HOMEWORK

Discussion: Cultural and National Biases

 

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Offshoring Customer Care Centers

Customer Care Centers (also called Call Centers and Contact Centers) are a  $10 billion industry  (2020). Wages account for over 55% of industry costs. Keeping salary costs down is a strategy to increase profit margins. Overseas wages are lower than those in the United States which is why many centers are located abroad in India and the Philippines.

Module 1 Discussion Week 1 Resources

Home Country Bias  (2020) Pros and Cons of Outsourcing Customer Service to an Offshore Call Center  (2021) Call Center vs. Contact Center: What’s the Difference?  (2021) Which Call Centers Are Based in the U.S.?  (2020) 5 things you didn’t know about today’s contact centres  (2021) Contact Center Outsourcing Philippines: Overcoming the Impact of COVID-19  (2021) India's Lockdown Puts Strain on Call Centers  (2020) One in three call centres in India to switch permanently to WFH  (2020)

Week 1 Discussion Post

Some consumers  don’t want to speak with a representative  outside  of the United States for a variety of reasons. Based on this week’s readings or other research, explain how businesses make decisions about whether to outsource these operations. (Research Support Required)

This post should be 1-2 paragraphs in length (at least 100 words). Since you are engaging in research, be sure to  cite  in the body of the post and  add a reference list in APA format . NOTE: failure to use research with  accompanying in-text citations  to support content will result in reduced scoring “Level 2-Developing” on the grading rubric.

Week 1 Interactive Response to Classmate Select a post made by one classmate and share feelings of how you’ve reacted to services received by US-based and overseas contact centers. Share if it changed the way you felt about the company/brand.

The reply should be one paragraph in length (or about 50 words) and must be substantive. Do not simply say “I agree” or “That is great”; specify why and be detailed in your explanation. You may use research in your response, but it is not required.

Nationalism & the Supply Chain

U.S. residents quickly discovered the importance of international trade and business in 2020 when supplies dwindled. The interconnected  global supply chain  was disrupted, could not keep up with demand, and Americans were hit close to home: specifically, their bathrooms as  toilet paper  became scarce. While the country’s bathroom habits had nothing to do with nationalism, other pandemic supply chain inequities may.

Module 1 Discussion Week 2 Resources

Nationalism: Definition, Examples, and History  (2021) Vaccine Nationalism: Everything You Need to Know  (2021) Richest countries vaccinating 25 times faster  (2021) Singapore. Herd immunity may take 4.6 years due to vaccine nationalism  (2021) United Kingdom. Vaccine nationalism – and how it could affect us all  (2021) Switzerland. WHO chief warns against COVID-19 ‘vaccine nationalism’, urges support for fair access  (2020) United Nations. Vaccine Geopolitics Could Derail Africa’s Post-Pandemic Recovery  (2021)

Based on the resources provided or your research, explain how nationalism is affecting the business of global vaccine rollout. Include short- and long-term commerce/trade implications of the resulting worldwide inequities. (Research Support Required)

This post should be 1-2 paragraphs in length (at least 100 words). Since you are engaging in research, be sure to  cite  in the body of the post and  add a reference list in APA format . NOTE: failure to use research with  accompanying in-text citations  to support content will result in reduced scoring “Level 2-Developing” on the grading rubric.

Week 2 Interactive Response to Classmate

Select a post made by one classmate regarding inequities in the rollout and share your feelings about the way it is working. If you have international connections, consider looking at it through that perspective rather than your own.

Each reply should be one paragraph in length (or about 50 words) and must be substantive. Do not simply say “I agree” or “That is great”; specify why and be detailed in your explanation. You may use research in your responses, but it is not required.

In your own words, respond to the discussion and comments of classmates. Grades will be based on effectual, concise, and interactive feedback. The excessive use of quotes will directly impact performance since this indicates a lack of comprehension and shows that you may not have mastered the concepts.

Why a discussion post and reply each week? Planning and time management are invaluable skills for business professionals who juggle jobs, personal lives, and other endeavors. Coming to terms with balancing priorities in an academic setting is a transferable skill to the workplace. Making optimum decisions about scheduling can help you excel along the career path.

Rubrics