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Please find the INSTRUCTIONS attached and 2 SAMPLE REPORTS to guide you in making this report exactly the way the institution requires it to look. I am also including the grading rubric so you’ll know what to watch out for.
Also, note that I am submitting this via TURNITIN and therefore would not tolerate any form of plagiarism. I will test it with this website’s plagiarism checker before purchase. I will also run it on my own plagiarism software.
If you are confident of your writing, please then take this on. I need it tomorrow.
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Instructions for Graded Writing Assignment 3: Short Report
Readings:
• Lesikar’s Chapter 11, pages 339-359
• Sample Short Report, pages 350-358
• Lesikar, Appendix B, pages 615-620
Instructions:
For this final Graded Writing Assignment, you will compose a Short Report based on one of the
scenarios outlined below. You must choose one of the scenarios listed below; papers submitted
reflecting a scenario other than those listed below (even those listed in your text) will not be
given credit or graded.
Assignment Requirements:
Write your findings as a well-organized Short Report containing the following key elements:
• A title page
• Document headings to separate parts of the report
• At least two sources with brief in-text citations as shown in sample Short Report (pages
350-358)1
• Interpretation of your findings in terms of their likely significance to you and your
readers.
Assignment Notes:
• Create all pieces of the short report as one (1) document.
• The Short Report should be 1,200-1,500 words in length. Remember to focus on
content, not just writing to fill a word requirement.
• You will upload your finished document to the appropriate assignment in Business
Communications. Instructions on how to upload are available in the Topic 12
assignment area.
Scenarios:
Option 1) The graphic design shop where you work as the account manager is doing well. Just
last year, the owner hired three new designers and a receptionist, bringing the total number of
employees to 14. But with growth comes certain headaches, and one of them is figuring out
how to regulate employees’ Internet use. Currently, employees can download anything they
want from the Internet and view any web site they wish.
The owner’s IT person has alerted him to several problems. One is that the designers are
downloading any and all software that they think sounds “cool” —even software in beta
1 Please note that the sample shown in your book is a Mid-length Report and therefore contains some sections
that you will not need for the Short Report. For instance, you will not need the letter of transmittal or the
executive summary.
2
versions that still have a lot of kinks. As a result, their computers lock up or malfunction, and
the IT person has to spend hours troubleshooting the problem to get it resolved.
Two, there is concern over what Internet sites employees are viewing, specifically those that
are inappropriate for the workplace. Overall, the IT person is worried about security breaches
resulting from these downloads, inappropriate web site visits, and other Internet activities.
It’s time for a policy to be developed governing Internet-use, and your boss thinks you’re just
the person to help write it. Your assignment is to study the current wisdom on workplace
Internet policies and send your findings to your boss and the IT person as a short report,
including a proposed Internet-use policy that might be implemented.
Option 2) As a Senior Buyer at Darcy’s, a national department store, Sasha Warner manages the
buyers in the eastern U.S. region. You’re currently working under her as a sale co-op student.
She drops by your office to chat one day and brings up a subject she’s been wondering about.
“Do you know anything about Skype?” she asks. You nod, having used this online international
phone service yourself. “I heard it’s totally free and really easy to use,” she continues, “so I’m
thinking about recommending that all my buyers subscribe to it. Then maybe they could talk to
each other and to international designers and merchandisers more easily. Is there any
downside? Maybe security issues?” You’re not sure–but you offer to look into the matter for
her.
Do the necessary research, and, if you haven’t yet done so, try this service yourself and then
write Sasha a report giving her the information she needs to decide whether or not to pursue
this idea further. She may want to share your report with other managers in the company, so
be sure you give it your best effort.
Option 3) You work for the owner of three local coffee and tea shops, one of which opened a
few months ago. The newest one has already developed quite a nice, regular clientele, mostly
those in or near the neighborhood who want an alternative to the big-coffee-chain experience,
but your boss thinks its sales need a bump. She is considering holding an in-store promotion at
the coffee shop – her first ever. Since she knows you’re an Internet whiz, she turns to you for
help. “How do you run one of these events?” she wants to know. “How much do they cost? Are
they worth the effort and expense? What are my options? Do such promotions have lasting
effects? How can I maximize the results?”
You turn to the Internet and find a lot of great stuff about in-store promotions, so much, in fact,
that you decide to present your findings to your boss in writing. Tell her what she needs and
wants to know in a clear, well organized report. Having the information in writing will also be
helpful if she wants to share it with other employees. Be sure she can go to your sources and
read more if she wants to.
Option 4) Many managers today are realizing that there really is something distinctive about
“Gen Y,” or “Millennial,” employees (the children of the “baby boomers”–who were themselves
children of the World War II generation). Find a real client or invent a realistic company to use
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as your client. Then review the literature on Gen Y employees and write your client a report in
which you describe the distinctive traits of this segment of the workforce and recommend ways
to recruit, manage, and retain them.
Option 5) Your company does not offer flexible spending accounts (FSAs) for its employees.
Your boss wonders if your company (you pick the name) should. Are FSAs a good idea for
businesses and employees? Prepare a report for your boss in which you analyze the advantages
and disadvantages of FSAs so that she can decide whether to offer FSAs to your employees.
The Benefits and Risks of
Using Skype at Darcy’s:
A Short Report
September 20, 201
3
Prepared for:
Darcy’s Department Store
Prepared by:
Student Name
BUS10
5
2
Background
The East Coast buyers for Darcy’s Department Store are looking for an economical and
efficient way to share information about the deals buyers are getting from various
suppliers and use real-time transmission of that information between one another to
help save money.
There are a number of tools to do this, but Skype has been mentioned as a leading
contender. Skype claims to be an easy to use, online tool that allows users to connect
with any other Skype user around the world for free. A user can make video and voice
calls to other Skype users at no charge. Users can even share files among themselves,
which provides a great asset during a business meeting. However, when there are group
video calls, then Skype begins to charge a fee.
Also, for buyers throughout the East Coast, this tool can be useful if they need to talk
with one another. However, for meetings that require more than two attendees, Skype
is not a useful tool and is not intended to work that way for business.
Benefits
Among the most attractive benefits of Skype is that it is free and you can see the person
you are talking with. To purchase a software license for 20 buyers that is compatible to
what Skype can do will cost Darcy’s roughly $1,500 per month. There are no hidden
charges with Skype. According to Skype’s web page, users get video and voice calls to
other Skype users and “instant messaging and file sharing” all at no charge.
The video sharing feature of Skype will allow the buyers to see products in real time.
For example, if two buyers are looking at similar merchandise from two different
suppliers who are offering different pricing, then they can quickly Skype one another
and compare the product to see if it is the same and to then get the best pricing for it.
Two business writers for the Auburn Citizen in NY, state that there are business users
“who can save time and money in scheduling and holding conferences or training
sessions, demonstrate products or services for potential customers, and extend
customer service by showing customers how to get the most from your product” (Leon
and Leon).
Downsides
Despite the benefits mentioned above, there are clear downsides to this product. I
tested Skype over a one-week period by calling various Skype users throughout the East
Coast and tried to simulate a conversation that a buyer might have.
First, using Skype takes getting used to. During my five-day test, I never mastered the
connection stage. This is when one Skype user “calls” another Skype user. Skype makes
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a distinctive sound that lets the user know it is making a call. However, once you
connect to whom you are calling, the picture shows, but it takes about five seconds for
that picture to catch up with the person sitting there. In essence, it is a still picture for
five seconds.
Second, once I was connected to the user, I quickly realized that what I was saying was
not being transmitted in real-time. There could be up to a three second lag in what I
said and the user hearing it. This created a number of challenges, but the biggest one
was this lag kept the other user and me talking over each other. I just assumed the user
could not hear what I said, so I repeated myself. Of course, as soon as I spoke, then I
heard the user’s response to my original message, and thus began us talking over one
another. This was a persistent problem throughout my first two calls, but got better
once I became more familiar with the technology.
Third, the picture is grainy, like an old TV. In this world of high definition, the picture I
was getting with Skype looked like a 1970s television set. I could see the person fine,
but the lack of clarity was alarming. If buyers were trying to compare colors of a fabric,
for instance, that would be nearly impossible to do because of the degraded picture
quality.
Fourth, I experienced a number of connectivity issues throughout my test. I was only
able to connect immediately on four of my 10 test calls. On the others, I thought the
person picked up, but there was no one there, and I had to re-connect. This caused
frustration and made me want to discard Skype each time it happened. Also during
calls, it was not uncommon for the connection to be lost, and I would have to try and re-
connect again. I am not sure why this occurs, but it happened on nearly 40% of my calls.
Again, this caused a great deal of frustration.
Finally, there are concerns that the privacy of Skype users is being violated by Microsoft,
“Anyone who uses Skype has consented to the company reading everything they write”
(“Skype with Care).
Recommendation
The use of Skype really boils down to money. If we are trying to save money and need a
readily available, free solution, then Skype is a contender. However, even though it is
free, Skype poses a number of technology challenges that are outlined above. This
alone makes this technology untenable for our company. At the swift pace we move,
little challenges like the one Skype poses lead me to not recommend the product.
There are a number of other services we can use, including many instant messaging
programs that provide similar services as Skype, but do it better. We can even use
FaceTime, from Apple, that can be used on Macs, iPhones, iPads, and iPods, and most of
our buyers seem to have at least one of these products.
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In summary, although Skype is free, it does not meet the need we have to interconnect
buyers across the East Coast and allow them to quickly and efficiently conduct business.
I do not recommend Skype for Darcy’s buyers.
5
Works Cited
Leon, Norma, and Tony Leon. “Sky’s the limit for Skype video call uses.” The Citizen. N.p.,
Aug. 2013. Web. 20 Sept. 2013. limit-for-skype-video-call-uses/article_5454fb55-8c85-5817-909f-
43a729f04992.html. >.
“Skype with care – Microsoft is reading everything you write. .” The H Security. N.p., May 2013.
Web. 20 Sept. 2013. Microsoft-is-reading-everything-you-write-1862870.html>.
“What is Skype?.” Skype. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2013. skype/>.
Internet Usage Policy at
Pyramid:
A Short Report September 20, 2013
Prepared for:
Pyramid Design Team
Prepared by: Student Name
BUS105
Background
Pyramid Design Team began seven years ago as a small design firm with three
employees. The original employees were the owner and two designers. With this core
of three employees, each knew what was expected of the other, and official policies cut
against the grain of the creative atmosphere that was being fostered. Therefore, aside
from the founding document containing the mission of the company, there were no
policies put in place. This worked fine, until recently.
Within the last four years, Pyramid has hired 11 additional staff, including designers and
programmers. The company has been implementing new policies regarding vacation
time, holidays, and sexual harassment, for example, but there still exists no policy
governing the use of the Internet at work. Now that the company consists of 14
employees, I propose the creation and adoption of an Internet policy that will provide
employees with clear guidelines about its appropriate and sanctioned use at work.
Problem
The inappropriate use of the Internet is threefold. First, the designers and developers
are downloading beta versions of software from the Internet. Since this software is
often in beta, there can be, and have been, numerous problems with these types of free
downloads.
Our IT manager has seen a huge increase in Trojan viruses penetrating our system and
causing damage to our servers and other employees’ computers. He has spent
countless hours trying to find and remove these viruses and has expended thousands of
dollars in resources to call in technical specialists to eradicate the viruses.
The intent of the designers and developers was simply to get the latest software that
will allow them to create the best product. Unfortunately, that has not always been the
case, and some of these downloads are causing serious IT threats to our systems.
The new Internet policy needs to ban this practice and clearly state that nothing can be
downloaded from the Internet without the express consent of the IT manager and a
supervisor.
Second is the use of social media at work. The use of company computers by employees
to view Facebook, other social media, and streaming services has increased 200% in the
past 18 months! Some employees, for example, are logging-into Facebook when they
arrive at work and leaving the page running as a tab in their web browser, checking it
frequently throughout the day. This has decreased productivity. A study conducted by Nucleus Research and published
by Computerworld found that “Companies that allow users to access Facebook in the
workplace lose an average of 1.5% in total employee productivity, according to a new
report from Nucleus Research, an IT research company. The survey of 237 employees also showed that 77% of workers who have a Facebook account use it during work
hours.” Facebook is, of course, the biggest offender, but the policy needs to ban all
social media, such as Twitter, while at work.
The third area of concern involves streaming video services, such as Netflix, Amazon
Prime, and Hulu. Employees who eat lunch at their desk are using their computers to
watch videos from a streaming video provider. The problem arises when the employee
watching a video finds the content completely suitable, while a co-worker sitting
nearby, or passing by his or her desk, finds the content inappropriate. As this is a
subjective opinion, we can be opening ourselves up to a lawsuit for sexual harassment,
for instance, if a video contained nudity in it and the passerby saw it and became
threatened.
Although most employees are not falling into this category, it only takes one. Because
of this, we need to ban streaming videos.
Finally, there have been instances where pornography has been viewed on a company
computer. I am sure we all can agree that banning the use of viewing or downloading
any pornographic image using a company computer should be banned.
Solution
There needs to be a policy implemented where violations like these above can be dealt
with immediately. Depending on the severity of the infraction, we can have a tiered
system of punishment:
1. First Infraction – verbal warning There are many forms an Internet usage policy can take, but I suggest we keep it simple.
GFI, a company that provides IT solutions, provides a clear-cut policy for Internet usage
that details what company computers should, and should not, be used for:
• Company employees are expected to use the Internet responsibly and productively.
Internet access is limited to job-related activities only and personal use is not
permitted
• Job-related activities include research and educational tasks that may be found via
the Internet that would help in an employee’s role
• All Internet data that is composed, transmitted and/or received by computer systems is considered to belong to its official data. It is therefore subject to disclosure for legal reasons or to other
appropriate third parties
• The equipment, services and technology used to access the Internet are the property
of monitor and access data that is composed, sent or received through its online
connections
• Emails sent via the company email system should not contain content that is deemed
to be offensive. This includes, though is not restricted to, the use of vulgar or
harassing language/images
• All sites and downloads may be monitored and/or blocked by deemed to be harmful and/or not productive to business
• The installation of software such as instant messaging technology is strictly
prohibited
Unacceptable use of the Internet by employees includes, but is not limited to:
• Sending or posting discriminatory, harassing, or threatening messages or images on
the Internet or via • Using computers to perpetrate any form of fraud, and/or software, film or music
piracy
• Stealing, using, or disclosing someone else’s password without authorization
• Downloading, copying or pirating software and electronic files that are copyrighted
or without authorization
• Sharing confidential material, trade secrets, or proprietary information outside of the
organization
• Hacking into unauthorized websites
• Sending or posting information that is defamatory to the company, its
products/services, colleagues and/or customers
• Introducing malicious software onto the company network and/or jeopardizing the
security of the organization’s electronic communications systems
• Sending or posting chain letters, solicitations, or advertisements not related to
business purposes or activities
• Passing off personal views as representing those of the organization
Obviously, not all points made here are necessary, but this provides the best overview
of a policy that we can utilize to make our operations run more smoothly and
effectively. We can pick what we need and discard what does not apply. I suggest we
begin work on creating this policy within the next week and have it ready to implement
within one month. I am available at your convenience to discuss the creation of this
policy.
Works Cited
“Sample Internet Usage Policy.” GFI. GFI Software, n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2013.
“Study: Facebook Use Cuts Productivity at Work.” Computerworld. Computerworld, Inc.
22 July 2009. Web. 20 Sept. 2013. 9135795/Study_Facebook_use_cuts_productivity_at_work>
BUS105 (1) (2) (3)
Content Many key elements of the All key elements of the All key elements of the Organization Main points are unclear and Main points are clearly stated, Main points are clearly stated Support Points are not supported Most points are supported Main points are supported Tone & Style Word choice is informal and Word choice is directed Word choice is directed Grammar/Mechanics Many errors noted in Sentences are complete and Sentences are complete and
2. Second Infraction – written warning
3. Third Infraction – dismissal from the company
Needs Improvement
Satisfactory
Exemplary
assignment unmet. Content
not covered in a substantive
and/or comprehensive way.
Work reflects some
confusion with important
aspects of the assignment.
Student illustrates a lack of
understanding and insight of
assignment objectives.
assignment are met, but
content not always covered in
a substantive and/or
comprehensive way. Work
reflects a solid grasp of each
important aspect of the
assignment. Student
illustrates insight and
understanding of assignment
objectives.
assignment met. Content is
covered in a substantive and
comprehensive way with
each important aspect of the
assignment addressed.
Student illustrates insight and
understanding of assignment
objectives.
many are not sufficiently
supported. Ideas are not
logically arranged.
Construction of sentences
and paragraphs reflects
difficulty with organizing
coherent thoughts.
but not always supported.
Ideas are logically arranged,
but sentences and paragraphs
are not well-constructed.
Organization reflects coherent
thought, but transitions are
needed to help connect ideas.
and supported. Ideas are
logically arranged. Sentences
and paragraphs are well-
constructed. Organization
reflects coherent thought
with effective transitions
used to connect ideas.
(Support and
Elaboration)
with evidence. Student
does not make an effort to
anticipate the reader’s
concerns.
with evidence (facts, statistics
when applicable) and
examples.
Student makes an effort to
anticipate the reader’s
concerns by offering relevant
explanations and clear
support for the author’s
position.
with effective evidence
(facts, statistics when
applicable) and examples.
Student anticipates the
reader’s concerns by offering
relevant explanations and
clear support for the author’s
position.
(Professionalism)
is not directed towards
appropriate audience. Tone
and style are not
appropriate for assignment.
Font type and/or size are
not appropriate for
assignment. White space is
not used effectively.
towards the appropriate
audience, but some issues
related to tone and style
noted. Font type and size
choices may not be
appropriate for assignment.
White space is used
effectively.
towards the appropriate
audience. Tone and style are
appropriate for assignment.
Professional font type and
size for assignment purpose.
Effective use of white space.
sentence structure and/or
spelling. Rules of grammar,
usage, and punctuation not
followed. Documentation
style not used or formatting
contains several major
errors.
spelling is correct. Minor
grammar, usage, and/or
punctuation errors noted.
Appropriate documentation
style used where applicable
with some minor formatting
errors.
spelling is correct. Rules of
grammar, usage, and
punctuation followed.
Appropriate documentation
style used where applicable.
