Pitch:
I would like to create a VR application that puts the audience in the shoes of a large business owner. A large business, or enterprise, is defined as a company with at least 5,000 employees (Large). For realism purposes, I would like my VR application to circle around the beliefs and principles of Chick-Fil-A. Chick-Fil-A is the second largest fast food chicken chain in the U.S. (Bhasin). Truett Cathy is the founder, former CEO, and current board of directors member of Chick-Fil-A. He can best be described as a religious Mormon man that puts his money where his faith is. He is also a firm believer in giving back to the community. In 2010 alone, he raised $1.8 million dollars for seven different nonprofit organizations. To learn a bit more about him, here is a quote about his mindset toward business and his religion, “There’s really no difference between biblical principles and business principles. The Bible, which is a road map, tells a lot about how to operate a restaurant” (Bhasin). This is the position of power the audience will temporarily be taking on in my VR application.
Audience members will be given two options throughout three different points in the application. It is important to keep in mind that these choices will have a significant impact on how you as the owner choose to run your business. Here are the three different option points you will come across throughout my VR experience:
• Beginning: Determine whether to keep Chick-Fil-A open on Sundays for a larger profit. This is important because if the core principles of your Mormon board of directors is abandoned, their support will be diminished. But, it is emphasized in the beginning that the main reason to start as business is to make a profit. What do you do?
• Middle: Determine whether to cook the books for a large increase in profit. Your regional finance manager approaches you and says he has a way to double the company’s profit. He mentions it is unethical, but he assures you that it is 100% safe. What do you do?
• End: Determine which company to partner up with. The two choices are a large non-profit Mormon movement association or an oil company. The non-profit is, of course, not profitable for the company. It is ethical, and it will make you feel good to help others in desperate need of help. Partnering with the oil company will make you exponentially rich, but it comes with a cost. You will lose the support of your board of directors completely. What do you do?
Target Audience:
My target audience is current, potential, former business owners, and any aspiring college or high school business students. It is my goal to teach them the hardships and difficulties along with the personal satisfaction that comes with starting a business. It is important to realize education is important. Also if the correct decisions are made and money is invested and spent wisely, the chance for a successful business will increase.
How it will teach empathy:
I would like to design my VR application to teach empathy through the decisions that are made in everyday life by large business owners. Business owners are often only in business to make a profit. I want this mindset to change. When in the position of owning a large company such as Chick-Fil-A, there is often plenty of money left over to try and help others in need. Throughout his life, Truett Cathy has been a pioneer in the field of giving back to those in need (Bhasin). I want my target audience to get a chance to see how great the world can become if we all decide to give back as much as Truett Cathy has.
Sources:
“Large enterprise.” Définition – Large enterprise | Insee, www.insee.fr/en/metadonnees/definition/c1035.
Bhasin, Kim. “Meet S. Truett Cathy, The 91-Year-Old Billionaire Behind Chick-Fil-A.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 23 July 2012, http://www.businessinsider.com/meet-chick-fil-a-founder-s-truett-cathy-2012-7