Lucky Iron FishBy Ashley SnookMGMT 350Spring 2018ht.docx

Lucky Iron Fish
By: Ashley Snook
MGMT 350
Spring 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6Rx3wDqTuI
Table of Contents
Case Overview
Introduction
Human Relations
Communications
Intercultural Relations
Ethics
Conclusion
Works Cited
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY0D-PIcgB4
Video ends at 1:45
2
Case Overview

Company located in Guleph, Ontario Canada
Mission is to end iron deficiency and anemia
A fish in every pot
Gavin Armstrong, Founder/CEO
Introduction
Idea originated in Cambodia
Distribute fish through buy one give one model
Sustainable, scalable, impactful
Human Relations
McGregor’s Theory X and Y
-X: employees focused solely on financial gain
-Y: strive to improve worldwide health
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
-Affiliation: desire to be part of a unit, motivated by
connections
-Self-esteem: recognition for positive impact
Peters and Waterman

-Close relations to the customer
-Simple form & lean staff
Communications
Time and Distance
-Make product easily and quickly accessible
Communication Culture
-Encourages active participation
Teamwork
-Each role complements the overall mission
Gavin Armstrong Kate Mercer Mark
Halpren Melissa Saunders Ashley
Leone
Founder & CEO VP Marketing Chief
Financial Officer Logistics Specialist
Dietician

High/Low Context
-Targets high context cultures
Barriers
-Language dissimilarity
Overcoming Barriers
-Hire a translator
Ethics
Utilitarianism
-Targets countries where majority of people will benefit
Veil of Ignorance
-Not concerned with financial influence
Categorical Imperative
-Accept projects only if environmentally friendly
Conclusion
Buy one give one model
Expansion
Sustainability

Works Cited
Guffey, Mary. “Essentials of Business Communication.” Ohio:
Erin Joyner. 2008. Print.
“Lucky Iron Fish.” Lucky Iron Fish. Accessed 30 May 2018.
https://luckyironfish.com/
“Lucky Iron Fish Enterprise.” B Corporation.net. Accessed 30
May 2018. https://www.bcorporation.net/community/lucky-iron-
fish-enterprise
Lucky Iron Fish. “Lucky Iron Fish: A Simple
Solution
for a global problem.” Youtube. 28 October 2014. Accessed 4
June 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY0D-PIcgB4
“Lucky little fish to fight iron deficiency among women in
Cambodia.” Grand Challenges Canada. Accessed 6 June 2018.
http://www.grandchallenges.ca/grantee-stars/0355-05-30/
Podder, Api. “Lucky Iron Fish Wins 2016 Big Innovation
Award.” SocialNews.com. 5 February 2016. Accessed 4 June
2018. http://mysocialgoodnews.com/lucky-iron-fish-wins-2016-
big-innovation-award/
Zaremba, Alan. “Organizational Communication.” New York:
Oxford University Press Inc. 2010. Print.

Lucky Iron Fish
By: Ashley Snook
Professor Phillips
MGMT 350
Spring 2018

Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Introduction
Human Relations Theory
Communications Issues
Ethics Issues
Conclusion
Works Cited
Executive Summary
The B-certified organization that I chose is Lucky Iron Fish
Enterprise which is located in Guelph, Ontario Canada. The
company distributes iron fish that are designed to solve iron
deficiency and anemia for the two billion people who are
affected worldwide.

The human relations model is comprised of McGregor’s
Theory X and Theory Y, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and
theories from Peters and Waterman. These factors focus on the
organizational structure of the company as it relates to the
executives, the staff, and the customers. The executives provide
meaningful jobs for the staff which gives them high levels of
job satisfaction. Together, they are able to provide a product
that satisfies the thousands of customers they have already
reached.
Communication in this company flows smoothly. They
implement open communication, encourage participation, and
have high levels of trust among employees. Each of their
departments are interconnected through teamwork.
Their intercultural relations, although successful, require a
significant amount of time. They need to emphasize to the high
context cultures that they are willing to understand their culture
and possibly adopt some aspects of it. Additionally, they face
barriers such as language dissimilarity and lack of physical
store locations.
Ethics remains a top priority for this organization. They
have high ethical standards that are integrated into their
operations. They make decisions that do the most good for the
most people, they do not take into consideration financial or
political influence, and they strive to protect the environment
through their sustainability measures.

Every employee is dedicated to improving the lives of
those who suffer from iron deficiency
and anemia. As their organization grows, they continue to
impact thousands of lives around the world. They are on a
mission to put “a fish in every pot” (Lucky Iron Fish).
Introduction
Lucky Iron Fish, located in Guelph Canada, is a company
that is dedicated to ending worldwide iron deficiency and
anemia. They do this by providing families with iron fish that
release iron when heated in food or water. They sell this
product in developed countries in order to support their business
model of buy one give one. Each time an iron fish is purchased,
one is donated to a family in a developing country. They
designed their product to resemble the kantrop fish of
Cambodia; in their culture this fish is a symbol of luck. Another
focus of theirs is to remain sustainable, scalable, and impactful
(Lucky Iron Fish). Each of their products is made from recycled
material and their packaging is biodegradable. Their
organization has a horizontal structure which allows their
executives and staff to work closely without a large power gap.
This allows for optimal productivity and increased innovation.
Additionally, this supports their practice of open
communication and provides a work environment built on
teamwork. Shown below is an organization chart for Lucky Iron
Fish.

Staff
Gavin Armstrong Kate Mercer Mark
Halpren Melissa Saunders Ashley Leone
Founder & CEO VP Marketing Chief
Financial Officer Logistics Specialist Dietician
Board of Directors
Gordon Peters Chris Charles
Alex Baille Steve Daupi
Human Relations Theory
McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y
McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y are perspectives in
which managers look at their employees. Under Theory X,
managers would claim that employees work solely for financial
gain whereas Theory Y would assume that employees are
motivated by additional factors such as job satisfaction
(Zaremba 49-50). In the case of Lucky Iron Fish, Theory X
would imply that their employees participate in the operations
with their sight focused only on making profits, however; I do
not believe that Theory X is the appropriate theory to use for
the analysis of this case. From the analysis of their operations,
it is clear that the employees are more in line with Theory Y.

The first reason for this is that the employees strive to improve
the lives of those who suffer from medical conditions such as
anemia. The loans totaling $860,000 that they received from
Grand Canyon Challenges went directly to the production of
iron fish rather than investments or salaries (Lucky little fish).
This shows that they care about the well-being of society rather
than just possible financial gain. Secondly, each employee in
the organization holds their own position in which they are
continuously looking for ways to innovate. They each have a
different responsibility in which they dedicate their time and
effort. This shows that factors such as responsibility and job
satisfaction are also key factors that play a role in their work
ethic. Lucky Iron Fish employees have a proven record of
innovation that has made a positive impact on communities in
need. Their mission of ending iron deficiency and anemia while
running a sustainable corporation, shows that these employees
are highly compatible with Theory Y.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theorizes that people are
motivated by five factors. The first level need that pertains to
Lucky Iron Fish is physiological. It is the basic need of every
human to have food, shelter, and other necessities. Lucky Iron
Fish is a for-profit company that operates through donations and
loans from investors (Lucky Iron Fish). They are able to make

each fish for a low cost of only five dollars, meaning that they
make a profit of twenty dollars for each fish that is sold (Lucky
little fish). Due to their income being relatively high compared
to their costs, the company is able to provide their staff with
salaries that allow them to satisfy their physiological needs.
Affiliation, the third level in Maslow’s hierarchy, suggests that
people desire to be a part of a unit or organization and can be
motivated by social networks and connections (Zaremba 52).
Due to Lucky Iron Fish’ close knit form, the staff is enabled to
feel a sense of belonging within the organization. The
marketing staff uses social networks as a way for the employees
to interact with each other as well as their customers. Lastly,
employees of this company have the need of self-esteem. This
company has gained recognition around the world for the
positive impact they are making on society. They recently
received the BIG Innovation Award from Business Intelligence
Group to honor their efforts in leading corporate social
responsibility (Lucky Iron Fish Wins). It is this form of
recognition and respect that fulfils a person’s need of
acknowledgement and self-esteem.
Peters and Waterman
Lucky Iron Fish’ bias for action is that they are dedicated to
solving iron deficiency and anemia worldwide. Beginning in
Cambodia, Lucky Iron Fish has extended their reach to many
countries including India, Guatemala, Peru, and Mozambique

(Lucky Iron Fish). The employees research communities who
suffer from these medical illnesses and immediately strategize a
way to distribute the fish. They take further action by partnering
with non-profits who can help with the distribution and they
even monitor iron increases in order to ensure their plan was
effective. Peters and Waterman’s close relations to the customer
applies to Lucky Iron Fish because their employees spend time
among the communities they are trying to help. They make it a
priority to converse with locals in the communities and
understand the health issues that many face. Their company
video shows the CEO Gavin Armstrong personally giving the
fish to families in need. The organization of Lucky Iron Fish is
also compatible with Peters and Waterman’s simple form and
lean staff. This organization has under fifty employees who
each specialize in their own area of expertise. Each employee is
responsible for contributing to the success of the organization’s
initiative; the staff includes the founder, a dietician, logistics
specialist, partnership manager, chief financial officer, and
some support staff (Lucky Iron Fish). By keeping a lean staff
and simple system, they are able to ensure that their focus
remains on their mission rather than internal affairs.
Communications Theory
Time and Distance
Guffey’s time and distance theory plays a major role in the
overall efficiency of operations. It can also affect the

company’s reputation as it can show the public that every aspect
of their supply chain is intended to be aligned with their
mission and values. In the case of Lucky Iron Fish, this theory
can relate to their shipping and distribution of their product.
Many customers suffer from the effects of iron deficiency which
is why Lucky Iron Fish strives to make this product easily
accessible with minimized processing and shipping times. Once
a fish is ordered, it takes up to three days to process the order
and prepare the product to leave the warehouse (Lucky Iron
Fish). Lucky Iron Fish makes their product accessible to over
sixty countries around the world; for the countries that do not
have accessible shipping, the company will ensure you receive
your product by courier services (Lucky Iron Fish). Depending
on the region the order was placed, the product may arrive in as
early as three to five business days.
Communication Culture
Zaremba’s communication culture is described as a set of
patterns or norms that are shared by members of an organization
(Zaremba 157). This theory as it relates to Lucky Iron Fish can
be viewed as how their company promotes open communication,
encourages participation, and has a high level of trust. First,
their open communication ensures that information reaches all
members of the organization so that everyone can be working
towards the same goals. This helps the organization prevent
unneeded conflict and increase productivity. Secondly, Lucky

Iron Fish encourages its employees to actively participate in
creating innovative projects. This lowers the gap of power
between management and employees which can improve job
satisfaction and employee morale. This leads to our example of
trust. The executives of Lucky Iron Fish place high trust in the
employees of the company. Each employee is entrusted to
administer their own operations and assignments. Furthermore,
the company’s use of horizontal management allows each
employee to participate in the decision-making process and feel
comfortable sharing ideas as well as providing structural
criticism.
Teamwork
Zaremba’s teamwork theory, in relations to Lucky Iron
Fish, can be viewed as the role of each employee and how their
role contributes to the overall mission of ending iron deficiency
and anemia. The CEO, Gavin Armstrong is responsible for
ensuring the success and sustainability of the company while
implementing plans that are aligned with their mission. The
staff, consisting of vice president marketing, chief financial
officer, dietician, partnerships manager, and logistics specialist,
is responsible for completing the day to day operations that
allow the company to continue to grow (Lucky Iron Fish). The
board of directors are responsible for supervising and
evaluating the CEO, establishing and supporting management
policies, and approving major operations. Working as a team

allows Lucky Iron Fish to operate in an innovative and
sustainable way that results in increased health and economic
benefits for communities in need.
High/Low Context Culture
Context, referring to environment and ambience, is one of
the most important cultural dimensions according to Guffey
(16). Low context cultures communicate clear and articulate
messages whereas high context cultures may not take words for
their actual meaning (Guffey 16). Lucky Iron Fish is a
Canadian enterprise that targets mostly high context cultures.
This is due to iron deficiency and anemia being more prevalent
in developing countries such as Cambodia, Guatemala, and
Mozambique. These countries hold their traditions close to them
and value long term relationships. As an attempt to build
relations with Cambodia, Lucky Iron Fish named their product
after the kantrop fish which the Cambodians idolize as a symbol
of good luck (Lucky Iron Fish). This shows that Lucky Iron
Fish, although located in a low context culture, can relate to the
Cambodians and even adopt aspects of their culture. As a
second attempt to target these high context cultures, Lucky Iron
Fish creates diverse recipes that appeal to each of the targeted
communities. Lucky Iron Fish wants embrace each of these
cultures. Lastly, Lucky Iron Fish targets a small amount of low
context cultures including the United States. They target these

cultures directly as they are straightforward with their prices
and policies.
Barriers
Companies often face barriers whether it be in the form of
competition, location, or language dissimilarity. One barrier
that Lucky Iron Fish may face is competition from traditional
iron supplements that are endorsed by doctors, pharmacies, and
dieticians. Many people have already found a product that
works well for them while others simply choose traditional pills
because they have been approved by the Federal Drug
Administration. Others may feel more comfortable using a
product that has been around for decades. Due to these factors,
many customers may not see the need to purchase an iron fish.
This means that Lucky Iron Fish may have trouble penetrating
this market of customers. Another barrier they face is that they
do not have physical store locations. All of their company is
solely online based. Many customers do not like shopping
online and prefer to see a product before they purchase it. By
not having strategic locations near shopping centers,
restaurants, or even need pharmacies and doctor offices, they
are losing out on money from customers who shop based on
prime locations.
Another barrier for Lucky Iron Fish is language dissimilarity.
Their target market consists of developing countries including
Cambodia, Mozambique, and Guatemala. These countries speak

Khmer, Portuguese, and Spanish, respectively. Even for those
who speak slight English, it may be hard to communicate
effectively. Translations are not always accurate and leave room
for miscommunication.
Overcoming Barriers
As explained previously, Lucky Iron Fish may face the
barrier of competition from companies who sell traditional iron
supplements. One way they can overcome this barrier is to have
their vice president of marketing emphasize that the iron fish is
more natural than supplements. The consumers need to be
reminded that they can cook iron naturally into their food rather
than consumer supplements that may have unknown or
unwanted additives. Their marketing can also explain that the
iron fish is even safe for children who are at least a year of age.
Another technique they could use to resolve this barrier is to
greatly market their slogan of “a fish in every pot” (Lucky Iron
Fish). Many people will be more inclined to buy the product if
they understand that the company will donate one fish for every
fish bought as an attempt to reach their goal of providing every
village in Cambodia with an iron fish. Another barrier that they
need to overcome is their lack of physical store locations. There
are two ways they can do this. The first, and most simple
solution, is to advertise heavily in the United States and Canada

through televised ads, magazine articles, and possibly even
promotional offers. This will bring more awareness of the
company to the people who are either unsure of what Lucky
Iron Fish is or for those who have never heard of the company.
The second approach they could take is to partner with larger
well-known companies who have already established a good
reputation. This will automatically provide Lucky Iron Fish
with a larger customer base. Lastly, they need to overcome the
barrier of language dissimilarity. This can be resolved by hiring
someone who can translate or teach the language. It may be best
for them to hire someone who is native to the countries in their
target market. This will ensure that there are no errors or
miscommunications that could be detrimental to the company-
customer relationships.
Ethics
Utilitarianism
Whether or not an act is moral can be determined through
the idea of utilitarianism. This is the idea that the greatest
number of people benefited from an action taken (Zaremba 96).
Utilitarianism is something that Lucky Iron Fish considers in
every operational decision they make. First, is their decision to
donate a fish to Cambodia each time one is bought online. They
chose this country because over half of the population suffers
from iron deficiency. They wanted to choose a country where

they could help the most people with the product they offer.
Another way they implement this idea is through their
collaboration with partnerships; they do this as an attempt to
reach their goal of helping one million people obtain an iron
fish by 2020 (Lucky Iron Fish). Lastly, they strive to provide
jobs for a large number of people in rural areas who cannot
obtain work due to discrimination of their disabilities. Lucky
Iron Fish hires local disabled Cambodians to make the
packaging for their products.
Veil of Ignorance
Veil of ignorance is the idea that companies do not take
into consideration financial influence or political power when
making decisions (Zaremba 97). This idea, as it relates to Lucky
Iron Fish, can be seen through the way they respond to
donations and loans that are given to them. When they receive
money, they do not invest or use it for their own benefit but
rather spend it on materials to make additional iron fish for
villages in Cambodia. For example, the $860,000 financing
package received from Grand Challenges Canada was used
directly towards making iron fish to reach their goal of 50,000
fish (A lucky little fish). Another aspect of their company where
they do not consider financial gains is in the way they practice
sustainability efforts. Although running a green company can be
costly in the beginning, they continue to strive to protect the
environment. They scored an environment score of ten due to

their use of recycled materials for both the packaging and the
fish itself (Lucky Iron Fish Enterprise). Lucky Iron Fish also
ignores considerations of political power. They are not
concerned with being the largest company but rather join
partnerships with companies who have similar values and goals.
Implementing veil of ignorance can “increase the chances of
quality decision-making” and improve the overall operations of
a company (Zaremba 97).
Categorical Imperative
Categorical Imperative, the idea of absolutes regarding
ethical decisions, is evident in Lucky Iron Fish’ 2016 B Impact
Report. When they make decisions regarding operations, they
ensure that these decisions are absolutely ethical and are
aligned with the values of their company. An example of this
that is shown in the report is the impact they have on
communities. If an idea does not meet the criteria of civic
engagement and giving, job creation, local suppliers and
distributers, and diversity than they will not implement that idea
into action (Lucky Iron Fish 2016). Additionally, this can be
seen in their environmental practices. A new operation, no
matter how beneficial to the growth of the company, will not be
taken into consideration if it does not reduce waste or aid in the
provision of renewable energy (Lucky Iron Fish Enterprise).
This company will not break their code of ethics in order to
further business interests. Lastly, they ensure that their

employees are paid living wages, are provided with health
benefits, and
are given job flexibility (Lucky Iron Fish Enterprise). They will
always air on the side of safety when making decisions that
impact communities, the environment, and the well-being of
their employees.
Conclusion
The efforts of Lucky Iron Fish have placed them in the top
one percentile of all B-certified companies. Their passion and
dedication to ending worldwide iron deficiency and anemia
while remaining a sustainable company will allow them to
continue growing until their mission is accomplished. There are
three key findings from my research on Lucky Iron Fish. First,
is their business model of buy one give one which provides iron
fish to small villages in Cambodia. Through this model they aim
to reach their goal of distributing one million iron fish by 2020.
The second key finding is that they are currently expanding
their company in order to impact more lives. They are joining
additional partnerships and will be providing educational
workshops (Lucky Iron Fish). Lastly, they are a “sustainable,
scalable, and impactful enterprise” that aims to make the “world
a better and healthier place” (Lucky Iron Fish). Each of their
products is made with recycled materials and their packaging is
biodegradable.

Works Cited
Guffey, Mary. “Essentials of Business Communication.” Ohio:
Erin Joyner. 2008. Print.
“Lucky Iron Fish.” Lucky Iron Fish. Accessed 30 May 2018.
https://luckyironfish.com/
“Lucky Iron Fish Enterprise.” B Corporation.net. Accessed 30
May 2018. https://www.bcorporation.net/community/lucky-iron-
fish-enterprise
Lucky Iron Fish. “Lucky Iron Fish: A Simple

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