Candidate No.

2403081

Year: 3

Module Code :
MN3495

Module Tutor:
Prof. Ailson. J De Morales

Assignment No.: 1

Course Title: Business and Management (BSc)

Individual Self-Reflective Essay, 1500

Assignment Title:
words (30%)
Guest Speaker 1: Luciano Gavioli (Gavioli, 2023) – L’Scissors, Egham, family hairdresser
business.

I learned the true value of customer service/satisfaction (CSS) and how it is a crucial element
to businesses’ success, especially family businesses. This is demonstrated by Luciano’s
discounts and flexibility with customers e.g. earlier opening times, hence developing a loyal
customer base, whilst generating 5-6 new clients weekly. Rubenstein (1990, cited in Orth &
Green, 2009) finds that over 65% of family businesses sustaining excellent customer service
is pivotal to their prosperity and survival. Similarly, Fornell, Morgeson and Hult (2016) notes
that better customer service yields higher investment profits, influences client loyalty, thereby
risk mitigating and significant in generating large-scale allocative efficiency. The evidence
presented reinforces my view of CCS playing a key role in success, I personally learnt that
CCS shouldn’t be underestimated and is a powerful tool when executed well, and
particularly effective for differentiating yourself from competitors.

Another lesson I learned is necessity of adaptability, Luciano had to adapt to culture, failed
loans, Brexit and Covid. I now believe that adaptation in an ever- changing world is
significant for both personal and business, adaptability is the thing that allows us to keep
developing/evolving to strive for better. The study of ‘ adaptability and performance’
supports my opinion, as adaptability is a benchmark for efficient performance (Burke, Pierce
and Salas, 2006). Also, Calarco & Gurvis (2006) emphasizes adaptability is essential for
leadership, therefore, I began adopting an optimistic mindset which promotes adaptability,
hence enhancing leadership skills.

Guest speaker 2: Norith La torre, Co- founder of Tahrir Plaza Suites, Cairo, Egypt ( La torre,
2023).

My first lesson is instead of looking up to role-models, create and be one yourself. This is
quite evident in Norith’s journey as a migrant and minority entrepreneur, discussing about
lack of role-models/advice, similar to lack of role models for ethnic minorities in medical
perceived by students ( Isik et al.2021) and instead Norith became a role model herself .
However, this lesson will focus on minority as this relates to me. Norith recognised she had
to work twice as harder than others as part of minority group, resulting in strong leadership/
role model. To strengthen this, studies also suggests minorities had to labour considerably
harder in the field of social work and physiotherapy ( Hammond et al. 2019; Mbarushimana
& Robbins, 2015). Therefore, while it may be more challenging for me, I believe that hard
effort will pay off to the point where I will not only be my personal inspiration, but also a role
model to others.

I also learned to be unafraid to seek new opportunities, relation to migrant entrepreneurship ,

Norith immersed herself in unknown environment (Egypt) and successfully seized an great
opportunity. Tang, Kacmar and Busenitz (2012, pg.77) argues that “recognition and
development of new opportunities are at the heart of entrepreneurship”. Thus, I realised being
aware of unexplored opportunities is vital to me flourishing as an entrepreneur, and failure is
a hidden opportunity.

Guest speaker 3: Samuel Ade, Founder/CEO of ILANA, London (Ade, 2023).

I learned how to stay committed in order to succeed, through Samuel I grasped a critical
epiphany: are you prepared to work on your own concept for a minimum of ten years?
Furthermore, how a ‘growth mindset’ can assist/maintain my hunger for success even for
years. To support this statement, Dweck (2009) notes that failures should be welcomed and
learnt from, this means setbacks once dealt with can lead to greater success. Likewise, Dweck
& Yeager (2019, cited in Yeager & Dweck, 2020) argues that people with a growth mentality
are more likely to persevere in the face of adversity and continue to progress. Therefore, I
perceive growth mindset as important to sustaining motivation/commitment to succeed
throughout years, especially with events that occur or reoccur like recessions, covid,
inflations and more.

A new concept was taught by Sam , the ‘ 4Cs’, although I will focus on character as I
reflected on this the most, hence I learned the importance of character. Samuel linked
character to what reputation you are creating yourself, according to Oderberg (2013),
reputation is a widespread agreement on a person’s character , underpinning the previous
statement, so a good character can boost reputation and emerge in more favourable
outcomes/investments. Kiel (2015) stated that your character is equally vital to organisational
success as your business and leadership abilities, thereby highlighting the worth of character
and as its representative, my actions will affect the organization's reputation (
positively/negatively).
Guest speaker 4: Thiago Mendes, Founder/CEO of Eno Cultura, Brazil (Mendes, 2023).

An invaluable lesson was ensure that you have a honourable purpose as its better for the long-
run. For Thiago, this was about his family including his employees/students, these
honourable purposes can be a form of intrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivates reports a
significant increased level of long-term performance in contrast to people with extrinsic
motivation (Debrulle, Maes and Gardiner, 2021) e.g. money. Therefore, causing deep
evaluation of my intrinsic motivations, guiding me to identify my purpose. Craig and Snook
(2014) claims we should implement our purpose in our daily lives, including business but
more carefully, Thiago spoke of the people around you should encourage/support your
purpose. As a result, selecting appropriate partners is key, as I learnt to pick ideal partners
who can aid me rather than compromising my long-term purpose for a short-term aim,
moreover, I am establishing a long-term vision.

Thiago mentioned obtaining certain knowledge about everything but not needing to know it
fully as a entrepreneur, this resulted in a personal interpretive lesson of being well- balanced
(jack of all trades) is beneficial to entrepreneurship. This is reinforced by study of ‘ skill
balancing and entrepreneurship preparation’ stating individuals who possess a more diverse
collection of abilities are more likely to become entrepreneurs (Syme & Mueller, 2022).
Thus, I became eager to learn more, and I began to read books and listen to podcasts that I
would not ordinarily be interested in.

Section 2:

From the group work project, we faced many difficulties with a slow start, communication
problems and selection of company. Consequently, I learned I require to work harder/exert
more effort than others as there will always inevitably be high and low motivations among
people in a group. This is true in the concept of ‘social loafing’, which individual efforts are
lessened in a group opposed to sole work (Latané, Willliams & Harkins, 1979 cited in Ying
et al.2014). Conversely, Hart et al.(2004) notes high motivated people demonstrating strong
level of motivation on merit tasks may excel to a point, where social loafing reduces. Hence,
my high motivation/efforts has started influencing my group members’ efforts. Also, I learnt
to persevere through difficulties, since we ultimately chose a company after numerous
failures, and my team is now effectively communicating.

I utilized my personal networking skills to help identify a business of an acquaintance’s dad

for our study, networking is considered to promote successful business practices and growth
of reciprocal respect (Kay, 2004, cited in De Klerk, 2010). I helped facilitate the
establishment of individual roles in which I stated how many people needed for each section
and noted preference of roles. As a result, I am performing analysis with another individual to
combine our ideas for this crucial section, and could be said I was overseeing it in a way . I
personally believe my motivation/persistence effort was a catalyst for our team to begin
communicating and functioning properly.

As previously mentioned, I learned having to work harder/exert more effort, however I

realised and started developing another key thing, my leadership skills . As I influenced my
group and inspired them to increase their efforts, I find this directs me to a certain style like
charismatic leadership. I plan to develop more towards charismatic leadership, according to
Bryman et al.(2011), these charismatic leaders are classified with strong self- assurance that
can display persistence in conquering challenges to accomplish their objectives, ergo, I
demonstrated certain level of this, leading to further progression in this leadership. I believe
charismatic leadership is an excellent style , adoption of it may help to evolve my leadership
skills, allowing me to discover or create my style as I aim to be a leader myself. I also plan to
apply the skill of perseverance to delve into new projects for myself as perseverance is a
decisive element that succours in initiation of new ventures ( van Gelderen , 2012).

I personally feel this was a valuable experience only to a limited extent , all group work
projects I have experienced is unpleasant and doesn’t go smoothly, including this one. Due to
unnecessary stress and complications with my team members, regarding the group project, it
mostly outweighs the valuable experiences even though I have learned a new couple things.
Whilst, I believe low amount of stress is healthy for you to grow, unnecessary high levels of
stress is not and harmful, so going through all that does not equal a valuable experience to
me.
Bibliography

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Gavioli, L.(2023). Visiting speaker for Module MN3495. 11th October, Royal Holloway,
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