VIDEOS, TEAMS, AND MORE
VIDEO DISCUSSION GUIDE
Four videos accompany Guffey’s Business Communication: Process and Product, 8e. These 7- to 12-
minute videos provide a visual learning experience to help students succeed in today’s rapidly changing
workplace. These videos are available on the Instructor’s Resource DVD.
Chapter Video Title
3 Intercultural Communication at Work
7 Technology in the Workplace
15 The Job Search
16 Sharpening Your Interview Skills
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION AT WORK
Summary of Video
This video transports viewers into the offices of Clifton-Harding Associates (CHA), a small
New York advertising agency. The company was founded by Ella Clifton and her husband Rob
Harding. In meeting with a prospective Japanese customer, Ella and Rob, together with their
dippy receptionist Stephanie, illustrate numerous clashes between American and Asian cultures,
expectations, and etiquette. Ellen and Rob unintentionally insult their guest and, of course, lose
the possible business contract.
What to Look For
Because this video moves fast and uses a documentary film-making style, it’s necessary to watch
and listen carefully. You can help students understand what is happening by explaining the
context and introducing the characters briefly before showing the video. As students watch the
film, they should make note of how many cultural misunderstandings take place in the meeting
with Ella, Rob, and Stephanie.
Student Task
In class, discuss the following critical thinking questions:
• Identify the cultural misunderstandings that occurred during Ken΄ichi Takahashi’s
meeting with Rob, Ella, and Stephanie.
a. Upon arriving at Clifton Harding, Ken΄ichi Takahashi was dismayed when no one
greeted him. Similarly, he considered it rude when no one walked him to his cab at the
end of the day.
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b. In the Japanese culture, casual business attire is still uncommon. Some Japanese
companies frown on female employees who wear jewelry, very short skirts, or high-
heeled shoes. Women with long hair and unprofessional attire may be treated as
c. In Japan, the exchange of business cards is ceremonial and extremely important. Rob
failed to show respect to Mr. Takahashi when he fiddled with the business card during the
meeting. Ella correctly placed the card gently on the table in front of her.
d. Rob offended Mr. Takahashi when he grabbed his hand for a two-handed handshake. The
Japanese seldom shake hands and may be uncomfortable doing so. He further insulted
him by slapping him on the back. It is inappropriate to pat a Japanese man on the back or
shoulder. The Japanese greet each other by bowing. Bowing may include a small nod of
the head to a long, 90-degree bow. If you are greeted with a bow, return the bow with one
as low as the one received. Keep your palms flat to your thighs.
e. The Japanese consider it disrespectful to make derogatory remarks about competitors or
one’s own employees. While talking on his cell phone at the beginning of the video, Rob
criticized the Mexican vendors for not working quickly. Mr. Takahashi considered this
disrespectful.
• What suggestions would you offer Rob and Ella for improving their cultural
competence?
To succeed in the global business environment, employees need to learn more about the
• At the end of the meeting with Mr. Takahashi, Rob assumed that Clifton-Harding
Associates would be hired to develop an advertising campaign. In fact, Rob asked that
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a contract be prepared outlining their agreement. Do you think Mr. Takahashi plans to
hire Rob and Ella’s firm? Why or why not?
It is highly unlikely that Mr. Takahashi will hire Clifton-Harding to create an advertising
TECHNOLOGY IN THE WORKPLACE
Summary of Video
Illustrating proper and improper use of today’s technologies in the workplace, this video takes
you to H. B. Jones, a small landscape design and supply firm. You will meet Elliott, the owner
and founder, Helena, a competent office worker; James, East Coast manager; and Ian, an inept
employee.
What to Look For
This fast-paced video gives you a glimpse of office workers using smartphones, computers, and
other technologies on the job. Be watching for the attitudes of Ian, Elliott, James, and Helena
toward their jobs and their use of company time. Who is using “Facespace” and why? Is James
driving and accepting cell calls? Why does James complain about Elliott’s e-mail and phone
messages? This video moves so quickly that you may want to watch it twice to be able to answer
these questions:
Class Discussion
• Do you see significant differences between Helena’s and Ian’s use of social networking
sites? Are their visits to Facespace legitimate?
• What efficiencies and inefficiencies do you detect in how each character uses his or her
smartphone?
James seems to use his smartphone efficiently, but he should not be talking and driving at
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• Is the featured company a technologically functional workplace, or can it be called
dysfunctional? Which remedies would you propose if you identify any shortcomings?
The featured company, H. B. Jones, fails to take advantage of today’s technologies. It could
• How would you describe Ian’s and Helena’s behavior upon entering the office in the
morning?
Upon entering the office, Ian and Helena are both distracted by their headphones and
THE JOB SEARCH
Video Library 1
Chapter 15
Summary of Video
At Clifton-Harding Associates (CHA), owner Ella Clifton realizes that she needs another
employee to help run the business. She places a “blind” advertisement, to which her current
employee, Stephanie, responds. Ella interviews a promising candidate, Yolanda, but during the
process learns that Stephanie has lied on a résumé posted to a job site. In addition to the ethical
dilemma, students see good and bad job-search and résumé techniques.
How to Use the Video
This film looks at the job search from two perspectives—the employer’s view and the
candidate’s view. The film will be instructive when students are working on Chapter 15, “The
Job Search, Résumés, and Cover Letters.” Help students understand the fast-paced action by
explaining that Ella is searching for a new employee and that Stephanie is hoping to land the new
job and be promoted from her receptionist position. This office and these characters appeared in
a previous video, “Intercultural Communication at Work.”
Discussion Guide
• What action should Rob and Ella take after learning that Stephanie lied on her résumé?
• Yolanda prepared a functional résumé to deemphasize her limited work experience
and promote her unique skills and potential for success in the new position. Which
résumé format is best for you – the functional or the chronological? Why?
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Help students understand when to use a functional or chronological résumé. Functional
• Yolanda customized her résumé to best match the needs of the organization and the
open position. She adjusted the career goal and placed emphasis on her foreign
language skills to make her résumé stand out from the others. Describe the advantages
of customizing a résumé instead of sending the same one to all potential employers.
SHARPENING YOUR INTERVIEW SKILLS
Video Library 1
Chapter 16
Summary of Video
In this video you see the job search and employment interview of a recent college graduate,
Betsy Chan. We follow Betsy as she finds a job advertisement and prepares for a job interview.
The strength of this video lies in the interchange between the company interviewer and a typical
applicant. It provides viewers with an inside look at how an actual interview takes place. It also
gives viewers a chance to see how the interviewer and interviewee critique Betsy’s interview.
How to Use the Video
This video was made to correlate with Chapter 16 in Guffey’s Business Communication: Process
and Product. It provides an ideal introduction to or review of the chapter.
Discussion Guide
The following critical thinking questions appear on the screen at the end of the film:
• What did Betsy do well in her interview?
Betsy was enthusiastic and showed good nonverbal cues, such as smiling, nodding, and
• What could she have improved?
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• How can a candidate prepare for an interview?
Job candidates should learn about the position, plan to sell themselves, prepare answers to
• How can a candidate prepare for and respond to behavioral/situational questions?
Because behavioral questions are increasingly common in employment interviews,
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CLASSROOM COLLABORATION AND TEAMWORK
By Karen Sterkel Powell
and Mary Ellen Guffey
The widespread use of the team approach in business and industry includes teamwork in
preparing written documents and oral presentations. Numerous studies reveal that businesses are
increasingly dependent on teams to achieve their goals. Collaborative work is often necessary
because rarely can one employee possess expertise in all areas of a business or industry. Thus,
the knowledge of employees with specialized skills is required in preparing reports, memos, and
presentations. Today’s technology enhances collaborative efforts with hardware and software
that assist teams in composing and revising documents.
Business communication instructors recognize the importance of providing their students with
classroom experience in collaborative writing to prepare them for the demands of the workplace,
as reflected in the research and publications on the topic.
The following sections describe the advantages and disadvantages of collaborative writing and
present guidelines for implementing and managing collaboration in the business communication
classroom.
COLLABORATION ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
Collaborative writing projects result in advantages and disadvantages to the students and to you,
the teacher.
Student Advantages. The advantages that students gain from teamwork projects include:
1. A better understanding of the course’s concepts and their application in assignments. Group
members have more knowledge and experience than an individual person and provide
valuable feedback to each other during the writing process.
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The disadvantages of collaborative writing for students include the following difficulties:
1. Handling conflicts that arise from different opinions, personalities, and approaches to the
writing process, as well as writing styles.
2. Dealing with unequal member participation.
3. Managing time conflicts in scheduling group meetings.
4. Managing their own time and work load if the group project takes more time than an
individual project. While group projects usually decrease the time spent on research and
writing, they increase the editing, revising, and coordinating time. If a group does not work
together well or if the writing skills are not fairly equal, some students will spend more time
on the project than if they completed it on their own.
5. Earning a good grade at least equal to what they would earn on their own. Grades for a class
are usually higher with collaborative writing; however, the grades of good students are
sometimes negatively affected by group problems and the weak writing skills of other group
members.
Instructor Advantages. The advantages that instructors gain from teamwork projects are as
follows:
1. The opportunity to act as facilitator and coach for small groups, thus demonstrating to
students how they will most likely be managed in the workplace. Students have an
opportunity to observe your use of effective skills for managing groups.
2. The reduced grading time to accommodate increase in class enrollment.
The disadvantages are as follows:
The advantages of collaborative writing for students and for you outweigh the disadvantages in
the long run, as students are more prepared for writing and group experiences in the workplace.
COLLABORATIVE ASSIGNMENTS
The majority of business communication teachers use a formal analytical report or presentation
for the collaborative assignment. However, cases involving letters, memos, and short reports can
be used if class assignments do not include the formal report, or they can be used in conjunction
with the formal report.
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Short collaborative assignments might include writing:
1. A letter to a university committee or official about a problem the university has, such as
parking, registration procedures, traffic congestion, and inadequate bike paths. Students
should describe the problem and offer solutions.
2. A letter to a company inquiring about the company’s policies on topics such as social
responsibility and ethics.
3. A letter to a businessperson asking him/her to be a guest speaker for the class.
4. Abstracts of articles pertaining to communication topics, such as crisis communication,
group communication, intercultural communication, nonverbal communication, and listening
skills.
5. An informative report on a current communications or management issue.
6. An informative report about a student university organization, a student university
committee, or a university office, such as financial aid, housing, student employment, or
career services. This is a good way to acquaint lower-level students with the university’s
services and with opportunities for their involvement with organizations and committees.
7. A short analytical report that includes tables and graphs. To reduce research time, you can
provide research sources or put them on reserve at the library. Consumer Reports provides
product comparisons that could be used for this assignment.
Groups should select their topics with your approval. For lower-level classes with minimal
business courses completed, the topics should be general, such as wellness programs, workforce
businesses, how they plan to gather the research, a preliminary outline, and a work plan showing
tasks to be completed, along with a timetable for completion of the tasks, and who will complete
the tasks.
Another short assignment with the formal report project could be a progress report detailing tasks
completed, work in progress, problems encountered, and projected task completion dates.
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GROUP FORMATION
Groups of three to five members work best for collaborative writing, depending on the length
requirement and complexity of the project. Most teachers report that three is the best number.
Time conflicts for group meetings increase as groups become larger, as does the potential for a
reduced level of participation by some group members. An odd-numbered group eliminates a tie
situation when the group must vote to resolve differences. Students can choose their groups or be
assigned to them. If they choose, you should give them some guidance in their selection, such as:
You can also assign students to groups. The assignment can be random or by some criterion,
such as their major or concentration. If the class is an upper-level class, grouping by
concentration allows the groups to select a topic pertinent to their concentration and to cover the
topic in depth. Regardless of the method of assignment, some consideration should be given to
the group composition in terms of gender and ethnic diversity. In addition, allowing groups to
make some adjustments in their composition may be helpful if, for example, a group finds it has
no common free time for group meetings. However, leaving some class time open for group
meetings helps to alleviate some of these time problems.
Assigning students to a group can cause stress for the students and require more time for a group
to become cohesive. Also, if the group experience and project turn out poorly, students may
attribute that failure to you. Allowing the class to vote on whether they want to choose their
group or be assigned may eliminate this situation.
After groups are formed, they should choose a leader or a chairperson. You should give the
leaders a list of tasks they are expected to perform.
GROUP PREPARATION ACTIVITIES
You can enhance the opportunity for students to experience a successful, rewarding collaborative
writing project by thoroughly preparing students for the project. Providing instruction about team
processes before the project begins can help students avoid some problems and handle those that
do arise.
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INSTRUCTION IN SMALL GROUP PROCESSES
Problems related to small group processes include such issues as poor conflict management,
personality differences, leadership issues, poor meeting management, poor division of labor, and
public speaking anxiety. Therefore, students will benefit from instruction in the following areas:
• Small group development: stages (forming, storming, norming, and performing); building
cohesiveness. Suggest they do something fun together to speed up this process.
• Small group roles: maintenance and tasks roles; functional and nonfunctional roles.
• Small group decision making: brainstorming; consensus building. Use some group exercises
in class to reinforce these concepts.
• Conflict management: benefits of healthy conflict; supportive versus defensive
INSTRUCTION IN THE WRITING PROCESS
Problems in collaborative writing that are related to the writing process include lack of
knowledge about the range and sequence of activities involved, poor division of labor, poor
definition of task, as well as different agendas, competencies, and learning styles. You can assist
students in learning the writing process in the following ways:
• Provide a report case that informs them of the activities required for the report, a list of the
sequence of activities, and the due dates for completing the activities.
• Require students to seek your approval of their topic, work plan, and preliminary outline so
that you can determine if the group has a good definition of their tasks.
• Discuss methods for dividing the tasks. Students most often use the horizontal model for
division of labor where each student researches, writes, and edits a chapter or section of the