Ch01 + 2: Understanding culture and communication

1. What are the goals of business writing?

Should be purposeful, persuasive, economical and audience centered
2. Steps in the writing process?
Prewriting (Analyzing, anticipating, adapting) (25%)
→ Writing/Drafting (Researching, organizing, composing/drafting) (25%)

→ Revising (Revising, proofreading, evaluating) (50%)

3. Does the writing process always proceed from step 1 to 3?
The writing process need not always be rigidly followed. Steps may be rearranged, and
repeated. The steps …
4. Why are business people writing fewer interoffice memos and letters today?
Because of the availability of emails and websites
5. Why is it important to profile the audience for a message?
Profiling the audience enables you to determine what kind of language is appropriate,
whether the tone should be formal or informal, and what channel is the best
6. What factors are important in deciding the channel of communication?
- Importance of messages
- Amount of speed of feedback and interactivity required
- Necessity of a permanent record
- Cost of the channel
- Degree of formality desired
- Confidentiality and sensitivity of the message
- Technical expertise of receiver
7. What is a rich medium?
A rich medium permits more interactivity and feedback. Richer media enable the sender
to provide more verbal and visual cues as well as to tailor/customize/personalize/adapt
the message to the audience
8. What is lean medium?
Presents a flat, one-dimensional message
9. What special skills do customer service representatives in chat sessions require?
They must be able to express ideas clearly, correctly and courteously in writing
10. In messages to customers, what’s wrong with words such as complaint, criticism,
defective, failed, mistake and neglected?
They are negative and create ill will. Writers can find ways to express similar meanings
without using these words
11. Bias free language? Examples of bias and bias free language

12. Why does positive language usually tell more than negative language? Example?
Positive language tells what is and what can be done rather than what isn't and what can’t
be done
Ex: No refunds will be given unless you make a claim within 7 days
→ We will refund your full purchase price if requested within 7 days of purchase
13. Examples of gender biased words and their improved versions
Cleaning woman – cleaner
Waiter, waitress – server
Craftsman – craftsperson
Man hours – working hours
Foreman – lead worker

Ch03: Planning business messages

1. What are the three activities involved in the second phase of the writing process?
Writing/Drafting: Researching, Organizing and Composing/Drafting (25%)
2. Distinguish between formal & informal research of data for a business message?
- Formal research involves searching manually in books, magazines, newspapers,
and journals
- Formal research also covers finding data electronically, investing primary data
 - Informal research includes talking to your boss, looking into the company’s files
and correspondence, conducting interviews with target audience, informal survey,
and brainstorming
3. How do you make an outline?
- Define topic in the title
- Divide topic into main points
- Break the main points into subpoints
- Do not present overlapping information
- Use details, illustrations, and evidence to support the main points
4. Distinguish between direct and indirect strategies
- The direct strategy (with the main idea first) is appropriate when you expect the
audience to be pleased, mildly interested, or neutral toward your message
- The indirect strategy (when the main idea follows explanation) is appropriate for
bad news, ideas that require persuasion, and sensitive news, especially when being
transmitted to superiors
5. Distinguish between compound and complex sentences
- A compound sentence contains two complete but related thoughts
Ex: Many people are looking for jobs, but the employment market is slow to
rebound
- A complex sentence contains an independent clause plus a dependent clause
Ex: When many people are looking for jobs the competition becomes more intense
6. Distinguish between achieving emphasis mechanically and achieving it stylistically
- Writers can achieve emphasis mechanically by using underlining, italics, boldface,
font changes, all caps, dashes, and tabulation
- They can achieve emphasis stylistically by using words, labeling main ideas,
placing important ideas first or last in sentences, and positioning important ideas
in simple sentences, or in independent clauses
7. Ideally, how long should sentences be?
Sentences of 20 to fewer words are considered more effective than longer ones
8. What is the difference between a topic sentence and support sentences?
- A topic sentence summarizes the main idea of a paragraph
- Support sentences illustrate, explain, or strengthen the topic sentence

Ch09: Informal reports

1. How would you determine whether to use the direct strategy or the indirect
strategy for your report?
- Direct strategy can apply to both informational and analytical reports as long as
the audiences are supportive and familiar with the topic
- Indirect strategy is more appropriate for analytical reports that aim to persuade
audiences or convey bad news
2. What is the chief difference between primary and secondary data?
- Primary data come from first hand experience and observations: Surveys, observation,
experimentation, interviews, questionnaires, and focus groups
- Secondary data come from reading what others have experienced, observed and recorded:
Books, journals, online resources…
3. Why would you want to start your research with secondary data rather than
gathering primary data right away?
- Secondary data are easier and cheaper to gather than primary data, which might involve
interviewing large groups or sending out questionnaires
- Business researchers should exploit typical sources of factual information for informal
reports such as company records, printed material , and electronic resources
- Only when no relevant data are available should writers consider gathering primary data
4. Describe 5 major formats used for reports

Letter For informal reports sent to outsiders

Memo/Email For informal reports within organizations

Manuscript For longer, formal reports

Preprinted forms For routine activities, such as expense reports

Digital Useful for collaboration and for posting online

5. Name the 6 kinds of informal reports & explain their purposes
- Informational reports:
★ To record routine activities such as daily, weekly, and monthly reports of sales or profits
★ To investigate options, performance, or equipment
★ Does not analyze information
Examples:
➢ You presented your company at the Green building conference held by the national

Association of Home builders in Salt Lake City, Utah. Your supervisor asked for a

written description of the latest trends ⇒ Manuscript

➢ You are completing annual performance appraisals in your sales department
⇒ Preprinted forms
- Progress reports: To monitor the status and headway of unusual or non - routine activities
Example: Your team was assigned to study how your company, a racing bicycle

manufacturer, can comply with the International cycling Union’s regulations before bikes

go into production. Your boss wants to know what you have done thus far ⇒ Memo/Email
- Justification/Recommendation reports:
★ To offer analysis in addition to data
★ To solve problems by evaluating options and offering recommendations
Example: You wish to propose that the export department hire another marine clerk because

the export desk is chronically understaffed and regularly falls behind schedule in loading

containers ⇒ Memo/Email
- Feasibility report:
★ To decide whether to proceed with a plan of action
★ To examine the practicality of implementing a specific option or proposal
- Minutes of meeting: To record of the proceedings of a meeting
Example: At a meeting of the national Association of Manufacturers, you were asked to record
the proceedings and assign lobbying visits to several key representatives in Washington DC
⇒ Manuscript
- (Executive) Summary: To condense the primary ideas, conclusions, and recommendations of
a longer report or publication
Example: Your supervisor wants to know the gist of a recent review in an influential online

magazine discussing the Apple iPad ⇒ Memo/Email

6. Why is it useful to have a statement of purpose before writing a report?

The first step in writing a report is understanding the problem or assignment clearly. The
question to ask is: Am I writing this report to inform, to analyze, to solve a problem, or to
persuade?
The answer to this question should be clear…
7. What are the purposes of headings? The 2 heading types?
Effective headings are helpful to both the report reader and the report writer
- Outline the text, highlighting major ideas and categories
- Act as guides for locating facts and pointing the way through the text
- Provide cues allowing readers to pause and reflect on the content of the message
Types:
- Functional headings (Background, Findings, Staffing, Summary, and Projected Costs)
➢ Describe functions or general topics
➢ Show the outline of a report but provide little insight for readers.
➢ Useful for routine reports: Appropriate for sensitive or controversial topics that
might provoke emotional reactions
- Talking headings (Employees Struggle With Lack Of Day-Care Options) describe
content and provide information to the reader
- To provide even greater clarity, writers can make headings both functional and talking
heads: Combination headings
Examples:
a. Background → Functional

b. Oil Imports slow in China → Talking

c. Discussion of Findings → Talking?

d. Rosier Job Outlook: Emerging From the Crisis → Talking

e. Recommendation: Return to Stocks Is Paying Off Again → Combination

 f. Adobe Exceeds Expectations on Creative Suite Sales → Talking

g. Best Android Apps for Business: Pocketcloud, Ignition, and TouchDown → Talking

h. Budget → Functional

8. Guidelines for effective headings

- Use appropriate heading levels
- Strive for parallel construction within levels
- Use first and second level headings for short reports
- Capitalize and underline carefully
- Keep headings short but clear
- Include at least one heading per report page
9. How to ensure to adopt an appropriate report writing style?
- Reports can range from formal to informal, depending on their purpose, audience and
setting.
- Research reports for clients and other external audiences tend to be rather formal. They
must project objectivity, authority, and impartiality.
- Short reports are mostly informal. They are written for familiar audiences and involve
noncontroversial topics. Writers may use first person pronouns (I, we, me, my, us, our)
and contractions (I’m, let’s, it’s…). They will emphasize active voice verbs and strive for
shorter sentences using familiar words.
10. How can report writers ensure that they present their topics objectively and
credibly?
- Writers should make a concerted effort to present both sides of an issue, not just the
option they favor
- They need to separate facts from opinions and beware even of subtle editorializing and
bias
- Writers must also be sensitive to their readers and use moderation in their word choice
- If relevant sources are used and cited properly, report writers gain credibility

Ch10: Proposals
1. Overview of proposals
Proposals are written offers that solve problems, provide services, or sell products
 - Internal, such as a request to change a company policy or to purchase equipment
- External, such as grant…
- Solicited (requested by an organization) or Unsolicited (written to offer a service, request
funding, or solve a problem)
- Informal proposals often include an introduction, a background, and purpose statement;
a proposal, plan and schedule; staffing requirements; a budget showing project costs; and
a conclusion
- Formal proposals often include additional components, such as a letter of transmittal, a
title page, a table of contents, and an appendix
2. Preparation for formal reports
Formal report is a document that analyzes findings, draws conclusions, and makes
recommendations intended to solve a problem
- Writers determine the purpose and scope of the report, anticipate the needs of the
audience, prepare a work plan, decide on appropriate research methods, conduct
research using secondary and primary sources, organize findings, draw conclusions,
and design graphics
- Writers proofread and edit formal reports by reviewing the format, spacing and font
consistency, graphics placements, heading levels, data accuracy, and mechanics.
3. Collecting primary and secondary data
- Nearly every research project should begin with secondary data including print
resources
- Print resources include books, periodicals, and indexes
- Research databases (such as ProQuest, EBSCO, JStor, and Factiva) enable researchers to
access in - depth data without ever leaving their offices or homes
- The most successful researchers know their search tools and apply smart Internet
strategies
- Good writers assess the credibility of each Web resource by evaluating its currency (last
update), author or sponsoring organization, content, purpose and accuracy
- Report writers gather data from primary sources by distributing surveys, conducting
interviews, and collecting data from first hand observation
4. Purposes and techniques of documentation and how to avoid plagiarism
Documenting sources means giving credit to information sources
- Documenting is necessary to strengthen an argument, protect against charges of
plagiarism, instruct the reader, and save time
- In the academic world, documentation is critical. In business, reports are less heavily
documented; however, writers still may need to cite their sources
- Common citation formats include the Modern Language Association (MLA), the
American Psychological Association (APA), and the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS)
5. Convert report data into meaningful visual aids and graphics
- Tables show quantitative information in systematic columns and rows; they require
meaningful titles, bold column headings, and logical data arrangements
- Bar charts and line charts show visual comparisons using horizontal or vertical bars or
lines of varying lengths; pie charts show a whole and the proportion of its components
- Evaluate the audience
- Use restraint in colors and decorations
- Be accurate and ethical, introduce a graph meaningfully, and choose an appropriate
caption or title style
6. Typical report components
- Front matter components of formal reports often include a title page, letter or memo of
transmittal, table of contents, list of figures, and executive summary
- Body components of formal reports include the introduction, the body, and the
conclusions and recommendations
- The principle section of a formal report is the body; it discusses, analyzes, interprets,
and evaluates the research findings before drawing conclusions
- Back matter components of a formal report include a bibliography, which may be a
works-cited or reference page, and any appendixes

1. Name 5 possible parts of a work plan for a formal report

A work plan might have these 5 parts:
- A statement of the problem
- A statement of the purpose
 - The research strategy
- An outline of the project
- A work schedule
2. Why are formal reports written in business? Give an original example of a
business - related report
Formal reports represent the end product of thorough investigation and analysis. They are written
to provide ordered information to decision makers, who can then rely on them to make decisions
and solve problems.
Examples: A study to investigate increasing travel costs within an organization; a study to
analyze the direct and indirect economic impact of a new office park on a local community.
3. If the Internet is one of the greatest sources of information, why must researchers
exercise caution when using its sources?
- Finding relevant, credible information on the Internet can be frustrating and time
consuming. The constantly changing contents of Web pages and its lack of organization
irritate budding researchers
- The content isn’t always reliable. Anyone writing a blog is a publisher without any
quality control or guarantee
- Fake news websites are guilty of publishing hoaxes, propaganda, and disinformation.
Some websites try to make visitors believe they are visiting trusted sources, using social
media to profit through clickbaiting.
4. What is the difference between plagiarizing and paraphrasing? What techniques
can a writer employ to paraphrase effectively?
- Plagiarizing involves using another person’s ideas, opinions, examples, or theories
without giving proper credit
- Paraphrasing involves restating an original passage in your own words and in your own
style. To paraphrase effectively, read the original material intently and then write your
own version without looking at the original. Avoid repeating the grammatical structure of
the original. Reread the original to ensure that you did not borrow specific language.
5. Briefly compare the advantages and disadvantages of illustrating data with charts
(bar & line) versus tables
- Bar & line charts provide a visual overview or impression of trends, but they lack
exactness
- Tables provide precise figures and values; however, important points and trends are not
immediately visible.
6. What is the purpose of an executive summary?
The purpose of an executive summary is to concisely reveal the report’s major sections including
background, findings, conclusions, and recommendations.

Writing plan for emails/memos

- Subject line: Summarize the main idea in condensed form
- Opening: Reveal the main idea immediately but in expanded form
- Body: Explain and justify the main idea using headings, bulleted lists, and other high-
skim techniques when appropriate
- Closing: Include
(a) action information, dates, or deadlines
(b) a summary of the message
(c) a closing thought
Craft a compelling subject line
- Avoid meaningless statements such as Help, Important, or Meeting
- Summarize the purpose of the message clearly
- Try to include a verb
- Subject line can be the entire message
- Use both uppercase and lowercase letters
Include a Greeting/Salutation
A greeting is necessary because:
- Help receivers to see the beginning of a message
- Indicate whether the receivers are primary or secondary readers
- Set the tone for the message and reflect audience analysis
 - For friends and colleagues, try friendly greetings (Hi, Julie; Good morning…)
- For formal messages, and outsiders, use an honorific and last name (Dear Ms Stevens)
Writing an opening
Frontload: reveal main idea immediately in expanded form
Example: Several employees have requested we set up a vanpool
→ We will meet this Friday at 2pm to discuss a possible company vanpool

Organization of the body

- Explain and justify the opening
- Organize information and explanations logically
- Use headings and numbered and bulleted lists
- Get rid of wordiness
Closing
End with one or more of the following:
- Action information, dates, or deadlines
- Summary of the message
- Closing thought
- Avoid overused expressions such as Please don’t hesitate to let me know if I may be of
further assistance
- Include your name
- Include full contact information