Season 1, Episode 1, Pilot
When Todd Dempsy finishes management training for his job at Mid America Novelties, he finds that his call center has been outsourced to Mumbai, India, and that in order to keep his job, he must relocate to India and manage the call center there. He is picked up from the corporate housing by Rajiv, his assistant manager, who is interested in replacing him, and meets the rest of his employees. He also meets two other call center managers: Charlie, who gives him advice over lunch, and later Tonya, who immediately shows an interest in him.
1.0) Describe Todd’s situation in one sentence.
-Unemployment or India
1.1) Describe Asha.
1.2) Describe Charlie Davies.
The Ugly American (1963, George Englund) – Trailer
10 Signs You Might Be an Ugly American Tourist
1.3) Describe Gupta.
1.4) Describe Madhuri.
1.5) Describe Manmeet.
1.6) Describe Rajiv Gidwani.
1.7) Describe Todd Dempsy.
1.8) Describe Tonya.
1.9) What is outsourcing?
Outsourcing: Is it good or bad?
1.10) What causes outsourcing?
1.11) What is a call center?
A Day in the Life: Call Center Agent
1.12) What is a novelty product?
http://www.spencersonline.com/
1.13) What does Todd find when he goes to the call center in the US?
1.14) What will Todd get if he goes to India?
1.15) What will Todd’s boss do if Todd does not go to India?
1.16) How much money is student loans does Todd owe?
1.17) How does the Hindu view of cows differ from the American view?
Special Report: Cows on Indian Highway Part 1
Bikaner Karni Mata rat temple
1.18) What is the name of Todd’s company?
1.19) What foods does Charlie import from America and why?
The myth of the Indian vegetarian nation
Buddhist vegetarianism – Wikipedia
1.20) Charlie mentions an “A” team and “B” team what does that mean?
1.21) What can the A team do that the B team cannot?
1.22) Tonya’s runs a call center for Koala Airlines. What is Tonya like?
1.23) What are some differences between Tonya’s Australian English and Todd’s American English?
Australian English
1.24) What is a cheese head?
1.25) What is mistletoe and what are the customs associated with mistletoe?
1.26) Rajiv hired one worker with the plan to fire her to scare the other workers. Rajiv thinks she should not work at the call center because she is of a lower caste. Do you agree or disagree?
1.27) Is Rajiv on Todd’s side?
1.28) Do the call center workers from India need to understand American culture to do their job?
1.29) Do you understand Todd’s “Bad News Bears” reference?
1.30) Why did Amazon go into India?
Amazon & Flipkart Fighting It Out For India Business| ET NOW Special
HOW DIFFERENT IS THE CULTURAL CONTEXT BETWEEN INDIA AND THE US?
EXPLAIN!
Season 1, Episode 2, The Measure of a Manmeet
Management tasks Todd with evaluating his team, must lay off an employee due to low revenues. Gupta believes that he will be the one laid off as he incorrectly lip-reads Rajiv and Todd’s conversation. Todd is invited by Manmeet to a hotel to eat steak and quickly befriends him. Todd finds out that the reason why revenue is down is because Manmeet flirts with his customers instead of selling products. He confronts Manmeet, who uses his flirtatiousness to sell more novelties and increasing revenue, so no one needs to be laid off.
2.0) What are two day-to-day problems Todd faces in this episode?
-Food
-Body Language
2.1) What are sales numbers?
2.2) What is revenue?
2.3) What are employee evaluations?
2.4) What is a vegetarian?
2.5) Rajiv thinks fear and shame are the best motivators. Do you agree?
2.6) What is what Todd calls the “head bobble thing”?
Indian Headshakes | What do they mean?
2.7) What is a lentil hamburger?
How to Make Vegan Lentil Burgers
Real Indian food in Delhi – Gordon Ramsay
2.8) Why does management in the US want Todd to fire someone?
2.9) Charlie has nicknamed his employees Frodo, Morpheus, Indiana Jones, and Roger Ebert. Do you know any of these characters?
2.10) Why does Manmeet have the lowest sales numbers?
2.11) Why isn’t Manmeet fired in the end?
2.12) Why does Gupta insult his coworkers?
2.13) How would you fire someone?
2.14) Would you do business in India? Why or why not?
Doing business in India
APPLY THE TWO-DIMENSIONAL MODEL OF EMOTIONAL DISPLAY TO INDIA!
Handout at:
https://www.scribd.com/doc/252017696/Outsourced-Discussion-Questions-Handout
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