phones made up over 50% of the smartphone market in the UAE. That is no longer the case. Competitive advantage can be built (and lost) using several different factors.  Please provide a brief definition of competitive advantage, list the different factors and briefly define each in your own words.  Then, please explain why and how Blackberry has LOST its competitive advantage in the UAE market. Use specific and real examples for each point and explain what you mean (don’t just list items).

Before I get to the answers, first a short refresher on competitive advantage: competitive advantage is simply being better than your competition - so you can sell more stuff, sell it for a higher price or be so awesome that people put themselves on waiting lists or travel 100s of km to buy your product or service.

Well, there is that - but nerdy researchers (like me in case you are new to this blog) look for patterns (patterns make us giddy) that explain the why of things. We always need to know why (yes, kind of like a three year old that is never satisfied with an answer...).

So, after looking at these patterns the simplest theory is that there are four ways to build competitive advantage in your organisation:

• Quality
• Responsiveness to customers
• Efficiency
• Innovation

So, where did BB go wrong? BBM used to be THE preferred means of communications even a few short months ago... now everyone has an iPhone and/or Galaxy and if they have BB it is just because they have so many contacts on it. The main issues for the students seem to be decreasing quality, a total disregard of customer's concerns, lack of new models and lack of innovation (so yeah, everything!)

First, students point out that the camera is better with iPhone and Galaxy, service is unreliable, it crashes easily and is not "secure" and they break easier than before (remember, this is not scientific, but an almost straight retelling of what they told me).

RIM does not listen to customers, "Biggest problem is not responding to customer needs and wants and the same defects are in each new version of the Black Berry - like the battery!". Another student said that BB does not have a system that fully connects with their customers (now RIM, if you think you do have such a service, uhmmm, I do not think it is working).

Lack of efficient system to have new versions of the phone (and again with no improvements on the major issues).... They blame that you laid off all those engineers to try to save money a few years ago (yeah, I might have something to do with that opinion).

Finally, and the biggest concern was a lack of innovative apps such as instagram and google maps... and they said that iPhone apps are just better - BB apps tend to be boring.

So there you have it - words of wisdom from my at the cutting edge of consumer electronics students ... Also, a word of warning to other businesses that think they have people locked into their products - sorry, if they feel ignored they will move on to a company that does not ignore them...

However, all that being said, they do not think I should get an iPhone... it is much too complicated for me :)

Advice to Emirati entrepreneurs at each stage of the entrepreneurship process

So, in researching and writing and writing and writing about Emirati Entrepreneurship and working with Emirati students on a daily basis I have come up with some simple advice for each of the four stages of the entrepreneurship process (read my blog post about it is you are curious about that). So here goes!

There are four basic phases of the process :

1.      Recognising opportunities

2.      Assembling resources

3.      Launch of venture

4.      Harvesting and succeeding

Entrepreneurship process

Phase 1: Advice to Aspiring Emirati Entrepreneurs       
 

Live your passion! Don’t just look for opportunities, turn your passion into your own business – this will ensure that you will gladly make the necessary time and effort commitments to turn your dreams into reality.

Become an expert! To overcome your fear of failure and lessen insecurities learn all that you can about your new business idea. Research on the internet, talk with experts, read biographies of successful entrepreneurs and learn all you can about your chosen industry on an international, regional and local level.

Find a mentor! Whenever we try something new it helps to have someone to turn to for advice and motivation. Find a mentor at school, at work, in your family or in the community. Attend local events organized for entrepreneurs and volunteer in the community to expand your network.

Phase 2: Advice to Budding Emirati Entrepreneurs

Don’t give up! The road to success is a long one and often full of challenges we don’t expect. But, if you believe in your idea and know your stuff, don’t let the challenges stop you – learn from them to better prepare for whatever life throws your way.

Seek advice from experts! Although we might not find an ideal mentor everyday, we can and will encounter people who would be willing to share their experiences with us. We can also read profiles of successful entrepreneurs and attend events where our entrepreneurs will be speaking – seek and you shall find!

Use your networks! We all have networks and sometimes we might be shy to ask people for advice when starting up a new venture. Don’t be shy, the worst that can happen is the person will not be able to help you, but they might or might direct you to someone who can help.

Phase 3: Advice to New Entrepreneurs

Watch your cash flow! In the early days there will be more cash flow out than in – but that is no excuse not to keep careful records and to watch your fils!

Listen to your customers and suppliers! Be a hands on owner and get to know your customers and your suppliers – they are your source of ideas for improvements, new products and services and also can tell you what your competition is up to!

Look for support! You are not alone, there are many organizations out there to help you. Look to your local Chamber of Commerce for training programs, local entrepreneurship agencies of women centres for support from fellow entrepreneurs.

Phase 4: Advice for Established Entrepreneurs

Be creative! There are many ways to expand your product/service line. Think “outside the box” for complementary industries or where your unique goods could be adapted for new uses.

Take calculated risks! Once we have established ourselves and have found our “comfort zone” in our operations we might not know what to do. Consider all options, do your research and take risks if you feel prepared and ready for growth!

Look for international opportunities! In the global scale the UAE is a small market – but look at where we are positioned! At the cross-roads of burgeoning markets, with access to over 200 nationalities on a local scale we can test our products at home before heading abroad!

Management is important in the UAE because...

Since I began teaching at Zayed University, the first assignment I give students in an essay…. It began with the topic, “Men are better managers than women” (to both my female and male students), then “Management is…” and now “Management is important to the UAE because…”.

I have always had brilliant essays and well thought out work (and some rushed assignments which reminds me of my own undergraduate courses) – and sometimes the simplest arguments, with solid evidence are the essays which receive the top marks.

This past essay is another case in point. When my 29 male Emirati students were asked why management is important to the UAE I got some interesting answers. In general they said that there are scarce resources, so we need management to ensure that the benefits of a finite resource are available for future generations. We need management because there are over 200 cultures and nationalities working in the UAE – and we need to work together to achieve a common vision, although we do not have a common background.

Some spoke of issues of the day such as the dress code – and that new residents and visitors should have information about what is proper and what is not to wear – and also why, explaining the culture and the importance of modesty.

A few others spoke of management innovations such as Saeed (the traffic police in Abu Dhabi) and Mawaqif (metered parking in Abu Dhabi) and others spoke of managing projects such as the Burj Khalifa. Economic diversification was mentioned by more than a couple, and how Abu Dhabi and Dubai need management to plan and organise the development of the tourism industry.

Two students cited my blog (yes, feels even better than receiving an apple J) and more than a couple cited Abu Dhabi 2030 (OK, I might have sent them the pdf and suggested it might be a good document to start from).

All of them agreed though… management is important, and that the basic steps of planning, organising, leading and controlling (feedback) can be used in all different situations and are a very  simple process to use and reuse to make sure things get done, the way they were supposed to, in the time allotted and with a happy workforce.

Because, they all know that the greatest resource in the UAE is not oil, it’s …

ZU Men's Business Association trip to Japan - Emirati planning in action (Part 3)

Much less of a delay – I should get this done before I leave for Canada for vacation J

Day 6:

Tuesday was kind of a super cool day – we started the day at Toyota Mega Web – a concept showroom in Tokyo for Toyota. I am not super into cars – I drive a rented Yaris because it is easy to park and I used to live downtown, and even now with a parking space I drive it – but it was interesting. We had arrived early and stopped at the Starbucks for breakfast (most of us seemed to always miss the hotel breakfast – except 2 early risers!) – I got cherry blossom espresso cups and a travel mug J Oh, a pack of cherry blossom macaroons… (OK, I might have developed a slight obsession with all things cherry blossom while I was there – what can I say, I am a sponge for local culture – and all things pink!).

Oh, the car place… http://www.megaweb.gr.jp/About/en.html so we toured around and then we went to see the “Personal mobility” section  and got to take a spin in this! Oh my goodness we laughed so hard and it was so much fun – they are battery operated, so zero emission, and go pretty fast and are super easy to maneuver.  Unfortunately they are not for sale L

From the megaweb website

I'm the one wearing red!

We then went to the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation – we need one of these in the UAE! It was amazing and made us think, laugh, ponder the world and learn. http://www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/en/

The most amazing thing for me was this floating globe that revolved on the ceiling – and people were on couches looking up at it – I got excited every time the UAE or Vancouver Island or Quebec would come to the front J

What everyone really enjoyed was this huge room – where we followed a maze of wonderful facts and figures and questions that we would need to answer by moving magnets, or writing on post it notes – some of the questions were hard to answer, or didn’t really have an answer – but it made us all think of the world in a little different way.

There was also this weird space with shapes and another with a computer screen floor – anyways – I was kind of mentally exhausted after this. It felt like 2 full days and we hadn’t even eaten lunch yet!

Day 7:

This was our off day and Dr. Connie took it off too (thank you David). I went to the hot springs (Oedo-Onsen Monogatari http://whereintokyo.com/venues/25106.html) for 10 hours and got 1 of every treatment on the menu – and there was an outside part and it was lightly raining and it was amazing –

The guys went to Mount Fuji – by bus, by bullet train, by metro and they loved it – it even snowed at the top! They saw cherry blossoms and had a snow ball fight and I think enjoyed it for so many reasons.

Emiratis on Mount Fuji!

Day 8:

A visit to the Tokai Universityhttp://www.u-tokai.ac.jp/international/index.html  and a campus tour was our main activity on Day 8 – it was a bit of a drive, but it was beautiful and as we drove south the cherry blossoms were more and more evident –

The University is very interesting and focused on research – the highlight was visiting the workshop/lab of the solar powered car that had just won a race and were crowned the fastest solar-powered car in the world! http://www.u-tokai.ac.jp/international/news/2011/1111_01.html

Of course I asked lots of questions – and the shy guy that was hanging back mentioned he had worked on the battery – I asked him if he was a Master’s student or a PhD student – uhm, no – a Bachelor’s student – Wow! But there is a professor who runs the workshop who is dedicated and passionate and has a lot of corporate sponsors! The place was full of students working and interacting.

Photo of team from Tokai website

On the way back the guys might have mentioned that they wanted “normal” food – and so the amazing guide and host from the embassy, Ms. Sumiyo Shinagawa – called the only Iranian restaurant in Tokyo and asked them to stay open for a late lunch for us – and they did J Now don’t get all “they should have tried Japanese food” – they did – and some came to like it, but some didn’t. And that is OK – these trips aren’t about immersion, they are about learning and sharing and seeing things done in different ways – but we can still like our way best!

Day 9:

We all had felt like we had been in Tokyo for a month – and many of us wanted to stay longer J There was so much more to see and do and buy – We knew how to get from point A to point B using the maps – quite a few of them had picked up expressions (and one of the group modified their first memorised greeting – which turned out the mean “Hello, how are you – shut up!”), and we knew how to navigate and how things worked.

On this last day we went to the Panasonic Innovation Centre – which has a “house” with all the sustainable products that Panasonic sells – as an innovation freak I loved it – and the guys loved it too – and I loved their questions, which were smart, intuitive and just plain “have you thought of this” – especially when it came to solar panel testing in a sandy, dusty, HOT environment like the UAE.

That evening Mr. Hasan and his lovely wife took us to dinner with our GCC-Japan volunteers turned friends and they presented us with keepsakes of Japan. I know that Emiratis have a reputation (well deserved) for hospitality and generosity – but the Japanese we met were as generous and as hospitable as the people here. Maybe that is one of the reasons there seems to be an affinity for so many things Japanese on the part of many Emiratis – especially with Manga.

Day 10:

Departure – what can I say. While we missed home, I think we were all a little sad to leave. I think we really learned things as individuals and as a group – they had worked soooooo hard in the organising to get there and then the organising each day and the minor conflicts and the hiccups and all that – but they handled it all.

In the rain!

There are so many people to thank – and I think I have thanked them all in the three parts – but of course this would not have been possible without our sponsor. ADNOC Distribution contributed to the development of each of these students, as leaders, as thinkers and as (en’shallah) future entrepreneurs, who will see Japan as a market for high quality, unique goods – things I know my students will develop through their future endeavors!

Now, where to go next??????????

ZU Men's Business Association trip to Japan - Emirati planning in action (Part 2)

Sorry for the delay between Part 1 and Part 2 – Jordan, end of semester, big report corrections due, a hair catastrophe – and almost a month passed!

I will start where I left off in Part 1. Through the force of will and the strength of Emiratis in getting things done when things need to get done, we are at the airport.

Oops – I should say I am at the airport, at the arranged time – and super nervous (I really don’t like to fly) and then they start arriving – in Western clothes! I didn’t recognise my own students and it was just so weird to see them in jeans and sweats (!) and Crocs (yeah a former Canadian/Quebec City company started by a husband and wife entrepreneur team!) and hair! (Sorry for the explanation marks, but really, it was weird to see them dressed in Western clothes).

So, finally, everyone arrives – and the fun begins with the line to check in. Some have brought a lot of luggage (I will not name names, but we all know who I am talking about) – and some less – so we check in together and combined the luggage – and then on the way to the gate – and the plane (gulp).

Day 1:

The plane ride had many funny moments and we landed in Tokyo a bit tired to be greeted by the Embassy people and two vans to take us to the hotel. Yeah students and Embassy officials for making our trip so hassle free. Truly, if you want an event or a trip organised well – get an Emirati to do it!

That day was just relaxing and that evening I may have forced everyone to try Japanese food – maybe not my wisest decision – but they tried the noodles and I heard found an Indian place after to actually eat a meal!

Day 2:

On Friday we woke up early to go to the Islamic Institute for Friday prayers and a presentation of the Institute. The  boys dressed in their kandoras and warm jackets and everyone was in high spirits. After prayers was a very interesting presentation about the Institute – they are there to build an understanding about Islam in Japan and also have many classes for Arabic language training. I was given the name Ayesha by the imam there and it was really a great experience for all of us.

At the Islamic Centre after Friday prayers

After the presentation we explored the city a bit and tried to understand the subway systems – a bit of a challenge, but again the boys did better than I did and were excellent about just asking for help (and the Japanese were excellent about giving help, or finding someone who speaks English to help).

I think the most striking thing the first day was how clean everything was, how polite Japanese people are and how absolutely organised everything is. We also discovered the vending machines with warm karak and coke and water and cold green tea (YUM) – and the corner store with the gigantic apples and weird snack foods and getting change back with lots of coins!

Asakusa, Japan

Day 3 & 4

We spent the weekend exploring temples, cultural sites and shopping (Ginza anyone?) with our wonderful, amazing, kind guides from the GCC-Japan Club. They are a group of university students from various universities around the Tokyo region with a shared interest in the GCC – many have visited the UAE and even know Arabic. The students were volunteers and really made our trip a cultural exchange – and extra rewarding in so many ways. I know none of us can wait to return the favour of their wonderful hospitality.

Enjoying the rain!

Day 5

Today was a very big day. Everyone had bought suits and we went to the UAE Embassy to meet with the Ambassador, H.E. Mr. Saeed Ali Alnowais. He shared his years of experience with us as he has been an Ambassador and diplomat for many years. One of the students (also featured in the Poetry blog posts) wrote a poem for the Ambassador to thank him for his generous hosting of us and it impressed everyone present. The students asked questions about trade with Japan, his experiences as a diplomat and any advice he could offer them if they wanted to study in Japan to learn Japanese. After the official meeting with the students (who looked very handsome in their suits) His Excellency’s cook had prepared an Emirati lunch for us. To say the boys were happy to eat “normal” food would be an understatement!

There was a reporter for WAM there and we were featured the next day in the official news outlet for the UAE! (WAM story in Arabic) It was very exciting for all of us and a wonderful visit to mark the half-way point in our trip.

OK- the rest will be said in Part 3 – I don’t want to bore you all writing too much at one time!