Chapter 3: Organizing and Drafting Business Messages

Matthew must develop a proposal for his supervisor that will describe the cost savings for an automated call center. Where should he begin?

• Writing the proposal

• Locating other proposals that he can copy

• Researching the proposal

• Determining an appropriate layout

Before composing a business document, you should gather information that will answer which of these questions?

• Will I have enough time to complete thorough research?

• What is the receiver to do?

• What information will be the easiest to locate?

• How will I use this information?

Formal research methods are generally required for what type(s) of business document(s)?

• Routine e-mail messages

• Routine memos

• Long reports and complex business problems

• All of these choices would require formal research.

Which of the following is a formal research method?

• Talking with your boss

• Organizing a focus group

• Brainstorming

• Looking in company files

Which formal research source is best to obtain firsthand information?

• 1. Internet Web sites and articles

• 2. Reference books

• 2. Electronic databases

• 2. Interviews

Stephanie is preparing a market analysis for her business plan. For firsthand information she should

• search manually in her local library.

• conduct interviews and surveys or organize a focus group.

• search the Internet for related Web sites.

• review scientific experiments conducted by experts.

Quality Building Materials Inc. has developed a new whole-house weather blanket and needs to determine the price point at which builders would switch to this new product. The best research method for this is a(n)

• manual search of other companies' price lists.

• interview with a local builder.

• Internet search of insulation values for weather blankets.

• scientific experiment that presents price choices with controlled variables.

As interns in human resource management, Brad and his team are administering a professionally developed employee questionnaire to collect information on workplace violence. This type of research produces data that is considered

• firsthand information.

• informal documentation.

• supplementary, secondary information.

Ahna is sending a persuasive memo to her staff asking them to participate in the new wellness program. Which of the following sources of information would be most

appropriate to help Ahna shape an effective persuasive message for her staff?

• 1. Tightly controlled scientific experimentation

• 2. Library research rooms

• 2. Questionnaires and surveys of employees

• 2. Research in company files

Many routine writing tasks such as composing e-mail messages or informational reports require that you collect information informally by

• conducting extensive Web research.

• conducting a scientific experiment.

• looking in the files.

• searching a variety of books, journals, or magazines.