im part3 - videos teams and more

8/12/2019 IM Part3 - Videos Teams and More

1/38

VIDEOS, TEAMS, AND MOREPart 3

VIDEO DISCUSSION GUIDE

Two exciting video sets now offer a total of 14 videos to accompany GuffeysBusiness Communication:Process and Product, 7e. These 7- to 1-minute videos ta!e students "eyond the classroom to help "uildthe communication s!ills they will need to succeed in todays rapidly changing wor!place. #nstructorsmay order them from $engage, or students may view them directly at www.meguffey.com.

Video Library 1,Building Workplace Skills, eight videos that introduce and reinforce conceptsin selected chapters ofBusiness Communication: Process and Product, 7e. %ade specifically todemonstrate chapter-specific material inBC:PP, these videos strengthen comprehension and retention of!ey ideas. &ive videos were filmed in the stunning offices of a 'oston financial firm. They "ring to life

and reinforce significant concepts in a way that the text"oo! cannot. &or the (eventh )dition, we filmed anew video, Technology in the Workplace, which shows appropriate and inappropriate uses of digitaltechnologies. )ach video presents critical thin!ing *uestions to generate discussion and focus learning.

Video Library 2,Bridging the Gap,presents six videos transporting viewers inside realcompanies such as +ahoo, $old (tone $reamery, and ard oc! $af. (tudents are a"le to apply theirnew s!ills in structured applications aimed at "ridging the gap "etween the classroom and the real worldof wor!. /early all of these videos culminate in student writing assignments.

&or each video we provide an instructors discussion guide that includes a summary of the video,suggestions for use and discussion, and proposed solutions for any assignments. 'elow are the chapterswhere the videos seem most appropriate, "ut instructors may use them at any time they choose.

VideoChapter Library Video Title

1-0 1 $areer (uccess (tarts ith $ommunication &oundations 2nderstanding Teamwor!3 $old (tone $reamery0 1 #ntercultural $ommunication at or! 4- 1 Guffeys 0-x-0 riting 5rocess 6evelops &luent or!place

(!ills riting (!ills3 The ittle Guys7 1 Technology in the or!place

7 1 (mart )-%ail %essages and %emos 8dvance +our $areer 9 (ocial esponsi"ility and $ommunication3 'en : ;errys< 5ersuasive e*uest3 ard oc! $af< #nnovation, earning, and $ommunication3 8 (tudy of +ahoo1= 'ad /ews3 'uy$ostumes14 1 )ffective >n-the-;o" >ral 5resentations1? 1 The ;o" (earch1 1 (harpening +our #nterview (!ills

@=11 $engage earning. 8ll ights eserved. %ay not "e scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a pu"licly accessi"lewe"site, in whole or in part.


2/38

Part 3, Videos, Teams, and More

CAREER SUCCESS STARTS WITH C!!U"ICATI" #U"$ATI"S

Video Library 1

C%a&'er( 1 'o )

Summary of Video

This video provides an overview of the concepts presented in $hapters 1 through 4. $liff, ;ac!ie,amon, and others discuss the importance of communication s!ills at #ntegrity #nvestments. Thefilm illustrates the changing "usiness world, flattened management hierarchies, the communi-cation process, communication flow, ethics, listening, nonver"al communication, and othertopics presented in $hapters 1 through 0.

How 'o U(e '%e Video

This video can "e used to introduce or review $hapter 1. #t can also "e used to review 2nit 1,which includes $hapters 1 through 0. The film touches on nearly all of the concepts introducedin these chapters. #t stimulates class discussion and reinforces !ey communication concepts.

$i(cu((io* +uide

The following critical thin!ing *uestions appear on the screen at the end of the film3

How i( '%e word of wor- c%a*gi*g

The world of wor! is changing "ecause many "usinesses are now conducting glo"aloperations. >rganiAations are flattening management hierarchies so that managers are closerto employees. %any organiAations are turning to teams to develop products and services andto conduct operations. $onstantly evolving communication technologies change the toolsand procedures of wor!. The wor!place is also "ecoming more diverse, and more emphasisis placed on collecting, organiAing, and communicating information

W%y are commu*ica'io* (-i( i*crea(i*gy im&or'a*' 'o your career (ucce((

8s organiAations flatten their management hierarchies, decision-ma!ing is pusheddownward. %ore and more employees, individually and as part of teams, exchangeinformation as they function within teams and "ecome part of decision-ma!ing processes.'ecause so much information is now exchanged "y e-mail, writing s!ills are more importantthan ever. 8s our economy "ecomes increasingly information-oriented, those individualswho can communicate well will "e in great demand.

W%a' commu*ica'io* (-i( are mo(' im&or'a*' for bu(i*e((&eo&e a*d w%y

8ll communication s!illsBreading, writing, spea!ing, listening and nonver"alBare

important in todays information-"ased economy. riting s!ills are increasingly important"ecause of the emphasis on e-mail. istening s!ills are important as su"ordinates listen forinstructions from superiors and also as employees listen to customers. 8s employees arepromoted into management, their writing, spea!ing, and listening s!ills "ecome even moreimportant and can often mean the difference "etween "eing promoted or passed over.

W%a' commu*ica'io* (-i( woud you i-e 'o im&ro/e

esponses will vary for this *uestion.


59


3/38


I"TERCULTURAL C!!U"ICATI" AT WR0

Video Library 1

C%a&'er )

Summary of Video

This video transports viewers into the offices of $lifton-arding 8ssociates C$8D, a small/ew +or! advertising agency. The company was founded "y )lla $lifton and her hus"and o"arding. #n meeting with a prospective ;apanese customer, )lla and o", together with theirdippy receptionist (tephanie, illustrate numerous clashes "etween 8merican and 8sian cultures,expectations, and eti*uette. )llen and o" unintentionally insult their guest and, of course, losethe possi"le "usiness contract.

W%a' 'o Loo- #or

'ecause this video moves fast and uses a documentary film-ma!ing style, its necessary to watchand listen carefully. +ou can help students understand what is happening "y explaining thecontext and introducing the characters "riefly "efore showing the video. 8s students watch the

film, they should ma!e note of how many cultural misunderstandings ta!e place in the meetingwith )lla, o", and (tephanie.

S'ude*' Ta(-

#n class, discuss the following critical thin!ing *uestions3

Ide*'ify '%e cu'ura mi(u*der('a*di*g( '%a' occurred duri*g 0e*ic%i Ta-a%a(%i(

mee'i*g wi'% Rob, Ea, a*d S'e&%a*ie.

a. 2pon arriving at $lifton arding, EenFichi Ta!ahashi was dismayed when no onegreeted him. (imilarly, he considered it rude when no one wal!ed him to his ca" at the

end of the day.

". #n the ;apanese culture, casual "usiness attire is still uncommon. (ome ;apanesecompanies frown on female employees who wear ewelry, very short s!irts, or high-heeled shoes. omen with long hair and unprofessional attire may "e treated assecretaries. 'ecause of the way )lla was dressed, %r. Ta!ahashi did not ta!e herseriously. #n fact, he continuously loo!ed to o" for approval of )llas recommendationsduring the meeting. )lla noticed this and was offended that he sought o"s approval forher ideas.

c. #n ;apan, the exchange of "usiness cards is ceremonial and extremely important. o"failed to show respect to %r. Ta!ahashi when he fiddled with the "usiness card during the

meeting. )lla correctly placed the card gently on the ta"le in front of her.d. o" offended %r. Ta!ahashi when he gra""ed his hand for a two-handed handsha!e. The

;apanese seldom sha!e hands and may "e uncomforta"le doing so. e further insultedhim "y slapping him on the "ac!. #t is inappropriate to pat a ;apanese man on the "ac! orshoulder. The ;apanese greet each other "y "owing. 'owing may include a small nod ofthe head to a long,


4/38


e. The ;apanese consider it disrespectful to ma!e derogatory remar!s a"out competitors orones own employees. hile tal!ing on his cell phone at the "eginning of the video, o"criticiAed the %exican vendors for not wor!ing *uic!ly. %r. Ta!ahashi considered thisdisrespectful.

f. )lla and o" were confused when %r. Ta!ahashi did not react either positively or

negatively to their proposal. They should have !nown that deals with the ;apanese areusually not made during the first meeting. &urthermore, when %r. Ta!ahashi nodded hishead during the presentation, o" thought it meant he was approving the plan, promptinghim to eagerly issue a contract. #nstead, %r. Ta!ahashis nodding simply meant that hewas listening.

W%a' (ugge('io*( woud you offer Rob a*d Ea for im&ro/i*g '%eir cu'ura

com&e'e*ce

To succeed in the glo"al "usiness environment, employees need to learn more a"out theculture in which they will "e conducting "usiness and modify their approach to "usinessrelationships. o" and )lla could improve their chances of wor!ing successfully with %r.

Ta!ahashi in the following ways.

a. (tudy the ;apanese culture and appreciate "usiness traditions that are different from theirown.

". (how tolerance and patience for cultural differences and accept other perspectives.

c. 2nderstand that ;apan is a high-context culture which means that the ;apanese place highvalue on interpersonal relationships, nonver"al expression, rituals, physical settings, andsocial settings.

A' '%e e*d of '%e mee'i*g wi'% !r. Ta-a%a(%i, Rob a((umed '%a' Cif'o*3Hardi*g

A((ocia'e( woud be %ired 'o de/eo& a* ad/er'i(i*g cam&aig*. I* fac', Rob a(-ed '%a'a co*'rac' be &re&ared ou'i*i*g '%eir agreeme*'. $o you '%i*- !r. Ta-a%a(%i &a*( 'o

%ire Rob a*d Ea( firm W%y or w%y *o'

#t is highly unli!ely that %r. Ta!ahashi will hire $lifton-arding to create an advertisingcampaign for his company. %r. Ta!ahashis relationship with o" and )lla was eopardiAed"ecause of their lac! of cultural sensitivity. %r. Ta!ahashi was insulted a num"er of timesthroughout the meeting, diminishing his trust and confidence in o" and the rest of the staff.


61


5/38


U U"$ERSTA"$I"+ TEA!WR04 CL$ ST"E CREA!ER5

Video Library 2

C%a&'er 2

Summary of Video

This video highlights teamwor! at $old (tone $reamery, a fast-growing ice cream specialtychain. #t shows team mem"ers "ehind the counter "ut also provides the inside scoop through theinsights of Eevin %yers, vice president, %ar!eting. Hiewers see how teamwor! permeates everyfacet of $old (tones corporate culture.

W%a' 'o Loo- #or

Tell students to watch for these items3 6efinition of the term team

(ix different !inds of teams

$haracteristics of effective teams

Two "road categories of team roles

S'ude*' Ta(-

#n class, discuss the following3

How i( '%e 'erm teamdefi*ed i* '%i( /ideo Ca* you offer a defi*i'io* '%a' i( more

(&ecific

The video defines teamas Ia group of wor!ers with a shared mission and vision andcollective responsi"ilities.J +our text"oo! defines a teamas Ia group of individuals whointeract over time to achieve a purpose.J (tudents may suggest that a team is a group thatfocuses on a oint goal or product, such as a presentation, completing in-class exercises,

writing a report, or creating a new design. 8uthors EatAen"ach and (mith say that Ia team isa small num"er of people with complementary s!ills who are committed to a commonpurpose, performance goals, and approach for which they are mutually accounta"le.J

W%a' (i6 differe*' -i*d( of 'eam( were me*'io*ed i* '%e Cod S'o*e Creamery /ideo

Ca* you &ro/ide e6am&e( of '%e(e 'eam( ba(ed o* com&a*ie( wi'% w%ic% you are

famiiar

1. &ormal team K mem"ers of a management team, such as the $)>, president, and vicepresidents of any maor company

. Hertical team K a manager and all the people whom he or she supervises

0. oriAontal team K team mem"ers with different expertise at the same hierarchal level4. (pecial purpose team K mem"ers who come together for a specific proect and are oftendis"anded after the proect is completed

?. (elf-directed team K might include ? to = multi-s!illed mem"ers supervised "y one oftheir own who rotate o"s to deliver a product or service.

. Glo"al team K made up of mem"ers with different nationalities whose wor! spansmultiple countriesL could also "e a virtual team using telecommunications to colla"orate


62


6/38


W%a' c%arac'eri('ic( ma-e for effec'i/e 'eam( I* your e6&erie*ce wi'% 'eam(, do you

agree or di(agree

This video discusses small siAe and diversity of mem"ers as effective characteristics. (mallteams find it easier to reach decisions, share opinions, and as! more *uestions. arger teamshave more disagreements, less participation, and more demands on the group. )ffective

teams also need diverse mem"ers with different s!ill sets, thin!ing styles, and personalcharacteristics to help produce more innovative pro"lem solutions.

+U##E5S )373) WRITI"+ 8RCESS $EVEL8S #LUE"T

WR08LACE S0ILLS

Video Library 1

C%a&'er( 9 3 :

Summary of Video

This video com"ines narrative and role-playing to illustrate each phase of Guffeys 0-x-0 writingprocess. (tudents see four employees C6avid, (arah, ;ac!ie, and $liffD as they go through eachphase of the writing process. ather than merely state the steps in the writing process, the videoactually illustrates what happens in each step.


This film will "e most useful to introduce 2nit of GuffeysBusiness Communication: Processand Product. #t sets the stage for $hapter 4, "ut the video could "e used for any or all of $hapters4, ?, and .

$i(cu((io* +uide


How ca* a &roce(( %e& a wri'er

8 writing process helps a writer "y providing a s!eleton of the process. The writer then hasa description of what should "e done at each stage. &ollowing a writing process helps avoidwriters "loc!. #t ena"les writers to get started and to wor! efficiently and effectively.

$oe( '%e wri'i*g &roce(( away( foow '%e (ame order

The writing process does not follow the same order with each proect. >ften it involveslooping "ac! to a previous stage, such as thin!ing a"out your purpose and your audience.&or example, if you are well along in the composition phase and then realiAe that your

message may "e read "y the managers "oss, you might decide to go "ac! to the first stageof thin!ing a"out what this secondary reader would expect in the message. The writingprocess is more nearly cursive than linear.

W%y doe( re/i(i*g 'a-e more 'ime '%a* a*y o'%er &ar' of '%e &roce((

%any writers record their ideas *uic!ly and then spend the most time revising and polishingtheir writing. #mportant documents must "e edited and proofread carefully to "e certain theyare clear, correct, and reada"le.


63


7/38


WRITI"+ S0ILLS4 THE LITTLE +U5S

Video Library 2

C%a&'er :

Summary of VideoThe ittle Guys ome )lectronics specialiAes in selling and installing home theater e*uipment.#n ust 1 years, this organiAation has grown from a start-up company to an esta"lished "usinesswith annual sales of more than M1= million. The ownersB6ave and )vie exler and 5aulGerrityBdescri"e their goals, motivations, and experiences in ma!ing their "usiness successful.

W%a' 'o Loo- #or

8s they watch the video, students should "e encouraged to loo! for the following3

Good "usiness practices that helped the owners launch a successful "usiness

$haracteristics of successful entrepreneurs

easons that some small "usinesses remain successful whereas others fail

S'ude*' Ta(-

This video is intended to provide "usiness students with positive role models as entrepreneurs.&or this writing class, however, the video is useful to esta"lish a context for a writingassignment. 8fter watching the video, students are to summariAe the reasons for the success ofThe ittle Guys. 'uilding on what they learned in this chapter, they are to compose a "ulletedlist with ten or more items. They should use this opening sentence3 The Little Guys Homelectronics !usiness succeeded !ecause the o"ners did the #ollo"ing. They should add a title tothe list they compose.

Ca(( $i(cu((io*

The following *uestions will help students get started in writing a "ulleted list.

How ca* you de/eo& &araei(m i* a bue'ed i('

+ou can develop parallelism "y using the same grammatical construction for each statement.#f one item "egins with a past-tense ver", all items should "egin with a past-tense ver". #f thefirst statement "egins with a noun, all statements should "egin with nouns.

W%e* i'em( are i('ed /er'icay, %ow (%oud '%ey be ca&i'ai;ed S%oud eac% i'em e*d

wi'% a &eriod

)ach item listed vertically should "egin with a capital letter. )ach item should end with aperiod >/+ if that item is a complete sentence.

W%a' i( '%e differe*ce be'wee* a bue'ed i(' a*d a* e*umera'ed i('


8/38


8ro&o(ed Sou'io*

W%y T%e Li''e +uy( Eec'ro*ic( >u(i*e(( Succeeded

The ittle Guys ome )lectronics "usiness is successful "ecause the owners did the following3

'elieved they could provide home electronics "etter than "ig companies

ecogniAed a niche mar!et and moved *uic!ly ad deep faith that they would succeed

ere willing to ris! failure and financial ruin "ecause of their self-confidence

(howed strong tolerance for am"iguity, a trait of most successful entrepreneurs

6edicated themselves to honest personal service

'elieved firmly that the future was within their control

%ade sacrifices and wor!ed madly to ta!e advantage of $hristmas season sales

&ound unusual ways to finance their new "usiness without giving up ownership to investors

%aintained high energy level, putting in long hours to serve customers

(tarted as I"a"es in the woodsJ "ut learned as they went along

efused to open more "ranches, preferring to focus their efforts on perfecting one store

TECH"L+5 I" THE WR08LACE

Video Library 1

C%a&'er ?

Summary of Video

#llustrating proper and improper use of todays technologies in the wor!place, this video ta!es

you to . '. ;ones, a small landscape design and supply firm. +ou will meet )lliott, the ownerand founder, elena, a competent office wor!erL ;ames, )ast $oast managerL and #an, an ineptemployee.

W%a' 'o Loo- #or

This fast-paced video gives you a glimpse of office wor!ers using smartphones, computers, andother technologies on the o". 'e watching for the attitudes of #an, )lliott, ;ames, and elenatoward their o"s and their use of company time. ho is using I&acespaceJ and whyN #s ;amesdriving and accepting cell callsN hy does ;ames complain a"out )lliotts e-mail and phonemessagesN This video moves so *uic!ly that you may want to watch it twice to "e a"le to answer

these *uestions3

Ca(( $i(cu((io*

$o you (ee (ig*ifica*' differe*ce( be'wee* Hee*a( a*d Ia*( u(e of (ocia *e'wor-i*g

(i'e( Are '%eir /i(i'( 'o #ace(&ace egi'ima'e

elena seems to use &acespace responsi"ly, "ut #an posts messages and "logs a"out his late-night carousing and a"out his complaints of office colleagues and criticism of the company.


65


9/38


W%a' efficie*cie( a*d i*efficie*cie( do you de'ec' i* %ow eac% c%arac'er u(e( %i( or %er

(mar'&%o*e

;ames seems to use his smartphone efficiently, "ut he should not "e tal!ing and driving atthe same time. The "oss, )lliott, uses the phone to call ;ames, who is fre*uently on the road,"ut )lliott often repeats the same information that was sent "y interoffice memo, thus

wasting everyones time. elena tries to multitas! "y tal!ing on the phone and typingmessages at the same time, causing her to inadvertently reveal the surprise party "eingplanned for )lliott.

I( '%e fea'ured com&a*y a 'ec%*oogicay fu*c'io*a wor-&ace, or ca* i' be caed

dy(fu*c'io*a W%ic% remedie( woud you &ro&o(e if you ide*'ify a*y (%or'comi*g(

The featured company, . '. ;ones, fails to ta!e advantage of todays technologies. #t coulduse a wi!i or internal e" site to post messages so that hard copy memos and fre*uenttelephone calls were unnecessary. The employees have o"viously not "een trained in using

smartphones efficiently and appropriately. The company may need an e-mail andsmartphone policy outlining when and how employees should use the #nternet and companye*uipment.

How woud you de(cribe Ia*( a*d Hee*a( be%a/ior u&o* e*'eri*g '%e office i* '%e

mor*i*g

2pon entering the office, #an and elena are "oth distracted "y their headphones andearpods. #an accidentally "umps into the "oss, )lliott, and offers no apology or evenrecognition of his poor manners. 'oth #an and elena appear to "e lost in their own digitalaudio worlds and not ready to focus on "eginning their wor!day.

S!ART E3!AILS A"$ !E!S A$VA"CE 5UR CAREER

Video Library 1

C%a&'er ?

Summary of Video

This video "egins with ;ac!ie reviewing Guffeys 0-x-0 writing process. Then )laine and (arahta!e us through the writing process "y role-playing a scene in which )laine is trying to write animportant e-mail message to her "oss, 'radford. e see what !inds of decisions are made in

each step of the process. The video emphasiAes significant e-mail dos and donts.


This video correlates directly with $hapter 9. 2se it to introduce the chapter and spotlight theimportance of e-mail messages.


66


10/38


$i(cu((io* +uide


W%a' are (ome e3mai ca'a('ro&%e( '%a' you %a/e %eard abou' How coud '%ey be

a/oided

(tudents should "e a"le to relate examples of e-mail disasters, such as sending a message tothe wrong person or responding to an entire list of people rather than to the sender alone. Toavoid disastrous e-mail catastrophes, writers must remem"er that e-mail creates a permanentrecord. They should avoid responding when angry. +our students will pro"a"ly suggestmany other techni*ues for avoiding e-mail catastrophes. %any of them have had first-handexperience with e-mail pro"lems.

W%a' do you '%i*- bu(i*e((&eo&e mea* w%e* '%ey (ay '%ey %a/e a @o/e%a'eB

rea'io*(%i& wi'% e3mai

'usinesspeople love e-mail "ecause it is a fast communication channel that re*uires littleeffort. They "egin to hate it, however, when writing and responding to e-mail "egins to cut

into their daily wor! schedule. )-mail has "ecome so easy to use that it is overused andmisused. #n addition, most of us receive many spam messages that clog the system andprevent us from focusing on important messages.

W%y i( i' im&or'a*' 'o remember '%a' e3mai i( *o' i-e a 'ee&%o*e co*/er(a'io*

8lthough it may seem li!e a casual phone call, every e-mail message produces a writtenrecord of what was written. The record appears not only on the writers computer "ut also onthe receivers computer and on many servers and "ac!-up systems along the way. )-mailmessages have "ecome the Ismo!ing gunJ in many lawsuits today. 5rosecutors may demandcomputer records, and every e-mail message can "e scrutiniAed as evidence in litigation.

SCIAL RES8"SI>ILIT5 A"$ C!!U"ICATI"4 >E" DERR5S

Video Library 2

C%a&'er

Summary of Video

#n this video we learn a"out 'en : ;errys, the premium ice cream ma!er esta"lished in 1


11/38


its ice cream. That pac!aging material had to please its mar!eting people, who wanted to showoff their great la"el graphics. #t also had to use paper that had not "een "leached with chlorine.hats wrong with chlorineN 8lthough it ma!es paper white, chlorine contains dioxin, which is!nown to cause cancer, genetic and reproductive defects, and learning disa"ilities. #n producingpaper, pulp mills using chlorine are also adding to dioxin contamination of waterways.

)ventually, 'en : ;errys found a new chlorine-free, un"leached paper "oard for its pac!ages.That was the good news. The "ad news is that the inside of the pac!age is no longer whiteL theinterior of the new pac!aging is now "rown.

The video esta"lishes a context for a writing pro"lem in which students respond to a customerwho is upset a"out the new pac!aging.

S'ude*' Ta(-

8ssume you have "een hired at 'en : ;errys to help answer incoming letters. 8lthough you arefairly new, your "oss gives you a letter from an unhappy customer. This customer opened a pintof 'en : ;errys Iorlds 'est HanillaJ and then threw it out. e saw the "rown inner lid and

sides of the pac!age, and he decided that his pint must have "een used for chocolate "efore itwas used for vanilla. >r, he said, Ithe entire pint has gone "ad and somehow turned the sides"rown.J hatever the reason, he wasnt ta!ing any chances. 8lthough he had "een a long-timecustomer, he now wanted his money "ac!. is last comment was, I# li!e your stand onenvironmental and social issues, "ut # dont li!e my ice cream in used containers.J

rite a letter that explains the "rown carton, ustifies the reason for using it, and retains thecustomers "usiness. The letter should "e addressed to %r. 8dam . ;ohnson, 4=0= estGriswold oad, 5hoenix, 8P 9?=?1.

$i(cu((io* +uide

elp students understand this writing pro"lem "y posing the following *uestions3

I* e''er( '%a' gra*' caim( a*d adFu('me*'(, '%e wri'er ge*eray 'rie( 'o rec'ify '%e

wro*g. $oe( a @wro*gB e6i(' i* '%i( ca(e W%y or w%y *o'

/o wrong exists in this situation. The customer simply does not understand that the newcontainers have "rown interiors.

S%oud you 'ry 'o regai* '%e co*fide*ce of '%i( cu('omer How coud '%a' be do*e

+es, you should try to regain the confidence of this customer. +ou can do that "y explainingwhy the interior of the new pac!aging is "rown.

How coud you ear* more abou' '%e *ew co*'ai*er( (o '%a' you ca* a*(wer '%i(

cu('omer accura'ey

8s a new employee who needs information, you would pro"a"ly first try to find it yourself"efore admitting your ignorance. 8 great way to learn a"out your company is to go to itse" site and read everything there. 8nother way to learn a"out whats happening to thecompany is to chec! the files and any literature, such as news releases, that may "eavaila"le. +ou can also as! fellow employees and your "oss.


68


12/38



69


13/38


S%oud you 'ry 'o &romo'e fur'%er bu(i*e(( wi'% '%i( cu('omer How coud '%a' be

do*e

+es, you should try to promote further "usiness. +ou can include one or two coupons forfree pints. +ou could descri"e new developments in flavors and activities at 'en : ;errys.

How ca* you di(&ay '%e i*forma'io* 'o im&ro/e readabii'y+ou can improve reada"ility "y listing some of the information.

8ro&o(ed Sou'io* GLe''er 'o >e* Derry( Cu('omer

$urrent date

%r. 8dam . ;ohnson4=0= est Griswold oad5hoenix, 8P 9?=?1

6ear %r. ;ohnson3

+oull find in this letter a coupon for a pint of 'en : ;errys premium ice cream. e hope youwill use it to try another pint of our Iorlds 'est Hanilla,J a"out which you wrote recently.

5lease give it a second chance. The "rown interior of the carton is actually our new pac!agingwith un"leached paper. The outside of the container has a clay coat to ma!e it loo! white, "ut theinside is a natural "rown color. 8s you !now, 'en : ;errys has always "een conscious of theenvironment. Thats why we searched for a new pac!aging material. %ost ice cream pac!agesare made with a paper "oard that is treated with chlorine "leach. 'leach contains dioxin, which is

!nown to cause cancer and is also a maor contri"utor to toxic water pollution in many of ourstreams and rivers.

>ur customers, we thin!, deserve the freshest and most wholesome product we can ma!e.8lthough our new containers are "rown inside, they deliver to you the same great-tasting icecream. 'ut now your ice cream no longer comes into contact with a pac!age made with chlorine"leach.

8s a long-time 'en : ;errys connoisseur, you !now good ice cream. et us !now if you dontagree that our Iorlds 'est HanillaJ tastes great in its new pac!age.

(incerely,

)nclosure3 5int coupon

5.(. #f youd li!e to read more a"out this new pac!aging, visit our e" site atChttp3OOwww."enerry.comD. +ou can also learn a"out some of our sensational new flavorsQ


70


14/38


8ERSUASIVE REUEST4 HAR$ RC0 CA#E

Video Library 2

C%a&'er J

Summary of Video

ard oc! $af has undergone much change in surviving over 0= years in the rough-and-tum"leworld of hospitality. ard oc! #nternational now has over 1= locations in 40 countries. Toremain successful and overcome strong competition in the theme dining arena, ard oc! mustcontinue to evolve. %aintaining the prominence of its well-!nown logo around the world is oneof many strategies it employs to distinguish its "rand.

W%a' 'o Loo- #or

8s they watch the video, students should "e encouraged to loo! for

eferences to the changes ta!ing place at ard oc! #nternational

6iscussion of I"rand controlJ and the pro"lem of different logos

S'ude*' Ta(-8s an assistant in the ard oc! $orporate #dentity 6ivision, you have "een as!ed to draft apersuasive message to "e sent to the )din"urgh #nternational $omedy &estival. #n doingresearch, you learned that this festival is one of the three largest comedy festivals in the world,alongside %el"ourne %adness &estival and %ontreals ;ust for aughs &estival. 8n annualevent, the )din"urgh #nternational $omedy &estival ta!es over this (cotland city each autumnwith stand-up comedy, ca"aret, theater, street performance, film, television, radio, and visual artsprograms. (ome of the programs raise funds for charity.

The pro"lem is that the festival is staging some of its events at the ard oc! $afe, and thefestival is using outdated ard oc! logos at their e" site and in print announcements. +our

tas! is to persuade the )din"urgh #nternational $omedy &estival organiAers to stop using the oldlogos. )xplain why it is necessary to use the official ard oc! logo. %a!e it easy for them too"tain the official logo at Rhttp3OOwww.hardroc!.net.official.logoS. >rganiAers must also signthe logo usage agreement. >rganiAers may "e resistant "ecause they have invested inannouncements and e" designs with the old logo. #f they dont comply "y ;une 1, ard oc!attorneys may "egin legal actions. owever, you need to present this date without ma!ing itsound li!e a threat. +our "oss wants this message to develop goodwill, not motivate antagonism.

rite a persuasive e-mail message to )din"urgh #nternational $omedy &estival organiAer 'arry$oo! at R"coo!edin"urghfestival.comS. 8dd any reasona"le details.

$i(cu((io* +uideelp students understand how to approach this writing pro"lem "y posing the following*uestions3

W%y i( i' im&or'a*' for Hard Roc- I*'er*a'io*a 'o i*(i(' o* o*e officia ogo W%y

(%oud*' e/e*' orga*i;er( be abe 'o cu('omi;e '%e ogo 'o refec' '%e coor( a*d

e''eri*g i* '%eir e/e*' a**ou*ceme*'(


71


15/38


)sta"lishing an official logo reinforces the "rand identity for ard oc!. 2sing differentlogos dilutes the recognition value of a "rand. ard oc! has developed one of the mostrecogniAed "rands in the world. %aintaining its recognition value is very important inadvancing the success of ard oc! products, including cafes, casinos, and products.

W%y i( i' a good idea 'o ma-e '%i( me((age a frie*dy &er(ua(i/e reKue(' i*('ead of aegai('ic dema*d 'o ac%ie/e com&ia*ce

The )din"urgh #nternational $omedy &estival organiAers pro"a"ly have no idea that they arenot using the official ard oc! logo. 8fter all, ard oc! is merely providing a venue for acomedy charity event. The festival organiAers may need only a gentle prod in the rightdirection, along with help in securing the official logo. ard oc! prefers to securecompliance with goodwill rather than with clout.

W%a' are '%e four com&o*e*'( of a &er(ua(i/e me((age

C1D Gain attention, CD "uild interest, C0D reduce resistance, and C4D motivate action.

W%a' i*forma'io* ca* you u(e 'o com&e'e eac% com&o*e*' of '%i( &er(ua(i/e reKue('+ou might gain attention "y complimenting the organiAers on producing an exciting comedyprogram. +ou could then ac!nowledge that the )din"urgh #nternational $omedy &estival isusing a ard oc! $afe as one of its venues for its autumn festival. 'uild interest "yexplaining the importance of using the official ard oc! logo, which is one of the worldsmost recogniAa"le logos. 2sing the official logo would help viewers associate this well-!nown logo with their event. educe resistance "y ma!ing it easy to download the officiallogo. %otivate action "y summariAing the re*uest. 2se the end date of ;une 1 "ut dontma!e it sound li!e a threat. $onclude "y repeating the main reader "enefit.

8ro&o(ed Sou'io*

T4 "coo!edin"urghfestival.com#R!4 yourUnamehardroc!.identity.netSU>DECT4 2sing the >fficial ard oc! ogo

%r. $oo!,

$ongratulations on offering exciting comedy programs at your annual )din"urgh #nternational$omedy &estival.

'ecause some of your programs are offered at the ard oc! $afe, you will want to "e using our

official logo to identify this location. The ard oc! logo is one of the most recogniAed logos inthe world. +ou can "uild interest in your comedy offerings and associate your program with thehigh-energy ard oc! $afe "y using our official logo instead of the out-of-date logos nowappearing at your e" site and on printed announcements of your programs.

+ou may download the official ard oc! logo at R http3OOwww.hardroc!.net.official.logoS. 8tthat site you should also sign the logo usage agreement. $hanging your images to the officiallogo is easy to do "y inserting our electronic digital image into your e" pages or print masters.


72


16/38


5lease change to the official ard oc! logo "efore ;une 1, when ard oc! will ceaseauthoriAation of the use of old logos. #ts easy to switch to the new logo and ta!e advantage ofthe instant "rand recognition that comes from it.

+our /ameard oc! $orporate 'rand #dentity

I""VATI", LEAR"I"+, A"$ C!!U"ICATI"4

A STU$5 # 5AH

Video Library 2

C%a&'er J

Summary of Video

This film presents a *uic! loo! at a popular #nternet company and how it solves some of its

challenges. +ahoo is descri"ed as the #nternets most popular navigational service. )sta"lished inthe early 1


17/38


rite a persuasive memo or e-mail message to $eci ang, operations manager, as!ing her toallow HV (tudios to film at +ahoo. +our re*uest memo should pro"a"ly emphasiAe the value ofthese proects in enhancing +ahoos image among future users. 5rovide any other details youthin! are necessary to create a convincing re*uest memo that will win authoriAation from $eciang to schedule this filming.

8ro&o(ed Sou'io* G5a%oo !emo

To3 $eci ang Rclangyahoo.comS&rom3 ;ohn 'riggs R"riggsyahoo.comS6ate3 $urrent

(u"ect3 (cheduling of )ducational Hideo$c3

5lease authoriAe the filming of an educational video in the month of %ay. 8lthough +ahoo hasparticipated in a num"er of these filming sessions, we "elieve that these videos are well worth

the effort "ecause they strengthen our "rand awareness among college students, an importantmar!et segment for us.

#f we agree to participate in this proect, HV will need to

(hoot 1? hours of film here at +ahooQ head*uarters in %ay.

#nterview four or five managers as well as 6avid &ilo and ;erry +ang.

(et up its mo"ile studio van in our par!ing lot.

>"tain permission to use selected film clips from our ad pieces.

+our authoriAation "efore %arch = will ena"le me to "egin scheduling the interviews with the

least disruption to our managers wor!ing schedules. Than!sQ

;ohn

>A$ "EWS 4 >uyCo('ume(

Video Library 2

C%a&'er 1

Summary of Video

'uy$ostumes is the worlds largest online costume and accessories retailer. ;alem GetA founded

the "usiness "ecause he wanted to do something he enoyed and to do it "etter than anyone else.'uy$ostumes is a young "usiness, and GetA uses his "usiness plan as a road map for themanagers in planning and assessing department progress and goals.

W%a' 'o Loo- #or

8s they watch the video, students should "e encouraged to loo! for

6escription and implementation of 'uy$ostumes "usiness plan

6etermination of the owner to "e the "est and to "eat the competition


74


18/38


S'ude*' Ta(-

'uy$ostumes is proud of its extensive stoc! of costumes, its li"eral return policy, and its manysatisfied customers. 'ut one day a letter arrived with a re*uest that went "eyond the companysa"ility to deliver. The customer said that he had ordered the Gorilla 'lin!y )ye with $hestcostume. This popular gorilla costume comes with a uni*ue gorilla mas!, attractive suit with

ru""er chest, foot covers, and hands. The customer complained that the gorilla costume did notarrive until two days after his alloween party. e planned an ela"orate party with a gorillatheme, and he was extremely unhappy that he did not have his costume. e as!s 'uy$ostumes toreim"urse M0== that he spent on theme-related decorations, which he says were useless when hefailed to receive his costume.

8s a customer service representative, you chec!ed his order and found that it was not receiveduntil ? days "efore alloween, the "usiest time of the year for your company. The order wasfilled the next day, "ut standard shipping re*uires three to six "usiness days for delivery. Thecustomer did not order express or premium deliveryL his shipping option was mar!ed I(tandard.J

+ou showed the letter to %r. GetA and said that this re*uest was ludicrous. %r. GetA, however,wanted to retain the customers goodwill. >"viously, 'uy$ostumes was not going to shell outM0== for late delivery of a costume. 'ut %r. GetA suggested that the company would allow thecustomer to return the costume Cin its original pac!agingD with a credit for the M104.efore dei/eri*g '%e bad *ew(, w%a' (%oud you 'ry 'o do

+ou should provide reasons explaining what happened. Try to regain the customersconfidence.

How (%oud '%e bad *ew( be &re(e*'ed

(tate the "ad news o"ectively or imply it. To offset the "ad news, consider offering a giftthat might ma!e the receiver feel "etter toward the organiAation.

How (%oud '%e e''er co(e

The letter should close pleasantly and loo! forward to future "usiness, offer "est wishes,refer to gifts, or use resale information sensitively.


75


19/38


8ro&o(ed Sou'io*

$urrent date

%r. $hristopher Eing

0?7< )lm (treet'uffalo, /+ 14=

6ear %r. Eing3

Than! you for telling us of the late arrival of your Gorilla 'lin!y )ye ith $hest $ostume. i!eyou, we are disappointed that it did not arrive in time for your alloween party.

#n chec!ing our records, we note that your order arrived five days "efore alloween. This is the"usiest time of the year for us, and our staff grows from = core employees to over 0== duringthis season. e were, nevertheless, a"le to ship your order the next day, which is our promise to

all customers. e shipped your order according to the option you noted3 (tandard (hipping. Thisoption re*uires three to six "usiness days for arrival. 'ecause the pac!age was traveling fromisconsin to 'uffalo, /ew +or!, that apparently was not enough time.

e understand how disappointed you were at not having the gorilla costume for your alloweenparty. 8lthough we cannot repay the costs of the party, we will "e happy to allow you to returnthe costume for a full refund of M10


20/38


E##ECTIVE "3THE3D> RAL 8RESE"TATI"S

Video Library 1

C%a&'er 19

Summary of Video

To learn more a"out applying Guffeys 0-x-0 writing process to the development of oralpresentations, you see amon in the planning stages of his oral presentation to the "oard ofdirectors for #ntegrity #nvestments. amon must persuade the directors that a paid time-off planma!es sense for #ntegrity employees. amon and (arah "rainstorm ideas in the prewriting stageof the writing process. (tudents see what is meant "y anticipating the audience and focusing on apurpose. e see amon and (arah go through all three phases of the process, including hissuccessful presentation.


This video is especially instructive as an introduction to $hapter 14. #t shows students how toimplement the 0-x-0 writing process as they plan, research, and organiAe an oral presentation.

$i(cu((io* +uide


How i( '%e wri'i*g &roce(( u(efu i* &re&ari*g a* ora &re(e*'a'io*

The writing process provides a framewor! for developing a complete oral presentation. #tguides the presenter in determining first the purpose of the presentation. #t helps thepresenter focus on profiling the audience and anticipating how the presentation can "eadapted to that particular audience. The process leads the presenter through the organiAation,composition, and revision of the presentation.

W%a' 'ec%*iKue( ca* a (&ea-er em&oy 'o o/ercome fear5resenters can overcome fear "y preparing thoroughly and rehearsing repeatedly. Theyshould "reath deeply and try to convert their fear into enthusiasm for the topic. They can usepositive self-tal! to "olster themselves, and they can shift the spotlight from themselves totheir visual aids. They should ignore stum"les, and feel proud when they finish.

S%oud e/ery bu(i*e(( &re(e*'a'io* u(e 8ower8oi*' W%y or w%y *o'

5ower5oint can add piAAaAA to a presentation, and its templates help some spea!ers organiAetheir thoughts. $ritics argue that it stifles creativity, forces thoughts into artificial overlysimplistic "ullet points, and reduces thoughtful expression. 5ower5oint overshadows thespea!er. owever, 5ower5oint has "ecome the favorite tool of "usiness presenters "ecause

it adds structure, sophistication, and efficiency to presentations. owever, it should not "eused for every presentation. 8s! students to come up with some instances when 5ower5ointwould "e a poor presentation medium.


77


21/38


THE D> SEARCH

Video Library 1

C%a&'er 1M

Summary of Video

8t $lifton-arding 8ssociates C$8D, owner )lla $lifton realiAes that she needs anotheremployee to help run the "usiness. (he places a I"lindJ advertisement, to which her currentemployee, (tephanie, responds. )lla interviews a promising candidate, +olanda, "ut during theprocess learns that (tephanie has lied on a rsum posted to a o" site. #n addition to the ethicaldilemma, students see good and "ad o"-search and rsum techni*ues.


This film loo!s at the o" search from two perspectivesBthe employers view and thecandidates view. The film will "e instructive when students are wor!ing on $hapter 1?, IThe;o" (earch, sums, and $over etters.J elp students understand the fast-paced action "yexplaining that )lla is searching for a new employee and that (tephanie is hoping to land the new

o" and "e promoted from her receptionist position. This office and these characters appeared ina previous video, I#ntercultural $ommunication at or!.J

$i(cu((io* +uide

W%a' ac'io* (%oud Rob a*d Ea 'a-e af'er ear*i*g '%a' S'e&%a*ie ied o* %er rN(umN

(tudent responses will vary. (ome may want (tephanie to get a second chance. >thers maystate that she should "e fired. (tress to students that distorting facts on a rsum is unethicaland lying is illegal. 'oth can cause a person to get fired or destroy a career.

5oa*da &re&ared a fu*c'io*a rN(umN 'o deem&%a(i;e %er imi'ed wor- e6&erie*ce a*d

&romo'e %er u*iKue (-i( a*d &o'e*'ia for (ucce(( i* '%e *ew &o(i'io*. W%ic% rN(umNforma' i( be(' for you O '%e fu*c'io*a or '%e c%ro*oogica W%y

elp students understand when to use a functional or chronological rsum. &unctionalrsums highlight s!ills and accomplishments and de-emphasiAe a negative employmenthistory. &unctional rsums are appropriate for recent graduates, candidates with gaps intheir employment, who are entering a new field, or who have changed o"s fre*uently.

$hronological rsums are the most popular and list wor! history, starting with the most recentposition. ecruiters favor the chronological format "ecause such rsums *uic!ly reveal acandidates education and experience record. The chronological style wor!s well for candidateswho have experience in their field of employment and for those who show steady career growth.

5oa*da cu('omi;ed %er rN(umN 'o be(' ma'c% '%e *eed( of '%e orga*i;a'io* a*d '%e

o&e* &o(i'io*. S%e adFu('ed '%e career goa a*d &aced em&%a(i( o* %er foreig*

a*guage (-i( 'o ma-e %er rN(umN ('a*d ou' from '%e o'%er(. $e(cribe '%e ad/a*'age(

of cu('omi;i*g a rN(umN i*('ead of (e*di*g '%e (ame o*e 'o a &o'e*'ia em&oyer(.


78


22/38


$ustomiAed rsums place special emphasis on a candidates *ualifications that "est match thosere*uired in the targeted position. 'ecause competition for open positions may "e fierce, acustomiAed rsum distinguishes a candidate from all others.

SHAR8E"I"+ 5UR I"TERVIEW S0ILLS

Video Library 1C%a&'er 1:

Summary of Video

#n this video you see the o" search and employment interview of a recent college graduate,'etsy $han. e follow 'etsy as she finds a o" advertisement and prepares for a o" interview.The strength of this video lies in the interchange "etween the company interviewer and a typicalapplicant. #t provides viewers with an inside loo! at how an actual interview ta!es place. #t alsogives viewers a chance to see how the interviewer and interviewee criti*ue 'etsys interview.


This video was made to correlate with $hapter 1 in Guffeys Business Communication:Process and Product. #t provides a perfect introduction to or review of the chapter.

$i(cu((io* +uide


W%a' did >e'(y do we i* %er i*'er/iew

'etsy was enthusiastic and showed good nonver"al cues, such as smiling, nodding, andleaning forward. (he was dressed appropriately and used good )nglish in responding to*uestions. (he seemed prepared to sell her strengths. (he answered the Isell this penJ*uestion very well. (he demonstrated that she could Ithin! on her feet.J

W%a' coud (%e %a/e im&ro/ed

8lthough we saw only parts of the interview, we didnt see much evidence that she hadresearched the company and was aware that it was a financial services CinvestmentD company.(he had occasional I2mmmsJ and Iyou !nowsJ in her speech. 8t the end of the interview,she should have summed up her strengths and nailed down what would happen next.

How ca* a ca*dida'e &re&are for a* i*'er/iew

;o" candidates should learn a"out the position, plan to sell themselves, prepare answers topossi"le *uestions, and "e ready with success stories. They should research the organiAationso that they !now a"out its field, service, or product. $andidates should study the

organiAations annual reports, catalogs, e" site, and possi"le "rochures.

How ca* a ca*dida'e &re&are for a*d re(&o*d 'o be%a/iora(i'ua'io*a Kue('io*(

'ecause "ehavioral *uestions are increasingly common in employment interviews,candidates should !now how to answer them. 'ehavioral *uestions usually "egin with ITellme a"out a time when . . .J8n easy response method involves the (T8 plan. 6escri"e aSituation or Tas!, tell what Action you too!, and explain the Results. The "est-preparedcandidates will practice a (T8 narrative for every "ullet point on their rsums.


79


23/38



80


24/38


CLASSROOM COLLAORATION ANDTEAM!OR"

'y Earen (ter!el 5owelland %ary )llen Guffey

The widespread use of the team approach in "usiness and industry includes teamwor! inpreparing written documents and oral presentations. /umerous studies reveal that "usinesses areincreasingly dependent on teams to achieve their goals. $olla"orative wor! is often necessary"ecause rarely can one employee possess expertise in all areas of a "usiness or industry. Thus,the !nowledge of employees with specialiAed s!ills is re*uired in preparing reports, memos, andpresentations. Todays technology enhances colla"orative efforts with hardware and softwarethat assist teams in composing and revising documents.

'usiness communication instructors recogniAe the importance of providing their students withclassroom experience in colla"orative writing to prepare them for the demands of the wor!place,

as reflected in the research and pu"lications on the topic.

The following sections descri"e the advantages and disadvantages of colla"orative writing andpresent guidelines for implementing and managing colla"oration in the "usiness communicationclassroom.

COLLAORATION ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

$olla"orative writing proects result in advantages and disadvantages to the students and to you,the teacher.

S'ude*' Ad/a*'age(. The advantages that students gain from teamwor! proects include3

1. 8 "etter understanding of the courses concepts and their application in assignments. Groupmem"ers have more !nowledge and experience than an individual person and providevalua"le feed"ac! to each other during the writing process.

. )fficiency in preparing assignments from sharing responsi"ilities.

0. The opportunity to earn higher grades.

4. The opportunity to learn to "ecome a good team player "y learning a"out group decisionma!ing and interpersonal s!ills. earning to "e an effective team player helps them perform

successfully in class and in the wor!place.?. The development of a toleranceOappreciation of the opinions, personality types, and writing

styles of others. This advantage is particularly important for students who will enter a wor!force that is highly diverse.


81


25/38


The disadvantages of colla"orative writing for students include the following difficulties3

1. andling conflicts that arise from different opinions, personalities, and approaches to thewriting process, as well as writing styles.

. 6ealing with une*ual mem"er participation.

0. %anaging time conflicts in scheduling group meetings.

4. %anaging their own time and wor! load if the group proect ta!es more time than anindividual proect. hile group proects usually decrease the time spent on research andwriting, they increase the editing, revising, and coordinating time. #f a group does not wor!together well or if the writing s!ills are not fairly e*ual, some students will spend more timeon the proect than if they completed it on their own.

?. )arning a good grade at least e*ual to what they would earn on their own. Grades for a classare usually higher with colla"orative writingL however, the grades of good students aresometimes negatively affected "y group pro"lems and the wea! writing s!ills of other groupmem"ers.

I*('ruc'or Ad/a*'age(. The advantages that instructors gain from teamwor! proects are asfollows3

1. The opportunity to act as facilitator and coach for small groups, thus demonstrating tostudents how they will most li!ely "e managed in the wor!place. (tudents have anopportunity to o"serve your use of effective s!ills for managing groups.

. The reduced grading time to accommodate increase in class enrollment.

The disadvantages are as follows3

1. igher grades that may contri"ute to grade inflation.

. #ncreased time demand for managing groups.

The advantages of colla"orative writing for students and for you outweigh the disadvantages inthe long run, as students are more prepared for writing and group experiences in the wor!place.hile you spend more time managing groups, this time is offset "y reduced grading time. Thegrade-inflation concern can "e minimiAed "y using a com"ination of individual and groupproects and "y placing more weight for the course grade on individual proects.

The following sections provide suggestions for ma!ing colla"orative writing valua"le andenoya"le for students and for you.

COLLAORATIVE ASSIGNMENTS

The maority of "usiness communication teachers use a formal analytical report or presentationfor the colla"orative assignment. owever, cases involving letters, memos, and short reports can"e used if class assignments do not include the formal report, or they can "e used in conunctionwith the formal report.


82


26/38


(hort colla"orative assignments might include writing3

1. 8 letter to a university committee or official a"out a pro"lem the university has, such aspar!ing, registration procedures, traffic congestion, and inade*uate "i!e paths. (tudentsshould descri"e the pro"lem and offer solutions.

. 8 letter to a company in*uiring a"out the companys policies on topics such as socialresponsi"ility and ethics.

0. 8 letter to a "usinessperson as!ing himOher to "e a guest spea!er for the class.

4. 8"stracts of articles pertaining to communication topics, such as crisis communication,group communication, intercultural communication, nonver"al communication, and listenings!ills.

?. 8n informative report on a current communications or management issue.

. 8n informative report a"out a student university organiAation, a student universitycommittee, or a university office, such as financial aid, housing, student employment, orcareer services. This is a good way to ac*uaint lower-level students with the universitys

services and with opportunities for their involvement with organiAations and committees.

7. 8 short analytical report that includes ta"les and graphs. To reduce research time, you canprovide research sources or put them on reserve at the li"rary. Consumer $eportsprovidesproduct comparisons that could "e used for this assignment.

Groups should select their topics with your approval. &or lower-level classes with minimal"usiness courses completed, the topics should "e general, such as wellness programs, wor!forcediversity, sustaina"ility, diversity, smo!ing in the wor!place, or intercultural communication Csee8ctivity 10.9 on page 4?0 inBC:PP, 7e, for an effective intercultural report assignmentD. &orupper-level students, topics might include an analysis of a company and its environment, an

investment analysis, a mar!eting plan for a new product, or an analysis of a computerinformation system for a company. +ou should chec! the proposed scope of the report to ensurethat there is enough research and writing for a team proect. 8lso, do not approve topics thathave "een difficult for previous students to research ade*uately.

(hort colla"orative assignments can "e incorporated into the formal analytical report proect. &orexample, students can prepare a proposal re*uesting permission to research the topic they haveselected for the formal report. The proposal should explain why the topic is important to"usinesses, how they plan to gather the research, a preliminary outline, and a wor! plan showingtas!s to "e completed, along with a timeta"le for completion of the tas!s, and who will completethe tas!s.

8nother short assignment with the formal report proect could "e a progress report detailing tas!scompleted, wor! in progress, pro"lems encountered, and proected tas! completion dates.#ncorporating a Ipro"lem encounteredJ section alerts you to pro"lems that may delay the report.#t also provides an opportunity for you to offer suggestions that may help the group solve thepro"lems. 8s!ing the students to include a section on their groups progress toward "ecoming acohesive group could also alert you to some group pro"lems so that you can intervene ifnecessary. The report can "e prepared "y the group or "y individuals.


83


27/38


GROUP #ORMATION

Groups of three to five mem"ers wor! "est for colla"orative writing, depending on the lengthre*uirement and complexity of the proect. %ost teachers report that three is the "est num"er.Time conflicts for group meetings increase as groups "ecome larger, as does the potential for a

reduced level of participation "y some group mem"ers. 8n odd-num"ered group eliminates a tiesituation when the group must vote to resolve differences. (tudents can choose their groups or "eassigned to them. #f they choose, you should give them some guidance in their selection, such as3

Get ac*uainted with classmates early in the semester so that they ma!e an informed

decision. They should learn a"out others personalities, wor! styles, time availa"ility, andinterests. owever, caution them to avoid people with personalities very similar to theirown, as one of the "enefits of group wor! is the variety in personalities and wor! styles thatothers "ring to the group.

6iscourage selecting good friends as group mem"ers, as they may avoid healthy conflict in

order to maintain the friendship.

8llowing some time at the "eginning of classes for this interaction will help students get to !nowclass mem"ers and identify potential group mem"ers.

+ou can also assign students to groups. The assignment can "e random or "y some criterion,such as their maor or concentration. #f the class is an upper-level class, grouping "yconcentration allows the groups to select a topic pertinent to their concentration and to cover thetopic in depth. egardless of the method of assignment, some consideration should "e given tothe group composition in terms of gender and ethnic diversity. #n addition, allowing groups toma!e some adustments in their composition may "e helpful if, for example, a group finds it hasno common free time for group meetings. owever, leaving some class time open for group

meetings helps to alleviate some of these time pro"lems.

8ssigning students to a group can cause stress for the students and re*uire more time for a groupto "ecome cohesive. 8lso, if the group experience and proect turn out poorly, students mayattri"ute that failure to you. 8llowing the class to vote on whether they want to choose theirgroup or "e assigned may eliminate this situation.

8fter groups are formed, they should choose a leader or a chairperson. +ou should give theleaders a list of tas!s they are expected to perform.

GROUP PREPARATION ACTIVITIES

+ou can enhance the opportunity for students to experience a successful, rewarding colla"orativewriting proect "y thoroughly preparing students for the proect. 5roviding instruction a"out teamprocesses "efore the proect "egins can help students avoid some pro"lems and handle those thatdo arise.


84


28/38


INSTRUCTION IN SMALL GROUP PROCESSES

5ro"lems related to small group processes include such issues as poor conflict management,personality differences, leadership issues, poor meeting management, poor division of la"or, andpu"lic spea!ing anxiety. Therefore, students will "enefit from instruction in the following areas3

(mall group development3 stages Cforming, storming, norming, and performingDL "uildingcohesiveness. (uggest they do something fun together to speed up this process.

(mall group roles3 maintenance and tas!s rolesL functional and nonfunctional roles.

(mall group decision ma!ing3 "rainstormingL consensus "uilding. 2se some group exercisesin class to reinforce these concepts.

$onflict management3 "enefits of healthy conflictL supportive versus defensivecommunicationL pro"lem ownershipL constructive criticismL avoiding Groupthin!.

5ersonality styles3 strengths and wea!nesses of different stylesL appreciating other stylesLassigning tas!s compati"le with styles. Give students a personality test, such as the %yers-

'riggs Type #ndicator. 8ctive listening s!ills3 discuss conversational styles and specific listening techni*ues

appropriate for small groups.

%eeting management3 use of unstructured meetings initially to "rainstorm and morestructured meetings as tas!s "ecome more defined.

INSTRUCTION IN T$E !RITING PROCESS

5ro"lems in colla"orative writing that are related to the writing process include lac! of!nowledge a"out the range and se*uence of activities involved, poor division of la"or, poordefinition of tas!, as well as different agendas, competencies, and learning styles. +ou can assist

students in learning the writing process in the following ways3

5rovide a report case that informs them of the activities re*uired for the report, a list of these*uence of activities, and the due dates for completing the activities.

e*uire students to see! your approval of their topic, wor! plan, and preliminary outline sothat you can determine if the group has a good definition of their tas!s.

6iscuss methods for dividing the tas!s. (tudents most often use the horiAontal model fordivision of la"or where each student researches, writes, and edits a chapter or section of thereport. owever, "usinesspeople often use the stratified model, where"y the tas!s aredivided according to mem"ers a"ilities. Thus, one mem"er does the research, one writes therough draft, one edits, and another prepares the visual aids and !ey"oards the report.

8llow groups to choose the model they want to use "ased on their !nowledge, s!ills,personality strengths and wea!nesses. #f they choose the horiAontal model, suggest that theyhave one mem"er act as the final editor of all sections so that they are consistent in voiceand style throughout the report.

#f interviews are conducted or surveys used to gather research, instruct students on the design ofinterview and survey *uestions and re*uire them to get your approval "efore using the *uestions.


85


29/38


ANAL%TICAL REPORT GROUP ACTIVITIES

'ecause colla"orative analytical reports vary considera"ly in content, length, and complexity, thefollowing list of activities can serve as a guideline for planning the se*uence of activitiesinvolved in the report-writing process. These activities should appear on the report case students

receive, along with due dates.

1. Preliminary appro%al o# report topic.This step can "e done informally since the goal is toensure that in general the topic is all right and that another group has not already selected thetopic. aving students write you a "rief note a"out their topic should "e sufficient. $onsiderre*uiring students to attach three current articles on the topic so that you can evaluate thefeasi"ility of the topic.

. Proposal due, addressing report topic, research methods, "ork plan, and preliminaryoutline.

0. Group con#erence "ith instructor.This conference will ena"le you to as! *uestions a"out theproposal and comment on the wor! plan and preliminary plan.

4. &ur%eys, inter%ie" 'uestions, and accompanying letters due. emind students that you mustapprove these items "efore they start gathering their research.

?. Progress report due "ith #inal outline. This report can "e prepared "y the group orindividually. #f it is a group report, as! them to include names of mem"ers who are doingeach of the tas!s. efer to the previous discussion on progress reports under I$olla"orativeassignments.J e*uiring a progress report encourages students to complete their tas!s andoffers you an opportunity to monitor mem"ers performance.

. (ntroduction section o# report and %isual aids #or discussion section o# report.e*uiringthese items "efore students write the discussion section helps to ensure that the group has awell-defined purpose and pro"lem definition. #n addition, re*uiring the ta"les and graphs atthis time forces them to consider carefully which information should "e written in text formatand which should "e in visual-aid format. eturn these items with suggestions for revisions,if necessary.

7. $e%ised dra#t o# introduction and dra#t o# discussion, conclusions, and recommendations.8s! group mem"ers to write their names "y the sections they researched and wrote. Thisena"les you to evaluate the performance of group mem"ers and encourages timelycompletion of the research and writing tas!s. +ou can ma!e some general comments a"outthe draft and return it, "ut avoid extensive feed"ac! on content, writing style, writingmechanics, format, and so on. #f you give them this !ind of feed"ac!, the *uality of the reportthey su"mit is actually ust a reflection of how well you edit their rough draft of the report.8lso, if you do this type of editing, students may "elieve that they only have to reviseaccording to your comments, and they may get upset if you miss something for which you

deduct points on the final copy of the report. #n other words, you ta!e away accounta"ility forthe *uality of the report from the students.

#f you see some sections of the rough draft that loo! very poor, copy them "efore returningthe draft. This will provide some documentation to ustify lowering a students grade. +ou donot have to return the draftsL you may want to !eep them as evidence of individualcontri"utions to the report. 8s! the student to ma!e a copy of the rough draft, and tell themthat you will !eep the copy they give to you.


86


30/38


9. )inal copy o# the report, along "ith leader*s or chairperson*s report and peer e%aluations.


31/38


(ome suggestions for using the com"ined evaluations follow3

1. (core the written report and give each group mem"er the same grade. #n addition, give aseparate grade for each students contri"ution to the report and to the group process "ased onthe four evaluations discussed previously. &or example, the written report may "e worth 1==points, and the other grade may "e worth ?= points. +ou need to esta"lish the criteria for

assigning this grade so that you have consistency from one student to another and to informthe students of the criteria.

. (core the written report and add or deduct 1= points for individual mem"ers according to theevaluation they receive on the four evaluation items discussed previously. $riteria need to "eesta"lished for the 1= points.

0. (core the written report and deduct points Cno limitD for individual mem"ers according to theevaluations they receive on the four evaluations discussed previously. +ou should have someguidelines for deducting the points so that there is consistency in the deductions. &orexample, each low rating on the peer evaluation is K? pointsL each missed meeting is K0L eachmissed class period is K0, and so on.

To minimiAe having to adust grades for nonperformers, encourage groups to confront thesestudents early in the proect and set some guidelines for what the group expects from them, alongwith deadlines for completing tas!s. #f they do not meet the expectations or deadlines, the groupsshould consult with you. Giving groups the option of firing nonperformers from the group, withyour approval, is an incentive to nonperformers to do what is re*uired of them to stay in thegroups. #f mem"ers are fired, they should receive an I&J for the proect or "e given the option todo the report on their own for a significant deduction, such as ?= percent.

/umerous ideas and options are availa"le for incorporating colla"orative writing into the"usiness communication class. The articles in the reference list provide additional valua"leinformation on successfully implementing colla"orative writing into your class.

Re+ere'-e&

6ufrene, 6. 6. : ehman, $. %. C==?D.Building HighPer#ormance Teams, e C$incinnati3ThomsonO(outh-esternD.

%ar!ulis, 5., ;assawalla, 8. ., and (ashittal, . C==, ;anO&e"D. The impact of leadershipmodes on team dynamics and performance in undergraduate management classes./ournal o#ducation #or Business, 01C0D, 14?-1?=.

/es"itt, 5. : 'agley-oodward, ). C==, ;uneD 5ractical tips for wor!ing with glo"al teams.(ntercom, ?.

(chullery, /. %. : Gi"son, %. E. C==1, ;uneD. Ior!ing in Groups3 #dentification and Treatmentof (tudents 5erceived ea!nesses,JBusiness Communication 2uarterly, 34CD3


32/38


CON#IDENTIAL GROUP PRO.ECTPEER EVALUATION

/8%) UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU G>25 W UUUUUUUU ()$T#>/ W UUUUUUUUUU

ate each person in your group Cincluding yourselfD on the criteria indicated usingthe following scale3 )xcellent 4, 8"ove 8verage 0, 8verage , 5oor 1.

(tudent 1 (tudent (tudent 0 (tudent 4

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Xuality of contri"ution UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Xuantity of contri"ution UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

$reativity UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Turnta!ing Callowing all UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU mem"ers to actively

participateDeadership UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

)ffort Ctime spent on proectD UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

8ttitude toward group Ccooperation, dependa"ility,

willingness to help othersD UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

ogistics Cclerical-type dutiesD UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

8ttendance at meetings UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

5reparation for group meetings UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

illingness to accept and complete tas!s UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

$ompletion of tas!s on time UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

/era ra'i*g UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU


89


33/38


TEAC$ING USINESS ETI/UETTE

%any of todays students have little !nowledge of what "usiness eti*uette involves and evenless sense a"out how their manners affect their success on the o". To ma!e it easier for

instructors to teach their students the "asic elements of "usiness eti*uette and wor!placemanners, we provide a relevant online teachingOlearning module.

$o0 to U&e the *&i'e&& Eti1*ette Tea-hi'(2Lear'i'( Mod*le

>ur module is made up of three parts3 CaD a preview *uiA at www.meguffey.com, C"D a 17-topic eti*uette guide at the same place, and CcD three posttests in the instructors section%''&4www.meguffey.com. ere are some suggestions a"out how instructors might use thismodule.

8re/iew ui;. 8t the "oo! companion e" site for students, we provide an interactive 17-

point preview *uiA made up of fairly challenging True-&alse *uestions regarding wor!placesituations that call for decisions involving eti*uette. 8nswer chec!ing is provided and eachrelated eti*uette topic is referencedL however, no explanations are given. #nstructors may usethis preview to whet the appetite of students and motivate them to read and study the relatedeti*uette topics.

E'iKue''e To&ic(. 8fter ta!ing the preview *uiA, students should read all 17 eti*uette topics.They range from I5rofessional #mageJ to I8voiding (ocial 'lunders hen 8"road.J#nstructors may want to discuss these topics in class and invite students to do further researchon them. The posttests associated with the 17 topics divide them into three groups.#nstructors may wish to give a posttest after each group has "een studied or wait until all

three groups have "een covered "efore testing.

8o(''e('(. #nstructors may use the three posttests for assessment, motivation, andOordiscussion. The posttests are not availa"le at the e" site for students. e have limited theaccess to the posttests so that instructors will have greater control and flexi"ility in usingthem. #nstructors teaching distance-learning classes may want to send the posttests to theirstudents. ere are the topics covered in each posttest3

5osttest 1 K 5rofessional #mage, #ntroductions, /etwor!ing, or!place %anners, $oping

with $u"icles, and #nteracting ith (uperiors 5osttest K %anagers %anners, 'usiness %eetings, 'usiness Gifts, 'usiness $ards,

6ealing ith 8ngry $ustomers, and Telephone %anners 5osttest 0 K $ell 5hones, )-%ail, Gender-&ree elations, 'usiness 6ining, and )ti*uette

8"road


90


34/38


TEAC$ING #ORMAL REPORTS

'y (alvatore /. (afinaecturer, 6epartment of )nglish

2niversity of isconsin-%ilwau!eein conunction with 6r. %ary )llen Guffey, $engageO(outh-estern

#n a meeting of "usiness and technical communication instructors at the 2niversity ofisconsin-%ilwau!ee, the following *uestion was raised3 I6o we need to teach the longreportNJ The *uestion was ta"led for further review. 'ut my answer to the *uestion is anune*uivocal Iyes.J The formal report is, in my view, one of the most valua"le learningexperiences students of "usiness communication come away from the course with. #t helpsstudents to hone their s!ills in managing a large proect, researching, designing documents, andwriting. That said, teaching the formal report from process to product is difficultL for instance,the process involves a considera"le investment of time "y instructorsB"oth in and out of the

classroom. %oreover, "ecause most students have not had to underta!e such a proect, it can "efrustratingBfor "oth students and instructors. owever, despite those draw"ac!s, # thin! theadvantages for students far outweigh the disadvantages. #n what follows, # will discuss, step "ystep, how # guide students through the formal report proect.

2nli!e many "usiness communication instructors, # re*uire each student to complete the formalreport proect individually. 8dditionally, students are allowed to choose from a list of topicsCavaila"le at www.meguffey.comD divided into maors andOor areas of specialiAationL or, theymay choose an analytical topic Cyardstic!, feasi"ility, ustificationOrecommendationD from$hapters 11, 1, or 10 ofBC:PP. #f students do not wish to choose one of these topics, anddecide they would li!e to develop one on their own, then they must first meet with me in person

to discuss their proposed topic. %y reason for choosing this route is "ased more on the realitiesof an ur"an commuter university than any theoretical positionL however, # do "elieve that it givesall students a chance to learn from the process directly, even if the final product doesnt turn outas expected.

Prelii'arie&

# "egin my discussion of the formal report proect the very first day of class. # first point out tostudents that, "ecause the proect constitutes ? percent of their final grade, they should "eginthin!ing a"out it immediately. Then, # direct them to the three pages of the sylla"us Con color-coded paper so they stand outD devoted to the following3 C1D a set of detailed instructions for the

proect proposal assignment, which is students first formal presentation of their chosen topic andpreliminary researchL CD a set of detailed instructions for the formal report proect itself,including the due dateL and C0D a short list of possi"le topics from which to chooseBin order forstudents to get a sense of the types of topics that are accepta"le. C # also provide an electroniccopy of the list and the sylla"us on a course e" siteD 8t this time # also inform students tochec! out oneBor "othBof the sample student reports on reserve at the universitys li"rary.'oth reports were written "y students who too! my course in previous semesters, and "othreceived an I8.J These models give students a tangi"le example of what is expected of them and


91


35/38


what students li!e them are capa"le of producing. 8fter this, # encourage students to tal! to mea"out their proects. # tell them how important communicating with me will "e if their proect isto "e successful. 8nd its true. # cant stress enough how important it is to tal! to students a"outthis proect. &ace-to-face communication often alleviates potential pro"lems in the future.

'efore the first formal proect related assignment Cthe proposalD is due, once or twice a wee! #will remind or as! students a"out their proects. 8t first, #ll ma!e light of my remindersL as thesemester draws on, though, # tend to ma!e these reminders more serious. 8s # tell students3I)ven if you spend 1? minutes to a half an hour a wee! doing preliminary research for thisproect, you will "e in good shape when we "egin the text"oo! coverage of formal reports.J #find that its very necessary to !eep reminding students a"out the proect, as they have otherclasses, papers, and proects to worry a"out.

(tudents generally "egin ma!ing appointments to see me after the first four wee!s of thesemester. >thers, however, need to "e politely reminded. hen students meet with me to presenttheir topic ideas, # often as! a num"er of *uestions3 Ihy did you choose this topicNJ or Ihy is

this topic meaningful or important to youNJ or Iow does this topic relate to your future careerNJThese are important *uestions "ecause, "elieve it or not, even "usiness-oriented students oftenhave a tendency to choose topics that seem more geared toward research papers than formalreports. >r, they may loo! "ac! on an )nglish composition class and assume that, "ecause its an)nglish course, the same !ind of approach is expected. &or whatever reason, these one-on-onesessions allow me to steer students in the right direction. # tell them, for instance, how importantit is that they thin! of the report as "eing "ased upon a specific pro"lem a "usiness ororganiAation is trying to solve. # explain that this is what "usiness reports do3 they solvepro"lems or answer *uestions with a specific goal in mind.

8nother common pro"lem is o"ectivity. >ften, students will have preconceived notions a"outhow the report will pan out in the end. >r, in a case where a student has chosen to do a report onan on-the-o" pro"lem, often the student is clearly on one side of the issue and is emotionallyinvested. #n these cases, # remind students that in most reports Cat least, in my opinion, the mosteffective reportsD writers should strive to "e as o"ective and "alanced as possi"le. They need tounderstand that their audienceCsD will pro"a"ly not loo! favora"ly on a report that, say, stressesonly the "enefits of a specific course of action.

I'Cla&& A&&i('e't& a'd Di&-*&&io'

$lass discussion of the formal report proect "egins with students reading $hapter 11 ofBC:PP.Two wee!s are spent on this chapter alone "ecause it helps to "uild a solid foundation for the restof the report-writing process.

Pro4e-t Propo&al

The first formal report assignment students must complete is the proect proposal, which allowsstudents to demonstrate many of the s!ills learned in $hapter 11. This is a very detailedassignment, "ut its an important one "ecause it re*uires students to put their ideas on paper and"egin thin!ing conscientiously a"out the proect. #n class, the first thing # do is Iwal! throughJthe assignment with the students. The proposal consists of two parts3 an overview andpreliminary research.


92


36/38


#n the I>verviewJ section of the proposal, students are as!ed to explain the following3

1. )ssential "ac!ground information a"out the topic.

. 5urpose of the report, including an implicitBor explicitBpro"lem *uestion.

0. 8udienceCsD for the report C"oth primary and secondaryD.

#n class, # tell students Cand show themD that # will "e as!ing the following *uestions a"out theirreport topics when # read the I>verview.J

ill the topic youve chosen "e interesting or useful to you outside of the context of this

courseN

#s the topic centered in a "usiness or organiAational contextN )ven if the topic is "ased on a

IfictionalJ premise, could the report "e generated in a Ireal lifeJ "usiness or organiAationN

ill the topic ensure that there is going to "e enough primary or secondary information or

data to meet the reports page re*uirementN

ill the topic re*uire analysisN

#n the I5reliminary esearchJ section of the proposal, students are as!ed to consider possi"leprimary and secondary sources. &or primary sources, students must locate two IexpertsJ in theirresearch areas. Then, they must record these experts contact information and explain why eachexpert would "e an appropriate source of information for their reports. 8dditionally, students areas!ed to consider two more ways of collecting primary data Cother than interviewsD and explainwhy these methods might contri"ute to their reports.

&or secondary sources, students are as!ed to locate and p

im part3 - videos teams and more

Documents