Journal 1: The Power of Systems Theory
Course: Business Professionalism
Specific Learning: One of the main concepts I learned is systems theory. This emerged from the Business Professionalism course. Before this learning, I managed my businesses by fixing problems as they appeared. At Yougounz, this meant addressing issues in isolation. Systems theory presents a business as a group of interacting or interdependent component parts that form a complex whole. This perspective differs significantly from my previous approach.
Utility: This perspective provides considerable utility for work as a digital transformation specialist. It shows that implementing a new technology system is not just a technical task. The change affects people, processes, and organizational features simultaneously. Understanding these connections allows better planning for implementation.
Application:I plan to apply this through what I describe as holistic analysis in future consulting projects. In previous work at 4A Creative, I delivered websites or software to clients. This approach focused on the technical product. The new approach involves analyzing how the new tool affects the entire workflow and staff training requirements. This analysis ensures that digital integration functions across the organization more sustainably. It also addresses the various components that the system affects rather than treating implementation as an isolated technical task.
Journal 2: Empathy in Design Thinking
Course: Innovation and Design Thinking
Specific Learning: The main finding from this work relates to the first stage of the process that focuses on understanding individuals. This stage shows that understanding comes before developing features. My work in technical areas showed focus on what the system provides. This course changed this focus to an approach that examines individuals and what they require. The approach considers the difficulties that individuals experience before developing any part of the system.
Utility: This finding provides important value for development in work. It changes focus from providing products to addressing difficulties that individuals face. The approach connects technical abilities to what markets require.
Application:In work as an individual managing product or providing analysis, the approach will examine individuals who participate before starting work on projects. For the water system that provides information to individuals, the approach would examine how individuals of high age interact with the system. This examination would show how to improve the system for these individuals.
Journal 3: Bridging IT and Business Strategy
Course: Enterprise Systems and Business Analysis
Specific Learning: The course that examines systems used by organizations and how to analyze work in organizations showed important findings. The findings relate to how analysis of work in organizations connects what technical systems provide to what organizations require. The course provided methods for examining what organizations require and how work occurs in organizations. These methods provide structure for changing what organizations require into specifications for technical systems.
Utility: The findings provide value because of experience over twenty years. This experience involved connecting individuals who develop systems to individuals who use systems. The course provided formal approaches and structures that allow this connection to occur in ways that follow standards. The approaches reduce the possibility that projects fail.
Application: The approaches now appear in work. When examining cases in the course, the work now shows how work currently occurs and how work should occur in the future. In work that will occur, the formal methods will allow communication with individuals involved in projects. These methods ensure that systems provide value that organizations can measure.
Journal 4: Managing Disruptive Innovation
Course: Enterprise Innovation
Specific Learning: The course examining how organizations develop new approaches provided findings about different forms of development. The findings distinguish between development that improves what currently exists and development that changes markets. Organizations that currently lead markets often fail because they focus on improving products for current individuals who use products. These organizations do not examine new approaches that provide value to new groups in markets.
Utility: The findings provide value when considering work in the industry for travel services. Systems that individual’s access through devices changed how organizations provide travel services. The theory allows prediction of how markets change rather than responding after changes occur.
Application: I plan to use this learning to support established NZ SMEs in finding possible disruptive threats at early points. As a strategic leader, I will work with organizations to provide resources for projects that examine new approaches (the "Second Curve") to maintain long-term success in the digital age.
Journal 5: Ethics in the Digital Age
Course: Business Professionalism
Specific Learning: We examined Ethics, Surveillance, and Privacy. I found that "Business Professionalism" involves more than competence; it requires ethical responsibility, particularly with customer data and digital footprints.
Utility: As an e-commerce founder, I managed large amounts of customer data. This learning reinforced the legal and moral requirements of data stewardship. In New Zealand, where privacy laws are strict, understanding these ethical boundaries is important for building trust.
Application: I will use this by following a "Privacy by Design" approach. In any future digital project I manage, I will make certain that ethical considerations regarding data collection and user privacy are addressed at the design level, protecting both the company's reputation and the consumer's rights.
Peer Evaluation Post
"Reliability and versatility are two signature qualities that Franky impressed upon me.
We collaborated on several assignments, and he consistently demonstrated reliability in his contributions, whether it was in generating ideas, producing content, or meeting deadlines.
Franky is also an excellent multitasker. In addition to his studies, he takes care of his family and oversees a business remotely. He handles all his responsibilities with apparent ease."
Feedback Context: In the course on systems and analysis for business, the group received a task to select a case for study. The team showed difficulty in finding a case that was suitable for the work. The suggestion that was provided used experience from working in industry. This case involved a system operating across borders in a form that was digital. The explanation that was provided described features that were complex and also described data that could be used for analysis.
Summary of Feedback: The response from members of the group indicated that the suggestion received support. The feedback that was provided described the approach as one that was practical and one that had structure. A member of the group indicated that the explanation relating to logic in business settings provided clarity for understanding what the task required. This clarity was important for the group.
Reflection & Influence: The feedback that was received provided support for confidence. The experience that was developed over twenty years in practice appeared to have value in the context that was academic. The interaction also showed that presenting ideas in ways that relate to others is important. The idea itself was one factor but the method of presentation was also a factor. The presentation that connected to outcomes for learning was the factor that provided the effect on the group.
Changes Made: The changes that followed from this experience involved taking on a different role in settings with groups. The role that developed was one that involved providing support to others. The approach that was used before focused on completing work but the approach that developed focused on supporting the process for the group. The current approach involves listening to ideas that come from theory, particularly from students who are younger. The experience from practice is used to provide direction toward solutions that can work in actual settings. This approach creates conditions for work that is more collaborative and more effective for the team.