(BQ) Part 2 book Business communication - Process & product has contents: Report and research basics, informal business reports, business presentations, interviewing and following up; the job search, résumés, and cover letters; proposals, business plans, and formal business reports.
UNIT Reports, Proposals, and Presentations Chapter 11 Report and Researc Rep Research Basics Basic Chapter Cha 12 Informal fo orm Busines Business Report Reports Chapter ter 13 Propo Proposals, oposals, osals, Form Formal Forma Reports, an and d Business Busin Busines Plans Plan Chapter ter 14 © iofoto/Shutterstock.com Busines Business Bus Presentations Presentation esen 335 Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s) Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it CHAPTER 11 Report and Research Basics OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to Describe basic features of business reports, including functions, strategies (indirect or direct), writing style, and formats Apply the 3-x-3 writing process to business reports to create wellorganized documents that show a firm grasp of audience and purpose Find, evaluate, and use print and electronic secondary sources Understand how to generate and use primary data while avoiding researcher bias Want to well on tests and excel in your course? Go to www.meguffey.com for helpful interactive resources 4Review the Chapter 11 PowerPoint slides to prepare for the first quiz Comprehend fast-changing communication technology: the Web, electronic databases, and other resources for business writers and researchers Recognize the purposes and techniques of documentation in business reports, and avoid plagiarism © George Doyle & Ciaran Griffin/Stockbyte/Getty Images Create meaningful and interesting graphics; display numeric information in the appropriate graphic form; and skillfully generate, use, and convert data to visual aids 336 Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s) Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it Zo o ming I n PART “Pawsengers” Enjoy Creature Comforts With Pet Airways oe, a Jack Russell terrier, may have inspired a nifty business idea and helped Dan Wiesel and Alysa Binder launch a successful enterprise, Pet Airways The unique start-up is the first pet-only carrier, transporting cats and dogs (more animals are to follow) between regional airports in nine major U.S cities The company’s three Beech 1900 aircraft, reliable 19-passenger turboprop planes, were modified to accommodate up to 50 four-legged travelers One-way fares start as low as $150 and average about $250 Most customers of Pet Airways are pet owners going on vacation or relocating; others include rescue and adoption missions and organizers of animal shows Typically, business owners preface the big step of starting a company with research In most cases they must then raise capital To accomplish this difficult task, they need to persuade potential investors and banks that their proposed venture, usually presented in a business plan, is worthy of support and economically viable Like many pet owners, Dan and Alysa were unhappy with commercial airlines’ treating their precious dog like baggage or, recently reclassified, as cargo on commercial flights If Fido or Fluffy doesn’t fit into a pet crate stowed under a passenger seat in the main cabin, the critter is banned to the cargo section, a potentially terrifying, uncomfortable, even deadly place for a pet Each year animals freeze to death, are lost, or die from a lack of cabin pressure en route Only since 2005 are airlines required to report injuries, losses, and deaths of companion animals.1 At the same time, commercial and private transport of live animals is a multimillion-dollar business for the major airlines This is how the husband-and-wife team describes the origins of their pet enterprise: “Of course, there’s one thing Zoe is certainly not, and that’s cargo As we’re fond of telling our neighbor Janet, her boxer Samson isn’t Samsonite, and she agreed In fact, we met lots of neighbors, friends, and even complete strangers who felt exactly the same way.” The couple relied on their consulting and business experience and wondered: “Instead of trying to convince the human airlines to treat pets better, why not start up an airline just for pets?” The response, so far, has been overwhelming The secret? Dan and Alysa write on the company Web site: “You see, on Pet Airways, your pets aren’t packages; they’re ‘pawsengers.’ And every step of the journey, we’ll take care of them as if they were our own Because that’s exactly the way we’d want Zoe to be treated.” Although quizzing friends and neighbors does not qualify as a representative sample in empirical research, it could lead in the right direction and accurately reflect what a greater sample of the © Benassi/Splash News/Newscom Z population may want or believe Observation has many limitations; nevertheless, it can be applied effectively in primary research, as this chapter shows Hatching a brilliant business idea is only the start To make generalizations and predictions and to secure funds, entrepreneurs need solid data You will learn more about business plans and other formal reports and proposals in Chapter 13 We will revisit Pet Airways on page 347 Critical Thinking ● Why might a U.S airline dedicated strictly to traveling pets be an easy sell to the public? Why might it not be?2 ● Today’s entrepreneurs have many technological resources at their disposal to research and spread the news when launching a new business What channels may Dan Wiesel and Alysa Binder have used to explore their business idea and to find potential customers? ● To hear Dan Wiesel and Alysa Binder tell it on their Web site, before launching Pet Airways, they apparently relied a great deal on anecdotal evidence, a very limited empirical research method Do you think an entrepreneur’s hunch is enough on which to start a business? http://petairways.com/ Understanding Report Essentials Reports are indispensable in business The larger an organization, the more vital the exchange and flow of information becomes Employees report their activities vertically to supervisors At the same time, the various divisions of a business communicate horizontally with each other through reports Occasionally, reports are generated for outside organizations or government agencies In North America, a low-context culture, our values and attitudes seem to prompt us to write reports We analyze problems, gather and study the facts, and then assess the alternatives We pride ourselves on being practical and logical as we apply scientific procedures When we wish to persuade financiers that our business merits a capital investment, as Dan Wiesel and Alysa Binder have, we generally write a business plan or a report outlining our case Chapter 11: Report and Research Basics LEARNING OBJEC TIVE Describe basic features of business reports, including functions, strategies (indirect or direct), writing style, and formats 337 Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s) Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it ? What are the purposes of effective business reports? Management decisions in many organizations are based on information submitted in the form of reports Routine reports keep managers informed about completed tasks, projects, and work in progress Reports help us understand and study systematically the challenges we encounter in business before we can outline the steps toward solving them Historian and author David McCullough said it best: “Trying to plan for the future without a sense of the past is like trying to plant cut flowers.”2 Business solutions are unthinkable without a thorough examination of the problems that prompted them This chapter examines the functions, strategies, writing style, and formats of typical business reports It also introduces the report-writing process and discusses methods of collecting, documenting, and illustrating data Business reports range from informal bulleted lists and half-page trip reports to formal 200page financial forecasts Reports may be presented orally in front of a group or electronically on a computer screen In many organizations, reports still take the form of paper documents such as traditional memos and letters Other reports present primarily numerical data, such as tax reports and profit-and-loss statements Increasingly, reports are delivered and presented digitally—for instance, as e-mail messages, PDF (portable document format) files, or electronic “slide decks.” These files can then be e-mailed, distributed on the company intranet, or posted on the Internet Hyperlinks tie together content within the document, between associated files, and with Web sources Such linking adds depth and flexibility to traditional linear texts Some reports provide information only; others analyze and make recommendations Although reports vary greatly in length, content, form, and formality level, they all have one or more of the following purposes: to convey information, answer questions, and solve problems Report Functions and Types ? What is the difference between informational and analytical reports? In terms of what they do, most reports fit into two broad categories: informational reports and analytical reports Informational Reports Reports that present data without analysis or recommendations are primarily informational For such reports, writers collect and organize facts, but they not analyze the facts for readers A trip report describing an employee’s visit to a trade show, for example, presents information Weekly bulleted status reports distributed by e-mail to a team record the activities of each group member and are shared with supervisors Other reports that present information without analysis involve routine operations, compliance with regulations, and company policies and procedures Analytical Reports Reports that provide data or findings, analyses, and conclusions are analytical If requested, writers also supply recommendations Analytical reports may intend to persuade readers to act or change their beliefs For example, if you were writing a yardstick report that compares several potential manufacturing locations for a new automobile plant, you might conclude by recommending one site after discussing several criteria Alternatively, let’s say you work for a company that is considering a specific building for a women-only gym, and you are asked to study the location’s suitability You may have to write a feasibility report, an analysis of alternatives and a recommendation, that attempts to persuade readers to accept that site To distinguish among findings, conclusions, and recommendations, consider the example of an audit report The auditor compiles facts and figures—the findings of the report—to meet the purpose or objective of the audit Drawing inferences from the findings, the auditor arrives at conclusions With the audit objectives in mind, the auditor may then propose corrective steps or actions, the recommendations Organizational Strategies ? Where the conclusions and recommendations appear in an analytical report written using the direct strategy, and why? 338 Like other business messages, reports may be organized directly or indirectly The reader’s expectations and the content of a report determine its development strategy, as illustrated in Figure 11.1 In long reports, such as corporate annual reports, some parts may be developed directly whereas other parts are arranged indirectly Direct Strategy When the purpose for writing is presented close to the beginning of a report, the organizational strategy is direct Informational reports, such as the letter report Chapter 11: Report and Research Basics Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s) Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it FIGURE 11.1 Audience Analysis and Report Organization If readers are informed If readers are supportive If readers are eager to have results first Direct Strategy If readers need to be educated If readers need to be persuaded Indirect Strategy Informational Report Introduction/Background Analytical Report Introduction/Problem Analytical Report Introduction/Problem CONCLUSIONS/ RECOMMENDATIONS Facts/Findings Facts/Findings Facts/Findings Summary Discussion/Analysis Discussion/Analysis CONCLUSIONS/ RECOMMENDATIONS shown in Figure 11.2, are usually arranged directly They open with an introduction, which is followed by the facts and a summary In Figure 11.2 the writer explains a legal services plan using a letter report The report begins with an introduction The facts, divided into three subtopics and identified by descriptive headings, follow The report ends with a summary and a complimentary close Analytical reports may also be organized directly, especially when readers are supportive of or familiar with the topic Many busy executives prefer this strategy because it gives them the results of the report immediately They don’t have to spend time wading through the facts, findings, discussion, and analyses to get to the two items they are most interested in—the conclusions and recommendations Figure 11.3 illustrates such an arrangement This analytical memo report describes environmental hazards of a property that a realtor has just listed The realtor is familiar with the investigation and eager to find out the recommendations Therefore, the memo is organized directly You should be aware, though, that unless readers are familiar with the topic, they may find the direct strategy confusing Many readers prefer the indirect strategy because it seems logical and mirrors the way they solve problems Indirect Strategy The organizational strategy is indirect when the conclusions and recommendations, if requested, appear at the end of the report Such reports usually begin with an introduction or description of the problem, followed by facts and interpretations from the writer They end with conclusions and recommendations This pattern is helpful when readers are unfamiliar with the problem This pattern is also useful when readers must be persuaded or when they may be disappointed in or hostile toward the report’s findings The writer is more likely to retain the reader’s interest by first explaining, justifying, and analyzing the facts and then making recommendations This strategy also seems most rational to readers because it follows the normal thought process: problem, alternatives (facts), solution Writing Style Like other business messages, reports can range from informal to formal, depending on their purpose, audience, and setting Research reports from consultants to their clients tend to be rather formal Such reports must project objectivity, authority, and impartiality However, Chapter 11: Report and Research Basics If readers may be disappointed or hostile ? When is the indirect strategy the best choice for analytical reports? ? When should you use a formal report-writing style, and when should you use an informal style? 339 Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s) Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it depending on the industry, a report to your boss describing a trip to a conference would probably be informal An office worker once called a grammar hotline service with this problem: “We’ve just sent a report to our headquarters, and it was returned with this comment, ‘Put it in the third person.’ What they mean?” The hotline experts explained that management apparently wanted a more formal writing style, using third-person constructions (the company or the researcher instead of we and I) Figure 11.4, which compares the characteristics of formal and informal Informational Report—Letter Format Center for Consumers of Legal Services P.O Box 260 Richmond, VA 23234 Uses letterhead stationery for an informal report addressed to an outsider • FIGURE 11.2 (804) 248-8931 www.cclegalservices.com September 17, 2012 Ms Lisa Burgess, Secretary Lake Austin Homeowners 3902 Oak Hill Drive Austin, TX 78134 Dear Ms Burgess: As executive director of the Center for Consumers of Legal Services, I’m pleased to send you this information describing how your homeowners’ association can sponsor a legal services plan for its members After an introduction with background data, this report will discuss three steps necessary for your group to start its plan • A legal services plan promotes preventive law by letting members talk to attorneys whenever problems arise Prompt legal advice often avoids or prevents expensive litigation Because groups can supply a flow of business to the plan’s attorneys, groups can negotiate free consultation, follow-up, and discounts Presents introduction and facts without analysis or recommendations Two kinds of plans are commonly available The first, a free plan, offers free legal consultation along with discounts for services when the participating groups are sufficiently large to generate business for the plan’s attorneys These plans actually act as a substitute for advertising for the attorneys The second common type is the prepaid plan Prepaid plans provide more benefits, but members must pay annual fees, usually of $500 or more a year Over 30 million people are covered by legal services plans today, and a majority belong to free plans • Since you inquired about a free plan for your homeowners’ association, the following information describes how to set up such a program • Determine the Benefits Your Group Needs The first step in establishing a free legal services plan is to meet with the members of your group to decide what benefits they want Typical benefits include the following: Free consultation Members may consult a participating attorney—by phone or in the attorney’s office—to discuss any matter The number of consultations is unlimited, provided each is about a separate matter Consultations are generally limited to 30 minutes, but they include substantive analysis and advice • Arranges facts of report into sections with descriptive headings uction Introdu Emphasizes benefits in paragraph headings with boldface type Free document review Important papers—such as leases, insurance policies, and installment sales contracts—may be reviewed with legal counsel Members may ask questions and receive an explanation of terms Tips for Letter Reports • Use letter format for short informal reports sent to outsiders • Organize the facts section into logical divisions identified by consistent headings • Single-space the body • Double-space between paragraphs • Leave two blank lines above each side heading • Create side margins of to 11/4 inches • Add a second-page heading, if necessary, consisting of the addressee’s name, the date, and the page number 340 Chapter 11: Report and Research Basics Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s) Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it (Continued) Ms Lisa Burgess Page September 17, 2012 • FIGURE 11.2 Identifies second and succeeding pages with headings Discount on additional services For more complex matters, participating attorneys will charge members 75 percent of the attorney’s normal fee However, some organizations choose to charge a flat fee for commonly needed services • Select the Attorneys for Your Plan Groups with geographically concentrated memberships have an advantage in forming legal plans These groups can limit the number of participating attorneys and yet provide adequate service Generally, smaller panels of attorneys are advantageous Assemble a list of candidates, inviting them to apply The best way to compare prices is to have candidates submit their fees Your group can then compare fee schedules and select the lowest bidder, if price is important Arrange to interview attorneys in their offices Uses parallel side headings for consistency and readability After selecting an attorney or a panel, sign a contract The contract should include the reason for the plan, what the attorney agrees to do, what the group agrees to do, how each side can end the contract, and the signature of both parties You may also wish to include references to malpractice insurance, assurance that the group will not interfere with the attorney–client relationship, an evaluation form, a grievance procedure, and responsibility for government filings • Publicize the Plan to Your Members Members won’t use a plan if they don’t know about it, and a plan will not be successful if it is unused Publicity must be vocal and ongoing Announce it in newsletters, meetings, bulletin boards, and flyers Persistence is the key All too frequently, leaders of an organization assume that a single announcement is all that is needed They expect members to see the value of the plan and remember that it is available Most organization members, though, are not as involved as the leadership Therefore, it takes more publicity than the leadership usually expects in order to reach and maintain the desired level of awareness Summary A successful free legal services plan involves designing a program, choosing the attorneys, and publicizing the plan To learn more about these steps or to order a $35 how-to manual, call me at (804) 355-9901 Sincerely, Includes complimentary close and signature • Richard M Ramos, Esq Executive Director pas report-writing styles, can help you decide which style is appropriate for your reports Note that, increasingly, formal reports are written with contractions and in the active voice Today, report writers try to avoid awkward third-person references to themselves as the researchers or the authors because it sounds stilted and outdated Report Formats The format of a report depends on its length, topic, audience, and purpose After considering these elements, you will probably choose from among the following formats Letter Format Use letter format for short informal reports (usually eight or fewer pages) addressed outside an organization Prepared on office stationery, a letter report contains a date, inside address, salutation, and complimentary close, as shown in Figure 11.2 Although they may carry information similar to that found in correspondence, letter reports usually are longer and show more careful organization than most letters They also include headings Chapter 11: Report and Research Basics ? What criteria determine a report’s format? 341 Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s) Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it FIGURE 11.3 Analytical Report—Memo Format Atlantic Environmental, Inc Interoffice Memo Applies memo format for short, informal internal report • DATE: March 7, 2012 TO: Kermit Fox, President FROM: Cynthia M Rashid, Environmental Engineer SUBJECT: Investigation of Mountain Park Commercial Site • For Allegheny Realty, Inc., I’ve completed a preliminary investigation of its Mountain Park property listing The following recommendations are based on my physical inspection of the site, official records, and interviews with officials and persons knowledgeable about the site Presents recommendations first (direct pattern) because reader is supportive and familiar with topic Uses first paragraph as introduction • Recommendations To reduce its potential environmental liability, Allegheny Realty should take the following steps in regard to its Mountain Park listing: • Conduct an immediate asbestos survey at the site, including inspection of ceiling insulation material, floor tiles, and insulation around a gas-fired heater vent pipe at 2539 Mountain View Drive • Prepare an environmental audit of the generators of hazardous waste currently operating at the site, including Mountain Technology • Obtain lids for the dumpsters situated in the parking areas and ensure that the lids are kept closed Combines findings and analyses in short report • Findings and Analyses My preliminary assessment of the site and its immediate vicinity revealed rooms with damaged floor tiles on the first and second floors of 2539 Mountain View Drive Apparently, in recent remodeling efforts, these tiles had been cracked and broken Examination of the ceiling and attic revealed further possible contamination from asbestos The insulation for the hot-water tank was in poor condition Located on the property is Mountain Technology, a possible hazardous waste generator Although I could not examine its interior, this company has the potential for producing hazardous material contamination In the parking area, large dumpsters collect trash and debris from several businesses These dumpsters were uncovered, thus posing a risk to the general public In view of the construction date of the structures on this property, asbestoscontaining building materials might be present Moreover, this property is located in an industrial part of the city, further prompting my recommendation for a thorough investigation Allegheny Realty can act immediately to eliminate one environmental concern: covering the dumpsters in the parking area Tips for Memo Reports • Use memo format for short (ten or fewer pages) informal reports within an organization • Leave side margins of to 11/4 inches • Sign your initials on the From line • Use an informal, conversational style • For direct analytical reports, put recommendations first • For indirect analytical reports, put recommendations last Memo and E-Mail Formats For short informal reports that stay within organizations, the memo format is appropriate Memo reports begin with essential background information, using standard headings: Date, To, From, and Subject, as shown in Figure 11.3 Like letter reports, memo reports differ from regular memos in length, use of headings, and deliberate organization Today, memo reports are rarely distributed in hard copy; rather, they are attached to e-mails or, if short, contained in the body of e-mails 342 Chapter 11: Report and Research Basics Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s) Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it FIGURE 11.4 Report-Writing Styles Use Effect Formal Writing Style Informal Writing Style Theses Short, routine reports Research studies Reports for familiar audiences Controversial or complex reports (especially to outsiders) Noncontroversial reports Most reports for company insiders Impression of objectivity, accuracy, professionalism, fairness Feeling of warmth, personal involvement, closeness Distance created between writer and reader Characteristics Traditionally, no first-person pronouns; use of third person (the researcher, the writer); increasingly, however, first-person pronouns and contractions are beginning to gain acceptance Use of first-person pronouns (I, we, me, my, us, our) Use of contractions Absence of contractions (can’t, don’t) Emphasis on active-voice verbs (I conducted the study) Use of passive-voice verbs (the study was conducted) Shorter sentences; familiar words Complex sentences; long words Occasional use of humor, metaphors Absence of humor and figures of speech Occasional use of colorful speech Reduced use of colorful adjectives and adverbs Acceptance of author’s opinions and ideas Elimination of “editorializing” (author’s opinions, perceptions) Manuscript Format For longer, more formal reports, use the manuscript format These reports are usually printed on plain paper instead of letterhead stationery or memo forms They begin with a title followed by systematically displayed headings and subheadings You will see examples of proposals and formal reports using the manuscript format in Chapter 13 Preprinted Forms Preprinted forms are often used for repetitive data, such as monthly sales reports, performance appraisals, merchandise inventories, and personnel and financial reports Standardized headings on these forms save time for the writer Preprinted forms also make similar information easy to locate and ensure that all necessary information is provided Digital Format Digital media allow writers to produce and distribute reports in electronic form, not in hard copy With Adobe Acrobat any report can be converted into a PDF document that retains its format and generally cannot be changed In addition, today’s communicators can use programs such as Microsoft’s PowerPoint or Apple’s Keynote to create electronic presentations in the form of slides Because the purpose of such presentations is to concisely display the contents of reports, they are often not intended for verbal delivery Rather, these text-heavy slides are often posted online or e-mailed When printed out, the stacks of hardcopy slides resemble decks of playing cards, which is why they are called slide decks Digital delivery has also changed Microsoft Word documents This popular program lets users hyperlink multimedia content within the document or with associated text or media files Thus, such digital documents create a nonlinear reading experience similar to that of browsing Web pages Applying the 3-x-3 Writing Process to Reports Because business reports are systematic attempts to compile often complex information, answer questions, and solve problems, the best reports are developed methodically In earlier chapters the 3-x-3 writing process was helpful in guiding short projects such as e-mails, memos, and letters That same process is even more necessary when preparing longer projects such as reports and proposals After all, an extensive project poses a greater organizational challenge than a short one and, therefore, requires a rigorous structure to help readers grasp the message Let’s channel the writing process into seven specific steps: Chapter 11: Report and Research Basics LEARNING OBJEC TIVE Apply the 3-x-3 writing process to business reports to create well-organized documents that show a firm grasp of audience and purpose 343 Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s) Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it ? What are the seven steps of the report-writing process? Step 1: Analyze the problem and purpose Step 2: Anticipate the audience and issues Step 3: Prepare a work plan Step 4: Conduct research Step 5: Organize, analyze, interpret, and illustrate the data Step 6: Compose the first draft Step 7: Revise, proofread, and evaluate How much time you spend on each step depends on your report task A short informational report on a familiar topic might require a brief work plan, little research, and no data analysis A complex analytical report, on the other hand, might demand a comprehensive work plan, extensive research, and careful data analysis In this section we consider the first three steps in the process—analyzing the problem and purpose, anticipating the audience and issues, and preparing a work plan To illustrate the planning stages of a report, we will watch Diane Camas develop a report she’s preparing for her boss, Mike Rivers, at Mycon Pharmaceutical Laboratories Mike asked Diane to investigate the problem of transportation for sales representatives Currently, some Mycon reps visit customers (mostly doctors and hospitals) using company-leased cars A few reps drive their own cars, receiving reimbursements for use In three months Mycon’s leasing agreement for 14 cars expires, and Mike is considering a major change Diane’s task is to investigate the choices and report her findings to Mike ? What is a problem statement, and why should you prepare one as you begin work on a report? Analyzing the Problem and Purpose The first step in writing a report is understanding the problem or assignment clearly For complex reports, prepare a written problem statement to clarify the task In analyzing her report task, Diane had many questions: Is the problem that Mycon is spending too much money on leased cars? Does Mycon wish to invest in owning a fleet of cars? Is Mike unhappy with the paperwork involved in reimbursing sales reps when they use their own cars? Does he suspect that reps are submitting inflated mileage figures? Before starting research for the report, Diane talked with Mike to define the problem She learned several dimensions of the situation and wrote the following statement to clarify the problem—both for herself and for Mike Problem statement: The leases on all company cars will be expiring in three months Mycon must decide whether to renew them or develop a new policy regarding transportation for sales reps Expenses and paperwork for employee-owned cars seem excessive Diane further defined the problem by writing a specific question that she would try to answer in her report: Problem question: What plan should Mycon follow in providing transportation for its sales reps? ? What function does a simple purpose statement serve? 344 Now Diane was ready to concentrate on the purpose of the report Again, she had questions: Exactly what did Mike expect? Did he want a comparison of costs for buying and leasing cars? Should she conduct research to pinpoint exact reimbursement costs when employees drive their own cars? Did he want her to all the legwork, present her findings in a report, and let him make a decision? Or did he want her to evaluate the choices and recommend a course of action? After talking with Mike, Diane was ready to write a simple purpose statement for this assignment Simple statement of purpose: To recommend a plan that provides sales reps with cars to be used in their calls Preparing a written purpose statement is a good idea because it defines the focus of a report and provides a standard that keeps the project on target In writing useful purpose statements, choose action verbs telling what you intend to do: analyze, choose, investigate, compare, justify, evaluate, explain, establish, determine, and so on Notice that Diane’s statement begins with the action verb recommend Chapter 11: Report and Research Basics Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s) Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it Mailing address, business letters, B-7–B-8 Mailing lists, 127 Main heading, organizing résumé information into categories, 504–505 Main idea, 145, 191 label, 150 Majority, 45 Malware (malicious software programs), 199 Mambo, 210 Management business plans, 433 hierarchies, team-based, 8–9 Mango, 138 Manual notetaking, 362 Manual search for formal research, 140 Manuscript format, 343 Maps, 369 Margins, 170 Market analysis, business plans, 433 Market research, companies use of blogs, 203–204 Marketing information, 129–130 Marriott Corporation, 386 Marriott Hotel, 86 Mattel, Mazzocco, Len, 141 McCreary, Colleen, 525 McCullough, David, 338 McDonald’s, 7, 80, 81, 113 business use of social network, 207 McKinsey & Co., 102 M-commerce (mobile technology businesses), Mean, 383 Meaningless words, 191 Media richness theory, 115 Median, 383 Meeting purpose and number of participants, 49 Meetings deciding necessity of, 49 distributing advance information, 50 ending and following up, 52–53 getting started, 51 handling conflict in, 52 improving downward information flow with, 21 face-to-face, 48–53 moving them along, 52 participating actively and productively, 52 productive, 57 selecting participants, 49 using digital calendars to schedule, 51 virtual, 53–58 Melting pot, 83 Memo format, 342 analytical report, 342 conference report, 398 feasibility report, 407 justification/recommendation report, 404 I-8 Memos, 116, 120 as e-mail attachments, 225 comparing e-mails and, 223–225 interoffice, 189 persuasive flowing upward, 310 Mergers, 80 Messages adapting to audience, 126 adjustment, 236–240 audience focus, 119 communicating with paperbased, 189 e-mail, B-2 flowing downward, 307–309 flowing upward, 309–311 follow-up, 557–560 goodwill, 240–243 how organizations exchange, 188–190 instruction, 231–233 international, 243–244 negative, 257–261 nonverbal, 464–465 sales, 311–317 sender focus, 119 that inform, 115 that persuade, 115 writing process for business, 112–114 Messmer, Max, 221 Metaphors, 463 Metasearching, 357 Microsoft, 45, 60, 65, 258–259, 343, 457 Windows Live Messenger, 197 Minorities discrimination against, 100–101 workforce diversity, 99 Minority, group decisions, 45 Minutes, 50 Misplaced modifiers, 152 Mission statement, 432 MLA, 364, 438, C-1 bibliographic format, C-2 format, C-1–C-2 in-text format, C-1–C-2 style, justification/ recommendation report, 405–406 text page, C-2 works cited, C-3 Mobile communication, 188 Mobile phones, 115 Mobile technology businesses See M-commerce Mode, 383 Model contract, 430 Model format report with APA citation style, 439 Modern Language Association See MLA Modified block letter style, B-4, B-7 Money, rejecting requests for, 268 Monstser.com, 499, 500 Morris, Pat, 295 Morale, employee, 41 MP3 audio player, 356 Multiethnic, 83 Multifunctional printers, 10 Multimedia presentations, 465–466 deigning, 466–473 eight steps to making powerful, 473 slides that summarize and illustrate, 472 See also Business presentations; Electronic presentations; Oral presentations; Slide presentations Multimedia slides, 465, 466 Multinational alliances, 79 Multiple line chart, 367 Multitasking, 16 MySpace, 190, 270, 355, 542 N Names, 173 National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 195 National Commission on Writing, National origin, 99 National Public Radio, 201, 202 National Resume Writers’ Association, 517 NBC, 435 Neeleman, 265 Negative group behaviors, 44 Negative language, 122 Negative messages, 220 analyzing components of, 263–268 comparing direct and indirect strategies for, 263 presented indirectly in American culture, 281 Negative news, 257–261 applying 3-x-3 writing process, 258–259 avoid legal liability in conveying, 259–261 conveying, 282 direct strategy, 261 goals in communicating, 258 indirect strategy, 261–263 managing on Facebook, Twitter, and other web sites, 273 Negative team behavior, 44 Netbooks, 188, 189 Netcasts, 190 NetNewsWire, 210 Networking sites, negotiating social and professional, 206–211 New York NY Fresh Deli, 80 Newell Rubbermaid, 80 News, most important ingredient of press release, 322 Newsletters, 21 Newsom, Gavin, 271 Niche Web sites, 500 Nielsen BuzzMetrics, 139 Nike, 8, 80, 318 Nissan Motor Company, 408 Noise, 15 Nokia, 80, 386 Nominative case See Subjective case Nonessential details, eliminate in executive summary, 436 Nonjudgmentalism, intercultural competence, 91 Nonnative speakers, listening to in workplace, 61 Nonterritorial offices, 9–12 Nonverbal behavior, intercultural audiences, 481–182 Nonverbal communication forms of, 64–67 functions of, 63–64 intercultural environments, 90–91 skills, 67 Nonverbal messages, 464–465 communication through, 63–67 Nonverbal signals, sending positive in workplace, 67 Nooyi, Indra, 3, 23, 30 Norming, 43 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), 80 Notes speaker’s, 466 take to ensure retention, 63 Nouns collective, A-5 proper, A-16 Number usage, A-18–A-19 Numbered lists, 171–172 Numbers, 173 citing in intercultural written messages, 93 O O’Leary, George, 506 O’Neal Shaquille, 188 O’Neill, Nick, 208 Objective, 27 Objective case, A-6 constructions, whom/whomever, A-7 Objects of prepositions, A-6–A-7 verbs, A-6–A-7 Observation, 354–355 Obstacles to downward information flow, 20–21 ethical decision making, 27–29 horizontal information flows, 22 upward communication flow, 22 Ockrim, Bennett, Office gossip, responding ethically to, 23–24 Oistamo, Kai, 386 Old Navy, 138–140, 147, 156 Ombudsman, 22 One-on-one interviews, 538 Online buzz-tracking, 139 Online catalogs, 350 Online collaboration tools, 126–127 Online communities, 206 companies use of blogs, 204 Online discussion, 205 Online encyclopedia Wikipedia, 205 Online interviews, 540 Online job boards, 500–501, 516 Index Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s) Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it Online job search, 499 Online proposals, 432 Online videos, 516 Open Directory Project, 358 Open offices, 10 Opening adjustment message, 236 claim, 233 cover letter, 524–527 e-mail messages, 191–192 solicited jobs, 525 unsolicited jobs, 525–527 Operations, business plans, 33 Opinion labeling, 27 Opinions, separate facts from, 60–61 Optical character recognition (OCR), 517 Oral communication, 19 and written communication skills, intercultural environments, 92 understanding advantages and disadvantages of, 18 Oral presentations, 457–458, 482 adapting to intercultural audiences, 481–483 building audience rapport like a pro, 463–465 choosing delivery method, 476 combating stage fright, 476–477 computer tool for, 148 control, credibility, and engaging during, 478 organizing content for, 458–463 organizing team-based, 479–481 organizing the body, 460–462 outline, 461 polishing delivery and follow up, 476–479 preparation, practice, and rehearsals before, 477–478 questions, answers, and handouts after, 478–479 summarizing in conclusion, 462–463 visual aids and multimedia presentations, 465–466 See also Business presentations; Electronic presentations; Multimedia presentations; Slide presentations Orders, handling problems with, 272–274 Organization, 221, 436 correction symbols for, D-2 negative news, 259 Organization charts, 368–369 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), 98 Organizational communication, comparing oral & written form of, 19 Organizational patterns for informational and analytical reports, 389 Organizational strategies for reports, 338–339 Index Organizations barriers block flow of communication in, 19 delivering bad news within, 277–281 exchange messages and information, 188–190 flow of information in, 19–24 use of business podcasts, 201 writing persuasive messages within, 307–311 Organize, 113,114, 139, 194, 222, 224, 230, 269, 280, 304, 317, 353, 404, 427 oral presentations, 458–463 team-based written and oral presentations, 479–481 slides, 469 Organizing data, 389–394 in persuasive messages, 299 Organizing ideas, 143–147 into patterns, 145–147 using lists and outlines, 143–145 Orman, Suze, 112, 121, 131 Outlines, 143–145 formats, 144 oral presentation, 461 with headings, 435 Outsourcing, obstacles to upward communication, 22 Over letter, unsolicited, 527 Overhead transparencies, 465 Owen, Clive, 204 P Palm 189 Palo Alto Software, 432 Panel interviews, 539 Paper-based messages, communicating with, 189 Paragraphs, 153–155 building coherence, 154–155 composing, 155 direct paragraph plan, 153 indirect paragraph plan, 154 pivoting paragraph plan, 153–154 Parallel construction, 386 Parallelism, 172 Paraphrasing, 62, 363 Parentheses, A-16 Parenthetical citations, 361, C-2 Partnership, 432 Passive voice, 120, 151–152, 266 Patagonia, 127 Patience, 90 PDAs See Personal digital assistants PDF (portable document format) files proofreading and marking, 176, 177 reports delivered as, 338 Peer-to-peer tools, Pei, I M., 425 People, appearance of, 66–67 PepsiCo, 3, 7, 23, 25, 30, 100, 102 social media and, 212 Pepsi-Cola, 140, 349 Percentages, 365, 368 Perez, Maritza, 65 Performing, 43–44 Period, A-15 Periodic (activity) reports, 395–396 e-mail format, 397 Periodicals, 350 Personal anecdotes, 463 Personal data, organizing résumé information into categories, 509 Personal digital assistants (PDAs), 9, 188, 190, 356 Personal mobile devices, 208 Personalized statistics, 463 Persuasion defined, 296 comparing in high- and lowcontext cultures, 318–321 effective and ethical use of, 295–299 importance of tone, 298 what’s fair in, 302 Persuasive claims, 305 Persuasive e-mail and memo flowing upward, 310 Persuasive messages, 220 adapting to audience, 298–299 analyzing the purpose, 298 applying the 3-x-3 writing process, 298–299 being persuasive and ethical, 301–302 blending four major elements in, 299–302 building interest in, 300 business messages and oral presentations, 113 gaining attention in, 300 motivating action in, 301 organizational message flowing downward, 308 reducing resistance in, 300–301 researching and organizing data, 299 writing within organizations, 307–311 Persuasive press releases, developing, 321–323 Persuasive requests, 303–306 action request, 297 favor request, 304 Pet Airways, 337, 347, 370 Peters, Tom, 354 Pew Research study, 361 Phishing schemes, 199 Phone call, 116 Phone conferencing, 54 Phonetically, 92 Photographs, 369 Phrases, 148–149 verb agreement, A-4 Physical ability, 99 Physical distractions, 16 Pie charts, 367–368 Pilot study, 354 Pirate Bay, 26 Pivoting paragraph plan, 153–154 Pizza Hut, 79 Plagiarism, 361 and paraphrasing, difference between, 363 Plain English (Plain Language), 27, 124, 223, 231 Plain-paper return address, B-6–B-7 Plain-text résumé, 518–519, 520, 522 See also Résumé Plan and schedule of informal proposals, 429 Planning team, 40 Plural verbs, A-5 Podcasts, 11, 190, 356 business, 200–206 improving downward information flow with, 21 Policy message from management flowing downward, 20 Politeness, high-context culture sales letters, 319 Portals, 127 Positive group behaviors, 44 Positive language, 122 Positive messages, 220 e-mails, memos, and letters, 223–227 start with writing process, 220–223 Positive team behavior, 44 Positive words, choosing, 266 Possessive case, A-6 Post hoc, 302 Posture, form of nonverbal communication, 64–65 Potbelly Sandwich Works, Powell, Colin, 169 Powell, Julie, 208 PowerPoint, 458, 466–473, 476 multimedia presentations, 472 10/20/30 rule of, 460 Precise words, 124 Prejudices, 87 overcoming, 88 Preprinted forms, 343 Presence technology, 11 Presentation résumés, 516 See also Résumé Presentations, 26 team-written, 126 See also Business presentations; Electronic presentations; Multimedia presentations; Oral presentations; Slide presentations Press releases, developing persuasive, 321–323 Prewriting, 139, 194, 222, 224, 230, 269, 280, 304, 317, 353, 404, 427 adapting the message, 114 analyzing the audience, 114 anticipating the audience, 114 phase of 3-x-3 writing process, 113, 114, 221, 258–259 PricewaterhouseCoopers, 99 Primary audience, 118 Primary data, 349 I-9 Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s) Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it Primary sources formal research methods, 140 gathering information from, 351–360 Print indexes, 350 Print resources, 350 Print-based résumé, 516 See also Résumé Privacy, 208 Problem, 436 solving, statement, 344 Problem/solution, 462 Procedures, teams agreement on, 47 Procter & Gamble, 80, 82, 99 Product liability litigation, 129 Product or service description, 432–433 Productive meetings, planning and participating in, 57 Professional blogs, 203, 204–205 Professional e-mail messages, 190–195 Professional groups, 39–40 Professional highlights, 505 Professional networking sites, 206–211 Professional organizations Web sites, 500 Professionalism developing a competitive edge with, 68–69 leads to success, 68 projecting when you communicate, 68 Profiling the audience, 117 Progress report, 26, 399, 400 Project team, 40 Pronoun case, A-6–A-8 Pronoun reference, A-8–A-9 Pronouns agree in number and gender with antecedents, A-8 building paragraph coherence, 154–155 indefinite, A-5 it, which, this, and that refer to clear antecedents, A-8–A-9 Proofread, 113, 114, 139, 173–176, 177, 194, 221–223, 230, 269, 280, 304, 317, 353, 404, 427 complex documents, 175–176 negative news, 259 PDF files, 176, 177 routine documents, 174–175 slide presentations,471 See also Writing Process (3-x-3) phase Proofreading marks, 176 Propaganda, 202 Proper adjectives, A-16 Proper nouns, A-16 Proposals, 26, 115–116 formal, 426, 430–432 informal, 425–430 internal, 402 online, 432 writing, 431 Proprietorship, 432 Props, 466 I-10 Prototypes, 87 Public domain, 131 Public relations, companies use of blogs, 203 Puffery, 315 Punctuation, 172, 173, 223, A-10–A-12 business letters, B-2 mixed style, B-7 other, A-15–A-16 styles, B-7 Punitive, 266 Puns, 92 Purpose, 223, 436 analyzing, 115–116 analyzing in persuasive messages, 298 and number of participants of meeting, 49 identifying, 115 knowing your, 458 executive summary, 436 informal proposal, 429 statement of, 344–345 teams agreement on, 46–47 Purposeful, business messages and oral presentations, 113 Q Qualifications, showcasing in an e-portfolio or video résumé, 520 Quality control, Quality control circle, 40 Quantifiable, 352 Quantitative, 364 Query, 358 Question mark, A-15 Questionnaire, 352 Questions ask clarifying, 61 competently handling of, after oral presentation, 478–479 typical interview, 546–553 Quota, 142 Quotation marks, 361, A-16 Quotes, 363 R Race, 99 Racial makeup of U.S population, 1980 to 2020, 12 Racially biased language, 123 RadioShack, 279 Range, 383 Rank, observe in intercultural written messages, 93 Rapport, building audience, 463–465 Raspberry, William, 173 Rational appeal, 313–314 Rationalization trap, 28 Raw material, 380 Raytheon Company, 425, 429, 430, 431, 450 Readability, designing documents for, 170–173 Reader benefits, 263 Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature, 350 Really simple syndication (RSS), 202, 209–210 Reasons, component of negative messages, 265–266 Reasons-before-refusal plan, 275 Receiver, 15 Recommendations, 447 formal business reports, 437 making, 386–389 moving from findings to, 389 report, 387–388 Recruiter, 499 Recruiting, companies use of blogs, 203 Red Baron, 41 Redundancies, 166 Reebok, 46, 318 Reference initials, B-6 Reference line, B-5 Reference list, 510 Reference request letter, 555 References, 438, 448, C-2 APA, C-1, C-5 contact after interview, 554–556 organizing résumé information into categories, 509 Refusing credit, 276 donation request, 269 internal requests, 278–279 typical requests, 268 Rehearsing, team-based written and oral presentations, 480–481 Rejection letters, 559 follow-up letter, 558–559 Relationship appeal, characteristic of high-context culture sales letters, 319 Religion, 99 Report data, gathering and selecting, 349 Report essentials, 337–343 organizational strategies, 338–339 writing style, 339–341 Report formats, 341–343 Report headings, 392 Report introduction, 391 Report sequence in executive summary, 436 Reports, 115–116, 120 analytical, 338, 401–411, 412 applying the 3-x-3 writing process to, 343–349 conclusions and recommendations, 387–388 electronic slide decks, 338 email messages, 338 feasibility, 403–407 formal business, 433–450 functions and types, 338 incorporating graphics in, 369–370 informational, 338, 394–401 interim, 399, 400 investigative, 399–401 justification/recommendation, 402–403 levels of headings in, 392 PDF files, 338 periodic (activity), 395–396 progress, 26, 399 reader cues in, 391–394 sales, 26 scope and limitations, 345 significance of topic, 345 trip, convention, and conference, 396–398 writing styles, 343 yardstick, 407–411 Request for proposal (RFP), 425, 430 Requests, 227–230 closing with appreciation and action request, 229 creating, 227–229 for favors and actions, 307 providing details in body of message, 228–229 refusing internal, 278–279 refusing typical, 268 rejecting, for favors, money, information, and action, 268 responding to, 229–230 writing direct, 231 See also Persuasive requests Resale, 238, 267 Research, 113,114, 138–143, 194, 221, 222, 224, 230, 269, 280, 304, 317, 353, 404, 427 collecting information and generating ideas on job, 143 developing good habits, 362 electronic access to, 139–140 formal methods, 139–141 generating ideas by brainstorming, 142 informal methods, 141–142 negative news, 259 PowerPoint options in slide presentations, 468 See also Writing process (3-x-3) phase Research data, 360 persuasive messages, 299 Resignation letter, 559–560 Resistance expect and overcome, 297 reducing in persuasive messages, 300–301 reducing in sales messages, 314 Respect, 86 Response messages, 227–230, 231 to goodwill messages, 241 to requests, 229–230 Résumés, 26 applying final touches to, 520–524 as PDF document, 523 as word document, 522 business-oriented Web sites, 208 chronological résumé, 511–515 complete online at company database, 524 Index Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s) Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it customized, 503–504, 522 faxing, 524 follow-up letter, 558 functional résumé style, 504 inflated, 523 length of, 504 optimizing for today’s technologies, 516–520 organizing information into categories, 504–515 plain-text résumé, 518–519, 520, 522 polishing, 521 presentation résumés, 516 print-based résumé, 516 proofreading, 521 scannable, 517 style, 503 submitting, 521–524 tips for maximizing hits, 517 video résumé, 516, 520 Retention, 63 Return address, business letters, B-7 Revise, 113, 114, 139, 177, 194, 221–223, 224, 230, 259, 269, 280, 304, 317, 353, 404, 427 collaborative documents using technology, 128 evaluating, 114 instruction message, 232–233 manually and digitally, 163 negative news, 259 proofreading, 114 slide presentations, 471 team-based written and oral presentations, 480 See also Writing process (3-x-3) phase Revising and enhancing slides for greater impact, 470 Revising for clarity, 167–170 controlling exuberance, 170 dropping clichés and slang, 169 dumping trite business phrases, 168 keep it short and simple (KISS), 167–168 unburying verbs, 169 Revising for conciseness, 164–167 dropping unnecessary fillers, 166 eliminating flabby expressions, 164 limiting long lead-ins, 164–166 purging empty words, 167 rejecting redundancies, 166 RFP See Request for proposal Riccardi, Toni, 99 Ronaldo, 80 Rosenfeld, Irene, 299 Royal Caribbean, 234 Rudman, Gary, 208 Run-on (fused) sentences, 149, A-2 Ryan, Liz, 495, 499, 510, 524, 530 S Safety information, 129 Salary negotiations dos and don’ts, 550 Sales letter, 317 analyzing high-context, 320 Index Sales messages adapting to audience, 312 analyzing product and purpose for writing, 312 applying the 3-x-3 writing process to, 311–312 building interest with rational and emotional appeals, 313–314 crafting direct-mail letters, 312–316 gaining attention in, 312–313 in high-context culture, 319 motivating action at conclusion of, 314–315 planning and composing, 311–317 reducing resistance and building desire, 314 what is legal and what is not in, 315 Sales report, 26 Salutation business letters, B-5 e-mail, B-2 Sans serif, 171 Sant, Tom, 428–429 Sara Lee, 102, 223 Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, 13, 25, 26, 97 Satellite communications, Saving face, 89–90, 282 Scannable résumé, 517, 518 Scare tactics, 314 Schechtman, Morris, 49 Scholarly sources, 359 Schools, ethical culture and, 25 Schultz, Howard, 355, 380, 381, 401, 412 Schwartz, Irwin, 195 Schwartz, Jonathan, 203 Schwarzenegger, Arnold, 188 Scientific experiments, formal research methods, 140–141 Scope, 436 statement, 345 Screening interviews, 538 Search engines, 357 Search tools, 357–358 Sears, Secondary audience, 117, 118 Secondary data, 349 Secondary sources, gathering information from, 349–351 Second-level headings, 443–445 Second-page heading, business letters, B-6 Segmented 100 percent bar chart, 366 Segmented line (area) chart, 367 Seiyu, 79 Self-deception trap, 28–29 Self-identity, basis of, 84 Selfless, goodwill messages, 240 Semicolons, A-12–A-13 Sender encodes idea in message, 14 forms idea, 13–14 Sender-focused message, 119 Senk, Glen, 302 Sensitivity, communicating negative news, 258 Sentences, 148–152 avoiding dangling and misplaces modifiers, 152 basic elements, 148–149 comma-splice, 149–150, A-2–A-3 composing, 155 emphasizing important ideas, 150–151 fragments, 120, 149, A-2 managing active and passive voice, 151–152 preferring short sentences, 150 run-on (fused), 149, A-2 structure, A-2–A-3 Sequential interviews, 539 Serif, 170–170 7-Eleven, 80, 383 Sexism, 100 Sexting, 199 Sexual harassment victims, 100 SharpReader, 210 Short message service (SMS), 189–190, 197 Short sentences, 150 Short goodwill messages, 240 Short-term goal, characteristic of low-context culture sales letters, 320 SideKick Enterprises, 56 Siekaczek, Reinhard, 96 Siemens AG, 89, 96 Signature block business letters, B-5 e-mail messages, 193 Significance, 345, 436 Silence, negative perception in Western cultures, 90 Similarities, 102 Similes, 463 Simple line chart, 367 Simple sentence, 151 Simple/complex, organizing the body of oral presentation, 462 Sincere, goodwill messages, 240 Singular verbs, A-5 Situational questions, 551 6-x-6 rule, 468 Skills, organizing résumé information into categories, 507–508 Skim value, 171–172 Skype, 55, 197 Slander, 259 Slang, 92, 120, 169 Slide decks, 338 Slide presentations adapting text and color selections, 468 analyzing an effective presentation, 473–476 analyzing the situation, 468 anticipating your audience, 468 applying the 3-x-3 writing process to, 467–471 composing, 469 designing, 469–470, 471 keeping audience engaged, 472–473, 474 organizing your slides, 469 practicing and preparing, 472 researching PowerPoint options, 468 revising, proofreading, and evaluating, 470, 471 using PowerPoint effectively, 471–472 working with templates, 469 See also Business presentations; Electronic presentations; Multimedia presentations; Oral presentations Slideshow See slide presentations Small Business Administration (SBA), 432, 433 Smart devices, 189 SmartArt graphics, 470 Smartphones, 17, 188, 356 projecting professionalism, 68 Smile when appropriate, 92 Snail mail, 227 Social bookmarking, 210–211 Social interaction, four space zones for, 65 Social media sites, 501 Social networking, 190 Social networking sites, 205, 206–211 posting harassing or libelous messages on, 259 Social networks, 207–208 Social online communities, 190 Social rules, 86 Soft skills, 39 Soft-sell approach, characteristic of high-context culture sales letters, 319 Solicited cover letter, 526 Solicited jobs, openings for, 525 Solicited proposals, 425 Solutions, share, 298 Sook, Lee Jin, 79 Source notes, C-1 Source, firsthand information, 140 Southwest Airlines, 257, 277, 283, 312 social media and, 212 Space, form of nonverbal communication, 65 Spacing business letters, B-2 single or double, 444 Spam, 196 Speaker’s notes, 466 Special effects, multimedia presentation, 475 Specialized language, 124 Specific, goodwill messages, 240 Speech habits, projecting professionalism, 68 Spell checkers, 175 Spelling, 173, 206, 223 Spiders, 358 Spielberg, Steven, 28 Spim (IM spam), 199 Spiral logic, 85 I-11 Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s) Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it Spontaneous, goodwill messages, 240 Sport references, 93 Staffing, informal proposals, 429 Stage fright, 476–477 Stanford University, 457 STAR (storytelling) technique, 551 Starbucks, 80, 191, 204, 355, 380, 381, 401, 412 Statement of purpose, 344–345 Steering group, 40 Stereotypes, 87 Stewart, Martha, 13, 26 Storming, 43 Straightforward claims, 233 Stranger’s Hill Organics, 127 Straw, 210 Stress interviews, 539 Style, correction symbols for, D-2 Subaru, 53 Subclusters, 141, 143 Subcommittee, 45 Subject, 148, B-2 agree with verbs, A-4–A-5 Subject line, B-5 Subject (or Web) directories, 357 Subjective case, A-6 constructions, who/whoever, A-7 Subjunctive mood, A-4 Subordinate clause, 266 Subordinates, Subway, 79 Sullenberger, Chesley “Sully”, 40 Summaries, 395 Summarizing in conclusion of oral presentations, 462–463 Summary of qualifications, résumé, 505–506 Sun Microsystems, 203 Superiors, listening to, 59 Superlatives, characteristic of lowcontext culture sales letters, 320 Supplier team, 40 Supporting sentences, 153 Supportiveness, intercultural competence, 91 Surface charts, 366 Survey data, converting into finished tables, 382 Surveys, 351–354 Sympathy, conveying, 241–243 Synonyms, 359, 363 Syntax, 359 Synthesize, 362 T Table of contents, 441 business plans, 432 formal business reports, 435 formal proposals, 430 Tables, 364–365, 381–382, 446 Tabulate, 381 Tabulating responses, 381–385 Taco Bell, 163, 172, 178 Talking headings, 392 Target, 210 Task, adapting to, 118–124 I-12 Task force, 40 Taylor, Fred, 277 Team behavior, analyzing positive and negative, 44 Team development, four phases of, 43–44 Team document, tracking, 129 Team effectiveness, developing, 47 Team player in professional groups, 39–40 Team-based management, 8–9 Team-based written and oral presentations, 479–481 Teammates, listening to, 59 Teams acceptance of ethical responsibilities, 48 agreement, 46–47 better decisions with, 40 characteristics of successful, 45–46 collaborate rather than compete, 47 confront conflict, 47 examples of effective, 41 faster response with, 41 good communication techniques, 47 greater buy-in with, 41 improved employee morale with, 41 increased productivity with, 41 less resistance to change with, 41 preparing to work with, 40–48 reduced risks with, 41 shared leadership, 48 six-step procedure for dealing with conflict, 44–45 small size, diverse makeup of, 46 virtual, 41–42 why they fail, 43 writing in, 124–128 Teamwork skills, Team-written documents, 125, 126 Team-written presentations, 126 Technological advancements, 81–82 Technologies optimizing résumés for today’s, 516–520 using to edit and revise collaborative documents, 128 Telecommuting, Teleconferencing, 9, 54 Telephone projecting professionalism, 68 skills, business presentations, 483–485 tag, 484 Telephony: VoIP, 10 Telepresence rooms, 54 Templates, slide presentations, 469 Temporary workers, obstacles to upward communication, 22 Territory, form of nonverbal communication, 65 Testimonial, 313, 314 Text alignment, 170 Text messaging, 9, 12, 17, 18, 189–190, 197 See also Texting Text, foundation of multimedia presentation, 473 Texting, 189–190, 197 best practices for, 199 how it works, 197 professionally, 195–199 projecting professionalism, 68 pros and cons of, 197–199 requires smartphone or PDA, 197 See also Text messaging Thanks, expressing, 240–241 Thesaurus, 124 Thomas, Daryl, 39, 42, 48, 70 Thread, 196 3-x-3 writing process See Writing process (3-x-3) 3M Corporation, 49 Three-point introduction, 483 Timberland, 79 Time form of nonverbal communication, 65 ordering data by, 390 orientation, 86–87 Title page, 439 formal business reports, 434 formal proposals, 430 Titles and rank, observe in intercultural written messages, 93 To line, e-mail, B-2 Tolerance, 88–89 Tone, 118 courteous, 122–123 e-mail message, 125 formal versus conversational, 122 importance of in persuasion, 298 intercultural written messages, 93 negative news, 259 persuasive claims, 305 persuasive messages flowing upward, 309 unprofessional versus professional, 121 Topic sentence, 153 Topic/function/conventional grouping, organizing the body of oral presentation, 461 Tort law, 129 Toshiba Corporation, 89 Touching people, intercultural environments, 90 Townsend, Scott, 211 Toyota, 6, 260 Toyoda, Akio, 260 Trade agreement, 80 Trader Joe’s, 80 Tradition, 86 Training, 101 Transitional expressions, 392 building paragraph coherence, 155, 156 Transitions, 392 Transparencies, 466 overhead, 465 Transparency International, 96 TransUnion, 276 Travelocity, 210 Trends affecting you in today’s workplace, 7–13 Trickery, 296 Trip reports, 396–398 Trite business phrases, 168 Truth telling, 26 Tweeting, 9, 200 Tweets, 11 Twitter, 142, 188, 190, 200, 204, 212, 260, 270, 499, 542 abusive language on, 259 negative news on, 257, 273 Typefaces, 170–171 U U.S Census Bureau, 347 U.S Coast Guard, 46 U.S Post Office, 259 Unbiased, 266 Understanding, buffer to open indirect negative messages, 264 Unicast, 345 Unilever, 80, 102, 220 United Linen & Uniform Services, 211 United, social media and, 212 Unreceptive audiences, 146–147 Unsolicited cover letter, 527 Unsolicited jobs, openings for, 525–527 Unsolicited proposals, 425 UPS, 100 Uptalk, 68 Upward communication flow, 20, 21–22 from employee to management, 21 obstacles to, 22 Upward information flow, improving, 22 US Airways, 188 Flight 1549, 40 USB flash drive, 472 User-centered virtual environment, 200 V Value of differences, 101 Value/size, organizing the body of oral presentation, 462 Values, adapting presentations to intercultural audiences, 481 Van Daniker, Relmond, 395 Variables, 383 Varner, 87 Venture capitalists, 432 Verb agreement, 259, A-4–A-6 Verb mood, A-4 Verb tense, 438, A-3–A-4 Verb voice, A-4 Verbal signposts, 464 Verbs, 148, 169 active and passive voice, 151–152 linking, A-9 Index Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s) Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it plural, A-5 singular, A-5 Vertical bar chart, 366 Video phones, 11 Video résumé, showcasing your qualifications in, 520 See also Résumé Video transmission, 18 Videoconferencing, 9, 11, 18, 54, 116 Videos, 466 improving downward information flow with, 21 Vigorous words, 124 Viral marketing, companies use of blogs, 203–204 Virgin Group, social media and, 212 Virtual communities, 356 Virtual meeting audioconferencing, 54 ground rules for, 56–57 planning and interacting professionally, 55–58 practices and technologies in, 53–58 premeeting considerations, 56 techniques for collaborating, 57–58 videoconferencing, 54 web conferencing, 55 Virtual private networks (VPN), 188 Virtual teams, 41–42 Viruses, 199 Visual aids, 364–370 adapting presentations to intercultural audiences, 482–483 matching graphics and objectives, 364–369 options, pros and cons for, 466 planning, 465–466 types of, 465 Vivid words, 150 Vivisimo/Clusty, 357, 358 Voice conferencing, 11 Voice mail, 9, 17 message, 116 projecting professionalism, 68 skills, 483–485 Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) systems, 305–306 Voice recognition, 10 Volunteering, 498 W Wal-Mart, 7, 79, 80, 86, 102 in China, 89 Web 2.0, 188, 200, 203, 356 environment, 207 Web business plans, samples, 433 Web chats, 18 Web conferencing, 11, 54, 55 in practice, 56 Web pages, computer tool for, 148 Index Web search tools for business writers, 357 Web searching, 498, 499 Web sites, 18, 115–116 company, 500 local employment, 500 managing negative news on, 273 niche, 500 professional organizations, 500 Web sources, evaluating, 359–360 Webcasts, 190, 200–206 WebEx conferencing on iPhone, 55 Weblogs, Weingarten, Rachel, 208 Weinstock, Brad, 18 Welch, Suzy, 552 Welsh, Jack, 552 White space, 170, 221 Whiteboard, 128, 466 Whole Foods Market, 127 Wiesel, Dan, 337 Wi-Fi See Wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) networks Wiki contributor, 205–206 Wiki knowledge base, 205 Wikis, 9, 11, 116, 127, 190, 359 and collaboration, 205–206 businesses use of, 200–206 creating, 206 documentation and, 205 for meetings, 205 global, 205 project management with, 205 Wild cards, 359 Williams, Evan, 188 Williams, Sara, 188 Windows Live Spaces, 204 Winfrey, Oprah, 62, 112 Wireless devices, 10 Wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) networks, 17 Wireless networking, 9, 12 Women, workforce diversity, 99 Words choosing positive in negative message, 266 confusing, A-21–A-22 dangerous, 130 familiar, 124, 231 frequently misspelled, A-22 low-and high-context cultures communicate differently with, 86 meaningless or dangerous, 191 meanings of, 86 precise, 124 sounds of, 86 vigorous, 124 Work experience, organizing résumé information into categories, 506–507 Work plan, 347 for formal report, 348 Work teams, 40, 99–100 Workforce diversity, 12–13 advantages and challenges, 99–102 dividends of, 99–100 divisiveness of, 100–101 improving communication among audiences, 101–102 Workplace anytime, anywhere and nonterritorial offices, 9–12 casual apparel in, 66 employment trends in today’s, 497–498 examining ethics in, 25–29 expanded team-based management, 8–9 flattened management hierarchies, heightened global competition, 7–8 increasingly diverse workforce, 12–13 innovative communication technologies, listening to nonnative speakers in, 61 preparing to work with groups and teams, 40–48 renewed emphasis on ethics, 13 sending positive nonverbal signals in, 67 techniques for improving nonverbal communication skills in, 67 trends affecting you in today’s, 7–13 Workplace listening, 58–62 Workplace meetings, planning and participating in face-to-face, 48–53 Workplace tweeting, 200 Works cited, 438, C-1, C-2 bibliography, C-2 MLA, C-3 World Bank, 96 World Trade Organization, 80 World Wide Web, 355–360 Worst- and best-case scenarios, 463 Wright, Daisy, 551 Writing, 139, 194, 222, 224, 230, 269, 280, 304, 317, 353, 404, 427 analytical reports, 412 composing, 114 direct requests and responses, 231 e-mail sales messages, 316–317 final tips, 438–448 formal business reports, 433–450 in teams, 124–128 informational reports, 399 instructions, 233 organizing, 114 persuasive claims, 305 persuasive messages within organizations, 307–311 phase of 3-x-3 writing process, 113, 114, 221, 259 proposals, 431 researching information, 114 short informational reports, 394–401 skills, style for reports, 339–341 team-based written and oral presentations, 480 winning proposals at Raytheon, 425, 431 Writing process (3-x-3), 112, 113– 114, 139 business messages, 112–114 e-mail, 224 evaluating, 114 in action, 223 negative news, 258–259 phase 1, 221 phase 2, 221 phase 3, 163–164, 221–223 positive messages, 220–223 prewriting, 113, 114 proofreading, 114 reports, 343–349 researching, 114 revising, 113, 114 sales messages, 311–312 scheduling, 114 slide presentations, 467–471 writing, 113, 114 Written communication, 18, 19 Written follow up, 92 Written messages computer tool for, 148 intercultural audiences, 92–93 Written presentations, organizing team-based, 479–481 See also Business presentations X Xerox, 99 Y Yahoo, 357, 358 Messenger, 197 Search, 357 Sports, 345 Yardstick reports, 407–411 compare alternatives, 407–411 See also Reports You view, 119–120 YouTube, 260, 516 Yum Brands, 163 Z Zappos.com, 208 Zara, 138 Zynga Game Network, 525 I-13 Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s) Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s) Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s) Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s) Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s) Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s) Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s) Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s) Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it Guffey … It’s Just That Easy With meguffey.com…It’s Just That Easy to Study and Improve Your Grade! Mastering workplace communication is now easier than ever Access numerous, robust study resources that complement your textbook at www.meguffey.com, and improve your business communication grade If you purchased a new textbook, access www.meguffey.com with these simple steps: Go to www.cengage.com/login Click on “Create My Account.” Select user type “Student.” Enter account information and the access code that comes with your textbook Record your e-mail address and password for future visits If you purchased a used textbook, the original access code for www.meguffey.com may have been used You can purchase access at www.meguffey.com www.meguffey.com Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s) Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it B U S I N E S S C O M M U N I C A T I O N : P R O C E S S A N D P R O D U C T , E Access these resources to improve your grade: “BEAT-THE-CLOCK” INTERACTIVE QUIZZES Get the extra practice you need to master chapter concepts and improve your writing skills with Beat the Clock quizzes that test your knowledge in a fun, interactive way! NEW WORKPLACE SIMULATIONS Polish your communication skills by solving realistic workplace problems, and gain practice using the latest workplace technology CHAPTER REVIEW QUIZZES Quizzing capabilities allow you to brush up on important chapter concepts throughout the course or just prior to exams Each quiz question includes feedback that further improves your understanding of important topics POWERPOINT REVIEWS For a review of important concepts from each chapter, access PowerPoint review slides from www.meguffey.com DOCUMENTS FOR ANALYSIS Avoid having to the extra work rekeying documents by downloading them from www.meguffey.com Or use these documents for additional practice, outside of what your instructor requires PERSONAL LANGUAGE TRAINER Personal Language Trainer is a comprehensive learning resource that ensures mastery of the grammar/mechanics required in the business communication course Take a diagnostic quiz to assess your current knowledge base Complete warmup activities and exercises to brush up on problem areas And test your knowledge via a comprehensive test so you can track your progress SPEAK RIGHT! / SPELL RIGHT! Improve your pronunciation and spelling skills by utilizing these interactive language resources FLASHCARDS Improve your vocabulary by using these interactive, online study aids WRITING RESOURCES This all-in-one resource includes references and links to online writing resources to help you more easily complete writing assignments Specifically, access Online Writing Labs, MLA and APA formats, report topics, and other valuable writing resources … AND, REMEMBER, WITH GUFFEY… IT’S JUST THAT EASY! www.meguffey.com Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s) Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it ... DataPro, 20 11), 22 5 FIGURE 11.15 FIGURE 11.16 50 39.3 100 Theme Parks 24 % 35% 43% 22 .7 21 .1 21 .0 Motion Pictures DVD & Blue-ray 26 .1 23 .8 50 31% 59% 25 % $15.8 20 12 25 20 10 20 08 20 12 2010 20 08 20 12 2010... INCOME, 20 08 TO 20 12 Figure 20 11 MPM INCOME BY DIVISION 40 20 08 $ 32. 2 $66.3 Millions of Dollars 30 24 .3 20 09 50.9 22 .0 20 10 20 67.6 20 11 78.5 10 20 12* 82. 2 Theme Parks Motion Pictures DVD & Blue-ray... 20 09 18.1 17.5 15.3 50.9 20 10 23 .8 21 .1 22 .7 67.6 20 11 32. 2 22 .0 24 .3 78.5 20 12 (projected) 35.1 21 .0 26 .1 82. 2 Source: Industry Profiles (New York: DataPro, 20 11) 22 5 trends You may have made