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GUF Jazz Performance Essay
Jazz Performance Essay #3 – Contemporary Jazz
• Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis - The Musi ...
GUF Jazz Performance Essay
Jazz Performance Essay #3 – Contemporary Jazz
• Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis - The Music of Benny Goodman
o
• Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis - The Music of Dave Brubeck
o
• Chick Corea Akoustic Band
o
• Diana Krall
o
• The Brecker Brothers
o
• Joshua Redman
o
• Roy Hargrove
o
Instructions:
By observing live jazz performances and concerts, students become exposed to a diverse range of jazz musicians and music from various composers and arrangers. In addition to further developing a broad range of musical interests and tastes, it is also essential for students to describe and express the experience of a live performance through written format.
Step#1
For this assignment, select ONE YouTube video from the list and submit an essay on that performance
Step#2
While reviewing your selected jazz performance, take notes on the songs as they are played. Write down sentence fragments that describe your observations concerning such musical aspects as melody, harmony, rhythm, improvisations, form, texture, arrangement, overall ensemble dialogue, interaction, and stylistic details. This information will serve as the basis for your essay.
In your essay, summarize your experience, explain aspects of the performance you liked or disliked – and explain why. I am primarily interested in your personal conclusions and thoughts based on concepts you have learned in this course related to jazz performance, group interaction, and improvisations. First, compose a rough draft. Begin with general information about the performance, including who performed, where the event was held, and any other essential details about the concert that you can provide.
Underscore the songs that you preferred the most and talk about anything that you liked the least, the makeup, and the overall tone of the performance. It is crucial to coordinate the emotion of the piece with how you depict each song. Then, conclude your paper by recapping the event and provide an overall reflection. Lastly, proofread your essay and correct any grammatical and structural issues before submitting the finished document
3 pages
Energy Storage
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Energy Storage
Driven by what residential solar power can do for homes and small businesses, home energy storage is continuing to grow at its highest in ...
Physics Lab 1
PH220.Lab_Instructions (1).odt Lab1.odt Tutorial_instructions_1.docPH220B_Lab_Project_Answer_Sheet (2).docMotion Lab1 ...
Physics Lab 1
PH220.Lab_Instructions (1).odt Lab1.odt Tutorial_instructions_1.docPH220B_Lab_Project_Answer_Sheet (2).docMotion Lab1 (Seetextbook pages 36-39, Chapter 2, Lesson 2) involves the graphicalanalysis of velocity. This simulation can be downloaded fromGrantham’s Website under PH220. Simulations”; its file name is“EXP #1 C1 IP.ip”. Fill in the data table, and answers for theblanks and complete the graph (properly labeled and annotated) in theLab Answer Sheet at the end of this lab. Runthe simulation. You will use the data from the “Time”and “position” measurement tables to fill in the data table belowat the indicated times. Then graph the data on the graph paperprovided (Lab Answer Sheet) in order to construct a d-t or x-tgraph. Calculate your answers onto the Lab Answer sheet to behanded in after all seven (7) labs are completed. Graph,analyze, and annotate your data from your data table on the graphpaper provided on your Lab Answer Sheet.
Module 5 Russian Oligarchs Discussion
For Discussion Forum 5, please address any of the questions below. As always: you are required to make a minimum of THREE ...
Module 5 Russian Oligarchs Discussion
For Discussion Forum 5, please address any of the questions below. As always: you are required to make a minimum of THREE (3) posts per module. At least one of your three posts should be your own original comment; at least one – should be a response to or comment on something another classmate has posted; the third post can be either your own original post or a comment on a classmate’s post. Keep in mind that your response should NOT simply be a summary of the assigned reading. A higher grade will be awarded to posts that demonstrate student’s ability to provide an original interpretation of the topic while also applying relevant concepts, issues, and theories covered in the module.1. It appears that Mikhail Khodorkovsky has quite a number of images in Russian cultural discourse. He is the oligarch who "stole money from the Russians." He is also a martyr and "a prisoner of conscience" who suffered from Putin's regime. And yet again, he is the opposition leader trying to rally his Russian compatriots in the blogosphere. Based on this module's readings and videos, explain how these (and perhaps other?) images co-exist as part of Russia's collective perception of Khodorkovsky. Do you feel that the director of the film Khodorkovsky takes a particular stance towards this former oligarch?2. The film Khodorkovsky begins with a group of young people stating that they either don't know who Khodorkovsky is or explaining that he is the person who stole lots of money from Russia. Khodorkovsky himself admits that in the 1990s he was far from being "saintly," yet claims that - at the time - he was simply playing by the rules of his society. The sentiment that Khodorkovsky (and other oligarchs) are basically corrupt tycoons with criminal associations, who promoted their private interests against their country's well-being, is quite common in today's Russia. Based on your readings and video materials, discuss why Russians might feel this way towards Khodorkovsky.3. Discuss how patterns and functions of advertisement in Russia changed from Soviet to post-Soviet times. What new ads appeared in the Putin era? From what you have read and studied so far, how is Soviet and today's Russian advertisement different from what a Western consumer is used to? Discuss any one of the advertisement campaigns that Birgit Beumers desccribes in her essay "Consumer Culture": how is this specific ad similar to or different from what a Western consumer sees?4. Here's a question meant for the economics / business majors among us. How do you think Bolris Yeltsin's economic policies of the early 1990's (especially the economic shock therapy) allow for the emergence of Russia's oligarchs? Give specific examples from the readings and video materials of the course.5. From what you have understood from this module (and other readings in this course), what is the nature of the relationship between the economy and politics in Russia? What was the significance of oligarchs in Russia of Boris Yeltsin? Has this significance changed under Vladimir Putin's presidency?6. What particularly surprised you in this module's readings and viewings? What new insights did you gain into the world of contemporary Russia and Russians? Give specific examples from the readings / viewings.
Healthier ways of coping with stress Psychology Assignment
hoose ONE of the following options for this assignment:Option 1:Pretend that you have been called as an expert witness for ...
Healthier ways of coping with stress Psychology Assignment
hoose ONE of the following options for this assignment:Option 1:Pretend that you have been called as an expert witness for the defense to discredit an eyewitness. Based on your knowledge of social psychological research, think of at least five reasons the eyewitness cannot be trusted. Cite psychological research and then use your creativity to explain how it applies to the case you are testifying for. In other words, explain the social psychological concept and then give an example of how something that happened to the eyewitness might suggest he is not the best witness. In addition, comment on which of the findings about eyewitness testimony you personally found the most surprising or interesting and why.Write a brief essay in which you answer the questions above and explain to the jury why the eyewitness is flawed.Write your essay in a word processing program and save the essay to your computer as a .docx file. This is the format we will use for most essays in this course.Click the link to Applying Social Psychology Assignment below and attach your .docx file. Be sure to click the Submit button or I will not receive your file.Option 2:Pretend that you are a defense lawyer and your client has been found guilty. You are trying to appeal the case arguing that the jury was biased toward guilt. Make at least five arguments of things that went on during the trial that could have biased the jury toward guilt (e.g. death qualification, inadmissible testimony, etc.) Cite psychological research and then use your creativity to explain how it applies to the case you are testifying for. In other words, explain how specific things that happened during the trial might suggest the need for a retrial. In addition, comment on which of the research findings about the trial process you personally found the most surprising or interesting and why.Write a brief essay in which you answer the questions above and explain to the judge your client did not receive a fair trial.Write your essay in a word processing program and save the essay to your computer as a .docx file. This is the format we will use for most essays in this course.Click the link to Applying Social Psychology Assignment below and attach your .docx file. Be sure to click the Submit button or I will not receive your file.Option 3Review the various strategies and methods for coping with stress presented in Chapter 14.Write a brief essay in which you describe at least four coping methods and identify which of them you use, when you use them, and how effective you find them to be. Use concepts from the entire chapter (e.g. problem-focused coping, opening up, social support, etc)- not just Table 14.3. In addition, comment on any changes that you might make to improve your ability to deal with stress and if there is anything you learned that changed the way you think about stress.Write your essay in a word processing program and save the essay to your computer as a .docx file. This is the format we will use for most essays in this course.Click the link to Applying Social Psychology Assignment below and attach your .docx file. Be sure to click the Submit button or I will not receive your file.PurposeOption 1 and 2 are designed for you to define and creatively apply what you have learned about social psychological factors that impact eyewitness testimony and court proceedings. Option 3 is designed to facilitate your understanding of stress as well as your ability to effectively cope with stressful situations. This will be accomplished by articulating coping strategies and analyzing their effectiveness.
Speedier Service at Stellato Family Pizza Team Project, homework help
This is a team activity and we will be working on this through our gmail account. I will need help on this and as soon ...
Speedier Service at Stellato Family Pizza Team Project, homework help
This is a team activity and we will be working on this through our gmail account. I will need help on this and as soon as I get the information from who our team members are I will give you the information. I will send you the email on what we are going to do and then maybe you can make some suggestions for me. ThanksTeam
Activity:
As a
requirement for the course, students will work collaboratively using Google
Docs to prepare a group project worth
50 points. Information for working in google docs
will be described on page 5 of this document titled, Getting Started with Google Docs. Students will begin the group project by
reviewing Activity 12.25, Justification/Recommendation Report:
Speedier Service at Stellato Family Pizza on page 457 of the Guffey
textbook. After gaining an overview of the assignment,
students will begin the project by creating a Work Plan, similar to the Work
Plan described on page 383-385 of the textbook.
A template for the Work Plan is provided below.
Students
are to complete the section of the assignment titled Your Task on page 458 of the textbook. The Your Task section explains that the
group members are to work together to provide recommendations and conclusions
to Mrs. Stellato about her business. To
successfully complete this project, in addition to the memo required, students
will provide visual aids, to tabulate and analyze data, and include effective
graphics to clarify data, create visual interest, and to make numerical data
meaningful.
Note: This is a group project so there is one
project and one work plan submitted for
each group.
Grading
Team Activity.
Up to 50 points and can be earned by
successfully completing the group project.
Getting
Started:
Students will be assigned to groups by the instructor
Students decide on a group leader
All students will create a Gmail account (see the link
provided on page 6 of this document)
The instructor
will create a Gmail account and share with all students
in the class.
All members of the group will need to share their
Gmail account with other group members. (not
the entire class, only their group
members. However, the instructor will
share his/her Gmail account with all students)
The group leader will begin the Work Plan (see page 3
of this document) and share with other group members. All group members will work collaboratively
through Google Docs to complete the Work Plan.
Read chapters 11 and 12 in the textbook
Read the Activity 12.25 on page 457
Discuss the Activity and your approach to complete
the Activity with group members
Review the Work Plan information on pages 383-385
Analyze the Problem and the Purpose of the scenario
provided (this will be identified on the Work Plan) Reference page 380-381 for
assistance.
Review and complete the Work Plan template with your
group
Analyze all the information provided in the Activity
As a group, from the information provided; decide on
the conclusions and recommendation
Create effective graphics to tabulate and analyze
data, and to clarify data, create visual interest, and make numerical data
meaningful to the audience.
As a group, write an informational report with
graphics providing the group’s recommendations, conclusions.
Note:
Please read chapter 11 and chapter 12 in its entirety. There is much valuable information provided in the chapters in terms of writing
the report, drawing conclusions and recommendations and including
graphics. You may find other elements such
as a yard stick report that may help deliver your message.
Work Plan
Stellato Family Pizza
Statement
of Problem
Statement
of Purpose
Research
Strategy
Tentative
Outline
Work
Schedule with Dates
Note: The work plan is due (TBA) prior to the final project, but is not included
with the final submission of the paper.
Rubric Business Report
Poor
0 pts
Fair
5 pts
Good
8 pts
Excellent
10 pts
Analyzed Data
Poor
Students showed little understanding of the data provided and made no attempt
to utilize data to draw appropriate conclusions and recommendations.
Fair
Students had some understanding of the data provided. Students attempt to identify trends to draw
conclusions and recommendations from the data, but there are inaccuracies.
Good
Students are able to understand data provided and identify trends to draw
conclusions and recommendations from the data. Students select visual methods of
presenting data.
Excellent
Students are able to identify trends and draw suitable and accurate conclusions
from the data. Students selected
suitable visual methods of presenting data.
Conclusion
Poor
Does not summarize data with respect to
problem statement. Does not discuss the impact of t data provided.
Fair
Some integration with problem
statement. Discussed impact of data
provided
Good
Strong review of key conclusions. Strong integration with problem statement. Discusses impact of data provided
Excellent
Strong review of key conclusions.
Strong integration with problem statement. Insightful discussion of impact of the
information provided.
Recommendation
Poor
Simplistic statement of content. Approach to the recommendation is not
evident or not well represented. Recommendation is unsupported or represents
poor decision making.
Fair
Development of content is incomplete or unclear. Lacking discussion of findings. Recommendation is based on too little
information.
Good
Development of content is adequate. Information is clearly presented but may
be better organized and presented. Recommendation is reasonable.
Excellent
Full and rich development of content including problem, background. Tables and charts clearly and accurately
represent data gathered to support findings. Recommendation is well supported
and represents critical thinking skills.
Graphics
Poor
No
graphics are used to
present data
analysis and results.
Fair
Some graphics are used to
present data
analysis and results for data sources. The visual aids were limited or
ineffective.
Good
Graphics are used to explain the relationship between
data.
Excellent
Provides visual aids, to tabulate and
analyze data, and include effective graphics to clarify data, create visual
interest, and make numerical data meaningful.
Organization/Formatting/Conventions
Poor
Attention to formatting is not apparent.
Does not
use APA format guidelines.
Editing and revising not apparent.
Fair
Formatting was not in a logical sequence. No headings or sections are shown.
Lacks a professional appearance.
Multiple or repetitive errors interfere with readability
of the document.
Good
Generic headings are used. The document is readable
but some information in long paragraphs could be placed in tables or charts.
Grammar, spelling and punctuation errors are found,
but do not interfere with the meaning or readability of the document.
Excellent
Logical outline format or section headings are used to make the document
readable. Well-crafted tables, charts or graphs are used where appropriate.
Appearance is high quality and professional.
Free of all grammar, spelling and punctuation errors. Professional writing
style is utilized.
Getting
Started with Google Docs
Google Docsis a free, web-based office suite offered byGooglewithin itsGoogleDrive service. It was formerly a
storage service as well, but has since
been replaced byGoogleDrive. It allows users to create and
edit documents online while collaborating with other users live. The following links will provide instructions
for creating a Gmail account and creating, sharing and storing documents! https://drive.google.com/
Watch this video
first for overview of Google Docs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRqUE6IHTEA
Google
Docs How to Tutorial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMqdex3KDQM
How
to create a Gmail account
http://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Gmail-Account
Sharing
in Google Docs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POIR37Hmydg
Introduction
to Google Docs (pdf file)
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/download/nwp_file/10707/Letters_Help_Guide_1.pdf?x-r=pcfile_d
Google
Drive and Doc Tutorials
http://www.gcflearnfree.org/googledriveanddocsJustification/Recommendation Report: Speedier Service at Stellato Family Pizza* (Obj. 5)You work for Carmine Stellato, the owner of Stellato Family Pizza, a small, casual pizza shop he founded 33 years ago. Its signature items are eight-inch-diameter individual pizzas. The pizza shop also serves mozzarella sticks, wings, and assorted beverages.The pizza shop is located in the warehouse district of Indianapolis, where it originally served truckers who delivered their meat, fruits, and vegetables in the middle of the night and then whisked off to the next city. Truckers loved the satisfying and filling pizza because it provided them with lots of energy on those tedious late-night runs. Later the pizza shop caught on with the nightclub crowd and with students who studied late. The shop opens at 10 p.m. and closes at 6 a.m.The concept was a resounding success. However, success brings competition. Three imitators opened their pizza shops within a five-mile radius of Stellato Family Pizza. You know that the family has been using the same delivery system for years, and you know service could be faster. You also notice that new pizza shops are receiving orders via smartphones.The current system at Stellato’s begins with a counter clerk recording the customer’s order and table number on a ticket. The customer pays, and the counter person gives the order to the pizza makers. The pizza makers remove the dough from the refrigerator, shape it, add the sauce and other ingredients, put the pie in the oven, and remove it from the oven when baked. The counter clerk then takes the order to the customer’s table. Stellato Family Pizza has three counter clerks, two pizza makers, and one cash register that the counter clerks share. It takes two minutes to prep a pizza before it can go in the oven. The pizza shop uses an outdated Rankin Model D85 pizza deck oven, which cooks a pizza in seven minutes.You think the entire system is inefficient, and when you discuss the problem with Mr. Stellato, he says, “Although the original ways are familiar to me, I see that the time for improvement has come.”You suggest observing the three competitors’ systems of serving customers to understand why their service is faster. Currently, the average time it takes a customer to receive an order at Stellato Family Pizza is 16 minutes. The following are notes from your observations of the competitors.DeNunzio PizzaSimilar menuOrders are taken using an electronic system that includes the customer’s numberCustomers pay immediatelyCustomers pick up their orders after their numbers have been calledTwo counter clerks at one register; two pizza makersPreprepared dough; prep time: one minuteOne state-of-the art Elite Chef Model BFE-28 convection oven—five minutes to cook a pizzaAverage time a customer waits to receive an order: ten minutesCapriotti’sSimilar menuOrder takers call out the menu item as the order is takenCustomers pay immediatelyCustomers wait at the counter to pick up their ordersThree counter employees at three registers; two pizza makersPreprepared dough; prep time: one minuteOne state-of-the art Elite Chef Model BFE-28 convection oven—five minutes to cook a pizzaAverage time a customer waits to receive an order: eight minutesHip Hop Pizza ShopSimilar menuTickets are used to record the customers’ ordersCustomers pay immediatelyCounter staff employees take the order to customers’ tablesThree counter staff employees, two pizza makers, and one cash registerPizza prep the same as Stellato Family Pizza: two minutesOne DeLong Model FC30 pizza deck oven—six minutes to cook a pizzaAverage time a customer waits to receive an order: 15 minutesYour Task. Now it is up to you to analyze the data you have collected. In a short memo report to Carmine Stellato, present your findings, discuss your conclusions, and make recommendations, including a recommendation on how Stellato’s might gain a competitive edge by enabling its customers to use some of the most recent technology to order their food. You may want to present the data using visual aids, but you also realize that you must emphasize the important findings by presenting them in an easy-to-read list.11-2cPreparing a Work Plan
After analyzing the
problem, anticipating the audience, and factoring the problem, you are ready to
prepare a work plan. A good work plan
includes the following:
·
Statement of the problem (based on
key background/contextual information)
·
Statement of the purpose including scope with limitations and
significance
·
Research strategy including a description of potential sources
and methods of collecting data
·
Tentative outline that factors the problem into manageable
chunks
·
Work schedule
Preparing a plan
encourages you to evaluate your resources, set priorities, outline a course of
action, and establish a schedule. Having a plan keeps you on track and provides
management a means of measuring your progress.
A work plan gives a
complete picture of a project. Because the usefulness and quality of any report
rest primarily on its data, you will want to develop a clear research strategy,
which includes allocating plenty of time to locate sources of information. For
firsthand information you might interview people, prepare
a survey, or even conduct a
scientific experiment. For secondary information you will probably search electronic
materials on the Internet and printed materials such as books and magazines. Your
work plan describes how you expect to generate or collect data. Because data
collection is a major part of report writing, the next section of this chapter
treats the topic more fully.
Figure 11.6 shows a complete
work plan for a proposal pitched by social marketing company BzzAgent’s
advertising executive Dave Balter to his client Lee Jeans. A work plan is
useful because it outlines the issues to be investigated. Notice that
considerable thought and discussion and even some preliminary research are
necessary to be able to develop a useful
work plan.
Figure 11.6Work Plan for a Formal Report
[img border="0" width="21" height="21" src="file:///C:/Users/JACKIE~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.png" alt="Enlarge Image" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_1">
© Cengage Learning 2015
Although this tentative
outline guides the investigation, it does not determine the content or order of
the final report. You may, for example, study five possible solutions to a
problem. If two prove to be useless, your report may discuss only the three winners.
Moreover, you will organize the report to accomplish your goal and satisfy the
audience. A busy executive who is familiar with a topic may prefer to read the
conclusions and recommendations before a discussion of the findings. If someone
authorizes the report, be sure to review the work plan with that person (your manager, client, or professor, for example)
before proceeding with the project.
Chapters
Identifying
Secondary Sources and Conducting Primary Research
Learning Objective3
Locate
and evaluate secondary sources such as databases and Web resources, and
understand how to conduct credible primary research.
Research,
or the gathering of information, is one of the most important steps in writing
a report. As the philosopher Goethe once said: “The greater part of all
mischief in the world arises from the fact that men do not sufficiently understand
their own aims. They have undertaken to build a tower, and spend no more labor
on the foundation than would be necessary to erect a hut.” Think of your report
as a tower. Because a report is only as good as its foundation—the questions
you ask and the data you gather to answer those questions—the
remainder of this chapter describes the fundamental work of finding, documenting,
and illustrating data.
Chicago
is the “Windy City” and New Orleans is the “Big Easy,” but what is Glendale,
California? Boring. That’s what municipal
branding firm North Star Destination Strategies found after conducting a
yearlong study on the inconspicuous
neighbor of Pasadena and Burbank. To improve Glendale’s image, North Star
recommended that city council leaders adopt “Your Life. Animated,” a
marketing-and-development campaign designed to rebrand Glendale as the home of
DreamWorks Animation, the creative studio behind such delightful movies as Shrek and Kung Fu
Panda. Which type of research data would be best at helping cities
evaluate their strengths and weaknesses?[img border="0" width="12" height="12" src="file:///C:/Users/JACKIE~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image002.png" alt="http://ng.cengage.com/static/nbapps/glossary/images/footstar.png" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_2">
Figure 11.6 shows
a complete work plan for a proposal pitched by social marketing company
BzzAgent’s advertising executive Dave Balter to his client Lee Jeans. A work
plan is useful because it outlines the issues to be investigated. Notice that
considerable thought and discussion and even some preliminary research are
necessary to be able to develop a useful
work plan.
Figure 11.6Work Plan for a Formal Report
© Photos 12/Alamy
As you
analyze a report’s purpose and audience and prepare your research strategy, you
will identify and assess the data you need to support your argument or explain
your topic. As you do, you will answer questions about your objectives and
audience: Will the audience need a lot of background
or contextual information? Will your readers value or trust statistics, case
studies, or expert opinions? Will they want to see data from interviews or
surveys? Will summaries of focus groups be useful? Should you rely on organizational data? Figure 11.7 lists five forms of data and provides
questions to guide you in making your research accurate and productive.
Figure 11.7
Gathering and Selecting Report Data
Form of Data
Questions to Ask
Background or historical
How much do my readers know about the
problem?
Has this topic/issue been investigated
before?
Are those sources current, relevant, and/or
credible?
Will I need to add to the available data?
Statistical
What or who is the source?
How recent are the data?
How were the figures derived?
Will this data be useful in this form?
Expert opinion
Who are the experts?
What are their biases?
Are their opinions in print?
Are they available for interviewing?
Do we have in-house experts?
Individual or group opinion
Whose opinion(s) would the readers value?
Have surveys or interviews been conducted on
this topic?
If not, do questionnaires or surveys exist
that I can modify and/or use?
Would focus groups provide useful
information?
Organizational
What are the proper channels for obtaining
in-house data?
Are permissions required?
How can I learn about public and private
companies?
[img border="0" width="21" height="21" src="file:///C:/Users/JACKIE~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.png" alt="Enlarge Table" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_3">
© Cengage Learning 2015
Applying the 3-x-3 Writing Process to Contemporary ReportsLearning Objective2Apply the 3-x-3 writing process to contemporary business reports to create well-organized documents that show a firm grasp of audience and purpose.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 writers are 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: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: Edit, 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 Emily Mason develop a report she’s preparing for her boss, Joshua Nichols, at Pharmgen Laboratories. Joshua asked Emily to investigate the problem of transportation for sales representatives. Currently, some Pharmgen 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 Pharmgen leasing agreements for 14 cars expire, and Joshua is considering a major change. Emily’s task is to investigate the choices and report her findings to Joshua.11-2aAnalyzing the Problem and PurposeThe 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, Emily had many questions: Is the problem that Pharmgen is spending too much money on leased cars? Does Pharmgen wish to invest in owning a fleet of cars? Is Joshua 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, Emily talked with Joshua 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 Joshua.Problem statement: The leases on all company cars will be expiring in three months. Pharmgen 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.Emily further defined the problem by writing a specific question that she would try to answer in her report:Problem question: What plan should Pharmgen follow in providing transportation for its sales reps?Now Emily was ready to concentrate on the purpose of the report. Again, she had questions: Exactly what did Joshua 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 do 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 Joshua, Emily 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.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 Emily’s statement begins with the action verbrecommend.Some reports require only a simple statement of purpose: to investigate expanded teller hours, to select a manager from among four candidates, to describe the position of accounts supervisor. Many assignments, though, demand additional focus to guide the project. An expanded statement of purpose considers three additional factors: scope, limitations, and significance.Scope and Limitations. What issues or elements will be investigated? The scopestatement prepares the audience by clearly defining which problem or problems will be analyzed and solved. To determine the scope, Emily brainstormed with Joshua and others to pin down her task. She learned that Pharmgen currently had enough capital to consider purchasing a fleet of cars outright. Joshua also told her that employee satisfaction was almost as important as cost-effectiveness. Moreover, he disclosed his suspicion that employee-owned cars were costing Pharmgen more than leased cars. Emily had many issues to sort out in setting the boundaries of her report.What conditions affect the generalizability and utility of a report’s findings? As part of the scope statement, the limitations further narrow the subject by focusing on constraints or exclusions. For this report Emily realized that her conclusions and recommendations might apply only to reps in her Kansas City sales district. Her findings would probably not be reliable for reps in Seattle, Phoenix, or Atlanta. Another limitation for Emily was time. She had to complete the report in four weeks, thus restricting the thoroughness of her research.Significance. Why is the topic worth investigating at this time? Some topics, after initial examination, turn out to be less important than originally thought. Others involve problems that cannot be solved, making a study useless. For Emily and Joshua the problem had significance because Pharmgen’s leasing agreement would expire shortly and decisions had to be made about a new policy for transportation of sales reps.Emily decided to expand her statement of purpose to define the scope, describe the limitations of the report, and explain the significance of the problem.Expanded statement of purpose: The purpose of this report is to recommend a plan that provides sales reps with cars to be used in their calls. The report will compare costs for three plans: outright ownership, leasing, and compensation for employee-owned cars. It will also measure employee reactions to each plan. The report is significant because Pharmgen’s current leasing agreement expires March 31 and an improved plan could reduce costs and paperwork. The study is limited to costs for sales reps in the Kansas City district.After expanding her statement of purpose, Emily checked it with Joshua Nichols to be sure she was on target.
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Instructions:
By observing live jazz performances and concerts, students become exposed to a diverse range of jazz musicians and music from various composers and arrangers. In addition to further developing a broad range of musical interests and tastes, it is also essential for students to describe and express the experience of a live performance through written format.
Step#1
For this assignment, select ONE YouTube video from the list and submit an essay on that performance
Step#2
While reviewing your selected jazz performance, take notes on the songs as they are played. Write down sentence fragments that describe your observations concerning such musical aspects as melody, harmony, rhythm, improvisations, form, texture, arrangement, overall ensemble dialogue, interaction, and stylistic details. This information will serve as the basis for your essay.
In your essay, summarize your experience, explain aspects of the performance you liked or disliked – and explain why. I am primarily interested in your personal conclusions and thoughts based on concepts you have learned in this course related to jazz performance, group interaction, and improvisations. First, compose a rough draft. Begin with general information about the performance, including who performed, where the event was held, and any other essential details about the concert that you can provide.
Underscore the songs that you preferred the most and talk about anything that you liked the least, the makeup, and the overall tone of the performance. It is crucial to coordinate the emotion of the piece with how you depict each song. Then, conclude your paper by recapping the event and provide an overall reflection. Lastly, proofread your essay and correct any grammatical and structural issues before submitting the finished document
3 pages
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Module 5 Russian Oligarchs Discussion
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For Discussion Forum 5, please address any of the questions below. As always: you are required to make a minimum of THREE (3) posts per module. At least one of your three posts should be your own original comment; at least one – should be a response to or comment on something another classmate has posted; the third post can be either your own original post or a comment on a classmate’s post. Keep in mind that your response should NOT simply be a summary of the assigned reading. A higher grade will be awarded to posts that demonstrate student’s ability to provide an original interpretation of the topic while also applying relevant concepts, issues, and theories covered in the module.1. It appears that Mikhail Khodorkovsky has quite a number of images in Russian cultural discourse. He is the oligarch who "stole money from the Russians." He is also a martyr and "a prisoner of conscience" who suffered from Putin's regime. And yet again, he is the opposition leader trying to rally his Russian compatriots in the blogosphere. Based on this module's readings and videos, explain how these (and perhaps other?) images co-exist as part of Russia's collective perception of Khodorkovsky. Do you feel that the director of the film Khodorkovsky takes a particular stance towards this former oligarch?2. The film Khodorkovsky begins with a group of young people stating that they either don't know who Khodorkovsky is or explaining that he is the person who stole lots of money from Russia. Khodorkovsky himself admits that in the 1990s he was far from being "saintly," yet claims that - at the time - he was simply playing by the rules of his society. The sentiment that Khodorkovsky (and other oligarchs) are basically corrupt tycoons with criminal associations, who promoted their private interests against their country's well-being, is quite common in today's Russia. Based on your readings and video materials, discuss why Russians might feel this way towards Khodorkovsky.3. Discuss how patterns and functions of advertisement in Russia changed from Soviet to post-Soviet times. What new ads appeared in the Putin era? From what you have read and studied so far, how is Soviet and today's Russian advertisement different from what a Western consumer is used to? Discuss any one of the advertisement campaigns that Birgit Beumers desccribes in her essay "Consumer Culture": how is this specific ad similar to or different from what a Western consumer sees?4. Here's a question meant for the economics / business majors among us. How do you think Bolris Yeltsin's economic policies of the early 1990's (especially the economic shock therapy) allow for the emergence of Russia's oligarchs? Give specific examples from the readings and video materials of the course.5. From what you have understood from this module (and other readings in this course), what is the nature of the relationship between the economy and politics in Russia? What was the significance of oligarchs in Russia of Boris Yeltsin? Has this significance changed under Vladimir Putin's presidency?6. What particularly surprised you in this module's readings and viewings? What new insights did you gain into the world of contemporary Russia and Russians? Give specific examples from the readings / viewings.
Healthier ways of coping with stress Psychology Assignment
hoose ONE of the following options for this assignment:Option 1:Pretend that you have been called as an expert witness for ...
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hoose ONE of the following options for this assignment:Option 1:Pretend that you have been called as an expert witness for the defense to discredit an eyewitness. Based on your knowledge of social psychological research, think of at least five reasons the eyewitness cannot be trusted. Cite psychological research and then use your creativity to explain how it applies to the case you are testifying for. In other words, explain the social psychological concept and then give an example of how something that happened to the eyewitness might suggest he is not the best witness. In addition, comment on which of the findings about eyewitness testimony you personally found the most surprising or interesting and why.Write a brief essay in which you answer the questions above and explain to the jury why the eyewitness is flawed.Write your essay in a word processing program and save the essay to your computer as a .docx file. This is the format we will use for most essays in this course.Click the link to Applying Social Psychology Assignment below and attach your .docx file. Be sure to click the Submit button or I will not receive your file.Option 2:Pretend that you are a defense lawyer and your client has been found guilty. You are trying to appeal the case arguing that the jury was biased toward guilt. Make at least five arguments of things that went on during the trial that could have biased the jury toward guilt (e.g. death qualification, inadmissible testimony, etc.) Cite psychological research and then use your creativity to explain how it applies to the case you are testifying for. In other words, explain how specific things that happened during the trial might suggest the need for a retrial. In addition, comment on which of the research findings about the trial process you personally found the most surprising or interesting and why.Write a brief essay in which you answer the questions above and explain to the judge your client did not receive a fair trial.Write your essay in a word processing program and save the essay to your computer as a .docx file. This is the format we will use for most essays in this course.Click the link to Applying Social Psychology Assignment below and attach your .docx file. Be sure to click the Submit button or I will not receive your file.Option 3Review the various strategies and methods for coping with stress presented in Chapter 14.Write a brief essay in which you describe at least four coping methods and identify which of them you use, when you use them, and how effective you find them to be. Use concepts from the entire chapter (e.g. problem-focused coping, opening up, social support, etc)- not just Table 14.3. In addition, comment on any changes that you might make to improve your ability to deal with stress and if there is anything you learned that changed the way you think about stress.Write your essay in a word processing program and save the essay to your computer as a .docx file. This is the format we will use for most essays in this course.Click the link to Applying Social Psychology Assignment below and attach your .docx file. Be sure to click the Submit button or I will not receive your file.PurposeOption 1 and 2 are designed for you to define and creatively apply what you have learned about social psychological factors that impact eyewitness testimony and court proceedings. Option 3 is designed to facilitate your understanding of stress as well as your ability to effectively cope with stressful situations. This will be accomplished by articulating coping strategies and analyzing their effectiveness.
Speedier Service at Stellato Family Pizza Team Project, homework help
This is a team activity and we will be working on this through our gmail account. I will need help on this and as soon ...
Speedier Service at Stellato Family Pizza Team Project, homework help
This is a team activity and we will be working on this through our gmail account. I will need help on this and as soon as I get the information from who our team members are I will give you the information. I will send you the email on what we are going to do and then maybe you can make some suggestions for me. ThanksTeam
Activity:
As a
requirement for the course, students will work collaboratively using Google
Docs to prepare a group project worth
50 points. Information for working in google docs
will be described on page 5 of this document titled, Getting Started with Google Docs. Students will begin the group project by
reviewing Activity 12.25, Justification/Recommendation Report:
Speedier Service at Stellato Family Pizza on page 457 of the Guffey
textbook. After gaining an overview of the assignment,
students will begin the project by creating a Work Plan, similar to the Work
Plan described on page 383-385 of the textbook.
A template for the Work Plan is provided below.
Students
are to complete the section of the assignment titled Your Task on page 458 of the textbook. The Your Task section explains that the
group members are to work together to provide recommendations and conclusions
to Mrs. Stellato about her business. To
successfully complete this project, in addition to the memo required, students
will provide visual aids, to tabulate and analyze data, and include effective
graphics to clarify data, create visual interest, and to make numerical data
meaningful.
Note: This is a group project so there is one
project and one work plan submitted for
each group.
Grading
Team Activity.
Up to 50 points and can be earned by
successfully completing the group project.
Getting
Started:
Students will be assigned to groups by the instructor
Students decide on a group leader
All students will create a Gmail account (see the link
provided on page 6 of this document)
The instructor
will create a Gmail account and share with all students
in the class.
All members of the group will need to share their
Gmail account with other group members. (not
the entire class, only their group
members. However, the instructor will
share his/her Gmail account with all students)
The group leader will begin the Work Plan (see page 3
of this document) and share with other group members. All group members will work collaboratively
through Google Docs to complete the Work Plan.
Read chapters 11 and 12 in the textbook
Read the Activity 12.25 on page 457
Discuss the Activity and your approach to complete
the Activity with group members
Review the Work Plan information on pages 383-385
Analyze the Problem and the Purpose of the scenario
provided (this will be identified on the Work Plan) Reference page 380-381 for
assistance.
Review and complete the Work Plan template with your
group
Analyze all the information provided in the Activity
As a group, from the information provided; decide on
the conclusions and recommendation
Create effective graphics to tabulate and analyze
data, and to clarify data, create visual interest, and make numerical data
meaningful to the audience.
As a group, write an informational report with
graphics providing the group’s recommendations, conclusions.
Note:
Please read chapter 11 and chapter 12 in its entirety. There is much valuable information provided in the chapters in terms of writing
the report, drawing conclusions and recommendations and including
graphics. You may find other elements such
as a yard stick report that may help deliver your message.
Work Plan
Stellato Family Pizza
Statement
of Problem
Statement
of Purpose
Research
Strategy
Tentative
Outline
Work
Schedule with Dates
Note: The work plan is due (TBA) prior to the final project, but is not included
with the final submission of the paper.
Rubric Business Report
Poor
0 pts
Fair
5 pts
Good
8 pts
Excellent
10 pts
Analyzed Data
Poor
Students showed little understanding of the data provided and made no attempt
to utilize data to draw appropriate conclusions and recommendations.
Fair
Students had some understanding of the data provided. Students attempt to identify trends to draw
conclusions and recommendations from the data, but there are inaccuracies.
Good
Students are able to understand data provided and identify trends to draw
conclusions and recommendations from the data. Students select visual methods of
presenting data.
Excellent
Students are able to identify trends and draw suitable and accurate conclusions
from the data. Students selected
suitable visual methods of presenting data.
Conclusion
Poor
Does not summarize data with respect to
problem statement. Does not discuss the impact of t data provided.
Fair
Some integration with problem
statement. Discussed impact of data
provided
Good
Strong review of key conclusions. Strong integration with problem statement. Discusses impact of data provided
Excellent
Strong review of key conclusions.
Strong integration with problem statement. Insightful discussion of impact of the
information provided.
Recommendation
Poor
Simplistic statement of content. Approach to the recommendation is not
evident or not well represented. Recommendation is unsupported or represents
poor decision making.
Fair
Development of content is incomplete or unclear. Lacking discussion of findings. Recommendation is based on too little
information.
Good
Development of content is adequate. Information is clearly presented but may
be better organized and presented. Recommendation is reasonable.
Excellent
Full and rich development of content including problem, background. Tables and charts clearly and accurately
represent data gathered to support findings. Recommendation is well supported
and represents critical thinking skills.
Graphics
Poor
No
graphics are used to
present data
analysis and results.
Fair
Some graphics are used to
present data
analysis and results for data sources. The visual aids were limited or
ineffective.
Good
Graphics are used to explain the relationship between
data.
Excellent
Provides visual aids, to tabulate and
analyze data, and include effective graphics to clarify data, create visual
interest, and make numerical data meaningful.
Organization/Formatting/Conventions
Poor
Attention to formatting is not apparent.
Does not
use APA format guidelines.
Editing and revising not apparent.
Fair
Formatting was not in a logical sequence. No headings or sections are shown.
Lacks a professional appearance.
Multiple or repetitive errors interfere with readability
of the document.
Good
Generic headings are used. The document is readable
but some information in long paragraphs could be placed in tables or charts.
Grammar, spelling and punctuation errors are found,
but do not interfere with the meaning or readability of the document.
Excellent
Logical outline format or section headings are used to make the document
readable. Well-crafted tables, charts or graphs are used where appropriate.
Appearance is high quality and professional.
Free of all grammar, spelling and punctuation errors. Professional writing
style is utilized.
Getting
Started with Google Docs
Google Docsis a free, web-based office suite offered byGooglewithin itsGoogleDrive service. It was formerly a
storage service as well, but has since
been replaced byGoogleDrive. It allows users to create and
edit documents online while collaborating with other users live. The following links will provide instructions
for creating a Gmail account and creating, sharing and storing documents! https://drive.google.com/
Watch this video
first for overview of Google Docs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRqUE6IHTEA
Google
Docs How to Tutorial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMqdex3KDQM
How
to create a Gmail account
http://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Gmail-Account
Sharing
in Google Docs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POIR37Hmydg
Introduction
to Google Docs (pdf file)
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/download/nwp_file/10707/Letters_Help_Guide_1.pdf?x-r=pcfile_d
Google
Drive and Doc Tutorials
http://www.gcflearnfree.org/googledriveanddocsJustification/Recommendation Report: Speedier Service at Stellato Family Pizza* (Obj. 5)You work for Carmine Stellato, the owner of Stellato Family Pizza, a small, casual pizza shop he founded 33 years ago. Its signature items are eight-inch-diameter individual pizzas. The pizza shop also serves mozzarella sticks, wings, and assorted beverages.The pizza shop is located in the warehouse district of Indianapolis, where it originally served truckers who delivered their meat, fruits, and vegetables in the middle of the night and then whisked off to the next city. Truckers loved the satisfying and filling pizza because it provided them with lots of energy on those tedious late-night runs. Later the pizza shop caught on with the nightclub crowd and with students who studied late. The shop opens at 10 p.m. and closes at 6 a.m.The concept was a resounding success. However, success brings competition. Three imitators opened their pizza shops within a five-mile radius of Stellato Family Pizza. You know that the family has been using the same delivery system for years, and you know service could be faster. You also notice that new pizza shops are receiving orders via smartphones.The current system at Stellato’s begins with a counter clerk recording the customer’s order and table number on a ticket. The customer pays, and the counter person gives the order to the pizza makers. The pizza makers remove the dough from the refrigerator, shape it, add the sauce and other ingredients, put the pie in the oven, and remove it from the oven when baked. The counter clerk then takes the order to the customer’s table. Stellato Family Pizza has three counter clerks, two pizza makers, and one cash register that the counter clerks share. It takes two minutes to prep a pizza before it can go in the oven. The pizza shop uses an outdated Rankin Model D85 pizza deck oven, which cooks a pizza in seven minutes.You think the entire system is inefficient, and when you discuss the problem with Mr. Stellato, he says, “Although the original ways are familiar to me, I see that the time for improvement has come.”You suggest observing the three competitors’ systems of serving customers to understand why their service is faster. Currently, the average time it takes a customer to receive an order at Stellato Family Pizza is 16 minutes. The following are notes from your observations of the competitors.DeNunzio PizzaSimilar menuOrders are taken using an electronic system that includes the customer’s numberCustomers pay immediatelyCustomers pick up their orders after their numbers have been calledTwo counter clerks at one register; two pizza makersPreprepared dough; prep time: one minuteOne state-of-the art Elite Chef Model BFE-28 convection oven—five minutes to cook a pizzaAverage time a customer waits to receive an order: ten minutesCapriotti’sSimilar menuOrder takers call out the menu item as the order is takenCustomers pay immediatelyCustomers wait at the counter to pick up their ordersThree counter employees at three registers; two pizza makersPreprepared dough; prep time: one minuteOne state-of-the art Elite Chef Model BFE-28 convection oven—five minutes to cook a pizzaAverage time a customer waits to receive an order: eight minutesHip Hop Pizza ShopSimilar menuTickets are used to record the customers’ ordersCustomers pay immediatelyCounter staff employees take the order to customers’ tablesThree counter staff employees, two pizza makers, and one cash registerPizza prep the same as Stellato Family Pizza: two minutesOne DeLong Model FC30 pizza deck oven—six minutes to cook a pizzaAverage time a customer waits to receive an order: 15 minutesYour Task. Now it is up to you to analyze the data you have collected. In a short memo report to Carmine Stellato, present your findings, discuss your conclusions, and make recommendations, including a recommendation on how Stellato’s might gain a competitive edge by enabling its customers to use some of the most recent technology to order their food. You may want to present the data using visual aids, but you also realize that you must emphasize the important findings by presenting them in an easy-to-read list.11-2cPreparing a Work Plan
After analyzing the
problem, anticipating the audience, and factoring the problem, you are ready to
prepare a work plan. A good work plan
includes the following:
·
Statement of the problem (based on
key background/contextual information)
·
Statement of the purpose including scope with limitations and
significance
·
Research strategy including a description of potential sources
and methods of collecting data
·
Tentative outline that factors the problem into manageable
chunks
·
Work schedule
Preparing a plan
encourages you to evaluate your resources, set priorities, outline a course of
action, and establish a schedule. Having a plan keeps you on track and provides
management a means of measuring your progress.
A work plan gives a
complete picture of a project. Because the usefulness and quality of any report
rest primarily on its data, you will want to develop a clear research strategy,
which includes allocating plenty of time to locate sources of information. For
firsthand information you might interview people, prepare
a survey, or even conduct a
scientific experiment. For secondary information you will probably search electronic
materials on the Internet and printed materials such as books and magazines. Your
work plan describes how you expect to generate or collect data. Because data
collection is a major part of report writing, the next section of this chapter
treats the topic more fully.
Figure 11.6 shows a complete
work plan for a proposal pitched by social marketing company BzzAgent’s
advertising executive Dave Balter to his client Lee Jeans. A work plan is
useful because it outlines the issues to be investigated. Notice that
considerable thought and discussion and even some preliminary research are
necessary to be able to develop a useful
work plan.
Figure 11.6Work Plan for a Formal Report
[img border="0" width="21" height="21" src="file:///C:/Users/JACKIE~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.png" alt="Enlarge Image" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_1">
© Cengage Learning 2015
Although this tentative
outline guides the investigation, it does not determine the content or order of
the final report. You may, for example, study five possible solutions to a
problem. If two prove to be useless, your report may discuss only the three winners.
Moreover, you will organize the report to accomplish your goal and satisfy the
audience. A busy executive who is familiar with a topic may prefer to read the
conclusions and recommendations before a discussion of the findings. If someone
authorizes the report, be sure to review the work plan with that person (your manager, client, or professor, for example)
before proceeding with the project.
Chapters
Identifying
Secondary Sources and Conducting Primary Research
Learning Objective3
Locate
and evaluate secondary sources such as databases and Web resources, and
understand how to conduct credible primary research.
Research,
or the gathering of information, is one of the most important steps in writing
a report. As the philosopher Goethe once said: “The greater part of all
mischief in the world arises from the fact that men do not sufficiently understand
their own aims. They have undertaken to build a tower, and spend no more labor
on the foundation than would be necessary to erect a hut.” Think of your report
as a tower. Because a report is only as good as its foundation—the questions
you ask and the data you gather to answer those questions—the
remainder of this chapter describes the fundamental work of finding, documenting,
and illustrating data.
Chicago
is the “Windy City” and New Orleans is the “Big Easy,” but what is Glendale,
California? Boring. That’s what municipal
branding firm North Star Destination Strategies found after conducting a
yearlong study on the inconspicuous
neighbor of Pasadena and Burbank. To improve Glendale’s image, North Star
recommended that city council leaders adopt “Your Life. Animated,” a
marketing-and-development campaign designed to rebrand Glendale as the home of
DreamWorks Animation, the creative studio behind such delightful movies as Shrek and Kung Fu
Panda. Which type of research data would be best at helping cities
evaluate their strengths and weaknesses?[img border="0" width="12" height="12" src="file:///C:/Users/JACKIE~1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image002.png" alt="http://ng.cengage.com/static/nbapps/glossary/images/footstar.png" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_2">
Figure 11.6 shows
a complete work plan for a proposal pitched by social marketing company
BzzAgent’s advertising executive Dave Balter to his client Lee Jeans. A work
plan is useful because it outlines the issues to be investigated. Notice that
considerable thought and discussion and even some preliminary research are
necessary to be able to develop a useful
work plan.
Figure 11.6Work Plan for a Formal Report
© Photos 12/Alamy
As you
analyze a report’s purpose and audience and prepare your research strategy, you
will identify and assess the data you need to support your argument or explain
your topic. As you do, you will answer questions about your objectives and
audience: Will the audience need a lot of background
or contextual information? Will your readers value or trust statistics, case
studies, or expert opinions? Will they want to see data from interviews or
surveys? Will summaries of focus groups be useful? Should you rely on organizational data? Figure 11.7 lists five forms of data and provides
questions to guide you in making your research accurate and productive.
Figure 11.7
Gathering and Selecting Report Data
Form of Data
Questions to Ask
Background or historical
How much do my readers know about the
problem?
Has this topic/issue been investigated
before?
Are those sources current, relevant, and/or
credible?
Will I need to add to the available data?
Statistical
What or who is the source?
How recent are the data?
How were the figures derived?
Will this data be useful in this form?
Expert opinion
Who are the experts?
What are their biases?
Are their opinions in print?
Are they available for interviewing?
Do we have in-house experts?
Individual or group opinion
Whose opinion(s) would the readers value?
Have surveys or interviews been conducted on
this topic?
If not, do questionnaires or surveys exist
that I can modify and/or use?
Would focus groups provide useful
information?
Organizational
What are the proper channels for obtaining
in-house data?
Are permissions required?
How can I learn about public and private
companies?
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Applying the 3-x-3 Writing Process to Contemporary ReportsLearning Objective2Apply the 3-x-3 writing process to contemporary business reports to create well-organized documents that show a firm grasp of audience and purpose.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 writers are 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: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: Edit, 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 Emily Mason develop a report she’s preparing for her boss, Joshua Nichols, at Pharmgen Laboratories. Joshua asked Emily to investigate the problem of transportation for sales representatives. Currently, some Pharmgen 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 Pharmgen leasing agreements for 14 cars expire, and Joshua is considering a major change. Emily’s task is to investigate the choices and report her findings to Joshua.11-2aAnalyzing the Problem and PurposeThe 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, Emily had many questions: Is the problem that Pharmgen is spending too much money on leased cars? Does Pharmgen wish to invest in owning a fleet of cars? Is Joshua 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, Emily talked with Joshua 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 Joshua.Problem statement: The leases on all company cars will be expiring in three months. Pharmgen 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.Emily further defined the problem by writing a specific question that she would try to answer in her report:Problem question: What plan should Pharmgen follow in providing transportation for its sales reps?Now Emily was ready to concentrate on the purpose of the report. Again, she had questions: Exactly what did Joshua 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 do 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 Joshua, Emily 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.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 Emily’s statement begins with the action verbrecommend.Some reports require only a simple statement of purpose: to investigate expanded teller hours, to select a manager from among four candidates, to describe the position of accounts supervisor. Many assignments, though, demand additional focus to guide the project. An expanded statement of purpose considers three additional factors: scope, limitations, and significance.Scope and Limitations. What issues or elements will be investigated? The scopestatement prepares the audience by clearly defining which problem or problems will be analyzed and solved. To determine the scope, Emily brainstormed with Joshua and others to pin down her task. She learned that Pharmgen currently had enough capital to consider purchasing a fleet of cars outright. Joshua also told her that employee satisfaction was almost as important as cost-effectiveness. Moreover, he disclosed his suspicion that employee-owned cars were costing Pharmgen more than leased cars. Emily had many issues to sort out in setting the boundaries of her report.What conditions affect the generalizability and utility of a report’s findings? As part of the scope statement, the limitations further narrow the subject by focusing on constraints or exclusions. For this report Emily realized that her conclusions and recommendations might apply only to reps in her Kansas City sales district. Her findings would probably not be reliable for reps in Seattle, Phoenix, or Atlanta. Another limitation for Emily was time. She had to complete the report in four weeks, thus restricting the thoroughness of her research.Significance. Why is the topic worth investigating at this time? Some topics, after initial examination, turn out to be less important than originally thought. Others involve problems that cannot be solved, making a study useless. For Emily and Joshua the problem had significance because Pharmgen’s leasing agreement would expire shortly and decisions had to be made about a new policy for transportation of sales reps.Emily decided to expand her statement of purpose to define the scope, describe the limitations of the report, and explain the significance of the problem.Expanded statement of purpose: The purpose of this report is to recommend a plan that provides sales reps with cars to be used in their calls. The report will compare costs for three plans: outright ownership, leasing, and compensation for employee-owned cars. It will also measure employee reactions to each plan. The report is significant because Pharmgen’s current leasing agreement expires March 31 and an improved plan could reduce costs and paperwork. The study is limited to costs for sales reps in the Kansas City district.After expanding her statement of purpose, Emily checked it with Joshua Nichols to be sure she was on target.
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