Questions and Answers of Business Communication Today

How would you report on a confidential survey in which employees rated their managers’ capabilities? Both employees and managers expect to see the results. Would you give the same report to
Why does writing an RFP require such careful thought?[LO-5]
How does a synopsis differ from an executive summary?[LO-4]
What is the equivalent of a letter of authorization for a proposal? [LO-4]
What are the four key tasks involved in completing a business report? [LO-4]
Why is the work plan a key component of a proposal?[LO-3]
Why do you need to ensure that a proposal is focused on audience needs? [LO-3]
What are three supplementary parts often included in formal reports? [LO-2]
What are the purposes of an introduction to a report?[LO-2]
What navigational elements can you use to help readers follow the structure and flow of information in a long report? [LO-1]
Why is it important to be sensitive to audience needs in long reports? [LO-1]
Planning Proposals; Collaboration: Team Projects[LO-4], Chapter 2 Break into small groups and identify an operational problem occurring at your campus and involving one of the following:
Planning Proposals [LO-4] You’re getting ready to launch a new lawn-care business that offers mowing, fertilizing, weeding, and other services. The lawn surrounding a nearby shopping center looks
Planning Informational Reports [LO-2] Due to inordinate delays in the completion of your prestigious residential building project, many irate investors have demanded a report on why these delays have
A report outlining the risks of closing a chain of retail stores and moving the entire business online
A report from a U.S. National Park wildlife officer to Washington, D.C., headquarters showing the status of an endangered animal species
An annual report to be sent to the shareholders of a large corporation
A report indicating how 45 acres of undeveloped land could be converted into an industrial park
A trip report submitted at the end of a week by a traveling salesperson
A report prepared by an independent testing agency, evaluating various types of nonprescription cold remedies
A report prepared by a seed company, demonstrating the benefits of its seed corn for farmers
A statistical study of the pattern of violent crime in a large city during the past five years
Summarize the points in both reports that you could fairly emphasize if asked to write a report for the press in Essex.
Write an outline of the potential risks of writing a poor report in this case.
Rewrite your plan assuming the president has approved the concept and wishes you to write the report for management teams of each plant.
Write a plan for this report, focusing on organization, so that it satisfies the needs of your audience.
Planning: Organizing Reports (Informational Reports)[LO-2] Assume that your college president has received many student complaints about campus parking problems. You are appointed the chair of a
Planning: Organizing Reports [LO-1] Look through recent issues (print or online) of Bloomberg Businessweek, Fortune, or other business publications for an article that describes how an executive’s
An unsolicited proposal to the board of directors, outlining why it makes strategic sense for your company to expand into international markets; the board rejected a similar—but poorly
An analytical report, requested by the CEO, explaining why the company has been losing money in the eastern sales region for the past two years
An unsolicited proposal to provide payroll processing services
An accountant fresh out of college who wants to propose a new way to present those monthly financial results to upper management
A monthly financial report prepared by the accounting department for upper management
Message for Analysis: Analyzing an Annual Report[LO-1] Use the internet to find the annual report of any large company and skim through the contents of the report. Note what it contains and the style
Planning: Analyzing the Situation [LO-1] Sales at The Style Shop, a clothing store for men, have declined for the third month in a row. Your boss is not sure whether this decline is due to the weak
Comparing Two Report Formats [LO-1] The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires all public companies to digitally file a comprehensive annual report(form 10-K). Many companies post links to
In what ways are unsolicited proposals more challenging to write than solicited proposals? [LO-4]
Assume you are assigned the task of evaluating two firms to provide security for your company’s office and factory facilities, but your analysis tells you that neither firm can provide quality
If you want to make a particular recommendation in your report, should you include information that might support a different recommendation? Explain your answer.[LO-3]
Your board opts to reduce costs, deciding to purchase lower-quality and cheaper essential supplies despite the concerns you have expressed. To placate you, they ask you to produce an analytic report
Your CEO has asked you to provide information on a potential new market for your service. What type of report would be most suitable? [LO-3]
When responding to an RFP, should you try to stand out from the crowd by organizing and formatting your proposal in a fresh, unexpected way? Explain your answer. [LO-4]
What is an RFP, and how does it relate to proposal writing? [LO-4]
What is problem factoring? [LO-3]
How does a feasibility report differ from a justification report? [LO-3]
In what circumstances should an analytical report focus on recommendations? [LO-3]
What questions will help define the problem in an analytical report? [LO-3]
What elements should be included in a formal business plan? [LO-2]
What should you include in the work plan for a complex report or proposal? [LO-1]
What does a statement of purpose convey? [LO-1]
What is the major difference between informational and analytical reports? [LO-1]
Processing Data and Information [LO-4] Your boss has asked you to analyze and report on your division’s sales for the first nine months of this year. Using the following data from company invoices,
Processing Data and Information [LO-4] Select an article from a business periodical such as Bloomberg Businessweek, Fortune, or Forbes. Read the article and highlight its key points. Summarize the
Conducting Primary Research (Interviews) [LO-3]You’re conducting an information interview with a manager in another division of your company. Partway through the interview, the manager shows clear
Conducting Primary Research (Interviews) [LO-3]You are conducting research into the attitude of teachers toward the introduction of “pay for performance.”You want responses to a specific aspect,
Conducting Primary Research (Surveys) [LO-3] Claris Inc. is an advertising agency that is pitching for a new account at the baby food company Baby Bright. The agency has never held any previous
Conducting Secondary Research (Industry Issues) [LO-2] You are about to purchase a car but are concerned about the production of greenhouse gasses. You have decided to minimize your contribution to
Conducting Secondary Research (Company Data)[LO-2] Write a brief evaluation of the following secondary information sources:• A well-known popular daily financial newspaper • A global market
Conducting Secondary Research (Online Monitoring);Media Skills: Microblogging [LO-2], Chapter 8 Select a business topic that interests you and configure a Twitter monitoring tool such as TweetDeck
Conducting Secondary Research (Evaluating Sources)[LO-2] Find three websites that provide business information such as company or industry news, trends, analysis, facts, or performance data. Using
Conducting Secondary Research (Documenting Sources) [LO-2] Select five business articles from sources such as journals, books, newspapers, or websites.Develop a resource list, using Appendix B as a
Planning a Research Project [LO-1] You are planning to conduct some research on individuals who live alone and who are earning within a particular wage range.You want to know what influences their
Planning a Research Project [LO-1] Your organization manufactures personal hygiene products such as scrubbing brushes, synthetic sponges, toothbrushes, and backscrubbers.In an attempt to extend its
Did student satisfaction with campus libraries decline after budget cuts forced the libraries to reduce their hours of operation?
Have the number of traffic accidents at the school’s main entrance been reduced since a traffic light was installed?
Has the school attracted more transfer students since it waived the formal application process and allowed students at other colleges simply to send their transcripts and a one-page letter of
Has the litter problem on campus been reduced since the cafeteria began offering fewer take-out choices this year than in past years?
Primary Research: Conducting Interviews [LO-4]Imagine you are going to interview a midlevel manager in a large corporation about the company’s meeting practices. Read the questions and then (1)
While analyzing last year’s sales data, you notice that sales were 10 to 15 percent higher than average during August, September, and November. The marketing department invested heavily in a search
As a marketing manager, when reading a journal based on your organization’s industry, you come across an article that refers to your own organization and has used information available on your
What search terms could you use to find estimates of the lifetime financial value of a college education? [LO-2]
Why is it worthwhile to look beyond the first few web search pages? [LO-2]
Assume you have to prepare a report on social stigmas associated with leprosy, for which you need to conduct secondary research. As there is no printed material in your library, which online tools
How does a conclusion differ from a recommendation?[LO-5]
How would you evaluate information sources while collecting data? [LO-2]
What are the differences between the mean, median, and mode? [LO-4]
Why can assuming causation be easy yet difficult to prove? [LO-4]
Why should you emphasize open-ended questions in research interviews? [LO-3]
What is the value of focus groups research? [LO-3]
Should you conduct secondary research first or primary research? Why? [LO-2]
What is the purpose of identifying information gaps before starting research? [LO-1]
What are the five steps in the research process? [LO-1]
How can online monitoring tools help you with research?[LO-2]
With Multi Window™, you can easily open two apps, so you can chat online while watching your favorite TV show.
The new electric starter means that you can start the mower without the normal back-breaking effort required by cord-pull engines.
This model has heated front seats in black Nappa Leather.
Communication Ethics: Making Ethical Choices [LO-2],[LO-4] Your boss has asked you to post a message on the company’s internal blog, urging everyone in your department to donate money to the
An email message to the company president, asking that employees be allowed to carry over their unused vacation days to the following year. Apparently, many employees canceled their fourth-quarter
A recommendation was sent by email to your branch manager to install wireless networking throughout the facility. Your primary reason is that management has encouraged more teamwork, but teams often
What tools does the writer use to reinforce his position?
How does the writer establish credibility?
What reader benefits are included?
How does the writer balance emotional and logical appeals?
Is the subject line effective? Why or why not?
Does the writer use the direct or indirect organizational approach? Why?
What techniques does the writer use to capture the reader’s attention?
A news release announcing that your company plans to invite back 50 employees who were laid off earlier in the year
A message to a long-time industrial customer explaining that a glitch in your accounting system resulted in the customer being overcharged on its last five orders, apologizing for the problem, and
An unsolicited message to your department manager explaining why you believe the company’s experiment with self-managed work teams has not been successful and suggesting that one of the more
An unsolicited message to your department manager explaining why you believe the company’s experiment with self-managed work teams has not been successful

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