Sunday - July 10 - Update on grades

Just a quick update; I know many of you are quite anxious to see your grades.

I am trying to wrap up grading on all of your outstanding projects today. WebCampus is cranking quite slowly and really resisting my efforts to download, save, or re-attach documents. (That is I can VIEW but not download to the desktop to comment on your documents.)

Thank you for your patience. I will do my level best to get everything in the gradebook by the end of the day, so I can file final grades through MYUNLV in the morning.

Dr. S

Merging Documents?

We had lots of problems merging documents on Friday. If you're having trouble getting that to work in Word following the directions on our handout, try following the directions under Help for your version of Word.

In Word 2007, you'll have to search for the topic Where is the Insert File Command? (One of the top least useful changes in new word, if you ask me.) In older versions of Word, you should be able to just look for Insert File; you'll need to follow the instructions for inserting section breaks.

This is a total pain, I agree, but it's one of the most valuable things you can learn to do when you're drafting a team-written project in Word; it will save you time when you compile drafts of your final report. If the Word thing just won't work for you, try saving your documents as .pdf files and merging them into a single document; worst case scenario, send them to me as a zip file.

Tips: Faux Pas Case

Here are a few general comments about the Faux Pas Case that you all should pay attention to:

• The introduction of any memo needs to set the context for the memo, state the purpose, and preview the memo, especially the internal document for the case project. Similarly, any conclusion you write needs to summarize, offer to answer any questions the reader might have, and provide an open avenue for communication.

• The first part of the memo should describe the situation so that everyone understands the problem in the same way. In other words, the background section is important in that it establishes the situation so that there are no misunderstandings and so all of the details are out in the open.

• The rest of the memo needs to outline possible solutions and then make an argument for the best solution. Each of the options needs to be discussed in detail in terms of both strengths and weaknesses. You need to convince your supervisors that you have carefully considered all possible options before selecting the one that you feel is the most appropriate. You should include a discussion of your plan to revise Nestor’s letter and get him on board. Remember, the key to this memo is that you SHOW your boss that you have thought about this problem in great detail and that you have made an INFORMED decision.

• The key to revising Nestor’s letter is to write something that will solve the existing problem without creating new problems for the parties involved.

What's the difference between a Recommendation and a Finding?

A couple groups have asked about what goes in the Findings section of the final report...


In the recommendations section, you make clear brief recommendations about what the company should do (in terms of preparing employees to go oversees).

In the findings section, you present the results of your research. Even here, you don't just throw in everything you looked at. Instead you tell the client about how the research you did supports your recommendations.

Say, for example, that up in the recommendations section you recommended the client prepare employees for the language differences by having them go to Berlitz for two weeks.

In the Findings section, you would tell the client what you found out about the language barrier and the problems it causes. You would also tell them how you arrived at the recommendation to send employees to Berlitz.

In my pretend example, it would be something like this...

Our research showed us that English is the official business language in Japan (cite source). However, SOURCE advises that if employees make any effort at all to speak the native language -- no matter how poorly -- that effort goes a long way toward ensuring positive personal relationships with co-workers and associates. We examined the costs and benefits of three language training options (describe them in some small detail), and recommended sending students to Berlitz for two weeks because it (SOURCE) shows Berlitz students learn more vocabulary, more quickly, and are happier with the outcome than people using the other options.

Mid-Semester encouragement

Just a quick reminder...

This week is about as bad as it gets in terms of workload. Introductory Memos are due Friday; International teams are humming; Faux Pas documents need drafting; and it's even time to start looking for a job you can use for the Jobs Project.

We’ve reached the official halfway point, and it's about the time in the summer session when folks who are taking multiple classes and/or working full-time while taking classes begin to hit the wall.

There is no shame in dropping a class that requires you to complete four months worth of course work in five weeks. 

If you intend to drop the class -- or if you're just checking out, taking a failing grade, and retaking in the fall -- please notify the instructor and/or your International Project teammates, so your team is not left hanging. If you're just temporarily derailed and can compensate by contributing more at another stage of the project, let your team know that, too.

Hang in there, folks!

Dr. S.

Tips: The Faux Pas Case

If you're finding the Faux Pas Case a little baffling, you're probably not alone. It's a complicated situation for a writer. In addition, as I reviewed the learning module and the textbook this morning, I found the assignment to be a bit confusing.

Thus, I offer these clarifications and tips.

1. What are you supposed to produce? A letter of apology to Madame Jeaneaux AND a memo to Nestor explaining why he needs to sign the letter of apology. You do NOT have to write the internal report memo to Phillips. You do not have to write a Project Assessment memo. In short, what you will turn in for a grade are items 4 and 5 on the Exercises list on page 159 in the textbook. If you wish, you may do Item 3 the internal report in memo form to the CEO for extra credit.
2. Aids to developing your draft. Even though you will not turn in for a grade items 1-3 on page 159, working your way through them will help you do a better job of solving the problem. Item 1 highlights the need to do research; you don't have to write the internal report called for in Item 2 but thinking about what you would say in an internal report will help you get a handle on the content for the Jeaneaux letter and your approach in the Nestor memo. The planning worksheet in the course module helps step you through some of the issues identified in Item 3. Ignore Item 6 altogether.
3. Sources of information. All of the information you need about the incident itself can be gleaned from the initial case description on pages 153-155 (up to the point at which lunch concludes). If you triangulate that information with the complaints lodged by Madame Jeaneaux in her letter, you can identify some areas where you may need to do some research.You need to look for sources that explain why particular parts of the lunch meeting caused problems; the web is full of resources on cross-cultural communication problems in business settings.
4. The letter to Jeaneaux should include a clear apology but emphasize the positives. It must be written from Nestor's point of view on behalf of the company. You may choose whether the letter will be written and signed by Nestor alone (with references to you) or be written and signed as if it were from both of you (with Nestor as the first signatory). If you opt for the first approach, then the letter should be written using "I" when referring to Nestor, your last name or "my assistant" when referring to you, and "we" or "Bellcom" when referring to the company. If you opt for the second option, the letter should be written using "we" to refer to you and Bill collectively, your individual names to refer to either of you individually, and "Bellcom" to refer to the company. You might find some of these resources helpful.
   Emphasizing positives
   Tone in business letters
   Sample letter of apology
   Another sample
5. The memo to Nestor in which you explain why you can't sign his letter and then convince him to sign the letter you wrote is the most challenging part of this assignment. You need to pay careful attention to your tone and stay keenly aware of the power differentials that are coming into play. Your goal with this memo is to preserve the following relationships: 1) your relationship with Bill, 2) your relationship with Phillips; 3) Bill's relationship with Phillips, and 4) your family's relationship with Bill. That's a lot to pull off in a memo where you're telling somebody older, more powerful and in a position of authority over you (to whom you are indebted for your job) that they were in the wrong originally and that their letter is making a bad situation worse. This memo should use "I/you" or "we" language appropriately. Oh, and you can assume that Phillips can see anything you write at anytime, so don't badmouth the big boss.

Tips: Revising and editing your Introductory Memo

I've spot-checked drafts of the Introductory Memos that were posted in the peer review space.

Memo Tips

Some of the suggestions here are specific to this assignment, but most of the tips below can be applied to any memo you write.

Tips: Getting started with the International Project

It's very easy to get bogged down with producing individual documents for the International Project, and in the process you lose track of the actual project.

Here's how the project works:

1. The first document you produce is the Research Design Plan. The whole point of the research design plan is develop a plan for carrying out the

Week 2 Tuesday

Good Morning,

Just a reminder that I'll be assigning to groups late this afternoon anyone who has not already signed up for a group. It was interesting to see yesterday that the groups for people who like to get things done early were filling fast and those for people who prefer to work closer to deadline were still empty. I'm hoping that means we'll have some groups that are compatible in terms of work styles.