“The insight to see possible new paths, the courage to try them, the judgment to measure results — these are the qualities of a leader.”
Mary Parker Follett
Tulips, North Vancouver
Friday Reflection
A measly $292.50 that could have changed it all
“The Supreme Court failed to rule that Provinces have no right to erect interprovincial tariff barriers. This is indeed unfortunate news for Canadian consumers, but a relief for provinces who have allowed fiscal priorities to supersede consumer choice, for years. For the agrifood sector, the decision would have had tremendous significance.”
Dr. Sylvain Charlebois
Dr. Sylvain Charlebois
Dean, Faculty of Management
Dalhousie University
The Supreme Court ruling is a significant loss for consumers and our Canadian economy, but a great win for inertia. The Comeau case was never just about beer. It was essentially about enabling our domestic economy across the country to thrive. For the agrifood sector, the decision would have had tremendous significance.
Gerard Comeau made a purchase in Quebec of 344 bottles of beer, two bottles of whiskey and one bottle of other spirits, which he then brought back to New Brunswick. This is something he had done several times but which is in fact deemed illegal, based on a 90-year old law. This time, however, Mr. Comeau was arrested and fined $292.50. This was in 2012. More than 5 years later, the Supreme Court ruled the fine to be unconstitutional. Who would have thought that $292.50 had the potential to forever change the face of domestic food trade?
For almost nine decades, interprovincial barriers have multiplied and have made the life of many food companies a living nightmare. For consumers, if no one catches you, you move on. For businesses, when buying ingredients or specialty products from another province, it’s been less than convenient. Moreover, many of these products were taxed only to support provincial government’s public coffers. Barriers were erected to suppress competition and sell more taxed and overpriced food products and beverages. Canada has a myriad of trade barriers in addition to the fact that the agrifood sector is addicted to marketing boards. For many, mechanisms countervailing power are the only methods possible to appease entrepreneurial angst in the sector. We just needed the Supreme Court of Canada to make us realize that we need to get our interprovincial act together. But it did not happen.
Because of this ruling, creative companies in smaller provinces will not have a fighting chance to expand and compete in larger markets, such as Quebec and Ontario. Wineries, craft cheese producers, craft breweries, speciality meat producers, and many other small-scale operations will face mounting obstacles, domestically.
But this would have also turned out to be the wake-up call our supply-managed sectors needed. Our provincially-based quota system to support dairy, poultry and egg production facilities will likely be targeted by this ruling. This could have represented an opportunity to recalibrate some of the agrifood wealth around the country. For example, dairy processing has historically been concentrated in the province of Quebec. Quotas are evenly distributed, based on domestic demand for milk, including processing. Now, it is likely that we will see other provinces play a much larger role in dairy processing. The Comeau ruling could have induced some deeply needed supply-management reforms to make the regime more flexible and current. New methods, capitalizing on terroir knowledge, could have made most gastronomic regions in Canada flourish. Right now, most production is done in Ontario and Quebec, and a different decision by the Supreme Court could have complemented what many consider a weak and obsolete equalization system which sees the “have” provinces supporting “have nots.”
A different outcome would have met a reduction in the price of a variety of products you now enjoy. More competition could have put pressure on prices. Fiscal policies could have changed, given how open provincial economies were going to become. But now, we will need to wait a while longer.
The will for more economic integration makes internal barriers undesirable. The case for a better flow of goods remains very strong in Canada, from an economic standpoint. Interprovincial trade barriers never made sense in the first place, never will. We are only 37 million inhabitants in one of the vastest counties in the world. Distribution costs are prohibitive for many of our small and medium-sized companies, who often drive the open agrifood innovation agenda in this country. These companies have long needed just such a chance to thrive beyond one or a few provinces.
Some favorable to the current regime believe the Comeau ruling could have triggered a race to the bottom, in terms of health standards and food safety. Such an argument is nonsense. Risk management practices in the Canadian agrifood sector are exemplary. As we continue to seek opportunities abroad, Ottawa and the provinces will need to clean house here first. It has taken over 90 years – and a timid fine of $292.50 – for Ottawa to finally receive a strong message that Canadians deserve better. But for no, the Supreme Court has opted to stay on the sidelines.
Dr. Sylvain Charlebois
Dean, Faculty of Management
Dalhousie University
April 2018
Dr. Carolan McLarney: Mary Parker Follett on Group Membership
“We find the true man only through organization. The potentialities of the individual remain potentialities until they are released by group life. Man discovers his true nature, gains his true freedom only through the group.” Mary Parker Follett, The New State: Group Organization the Solution of Popular Government.
Dr. Carolan McLarney
Dr. Carolan McLarney has explored the remarkable life of Mary Parker Follett since her doctoral days. 2018 is the 150th anniversary of Follett’s birth as well as the 100th anniversary of her book, The New State. This is her second interview that discuses Mary Parker’s thoughts on Group Membership.
Dr. Carolan McLarney:
Mary Parker Follett valued membership in a group almost more than leadership. She believed in the power of the neighbourhood group. She suggested that it is within these groups that the opportunity for real contribution is possible. In The New State (1918), Follett posits that when everyone is giving their full effort, then “leaders will arise among us” (p. 62). If each one of the members of the group has the potential to be a leader of that group, then it is important to look at Mary Parker Follett’s views on group membership. In her writing, she described the ideal group, where all were equal and had equal opportunities for contribution and leadership. The group members are not clones, there are differences, and difference is welcomed. But there does appear to be an underlying core of behaviours and traits. This could be described as the `true heart of a group member’. This `true heart’ has many dimensions and many obligations. Mary Parker Follett took membership very seriously, she did not believe it was for the faint-of-heart, but she did believe it was the forum for change and hope for her society.
Miss Follett believed group membership was a responsibility. These obligations include giving one’s total contribution, not holding anything back. She explicitly puts forth the minimum requirements; one cannot sit back and watch:
“No member of a group which is to create can be passive. All must be active and constructively active. It is not, however, to be constructively active merely to add a share: it must be a share which is related to and bound up with every other share. And it must be given in such a way that it fits in with what others are giving. Someone said to me the other day, “Don’t you think Mr. X talks better than anyone else in Boston?” Well the fact is that Mr. X talks so well that I can never talk with him. Everything he says has such a ring of finality, is such a rounding up of the whole question, that it leaves nothing more to be said on the subject. This is particularly the kind of thing to be avoided in a committee meeting or conference.” (1918, p.7)
You must not let go of your ideas, but at the same time, you must be open for other’s ideas. It is not a matter of one idea being relinquished and another being adopted, but rather “that there has been evolved a composite idea.”(1918, p. 6) Each member of the group must have a true a conviction to their ideas and they must be willing to recognize and respect a similar conviction in their fellow team-mates. It is within this type of group that we begin to create, and what we create is something that is better than anything we could have created alone and separately.
Each group member is different from his or her team-mates, and a group power comes from the integration of these differences, “the only use for my difference is to join it with other differences.”(1918, p. 8) It is this unification within the group that is the source of creation. A solid member of the group is one who has a strong belief in their ideas, willingness to share those ideas and experiences. Shared experience is shared wisdom and it is this shared wisdom that gives the group strength, solidarity and power. It is the leader who is able to integrate this shared wisdom and mould it to form a common purpose. In The Essentials of Leadership, Mary Parker Follett called this, “the invisible leader”. (1933, p. 287)
While she identified certain elements of leadership, Mary Parker Follett also wrote about the elements of group membership. She believed that each member had to be worthy of that membership. In Leader and Expert (1930), she suggests that for leaders to be completely effective and for the group to accomplish their goal, they must have “men whom it is worthwhile to lead.”(p.248) There is a need for competent leaders and a need for competent group members. If either element is missing then we do not have a team, and we cannot create anything.
The final element of group membership is the role members play to help keep the leader in control of a situation. As a member of the group, one has a part of the leadership role, and therefore a sense of responsibility to the group. All must work together, with the leader, to keep the group on the path to the common goal. In this sense, the entire group works as one. The wonder of working in a group is that no one works alone, all labour together. Emerging from all of this is a form of communion and of a “partnership of following”. (Some Discrepancies in Leadership Theory and Practice, 1930, p. 289)
Dr. Carolan McLarney,
Professor
Rowe School of Business
Prior to completing her doctorate, Dr. McLarney held management positions in various companies in the hospital, transportation, and consulting sectors. Her research interests include the interface between small businesses and international business strategy, and the use of strategic alliances to garner success. Dr. McLarney explores issues relating to board governance, particularly the use of outside directors.
DAL 200: The Number Count
Our lives are influenced and directed by numbers, from the moment we hear the alarm clock in the morning welcoming us to a new day. Weight scales, gas meters, check-out lines, speed limit signs, schedules, deadlines – all signify our reliance on numbers. It is a way in which to measure progress and navigate complex situations.
Dalhousie has made remarkable strides over 200 years. Look at the numbers.
Dalhousie was founded in 1818, with a gift of £7,000 from George Ramsay, ninth Earl of Dalhousie, to establish the university. Today the estimated current value of Ramsay’s gift is $960,873 (Canadian dollars). The increase in dollar value, however, is dwarfed when compared with the growth of Dalhousie’s extraordinary influence within a global world. Academic excellence, collaborative education, and a hands-on learning environment prepares students to take their place on the world stage.
In 1863, Dalhousie opened its doors with six professors; in 2017, the professors numbered 999. In 1866, the year the first degrees were awarded, the student body boasted 28 students. Today, Dalhousie’s enrollment is over 18,200, with 59% being from out of province and 19% international students. Dalhousie has 13 Faculties and 180+ degree programs. More than $138 million dollars are awarded annually in external research grants and awards.
As graduates of Dalhousie, we belong to a worldwide alumni community of over 130,000.
The Dalhousie narrative continues as we enter a third century – another number to celebrate.
Dalhousie has mastered the numbers!
Friday Reflection
“If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of the potential, for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible. Pleasure disappoints, possibility never. And what wine is so sparkling, what so fragrant, what so intoxicating, as possibility!”
Søren Kierkegaard, Either/Or: A Fragment of Life
Copenhagen, Denmark
DAL 200: Dr. Peter Duinker & Experiential Learning
Dr. Peter Duinker
Professor and Acting Director
School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie Univerity
Dr. Peter Duinker fosters experiential learning within his course structure offering opportunities to participate in real-life situations. These “hands-on” learning experiences enhances an individual’s ability to integrate knowledge and apply it to future learning scenarios.
The DAL 200th Anniversary Tree Plant that will take place on June 9, 2018 is an excellent example of experiential learning. December 2017, three students, Racheal Cadman, Sara Solaimani, Nameeta Sharma came together to create a remarkable legacy to celebrate Dalhousie University’s 200th anniversary. Their presentation of “A Class Project on the 200 in 200 Dal Tree-Plant Project” was prepared as part of the Peter Duinker Class on Sustainable Urban Forest.
The following excerpt is taken from A Class Project on the 200-in-200 Dal Tree-Plant Project By Racheal Cadman, Sara Solaimani, Nameeta Sharma (December 2017) Prepared as part of Peter Duinker Class on Sustainable Urban Forests
The Dalhousie 200 Anniversary Tree Plant is an opportunity to turn the campus into a living classroom. Two distinct opportunities arise to promote environmental education and the urban forest. The first is during the tree plant itself, when students and community members will be involved in expanding the urban forest; the second is the creation of “Learning Groves” where students will be able to observe the benefits of the urban forest in action.
The day of the tree plant should be considered a chance to teach volunteers about proper tree care and foster stewardship practices towards the urban forest. Hands-on, experiential education is demonstrably more successful in increasing environmental literacy when compared with classroom studying (Jose, Patrick & Moseley, 2017). It is therefore suggested that the planting team adopt an attitude of “campus as classroom” for the duration of this event.
Photo Credit: Dr. Peter Duinker
Volunteer team leaders will be largely responsible for encouraging experiential learning. The leaders will be knowledgeable about the urban forest, tree planting and tree identification. During the tree plant, leaders can teach volunteers about the value of the urban forest and answer questions. The Halifax Urban Forest Master Plan (HUFMP) identified the fact that many neighbourhoods in Halifax Regional Municipality have a lack of privately owned trees, and that education and outreach would be necessary to increase canopy cover (HUFMP, 2012). This tree plant provides an excellent opportunity for Dalhousie to teach volunteers specific skills such as how to plant a tree, how to care for a tree, and how to find native species. Volunteers can bring this information back to their homes and neighbourhoods to maximize care for private trees.
The other major opportunity for education is the capacity of these planted spaces to become “learning groves” for future generations of students. The aim of this planting is to create groves that are as close as possible to natural occurring groups of trees. The groves will be highly accessible, so that classes of interested students in the Biology, Sustainability and Resource and Environmental Studies departments could visit the groves as active learning environments to identify native species and observe associations between species.
Less environmentally-motivated students would still have access to these spaces; they will walk through the groves on their way to class and sit under them during warm weather. Thus, the learning groves will help to foster a “sense of place” for those who live and work at Dalhousie. Some of the values of urban trees, such as shade provision, aesthetics, and increased opportunities for recreation will be abundant on campus and will promote an appreciation for the urban forest.
This is the second post that features the DAL200 project that will see 200 trees planted around campus. This project is championed by urban forest researcher Peter Duinker and his students, in partnership with HRM, Facilities Management, and the Office of Sustainability.
Michael Ford: On the Ride to Conquer Cancer
“We all can make a Difference! “
Michael Ford
Mike, Chris & Scott
A few years ago, the idea came up to enter the Ride to Conquer Cancer with a few friends looking to make a difference and have some fun at the same time. We jumped at the chance to participate in this event.
Around the same time my employer decided to enter a team. This was our opportunity to join an emergent group dedicated to fighting cancer. We are now a team that has become 100 strong.
Each rider commits to raising a minimum of $2500. At first, this perceived obstacle was something I did not think I could do. My concerns were unfounded. I was overwhelmed and amazed by the generous response I received when I asked for financial support. People gave willingly, sharing their personal stories, a reminder to me that everyone, whether personally or through a family member or friend, has been touched by cancer.
June 2016, the first night of the ride, I was in a big tent with my friends, Scott and Kris, having an afternoon snack with thousands of people. We happened to sit beside a young university student. She shared that she worked at the Keg, among other part time jobs, while going to school in Toronto. In our conversation, she told us about her boyfriend who recently lost his battle with cancer. To honour him, she decided to try and raise the money and ride to conquer cancer. Her friends at work rallied to support her by raising small amounts at a time to reach the $2,500 goal. These friends located a bike, and with their encouragement to back her, she set out to make the 220KM+ journey solo.
How this young student supported her boyfriend through his difficult last months, and her resolve to give voice to his memory through the ride, is one of many stories of courage and determination that bring us together in our shared desire to raise funds for this worthy cause. Being involved in this event is inspirational. Much has been accomplished, giving hope of survival and a greater quality of life while fighting cancer. But, there is more work to be done.
Fast forward to 2018. Ride #3 is in June 2018. I have raised my $2500 goal, looking to do even better this year. My son Christopher recently posted a note about his dad on LinkedIn promoting me, then world’s most energetic person Rebecca Budd to ask me to write a note for the CFAME Connection…and here I am being inspired again.
Photo Source: BE BOLD.BE COURAGEOUS…BE THE RIDE!
So, here is my ask to all who read this post. There are four rides across the country. I invite you to check the link Ride to Conquer Cancer.
Photo Source: FOUR LOCATIONS
Whatever your passion, take action! Just ask and you will be inspired. If action is sponsoring someone, then search out a friend or maybe people on your corporate team. Should you choose to ride, I can tell you the experience is breathtaking in so many respects – the people you meet, the stories we all share, because we all can make a difference.
Mike
May 2018
Michael Ford MBA(FS) 2010, Scotiabank Change Management Lead, Branch Transformation Implementation, is inspired by continuous learning, energized by great people, and making a positive difference in the lives of others. Michael has graciously agreed to be a repeat contributor on CFAME Connection.
Friday Reflection
Do I dare
Disturb the universe?
In a minute there is time
For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.”
T.S. Eliot
Clock Tower Halifax, Nova Scotia
Sylvain Charlebois: A meatless Canada? Not quite, yet.
“Are more Canadians becoming vegetarians or vegans? A recent poll by Dalhousie University suggests the number of vegetarians and vegans among us has likely remain the same, but things are getting complicated out there.”
Dr. Sylvain Charlebois
Dr. Sylvain Charlebois
Dean, Faculty of Management
Canadians love meat. Many of us have been dedicated to our favourite protein source for years. But other sources of protein are emerging as potent alternatives to animal protein. Demand is up for vegetable proteins like pulses, as well as for fish and seafood, Loblaw has even started selling cricket flour and is trying to make insect consumption mainstream. As a result, some believe vegetarianism and veganism may be on the rise in Canada. Not so much, it seems. According to a recent poll conducted by Dalhousie University, it appears that the number of vegetarians and vegans have remained the same, but the number of Canadians who follow specific dietary practices is clearly on the rise.
Results suggest that 7.1% of Canadians consider themselves vegetarians, and 2.3% vegans. These numbers are fairly consistent with several other polls conducted over the last decade or so. Vegetarians maintain a meat-free diet, while vegans also abstain from any animal or animal-derived products, including dairy, eggs, and even honey. We should note that there are several variations of vegetarianism and veganism. But even if these percentages are not shockingly high, we are getting some indication that things may get more complicated in the future.
Results show that 32% of Canadians do observe some sort of committed dietary regime. This number is one of the highest we have seen in recent years. Women are 0.6 times more likely to consider themselves vegetarian or vegan than men. Level of education also seems to be a significant determinant. People with an university degree are three times more likely to consider themselves vegetarians or vegans than those with a high school diploma. Consumers living in British Columbia are 1.6 times more likely to identify as vegetarians or vegans than consumers living in the Prairies or the Atlantic Region. Wealthier people also seem to commit more to specific diets. Consumers who earn more than $150,000 per year are twice as likely to consider themselves vegetarians or vegans than consumers earning less than $80,000.
Nothing very surprising here, but younger consumers are really making things interesting. Consumers under 35 are three times more likely to consider themselves vegetarians or vegans than consumers who are 49 or older. Three times — that is a lot.
Experts argue that the rise of specialty diets is due to consumers associating vegetarianism and veganism not just with animal welfare, as they did in the past, but also with healthier and cleaner products. Others are simply rejecting the model of industrialized agriculture altogether, but health appears more and more to be a factor.
In fact, the poll suggests that over 12% of Canadians are diabetic, according to the survey. Consumers aged 49 and up are twice as likely to adopt a diabetic diet over time, than those under the age of 35. As our population gets older, it is difficult to see how that number could drop anytime soon.
Questions concerning allergies also garnered interesting results. Almost 12% of Canadians mentioned having allergies, and over 20% of households with more than two children declared having to constantly watch for allergens. These are alarming results. For many years now, allergens have been a nightmare for food companies and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency alike. So far, in 2018, of the 35 food recalls issued by Federal regulators, almost a third of were due to the presence of ingredients undeclared on the label. Oddly though, consumers in the Prairies are two times more likely to suffer from food allergies than consumers in Quebec.
Religious beliefs are also enticing Canadians to choose specialty products like halal or kosher foods, but results show these categories remain somewhat marginal. A total 2.3% of Canadians mentioned eating Halal foods regularly while less than 1% choose Kosher products. Supply remains an issue across the country, as Halal and Kosher foods are not always easily available. But with our ambitions around immigration, this could change.
Obviously, this is just one survey which polled only 1,049 Canadians. As with any survey, results must be taken with a grain of salt, no pun intended. Still, these results point to a much more heterogeneous food demand than we have seen in recent years. No wonder Air Canada now offers 18 different special meal options for its international flights. Catering companies and restaurants also know very well that serving patrons is an art that is slowly becoming more about customizing servings than delivering a standardized meal.
So, if you are one of those who have no specific dietary needs of any sort, you are still in the majority. But with a younger generation seeking more dietary nuances, this could change over the next decade or so.
Dr. Sylvain Charlebois
Dean, Faculty of Management
Dalhousie University
March 2018
Courtney Bayne: Records Manager at Dalhousie Libraries
Courtney Bayne MIM (2017
“When I first read the posting of the Records Manager at Dalhousie University, I felt that this was a role where I could make a difference. I feel lucky to have been chosen as the successful candidate as the Dalhousie Community has been very welcoming.”
Courtney Bayne MIM (2017)
Courtney Bayne, MIM (2017) has returned to campus to utilize her knowledge and experience of information management in her new role as Records Manager at Dalhousie Libraries. Reporting to the University Archivist, Courtney is responsible for the effective, ethical and sustainable management of the University’s information resources.
In a recent virtual interview with CFAME Connection, Courtney shared her thoughts on why she chose Dalhousie’s Master of Information Management program.
Courtney Bayne:
I have always been drawn to puzzles and organization. This led me to completing a diploma in Library and Information Technology from Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC). There, I was inspired to pursue a career in records and information management (RIM). One of my records management instructors encouraged me to become involved with the local ARMA International Chapter. After meeting professionals and colleagues in the information management field, I decided to direct my studies focusing on obtaining a career in RIM.
While working in the field for a few years as a Records Analyst, I attended an ARMA Conference (in London, Ontario) and stopped by the Dalhousie University booth promoting the Master of Information Management (MIM) program. I chatted with the Dalhousie representative, which I recently discovered was Michelle Hunter, and learned about the program. I was super excited! The program spoke to the possibilities I saw in the field and the direction I wanted my career to go. So, when the timing was right I applied, and well, the rest is history.
The MIM program helped me see the broader perspective of RIM and gave me the tools to apply in my place of work. The courses highlighted the capabilities of properly applied RIM and how to make that happen within an ever-changing work environment. Having the program offered in a blended on-line arrangement (virtual and in person), I had the amazing opportuning to learn from my classmates. Working with these wonderful people, I embraced the transferability of the teachings no matter where I worked.
Coming out of the MIM program I wanted to effect positive changes with RIM. The program inspired me to believe that wherever I worked that was possible. I graduated with the self-confidence that I could apply the knowledge gained from the program and add value and insight within the rapidly evolving field of information management.
When I first read the posting of the Records Manager at Dalhousie University, I felt that this was a role where I could make a difference. I feel lucky to have been chosen as the successful candidate as the Dalhousie Community has been very welcoming.
How would you encourage others to seek more education?
By embracing knowledge with an open mind, you will be guided to where you need to go (even if you are not sure what that is yet). By getting involved you will see things from different perspectives. This will better prepare you for many different situations. Not just become a member of an association – be engaged in the association, take in all they have to offer. I find this type of engagement feeds my soul.
Many of our graduates are retiring and/or taking over positions held by those who are retiring. How can we facilitate the life-cycle transitions within the work place?
Succession planning is key. Having a diverse workforce is essential in ensuring that the life-cycle continues, and that the knowledge is transferred. Creating a space where ‘new to the role’ and ‘people moving to the next step’ can chat and engage. Having these people connect and learn from each other. Networking – there are so many definitions but they all pretty much mean creating pathways to better things.
How do you include creativity in your busy schedule: i.e. music, painting, writing, singing, sports, travel, volunteerism?
I am still an active member of ARMA International. But I have moved from involvement with the local chapter to the national region – ARMA Canada Region. With this team, I hold an executive position. Being a part of something bigger helps keep things in perspective for me. I gain so much from the members of this community. I feel giving back is my way of saying thank you.
With a busy schedule it is easy to lose sight of things, so I go for hikes and trail runs to help keep my head clear. My hiking/running buddy Digby (my German Short Haired Pointer) helps me stay motivated and on track.
Courtney Bayne, Records Manager
May 2018
Courtney has graciously agreed to be a repeat contributor on CFAME Connection.
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