Communications Question

General Instructions – PLEASE READ THEM CAREFULLY•
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The Assignment must be submitted on Blackboard (WORD format only) via allocated
folder.
Assignments submitted through email will not be accepted.
Students are advised to make their work clear and well presented, marks may be reduced
for poor presentation. This includes filling your information on the cover page.
Students must mention question number clearly in their answer.
Late submission will NOT be accepted.
Avoid plagiarism, the work should be in your own words, copying from students or other
resources without proper referencing will result in ZERO marks. No exceptions.
Use APA reference style.
All answered must be typed using Times New Roman (size 12, double-spaced) font. No
pictures containing text will be accepted and will be considered plagiarism).
Submissions without this cover page will NOT be accepted.
Communication Management (MGT 421)
Learning Outcomes:
2.4 Illustrate techniques and skills of correct business research report writing; learn report
writing style using an approved style; and, apply the basics of oral communication in a
presentation of a project, including, proper speech, organization, use of graphical aids, and
effective non-verbal communications.
3.1 Analyze effective business letters, memorandums, and case studies.
Assignment Question(s):
Part 1 (7 Marks) I think ch12 (Research and Business Proposals and Planning for Business Reports)
Examine each of the following charts (Figures 1, and 2) and respond to the questions below:
Figure 1
Figure 2
Source: General Authority of Statics
1. Evaluate each one in terms of: (5 Marks)
(a) title descriptiveness, (b) focal points, (c) information sufficiency, (d) ease of
processing, and (e) takeaway message
2. Describe at least one effective aspect for each chart. (1 Mark)
3. Make two recommendation for improving them. (1 Mark)
Part 2 (8 Marks) i think CHAPTER 10: Persuasive Messages
Persuading University Students to Start a Saving Account
1. Assume the role of a banker, create a message that targets university students and
persuades them to start a retirement account. (2 Marks)
2. Which psychological tools of influence (consistency, reciprocation, social proof,
authority, liking, scarcity) did you use? Why? (1 Mark)
3. Which kind of appeals did you use in this message? Would you consider this
message to be catering more to emotion or logic? Explain. (1 Mark)
Persuading Human Resources Manager for Promotion
1. Assume the role of an employee, create a message that targets the HR manger
persuades him/her to promote you. (2 Marks)
2. Which psychological tools of influence (consistency, reciprocation, social proof,
authority, liking, scarcity) did you use? Why? (1 Mark)
3. Which kind of appeals did you use in this message? Would you consider this
message to be catering more to emotion or logic? Explain. (1 Mark)
CHAPTER 12:
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PRINCIPLES FOR & TYPES OF
BUSINESS MESSAGES
PRINCIPLES OF INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After studying this chapter, you should be able to do the following:
LO12.1
Explain how planning and conducting
business research for reports impacts your
credibility.
LO12.5
Evaluate the usefulness of data sources for
business research.
LO12.6
LO12.2
Create research objectives that are specific
and achievable.
Conduct secondary research to address a
business problem.
LO12.7
LO12.3
Explain principles of effective design for
survey questions and choices.
Evaluate research data, charts, and tables
for fairness and effectiveness.
LO12.4
Develop charts and tables to concisely
display data and accentuate key messages.
368
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WHY DOES THIS MATTER?
In your career, you’ll be responsible for reading and preparing an amazing variety
of business reports. Common types include business plans, project reports, status
or progress reports, financial plans, marketing plans, strategic plans, and technical
reports. Reports can range from a single page to thousands of pages. One characteristic is common to all types: the purpose is to provide sound information,
analysis, and advice to decision makers.
Compared to most daily business correspondence, reports are considered
more reliable, authoritative, thorough, and final. As decision-making tools, they are
typically commissioned by and written for middle-level or upper-level managers
or external stakeholders (i.e., loan officers, stockholders). Because of their role in
decision making, most reports take much more time to create than daily business
correspondence. Furthermore, many reports are written collaboratively since they
contain complex information that requires the talents and resources of many
professionals.
Many reports rely on business research. A person who can conduct business
research will have many opportunities for success and advancement. Research is
the process of searching for knowledge. In business, you may want to know how
consumers think and feel, understand employees’ attitudes about a new policy,
forecast sales based on past performance and carefully selected assumptions,
use internal data to identify consumer behavioral patterns, or examine data to
address a variety of business problems.
Conducting and reporting research can enhance your credibility in a variety of
ways. You demonstrate an often-rare competency in the workplace when you can
zero in on core business problems and collect and analyze data that relates to
these problems. You show caring by involving key decision makers in the process
and conducting research that meets their needs. Also, your character is significantly enhanced when decision makers recognize that they can count on you to
deliver results in an objective and unbiased fashion.
In this chapter, we consider several approaches to planning and conducting
research for reports. Overall, the purpose is to gather and analyze data that will
drive excellent decision making and high organizational performance. First, we
focus on setting research objectives, a process that ensures you identify the most
relevant data for your business goals. Then, we examine the processes of primary
and secondary research to ensure that you will gather reliable data. We also discuss how to effectively present numerical and other information in charts, graphs,
and tables so that your complex data is easy to understand and supports your key
messages. Read the following case, which serves as the basis for examples
provided in Chapters 12 and 13.
Hear Pete
Cardon explain
why this matters.
bit.ly/cardon12
LO12.1 
Explain how
planning and
conducting
business research
for reports
impacts your
credibility.
369
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370 PART FIVE REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS
CHAPTER CASE
  CONDUCTING MARKET RESEARCH AT
AICASUS TOURS
Who’s Involved
ff A
n d e rt
on
An
d r e a G a r ci
a
Je
Market research associate
Director of marketing
•
•
•
•
Has worked at Aicasus Tours for three
months
Roles include conducting research about
new markets and tracking customer
satisfaction
Graduated a year ago with a marketing
major and statistics minor
•
•
Has worked as director of marketing for
one year
Started at Aicasus Tours nearly nine
years ago in a position similar to Jeff’s
market research associate position
Expects thorough data and analysis
before making decisions
Andrea recently asked Jeff to work on two market research projects. She expects
him to complete them in roughly three months.
Aicasus Tours owns several hotels and resorts around the world, including the
Prestigio Hotel. For the first project, Andrea wants Jeff to analyze guest satisfaction at the Prestigio Hotel compared with its three chief competitors: the Grand
Swan, Great Falls, and Wyatt. She wants Jeff to use an online hotel rating system
to conduct the analysis. Andrea also wants to know if satisfaction ratings have
improved in relation to two recent initiatives: increasing the guest-to-staff ratio and
increasing the amount of customer service training. Jeff determines that he can
best gather the data with primary research, through a survey he will develop.
For the second project, Andrea wants Jeff to gather information about the use
of virtual reality (VR) technologies for group tours. Andrea thinks VR headsets can
help bring tour experiences to life and help clients engage with history, wildlife,
music, and other aspects of tours in new ways. Yet, she’s uncertain whether clients
really want these experiences and whether it’s worth the investment. Jeff is
excited to tackle this interesting project.
THE SITUATION
(Jeff Anderton character): Kate Kunz/Glow Images; (Andrea Garcia character): Andres Rodriguez/123RF
1
2
Gather and analyze guest satisfaction ratings
for the Prestigio and its competitors.
Gather information about the use of
VR technologies for group tours.
TASK
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RESEARCH AND BUSINESS PROPOSALS AND PLANNING FOR BUSINESS REPORTS CHAPTER TWELVE
371
Analyzing Your Audience for Business Reports
The planning stage for many types of business reports—especially those based on
research—often takes months, even years. Like other communications, you can apply
the AIM planning process to develop your message based on good ideas that meet the
needs of decision makers.
The first step in developing research-based business reports is identifying what decision makers want to accomplish. In many cases, they will commission the reports and
have clear goals in mind. In other cases, they do not have clear goals. In all cases, you
should spend time with your target audience of decision makers to carefully consider
their primary business goals, research objectives, and expectations.1
During the research and report writing process, consider updating decision makers
and involving them in the process. This increases the likelihood that you will develop a
report that is useful to them.
Audience
Information
Plan
Message
Gathering Information through Primary Research
With a clear understanding of what decision makers want from reports, you are ready
to begin research. For important business decisions, gathering data can take weeks,
months, and even years. Since many reports are intended to aid high-stakes decision
making, getting the right information, analyzing it correctly, and making related recommendations needs to be done carefully and completely.
Business research can be broadly categorized as primary and secondary. Primary
research refers to the analysis of data that you, people from your organization, or others
under your direction (i.e., consultants) have collected. Secondary research refers to the
analysis of data collected by others with no direction from you or members of your
organization.
Primary research is generally most reliable and useful for your business reports
because you can focus it to meet your specific research objectives and get feedback
directly related to your organization and its needs. However, conducting primary
research is often time-consuming, intrusive, and expensive. In some cases, primary
research might suffer from a bias toward preexisting opinions and beliefs. For example,
a marketing director who is convinced that a new product will be successful when it hits
the market may misinterpret consumer research to fit his/her preexisting opinions.
Common types of primary research include analysis of internal data, survey research,
focus groups, interviews, and case studies.
In this chapter, we focus on one of the most common types of primary research:
surveys. Survey research is increasingly common because of the ease with which online
surveys can be administered (see Technology Tips). Generally, survey research involves
administering written questionnaires. Most survey questions are closed questions, which
restrict respondents to certain answers (rating scales, multiple choice, etc.). Some survey questions are open-ended questions, allowing respondents to answer in any way they
choose. Closed questions can be more easily quantified and analyzed. However, openended questions allow you to understand an issue in more depth.
Develop Research Objectives
Once you have identified what your audience of decision makers needs, you will carefully define your research problems. Defining research problems involves stating your
research objectives in specific, targeted, and achievable statements. Notice in Table 12.1
how Jeff develops research objectives for two of his research projects.
LO12.2 
Create research
objectives that
are specific and
achievable.
Create Surveys
With online survey technology readily available and easy to use, you will likely have
many opportunities to use it in the workplace. Surveys are particularly useful because
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372 PART FIVE REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS
TABLE 12.1
Creating Research Objectives
Less Effective
More Effective
Determine how satisfied our conference guests are.
Determine guest satisfaction among conference attendees
for key conference amenities and services.
This objective is not specific enough. The statement does
not lead to a focused approach to research.
This objective is specific. The statement leads to a focused
approach to research.
Understand VR technologies.
Identify use cases of and market demand for VR
technologies in group tourism
This objective is not specific. It is too broad and lacks
context.
This objective is specific. It focuses on a context that is
relevant to Aicasus Tours.
LO12.3 
Explain principles
of effective
design for survey
questions and
choices.
®
Visit http://connect.
mheducation.com for an
exercise on this topic.
Principles for
Survey Questions
• Simple to answer
• Non-leading
• Exhaustive and
unambiguous
• Single idea
you can quickly get the responses of dozens if not hundreds of colleagues, current or
potential customers, or members of other groups of interest. Online surveys are a nice
tool because you can automatically dump all the data you collect into a spreadsheet. Of
course, online surveys are not always convenient or possible, so you will sometimes use
traditional paper-and-pencil questionnaires.
Ideally, you will have opportunities to learn about effective survey design, data collection, and analysis in some of your university courses. If you don’t have this opportunity, many excellent books can help you develop your survey research skills. However,
to develop your survey skills, you will need more than how-to knowledge. You also need
to practice several times; there’s no substitute for conducting several surveys and using
the data to solve business problems in the workplace.
Generally, surveys should be short. Rarely can you get accurate data from surveys
that take longer than five minutes to complete. Most consumer research questionnaires
contain fewer than five or six questions. If the survey takes too long, respondents may
become impatient and provide less-than-accurate responses or skip questions. The
exception is when you pay respondents to take a survey. The obvious drawback is the
high cost.
Another key to getting reliable data is designing the survey questions effectively. Survey questions should be (1) simple to answer, (2) non-leading, (3) exhaustive and unambiguous, and (4) limited to a single idea.
Survey Questions Should Be Simple to Answer As you design most surveys,
envision respondents who are eager to complete the items quickly and who will spend
minimal time thinking about any given item. Survey questions should contain short
questions and short response options. Thus, respondents should be able to read the
entire question in 10 to 20 seconds and select a response that matches their true opinions and feelings within just a few seconds. In Table 12.2, you will notice how Jeff is
developing survey questions for his research about guest satisfaction.
Survey Questions Should Be Non-Leading Be sure the questions in your survey are non-leading. A leading question is one that suggests an answer. Often, the leading question is designed to gain a preferred response from the survey designer’s
perspective. Sometimes, leading questions are phrased to imply how a respondent
should answer. For example, the following leading question would likely lead many
respondents to provide insincere answers: As a citizen in the country with the most per
capita carbon emissions in the world, how interested are you in learning about green
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373
TABLE 12.2
Creating Simple Survey Questions
Less Effective
More Effective
On a scale from 1, not satisfied, to 4, extremely
satisfied, how satisfied were you in the following
areas related to your conference experience (if
you have no opinion or did not use the following
services, simply mark N/A)?
Conference
Meals
1
2
3
4
N/A
How satisfied were you with the following aspects of your
conference experience?
1–
2–
3–
4–
N/A–
Not
Somewhat Satisfied Extremely
Not
Satisfied Satisfied
Satisfied Applicable
Conference
Meals
Internet
Pricing
Internet
Pricing
Internet
Speed in
Rooms
Internet
Speed in
Rooms
The question is 39 words long. Many respondents
will be confused about how to answer the
questions without labels for the numerical values.
The question contains just 12 words. Formatting and labels allow
respondents to quickly and precisely process the information.
Rank-order each of the following guest services
and amenities in providing value to you during
your conference stay. (Rank-order each item.
Place a 1 next to your favorite item, a 2 next to
your second-favorite item, and so on. Do not
place a number next to an amenity or service that
you did not use during your stay.)
_________ Spa
_________ Fitness center
_________ Outdoor swimming pool
_________ Prestigio golf course
_________ Prestigio comedy club
_________ One of the Prestigio restaurants
Which of the following GUEST SERVICES AND AMENITIES did you
use during your conference stay? Check ALL that apply.
This question is complicated to answer. Many
respondents will not spend time to carefully rank
each item. Other responses may be inaccurate or
unreliable.
This question is easy to answer. Respondents are given just one
choice and can make this judgment within a few seconds.
Spa
Prestigio golf course
Fitness center
Prestigio comedy club
Outdoor swimming
pool
One of the Prestigio
restaurants
meeting options? Leading questions often do not allow respondents to provide their
genuine thoughts or impressions. So, leading questions in surveys can produce unreliable and unusable information (see Table 12.3).
Survey Choices Should Be Exhaustive and Unambiguous Survey choices
should be complete. Being exhaustive means that all possibilities are available, and
being unambiguous means that only one choice is appropriate (see Table 12.4).
Survey Questions Should Contain One Idea Survey questions that contain
more than one idea are difficult for respondents to answer (see Table 12.5). Furthermore, they are impossible to correctly analyze. Notice Jeff’s completed survey in
Figure 12.1.
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374 PART FIVE REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS
TABLE 12.3
Creating Non-Leading Survey Questions
Less Effective
To show my support for the green meeting movement, I
would recommend the Prestigio as a good site for a
business conference.
1. Strongly disagree
2. Disagree
3. Neutral
4. Agree
5. Strongly agree
This survey question is leading. It suggests to respondents a
correct or right answer. It would not provide reliable or useful
results.
More Effective
I would recommend the Prestigio as a good site for a
business conference.
1. Strongly disagree
2. Disagree
3. Neutral
4. Agree
5. Strongly agree
This survey question is non-leading. It does not suggest or
manipulate a response. It would likely provide useful data.
TABLE 12.4
Creating Exhaustive and Unambiguous Survey Choices
Less Effective
More Effective
Age:
Age:
A. Under 30
B. 31 to 40
C. 41 to 50
D. 50 to 64
A. 30 and under
B. 31 to 40
C. 41 to 50
D. 51 to 65
E. Over 65
These choices are neither exhaustive nor unambiguous.
They are not exhaustive because respondents who are 65
and over would not have a choice to select. They are not
unambiguous because two of the choices overlap (C and D);
in other words, a person who is 50 could select either option.
These choices are both exhaustive and unambiguous. Any
respondent of any age would find just one correct
response.
TABLE 12.5
Creating Survey Questions with a Single Idea
Less Effective
More Effective
How much do you know about green meetings and
possible savings on these meetings?
How much do you know about green meeting options for
your business?
A. Nothing at all
B. A little
C. Some
D. A lot
A. Nothing at all
B. A little
C. Some
D. A lot
This question contains two ideas: (1) what the respondent
knows about green meetings and (2) what the respondent
knows about possible savings on green meetings. This is
confusing to the respondent and impossible for the
researcher to interpret.
This question contains one idea. As a result, the question is
easy for the respondent to answer and easy for the
researcher to analyze.
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FIGURE 12.1
Example of Simple, Easy-to-Complete Online Survey
Feedback on Your Conference Stay at The Prestigio
Exit This Survey
Thanks for your participation in this survey. When you complete this survey by clicking the “Done” button, you
will be given a printable coupon worth $10 at any Target store.
1. Gender:
Male
Female
2. Age:
Under 30
51 to 65
31 to 40
Over 65
41 to 50
3. Income Level:
Under $30,000
$50,000–$74,999
$30,000–$39,999
$75,000–$100,000
$40,000–$49,999
Over $100,000
4. How many days of Internet service did you purchase during your conference visit?
0
2
1
3
5. How satisfied were you with the following aspects of your conference experience?
1–
2–
Not Satisfied Somewhat Satisfied
3–
Satisfied
4–
N/A–
Extremely Satisfied Not Applicable
Conference Meals
Internet Pricing
Internet Speed in Rooms
Business Center
Staff & Service
Meeting Rooms
6. Please respond to the following statements based on your experiences during your recent conference at the Prestigio.
1–
Strongly Disagree
2–
Disagree
3–
Neutral
4–
Agree
5–
Strongly Agree
Overall, I was satisfied with
the conference experience.
I would like to attend another
business conference held at
the Prestigio.
I would recommend the
Prestigio as a good site for a
business conference.
Which of the following GUEST SERVICES AND AMENITIES did you use during your conference stay? Check ALL that apply.
Spa
Outdoor swimming pool
Prestigio comedy club
Fitness center
Prestigio golf course
One of the Prestigio restaurants
Done
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376 PART FIVE REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS
Analyze Your Data
Once you’ve conducted your surveys, your next step is to analyze the data. This job may
feel exhilarating. Or it may feel overwhelming and even daunting. Even small sets of
data from relatively few survey questions can be analyzed and configured in nearly limitless ways. As you develop your primary research skills, consider the following advice:
1. Learn as much as you can about forecasting and other forms of statistical and quantitative analysis. Unless you apply good principles of analysis, you can easily get
flawed results. Furthermore, unless you are careful you can, without any intention
of doing so, allow your preconceived ideas and biases to affect how you interpret
the data.
2. Learn as much as you can about spreadsheet, database, and statistical software. You
likely will have a course in spreadsheet software (i.e., Excel). Make the most of
this training and continue experimenting with the software to feel comfortable
analyzing data. Also, develop a basic understanding of databases. All companies
store tremendous amounts of information in databases. If you understand basic
database design, you will know what types of information you can extract to
answer your research questions. Finally, statistical software (i.e., SPSS, SAS,
SYSTAT) can help you conduct analyses far more rapidly and efficiently than can
spreadsheet software.
3. Rely on others in your analysis. You will likely work with colleagues who have
quantitative analysis skills in certain disciplines and for certain types of business
problems, and you can turn to them for technical help. Also, you can turn to others for analytical help, because when you analyze data in a group, you are less
likely to inadvertently misinterpret the data.
4. Stay focused on your business problem and look for the big picture. Often, company
databases or survey data contain so much information that you can easily be overwhelmed by the many ways to use it. As you discipline yourself to focus on your
key research problems, you are less likely to get bogged down looking at tangential
issues.
Communicate with Charts and Tables
Nearly all business activities and goals are measured and quantified: profit and loss, operating expenses, marketing expenditures, employee turnover, performance evaluations,
market share, budgets, customer behavior, quality, and so on. Simply put, business executives and managers communicate with numbers. Some management experts even describe
the ability to communicate numbers as a core managerial competency. Thus, in this section, we’ll focus on using charts and tables to communicate numerical information.
After conducting survey research or other forms of business research, you typically
have many statistics and figures that you could include in reports to decision makers.
However, presenting this information effectively is challenging. In fact, most managers
communicate numerical information poorly. Also, while business managers tend to like
numbers, few listeners and readers can absorb a lot of them at one sitting. As one communication expert mentioned to managers, “The chances are good that you love numbers a lot more than most of your audience members do. . . . Overloading your audience
members with data is a sure way to guarantee they’ll forget almost everything you say.”2
Although most managers communicate with numbers with the intention of persuading
and inspiring, they most often end up confusing or boring their audience.
The most fundamental mistake that executives and managers make when communicating with numbers is failing to focus on the main message, which tends to be nonnumerical. Phrases such as, “I’m going to spend a few minutes going through the
numbers,” or “Let me give you some background by running through the numbers” can
cause your audience to tune out.3 As you will learn in more detail in the next sections,
your presentation’s takeaway message should be your first and primary consideration
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when communicating with charts and tables. As you read through the next few pages,
notice how Jeff designs charts and tables for his research about the Prestigio Hotel. In
particular, pay attention to how these charts and tables are useful for Andrea, who is
director of marketing and the primary decision maker.
Designing Effective Charts Charts can effectively convey complex numerical
information in a simple, appealing format. A well-designed chart can express a strong
message and leave a lasting visual impression on viewers and readers. Since many viewers and readers immediately gravitate to them, charts have the potential to draw readers
into a document or presentation almost instantaneously.
Overall, the message of the chart is central. As Dona Wong, graphics director of The
Wall Street Journal from 2001 to 2010, explained, “It is the content that makes graphics
interesting. When a chart is presented properly, information just flows to the viewer in
the clearest and most efficient way. There are no extra layers of colors, no enhancements to distract us from the clarity of the information.”4 As with other business messages, planning is the key component of developing charts.
Effective business communicators carefully select the few data relationships that
most support their business messages. Top graphic designer Nigel Holmes, who is credited with coining the term explanation graphics, notes that charts must do more than
describe or inform. They should explain important business ideas or relationships that
support the key messages of a communication. Furthermore, charts should not require
much mental effort for the reader. As Holmes points out, “Charts that don’t explain
themselves are worse than no charts.”5
Throughout this chapter you’ll find charts and tables that illustrate the strategic use of
data to address the concerns of Andrea from the chapter case. While dozens of chart
options are available, this section focuses on the three types used primarily within the
workplace: line charts, pie charts, and bar charts. Several other chart and figure types are
illustrated with less detail. Mastering the design principles of these most common and
relevant charts will enable you to create other, less common types if you choose to do so.
Generally, line charts are useful for depicting events and trends over time. For example, stock prices over time would make the most sense when presented in the form of a
line chart. Pie charts are useful for illustrating the pieces within a whole. Market share
would be best illustrated with a pie chart. Bar charts are useful to compare amounts or
quantities. The bar chart, with its many forms, is the most versatile of these charts since
it can be used to compare many types of data.
LO12.4 
Develop charts
and tables to
concisely display
data and
accentuate key
messages.
®
Visit http://connect.
mheducation.com for an
exercise on this topic.
Create Effective Charts
As you create charts, focus on the following criteria: (1) title descriptiveness, (2) focal
points, (3) information sufficiency, (4) ease of processing, and, most important,
(5) takeaway message. In the following pages, you will find a discussion of each of these
criteria. Also, you will find less effective and more effective examples for each major type
of chart. Each of the examples is supplemented with explanations about these five criteria.
Title Descriptiveness Most readers look first at the chart’s title to grasp its message. Thus, the title should explain the primary point of the chart. However, it must be
short enough for the reader to process quickly (generally less than ten words). In some
cases you may add a subtitle if the short title is not sufficient.
Consider Figure 12.2, which illustrates identical information with a less effective and
more effective line chart. In the less effective chart on the left, the chart title is a short
and relatively unhelpful phrase, “Staff & Service Ratings.” By contrast, the chart title in
the more effective chart on the right uses a title and a subtitle. The main title, “Improvement in Staff & Service Ratings,” uses the first word to immediately point out the main
theme of the chart. The subtitle, in just seven words, accentuates the idea that the
improvement was intentional or goal-based (“Raising Our Performance”) and that the
improvement far exceeded that of primary competitors.
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378 PART FIVE REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS
FIGURE 12.2
Less Effective and More Effective Line Charts
Staff & Service Ratings
Improvement in Staff & Service Ratings
Raising Our Performance More Than Top Competitors
5.0
5.00
4.80
Great Falls
4.60
4.5
4.40
Prestigio
Wyatt
Grand Swan
Great Falls
4.20
4.00
3.80
3.60
Launched Staff & Service Initiative
Prestigio
Grand Swan
4.0
Wyatt
3.5
3.40
Dec
Oct
Nov
Sep
Jul
Aug
Jun
Apr
May
Mar
3.0
Jan
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
3.00
Feb
3.20
Note: Ratings are on a scale from 1, poor, to 5, excellent.
All ratings were retrieved from the Wahoo travel website
and are averaged for each month across the year.
Key Design and Formatting
Problems in Less Effective Chart
Adjustments in More
Effective Chart
Title descriptiveness
Nondescriptive, bland title. It does not tie into
any primary message.
Title and subtitle focus on intentional
improvement.
Focal points
Lacks focal points. All parts of the chart are
treated equally—thus, there is no emphasis or
indication of what should be the key points of
comparison.
The callout box focuses attention on the
staff and service initiative as the cause of
rising customer satisfaction. A darker, thicker
line with a bold label draws attention to the
Prestigio data series.
Information sufficiency
Inadequate information about the rating scale.
What do the numbers represent? What is the
year for which data was gathered?
The note provides information about the
rating scale.
Ease of processing
Legend placed on the right side. This forces
the reader to move back and forth between
the legend and the data series in the plot
area. Further, the colors do not aid in the
information presentation.
Instead of a legend, data labels are placed
directly at the end of each data series (line)
to make identification of each hotel’s
performance easier. Additionally, the color
scheme is kept to a minimum, thereby
prominently displaying the dramatic rise in
ratings.
Takeaway message
Staff and service ratings have improved for
the Prestigio over the past year. However, the
message requires too much effort for the
viewer and could easily be missed or
forgotten quickly.
All elements of the chart capture the
message that the Prestigio staff and service
initiative has successfully improved
customer satisfaction compared to
competitors.
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RESEARCH AND BUSINESS PROPOSALS AND PLANNING FOR BUSINESS REPORTS CHAPTER TWELVE
379
Focal Points A chart should draw the reader’s attention to the most-critical relationships and ideas. Much like unified paragraphs (Chapter 6), in which all sentences focus
on one main idea, each of the chart’s focal points should support one main idea. The
focal points can be visually generated in many interesting ways—for example, font
choices (bold, italics), color, size, and callout boxes.
In the more effective line chart in Figure 12.2, a variety of focal points highlight the
improvement in staff and service ratings at the Prestigio. The callout box centered in
the chart directs the reader to the point in time when the Prestigio launched its staff
and service initiative, allowing the reader to trace the improvement in ratings since that
time. The Prestigio data series is emphasized with a darker, thicker line that is placed on
top of the other data series (for the other hotels).
Information Sufficiency Just how much information should you include in your
charts? Charts should contain enough information for the reader to quickly and reasonably understand the ideas that are being displayed. Clear labels and legends should
demonstrate what is being measured and in what units. In some cases, readers will
expect to know data values at each point within the chart.
Although the ineffective line chart in Figure 12.2 does contain a legend showing
which lines correspond to which hotels, the meaning of the y-axis is not as clear. A
reader may assume that the data comes from a survey, since ratings is in the title, but be
unsure what the range or direction of the scale is. By contrast, the more effective line
chart in Figure 12.2 contains a note indicating the range of the scale. Many charts place
this information in a label along the y-axis.
Ease of Processing Another basic purpose of a chart is to convey complicated information as quickly as possible. If your readers can’t process the information rapidly, they
will lose interest. To some degree, this requires a balancing act with information sufficiency. The more information you provide, the more difficult it may be for some readers to
process the chart quickly. By selecting only the necessary information and placing labels
and data at appropriate places, you enable your reader to process the information quickly
and efficiently. Ideally, your reader should grasp the key ideas within 10 to 15 seconds.
The less effective line chart in Figure 12.2 reveals several processing problems. The
most serious is that the legend forces the reader to glance back and forth between the lines
and the legend to correctly link the data series. Another problem is that the Prestigio
data series, which should be the center of attention, is placed underneath the other
lines, with no special formatting features to make it stand out. The more effective chart
is far easier to process. Data labels appear directly next to each line so that the reader
does not have to glance back and forth between the legend and the plot area. Furthermore, the Prestigio line is bolder and thicker, and it is placed in front of the other lines
to draw the intended attention.
Takeaway Message An effective chart leaves a lasting impression about your key
point. Will your readers remember your intended main message in two hours? If not,
your chart had little impact. The takeaway is the essence of your chart—how the information, title, focal points, and other formatting combine to convey a lasting message.
Overall, the ineffective line chart in Figure 12.2 leaves little lasting impression. The
reader who studies the chart carefully might see that the Prestigio’s staff and service
ratings improved more than did those of competitors, but the reader has to get through
a compilation of colored lines with little or no contextual reference. Furthermore, the
chart offers no explanation for why this change in ratings may have occurred. By contrast, a reader can rapidly process the more effective line chart in Figure 12.2. The title,
focal points, and simple design lead to one strong takeaway message: The Prestigio
launched a staff and service initiative that has successfully improved customer satisfaction compared with its major competitors. Figures 12.3, 12.4, and 12.5 present other
types of charts with less effective and more effective variations.
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380 PART FIVE REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS
FIGURE 12.3
Less Effective and
More Effective Pie
Charts
Internet Purchase Patterns among
Conference Attendees
Internet Purchase among Conference Attendees
Survey Results of 236 Recent Guests
Who Attended 3-Day Conferences
3 days,
15%
2 days,
13%
1 day,
6%
0 days
1 day
2 days
3 days
Key Design and
Formatting Problems
in Less Effective Chart
car88340_ch12_367-401.indd 380
No
Purchase of
Internet,
66%
Adjustments in
More Effective Chart
Title
Descriptive but unexciting title.
Descriptive title focuses
attention on the fact that these
are 3-day conference
attendees.
Focal points
The main focal point is the large
pie slice. The colors used give a
very dense and dark feeling to
the visual.
The primary focal point is the
slice highlighting those not
purchasing any Internet service.
It is labeled more effectively
(“No Purchase of Internet”
versus “0 days” in the less
effective chart) and is written in
bold text on a darker-colored
background to draw attention
to this key point.
Information
sufficiency
Absence of data label on each
slice makes this chart difficult to
interpret.
Data labels are provided in
percentages.
Ease of processing
Legend is placed on the bottom.
This forces the reader to move
back and forth between the
legend and the pie slices in the
plot area. Also, the breakaway,
3-D shape of the object skews
the data. The pie slices are not
arranged for fastest processing.
Data series names and data
labels are placed together in
the pie slices to foster easy
processing. The largest pie
slice is located at 12 o’clock for
quick recognition (most people
read pie charts beginning at 12
and continue to read in a
clockwise direction).
Takeaway message
Most conference attendees do
not purchase Internet services.
However, getting the message
requires a great deal of effort
and could easily be missed or
forgotten quickly.
All aspects of the chart
collectively demonstrate that
conference attendees are
unlikely to purchase Internet
services.
10/23/19 1:39 PM
RESEARCH AND BUSINESS PROPOSALS AND PLANNING FOR BUSINESS REPORTS CHAPTER TWELVE 381
FIGURE 12.4
Less Effective and More Effective Bar Charts
Leading the Way in Dining
Dining Ratings
Comparison of Dining Ratings with Top Competitors
Great Falls
Prestigio
Grand Swan
Great Falls
3.93
3.62
Dining
Wyatt
Grand Swan
3.42
Prestigio
Wyatt
3.38
3.00
3.30
3.60
3.90
1
4.20
2
3
4
5
Note: Ratings are on a scale from 1, poor, to 5, excellent.
All ratings were retrieved from the Wahoo travel website
and are averaged for each month across the year.
Key Design and Formatting
Problems in Less Effective Chart
Adjustments in More
Effective Chart
Title descriptiveness
Nondescriptive, bland title.
Title immediately recognizes the Prestigio’s
leading position in dining ratings.
Focal points
Lacks focal points. All bars are treated equally.
Darker color of the Prestigio bar draws
attention to it.
Information sufficiency
Inadequate information about the rating scale.
A note about the rating scale and inclusion
of data labels provides sufficient information.
Ease of processing
The legend is unnecessary and distracting.
The items are not ordered effectively (the
order is neither alphabetical nor quantitative)
to help draw rapid comparisons. The large
gap size compared to bar width reduces quick
processing. The axis increments are in rarely
used units (generally, units in multiples of 2, 5,
and 10 are more natural).
The chart is arranged in descending order
by average ratings to make comparisons
easier. Bar width in comparison to gap width
is most conducive to rapid processing.
Takeaway message
The takeaway message is that the Prestigio
has higher dining ratings. However, the
message is weak and could easily be glossed
over or forgotten.
The Prestigio occupies the proud position of
leading its competitors in dining ratings. This
is a strong, optimistic, and memorable
message.
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382 PART FIVE REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS
FIGURE 12.5
Ineffective Clustered-Column Chart and More Effective Panel of Charts
Key Customer Satisfaction Indicators:
Comparisons with Major Competitors
How the Prestigio Stacks Up
Room for Improvement in Cleanliness, Meeting Rooms,
Business Center, Staff & Service
5.00
4.50
4.00
Room Quality
3.50
3.00
Fitness Facility
Prestigio
4.50
Prestigio
2.00
Great
Falls
4.48
Great
Falls
3.61
1.50
Wyatt
4.32
Grand
Swan
3.54
2.50
r
ni
ng
Di
s
Grand
Swan
3.76
Wyatt
sin
es
Bu
Value for Money
Bed Comfort
Prestigio
Wyatt
Ineffective
ClusteredColumn Chart
Title des­
criptive­ness
Focal points
Descriptive
but bland.
None. Too
cluttered.
Grand Swan
Great Falls
Effective Alternative:
Panel of Charts
Curiosity-building (“How
the Prestigio Stacks Up”);
a call to action (“Room
for Improvement in . . .”).
Prestigio rankings and
position for each rating
area. Red bars
immediately reveal the
weakest areas.
Information
sufficiency
No data
labels.
Data labels provided for
each rating area.
Ease of
processing
Nearly
impossible.
Too much
information.
Not sorted.
Simple and easy
processing for each
rating area. Charts are
organized by relative
performance (excellent
performance on left side,
needs improvement
performance on
right side).
Takeaway
message
car88340_ch12_367-401.indd 382
No key point
related to the
ratings.
2.84
s
Ce
nt
e
om
y
Ro
lit
ci
Fa
tin
g
s
ee
tn
es
Fi
M
s
on
ey
Va
l
ue
fo
r
M
nl
in
es
fo
rt
Be
Cl
ea
y
m
lit
d
Co
Q
ua
om
Ro
St
aff
&
Se
rv
i
ce
1.00
4.45
The Prestigio is elite in
various areas compared
to its competitors, but is
behind in other key
areas.
Prestigio
4.65
Prestigio
4.50
Great
Falls
4.54
Great
Falls
4.44
Wyatt
3.97
Wyatt
3.89
Grand
Swan
3.90
Grand
Swan
3.76
Meeting Rooms
Cleanliness
Great
Falls
4.49
Great
Falls
Grand
Swan
4.35
Wyatt
3.64
Wyatt
4.33
Prestigio
3.54
Prestigio
4.11
Grand
Swan
Business Center
Great
Falls
4.27
4.25
2.98
Staff & Service
Great
Falls
4.67
Grand
Swan
3.65
Grand
Swan
3.94
Wyatt
3.56
Prestigio
3.75
Wyatt
3.65
Prestigio
3.00
Note: Ratings are on a scale from 1, poor, to 5, excellent. All
ratings were retrieved from the Wahoo travel website and are
averaged across the year.
10/23/19 1:39 PM
RESEARCH AND BUSINESS PROPOSALS AND PLANNING FOR BUSINESS REPORTS CHAPTER TWELVE
383
TABLE 12.6
Formatting Guidelines for Specific Chart Types
Chart Type
Formatting Guidelines
All charts
• Ensure that all data is appropriately labeled.
• Avoid using too many bright colors; they can be distracting.
• Use darker colors to represent your most important data series.
• Avoid unusual fonts or too many special effects.
• Avoid 3-D charts.
• Ensure that all text is horizontal.
• Avoid white type on dark backgrounds in most cases.
Line
• Scale should be about two-thirds of the range included in the chart.
• Series names should be placed on or attached directly to lines.
• Only four or fewer data series (lines) should be included.
Pie
• Largest slice should begin at 12 o’clock and go clockwise; second-largest slice should begin at
12 o’clock and go counterclockwise.
• Exploding slices should be used sparingly.
• Pie slices should complete a whole (add up to 100% of a data series).
Bar
• Bars should be about twice the width of the space in between bars.
• Baseline should always be zero.
• Bars should be arranged in ascending or descending order in most cases.
• Legend should be used only if the chart has two or more data series.
General Rules of Chart Formatting
Although formatting a chart is secondary to creating a powerful takeaway message, it is by
no means unimportant. Since visuals have an impact even before the reader begins reading, ineffective formatting can give the reader an impression of sloppy or imprecise work.
Generally, the formatting should be as simple as possible and should accentuate the
key data relationships. If a formatting feature detracts from the key points, remove or
improve it. Table 12.6 provides general formatting guidelines for charts.
Design Effective Tables
Generally, charts are the most effective way of quickly demonstrating a key point or
relationship. However, charts are limited in the amount of information they can provide. Tables, by contrast, allow you to provide more data with additional precision.
Because of this, charts are generally better for highlighting a key idea, and tables are
generally better for comprehensiveness and precision.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Tables Like charts, tables are typically more
effective with simple formatting. In addition, the way a table presents data can affect
the clarity of its message. Consider, for example, the tables in Figure 12.6, which are
based on identical data. Place yourself in the position of the reader and assume you
have the following question: “Does higher income level correspond with higher likelihood of purchasing Internet services?” It is difficult to answer this question quickly by
looking at the less effective table. By contrast, glancing at the more effective table
rapidly reveals that purchasing no Internet service (0 days) strongly correlates with the
lowest income bracket (under $30,000/year).
The less effective table is cluttered due to excessive grid lines, poor labels, and nonindented items. By contrast, the more effective table limits the number of grid lines.
Furthermore, each grid line serves a distinct purpose. The initial grid lines separate the
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384 PART FIVE REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS
FIGURE 12.6
A Less Effective and More Effective Table
Less Effective Table
Survey Results
During the three days of the conference you attended at the Prestigio, how many
days did you purchase Internet service?
Days of Internet Service
0
1
2
3
154
15
31
36
Male
82
8
15
22
Female
72
7
16
14
Under $30,000
15
0
1
2
$30,000–$39,999
41
4
3
7
$40,000–$49,999
48
3
11
12
$50,000–$74,999
33
6
7
8
$75,000–$100,000
12
2
4
4
Over $100,000
5
0
5
3
All Respondents
Gender
Income
More Effective Table
Internet Service Purchases among Conference Guests
Days of Internet Service Purchased
(Number of Respondents in Parentheses)
0 Days
1 Day
2 Days
3 Days
Total (#)
All Respondents
65.5% (154)
6.4% (15)
13.2% (31)
15.3% (36)
236
Gender
Male
Female
64.6% (82)
66.1% (72)
6.3% (8)
6.4% (7)
11.8% (15)
14.7% (16)
17.3% (22)
12.8% (14)
127
109
Income
Under $30,000
$30,000–$39,999
$40,000–$49,999
$50,000–$74,999
$75,000–$100,000
Over $100,000
83.3% (15)
74.5% (41)
64.9% (48)
61.1% (33)
54.5% (12)
38.5% (5)
0.0% (0)
7.3% (4)
4.1% (3)
11.1% (2)
9.1% (2)
0.0% (0)
5.6% (1)
5.5% (3)
14.9% (11)
13.0% (7)
18.2% (4)
38.5% (5)
11.1% (6)
12.7% (7)
16.2% (12)
14.8% (8)
18.2% (4)
23.1% (3)
18
55
74
54
22
13
column labels from the survey data. Subsequent grid lines separate each category of
data, including those for all respondents, gender, and income level. Indents of items
within each category further accentuate the distinctions between categories.
The second table also is more effective because numerical adjustments have been
made. The first table contains counts of respondents who responded in certain ways.
Counts make it difficult for readers to make effective comparisons quickly. Yet, many readers are also interested in knowing how many people participated in a survey. By converting
the counts into percentages, the more effective table enables readers to process the information more easily. Placing the counts in parentheses makes the data comprehensive.
General Rules of Table Formatting Overall, more effective formatting and
numerical conversion make a significant impact on the usefulness of a table. The
general guidelines in Table 12.7 will help you create more effective tables.
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RESEARCH AND BUSINESS PROPOSALS AND PLANNING FOR BUSINESS REPORTS CHAPTER TWELVE
385
Technology Tips
USING ONLINE SURVEY SOFTWARE
Conducting surveys has become increasingly easy with various
software, such as SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics, Google Forms, and
various add-ins for meeting and social software. The software, in
many cases, helps you rapidly create survey questions. It often
contains a pool of existing questions you can even select from.
In an online format, you can send the survey link to anyone in
your contact list, including colleagues and customers. In other words,
such software gives you greater access to survey respondents than
was possible as recently as a few years ago. Furthermore, many
companies specialize in helping you gain access to millions of
potential respondents (called an online panel). When you conduct
market or consumer research, these companies can help you get
a large sample size for nearly any demographic of interest.
Another benefit of using online surveys is that the data is
immediately dumped into a database or spreadsheet in a form
you can quickly analyze. Some online survey software even provides immediate reports that include summary and crosstab statistics (although you’ll often want to manipulate the data yourself Source: SurveyMonkey.com
to dig deeper and get answers to particular questions).
As you use online survey software, keep in mind the following tips:
Apply the same careful and thorough standards you would to any form of business
research. The ease of creating online surveys often leads business professionals to use
them carelessly, not putting enough time into designing the survey questions.
Avoid overusing online surveys. Again, because of the ease of administering online
surveys, employees in many organizations are bombarded with surveys. As a result,
employees often suffer respondent fatigue and respond to surveys less carefully. The
results of the survey are only as good as the careful input of your respondents.
Your challenge: Create a simple but identical survey (3 or 4 questions; choose several
question types such as multiple choice, ranking, and comments) in two different software
platforms. Which features of each platform do you like best? Which platform do you prefer?
TABLE 12.7
Formatting Guidelines for Tables
Issue
Formatting Guidelines
Order
• Order your entries appropriately (alphabetical or numerical order of categories, or ascending/
descending order of values of comparison).
Indentation
• Indent or otherwise set apart items within a category.
Data series
• Present comparative data series vertically.
Column/row labels
• Label columns and rows effectively.
Grid lines
• Use grid lines for every three to five rows at natural breaks (new categories); this simple design
technique allows readers to easily scan rows.
• Avoid grid lines on all borders; these tend to clutter the table.
• Avoid alternating background colors on rows in most cases; this is also distracting and
unnecessary.
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386 PART FIVE REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS
Gathering Information through Secondary Research
In most cases, primary research is ideal. You can carefully tailor it to your specific business problems. Primary research, however, takes a lot of time and money. Even with sufficient resources, your organization may lack access to certain types of data. Generally, a
far less expensive approach is secondary research. One advantage of nearly all secondary
research is that someone else already spent the time to conduct and write it up.
Choose a Research Topic
Generally in the workplace, you’ll conduct and write research as requested by your managers or clients. Many companies provide guidelines for how to approach secondary
research. Even under an assignment from decision makers, you have some freedom to
define the scope of your project. In some college courses, your instructors may give you
a broad topic or you may have complete freedom to select your own topic. When you’re
in a position to choose your own research topics, you can follow several strategies to
find a topic that is interesting and valuable to you and others.
Avoid Settling on Your Topic Too Quickly and Pace Your Research Iden­
tifying your specific research topic takes time. Usually, you’ve got several months
to deliver a final research report. Make sure to invest enough time early in the process
to carefully explore your options. Ideally, you can spend four to five hours during the
first two weeks of your project carefully weighing your options for a research topic.
Figure 12.7 shows how you might approach a ten-week school research project.
Choose Your Topic Strategically For school projects, consider choosing topics
that will help you in your academic program and in your career. You can help identify
topics of strategic interest by asking yourself questions such as the following: What do I
know a lot about already? What would help me know more about my major or focus of
study? What do I want to learn more about from a class I recently took? What do I need
to learn more about to succeed in my first positions out of college? What kind of
research paper could I envision talking about in a job interview? To help you think
about some possible topics, consider some of the topics listed in Table 12.8 (this is a
brief list of broad topics to get you started).
You might also consider writing down three to five research topics you’re interested
in. For each topic, answer questions such as the following: Who would be interested in
this topic? (This helps you think about an audience.) What are some specific questions
related to each topic? (This helps you think about the scope of your research—see the
next paragraph.) How easily can I get information about this topic?
Define the Scope of Your Project Early in your research project, you should take
a somewhat broad or vague topic and make it specific and interesting. As you glance
through Table 12.8, you’ll notice these are quite general topics and serve only as starting
points. Let’s say you choose a topic such as social media marketing. This is so broad that
you can’t reasonably tackle the topic in a research paper. You can reduce the scope of
your project in a variety of ways. First, try ways to narrow the topic itself: for example,
you might focus the topic of social media marketing to something like developing customer relationships on Pinterest (in a few hours, you can find dozens of good options).
Consider narrowing your project in terms of an organization or an industry (e.g., how
Home Depot develops customer relationships on Pinterest). You might also confine
FIGURE 12.7
Sample Timeline for
a Ten-Week Research
Project
car88340_ch12_367-401.indd 386
Weeks 1 and 2
Weeks 3 through 6
Weeks 7 and 8
Weeks 9 and 10
Choose
Your Topic
Collect Research and
Connect Ideas
Complete
Solid Draft
Complete
Research Report
10/23/19 1:39 PM
RESEARCH AND BUSINESS PROPOSALS AND PLANNING FOR BUSINESS REPORTS CHAPTER TWELVE
Marketing
Social media marketing
Brand management
Marketing analytics
Advertising
Customer service
B2B (business-to-business) marketing
International marketing
Sales
Product development
Finance/Accounting
Mergers and acquisitions
Auditing
Risk management
Banking and capital management
Corporate taxation
Financial planning
International financial management
Human Resources
Talent management
Performance management
Team development
Salary and benefit plans
Community management
Career paths
Employee morale
Recruiting and hiring
Supply Chain Management/Operations
Enterprise resource planning systems
Sourcing and supplier management
Production planning
Quality management
Inventory management
Resource forecasting
387
TABLE 12.8
Broad Research Topics
by Business Discipline
Information Systems/Technology
Big data/business analytics
Cloud-based technologies
Social media policies
E-commerce
Technology adoption
Leadership/Management/Communication
Business strategy
Leadership styles
Personality
Negotiation
Organizational change
Conflict management
Crisis management
Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility
Sustainability
Diversity
Compliance and governance
Transparency
Employee volunteering programs
Corporate philanthropy
your project by time (e.g., how Home Depot has developed customer relationships on
Pinterest during the past year).
Find Ways to Make Your Research More Analytical Generally, you make
your research more valuable (and challenging) as you examine relationships and integrate related information. You can examine causation or correlation (e.g., how corporate Pinterest pages impact purchasing decisions), comparisons or analogies (e.g., how
Lowe’s uses Pinterest pages to develop customer relationships), benchmarks (e.g., what
experts say are best practices on Pinterest), or trends (e.g., how Pinterest users have
changed expectations about content on corporate Pinterest pages over the past three
years). Often, how you decide to approach or analyze your research will end up influencing your final topic.
Talk to Others Who Can Help You If you’re not sure how to narrow your topic,
you might consider talking with your instructor, a librarian, trusted classmates, or professionals you know. These conversations will often help you articulate your interests
and refine your topics.
Evaluate Data Quality
As you collect secondary research, carefully evaluate it in terms of data quality.
Concern yourself with the following issues:
Reliability relates to how dependable the data is—how current and representative.
Relevance of the data relates to how well it applies to your specific business problem.
● Adaptability relates to how well the research can be altered or revised to meet your
specific business problem.
●
●
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LO12.5 
Evaluate the
usefulness of
data sources
for business
research.
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388 PART FIVE REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS
TABLE 12.9
Strengths and Limitations of Data Quality for Primary and Secondary Research Sources
Reliability
Relevance
Primary research
High
High
White papers
Low
– High
Industry publications
Expert-Based
Bias
High
Medium
– High
Goals and
preexisting notions
of the researcher
Medium
– High
Low
Medium
– High
Organizational
mission and
objectives
Medium
– High
Medium
– High
Low
Medium
– High
Mission of the
publication/editing
team
Business periodicals
Medium
– High
Low
– Medium
Low
Low
– High
Mission of the
publication/editing
team
Scholarly journals
High
Low
Low
High
Theoretical
significance
External blogs, wikis, and
other websites
Low
– High
Medium
– High
Low
Low
– High
Writers’ career
objectives
Medium
– High
Low–
High
Low
Medium
– High
Business books
®
Visit http://connect.
mheducation.com for an
exercise on this topic.
Adaptability
The latest, greatest
idea mentality; easy
fixes
Expertise relates to the skill and background of the researchers to address your business problem.
● Biases are tendencies to see issues from particular perspectives. The possibility of
biases does not necessarily imply that secondary research is unreliable; however,
when using such research, view the data cautiously and keep in mind the ultimate
objectives of the researchers.
●
Some secondary research reports cost thousands of dollars to purchase, whereas others are free. You have a variety of options to choose from with secondary research,
including white papers, industry publications, business periodicals, scholarly journals,
external blogs, and business books. Each of these types of secondary data has benefits
and drawbacks (see Table 12.9). Thus, you will inevitably face trade-offs as you select
secondary data.
White papers are reports or guides that generally describe research about solving a
particular issue—perhaps one similar to the one you are encountering. They are issued
by governments and organizations. White papers are readily available on many corporate and other organizational websites. However, they are often biased, since white
papers are often produced by industry groups with an agenda or companies with specific marketing goals related to the white paper. Thus, when you rely on white papers,
you should learn about the agendas of the sponsoring organizations.
Industry publications are written to cater to the specific interests of members in particular industries. These can include periodicals and reports. Industry reports often are
highly reliable, relevant, and expert-based. However, industry reports are generally
expensive, ranging from several hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. Typically, the
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RESEARCH AND BUSINESS PROPOSALS AND PLANNING FOR BUSINESS REPORTS CHAPTER TWELVE
389
more reliable the industry reports are, the more expensive they are. Fortunately, many
business libraries carry a variety of expensive industry reports and publications that are
free for you to use as long as you are enrolled at your university.
Business periodicals (magazines, newspapers) provide stories, information, and
advice about contemporary business issues. They are often written by well-respected
business journalists and experts. However, most articles in magazines and periodicals
will have limited value in applying to your specific business problems and your organization. Furthermore, these articles often rely on anecdotal evidence rather than carefully controlled experiments and survey research. Periodicals that are industry
publications are often far more relevant than general business magazines and articles.
Scholarly journals contain business research that is extremely reliable. The information comes from carefully controlled scientific research processes and has been
reviewed by experts in the field. However, scholarly business articles rarely provide useful information for business problems that you will focus on in the workplace. Rather,
scholarly articles focus on more theoretical and abstract issues. Furthermore, they are
generally written with a level of statistical analysis and/or theoretical background that is
difficult to understand.
External blogs and other online resources provide a plethora of information. Since
most blogs are not formally edited or reviewed, the range in reliability is enormous. As
you progress in your career, you will find those blogs that are reliable and relevant to
the types of business problems you face. If you rely on blogs, make sure you carefully
determine the expertise of the blog writer(s).
Business and management books range greatly in terms of their overall usefulness.
Fortunately, you can usually better assess the usefulness of business and management
books than other secondary sources because of the many online reviews available and
the ability to preview sections of the books (online and in person at bookstores or
libraries). Online reviews can help you gauge how useful various books can be for your
particular business problems.
Conduct Library Research
Most university libraries have rich stores of information on business. Aside from a significant collection of books across a wide range of disciplines and topics, your library
likely contains a wealth of digital resources. You likely also have access to thousands of
company and industry reports (each of which cost hundreds and thousands of dollars
to consumers); articles from hundreds of business periodicals, including The Wall Street
Journal, Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek, and many others; industry-specific periodicals
and reports; scholarly journals; and many, many more avenues for research.
Most university libraries subscribe to dozens of online databases. Popular and useful
ones with business research and articles include EBSCO Business Source Complete,
ProQuest, IBISWorld, Hoover’s, Global Financial Database, Conference Board,
eMarketer, Mint Global, NetAdvantage by Standard & Poor’s, Thomson One, and
others. In Figure 12.8, you’ll see a few examples of these databases and how they present
information for your research. In the EBSCOhost window, you’ll notice the many
search options available. In the ProQuest window, you can see links to specialized
reports on such topics as trends and forecasts, market research, or SWOT analyses. In
the IBISWorld window, you can see the categories of information in a particular industry report. Working from this screen, Jeff can access reliable information about key
success factors, cost structure benchmarks, technology, and many other topics about
hotels in the United States.
Navigating the many resources in these databases and identifying the ones that will
be most useful to you take time. You might consider spending several weeks browsing
these various databases simply to become familiar with what’s available. You should
also seek a business librarian to help you identify those databases that best match your
interests and needs.
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LO12.6 
Conduct
secondary
research to
address a
business problem.
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390 PART FIVE REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS
FIGURE 12.8
Finding Valuable
Information with
Library Resources
Sources: (top) EBSCOhost; (bottom
left) ProQuest; (bottom right)
IBISWorld
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391
TABLE 12.10
Strategies for Using Search Terms Effectively
Strategy
Example
Use Boolean operators.
“Virtual reality” and “Group tours”
Virtual reality and Group tours
Virtual reality or Group tours
Use alternative keywords.
“Augmented reality” and “Global tourism”
“Emerging technologies” and “Historical tours”
“VR headsets” and Tourism
Number of Hits in ProQuest
328
145,822
7,928,251
62
8
305
Each of the databases contains search features, and several basic strategies will help
you make the most of them. When you manually search, you can use Boolean operators
(and, or) to widen your search. For example, when Jeff wants to find more information
about virtual reality or group tours, his initial search of this phrase yields nearly
8,000,000 results. By looking for both words separately (using and) with quotation
marks for each phrase, his search yields a more more manageable 328 results (see
Table 12.10). Also, consider using alternative keywords and closely related ideas. Finding the right sources requires persistence. You might spend hours looking for useful
information and then rapidly find dozens of relevant and useful sources.
Once you enter your terms, most online business databases provide a list of suggested topics based on commonly indexed terms. These can be very helpful. Notice, for
example, Figure 12.9. You will see the many combinations of indexed terms (with the
FIGURE 12.9
Using Suggested
Terms in Online
Business Databases
Source: EBESCOhost
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392 PART FIVE REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS
thesaurus tool) that result from a manual search for virtual reality in EBESCOhost. By
clicking on these various suggested searches, you can rapidly find which combinations
of search terms yield the best results.
Document Your Research
As you collect secondary research, keeping track of the information sources is critical.
Decision makers expect excellent documentation of your information because this
helps them evaluate the credibility of your report. Since they often make high-stakes
decisions based on reports, they expect to know exactly what the basis is for facts, conclusions, and recommendations you present.
When you keep track of your sources during the research stage, you can efficiently
and accurately document your report. Many novice report writers waste time during the
drafting stage trying to retrace their steps and find the sources for certain pieces of
information. Worse, they may make errors in documentation by providing an incorrect
source, casting doubt on the credibility of the report.
To avoid these problems, experienced writers have a system for recording all sources
during the research stage. Not all report writers use the same system; some use word
processing software, while others use spreadsheets or databases. The key is to create a
system that allows you to accurately and efficiently record sources for your information.
In Figure 12.10, you can see how Jeff combines taking notes with keeping track of his
sources. This approach helps him organize his information and allows him to rapidly
provide documentation once he begins drafting his report.
FIGURE 12.10
System for Recording Secondary Research Sources during Note Taking
Haugen, J. (2018, May 22). Virtual reality: Insights and opportunities in the travel industry. Adventure Travel News.
Retrieved from https://www.adventuretravelnews.com/virtual-reality-insights-and-opportunities-in-the-travel-industry
• Many experts in the tourism industry wonder whether VR tools for travel are the next big thing or simply a fad.
• VR headsets are widely available and the technology is excellent; however, mainstream adoption and use
are still low.
• Experts are not sure yet whether this is a marketing advantage or a deterrent. It could be a deterrent if it replaces
the expensive experience of traveling.
• VR technologies can help travelers preview and sample various destinations.
• Examples include the following:
• DiscoveryVR.com allows people to see many forms of wildlife and how people live their lives.
• Navitaire is a booking tool. People can visit a destination and then book their travel all while in the VR experience.
• Visit Sweden has three VR films.
• Qantas has a variety of VR features about Australian locations.
• Thomas Cook put VR headsets in many of its offices. Potential travelers could experience locations in Asia, Europe,
and North America. Thomas Cook reported a 40 percent ROI. The most effective destination was New York.
• Quark Expeditions allows customers to have a helicopter experience and cruise through icebergs.
• Hotels such as Marriott are offering VR. Cruise companies such as Royal Caribbean and Azamara Cruises have VR
about entertainment and amenities. They report much better conversion rates.
Wu, S.-T., & Lee, B.-W. (2017). An innovative way of guided tour: A virtual experience of dark tourism. Proceedings
of the 2017 IEEE International Conference on Information, Communication and Engineering, IEEE-ICICE 2017,
208–210.
• Examined dark tourism (sites involving massacre and/or war).
• Used VR headsets for 228 memorials and parks.
• The virtual tour included 360-degree panoramas, audio guides, various interactive features, and a self-paced format.
• Intended to help with tourism marketing and development.
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Use Online Information for Business Research
For most business research, the information you can access through business databases
and other sources at your library is generally the most reliable. However, you will also
likely use Internet searches outside your library system to find relevant information on
your topic. As you do so, keep in mind the following strategies:
Always evaluate data quality. The range in quality on the web is immense. Make sure
you’re not using sources that are uninformed or inaccurate.
● Do more than just “Google it.” You can employ many strategies for online research,
including the following:
● Go to reputable business and industry websites and conduct searches. For example,
Jeff may go directly to general periodical or business news sites such as Bloomberg
Businessweek or CNBC.com to do searches. Or he may go to industry sites. When
he goes to the United States Tour Operators Association website, he finds a variety of sources that are not available at his library and that are more current than
the information in business databases (see Figure 12.11).
● Find online discussions and forums about your selected topic. You can learn what
current professionals are saying about a topic by visiting online discussions and
forums. For example, on LinkedIn, you can view the conversations of thousands
of professionals on any given topic. Notice in Figure 12.12 the many options that
Jeff has to choose from. Each of these groups holds dozens of ongoing converations about current practices in the industry.
● Search beyond text-based information. Increasingly, you can access a wealth of
information in video and audio format. For example, when Jeff is seeking information about virtual reality and travel, a few simple searches yield thousands of
online videos on YouTube. By viewing a few of these videos, he identifies many
green meeting practices that hotels are using. He also gets information from
speeches and presentations that he could not find elsewhere.
● Be persistent. In the age of the Internet, many of us are accustomed to quick answers.
Getting solid business information, however, rarely involves quick answers. Try as
many approaches as you can to find the data you need.
●
FIGURE 12.11
Using Industry
Websites for Research
Source: USTOA
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394 PART FIVE REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS
FIGURE 12.12
Using Online Groups
and Discussion Forums
for Research
Source: LinkedIn
Applying the FAIR Test to Your Research Data
and Charts
LO12.7 
Evaluate research
data, charts, and
tables for fairness
and effectiveness.
Feedback
FAIR Test
Review
Proofread
car88340_ch12_367-401.indd 394
As you conduct research for your reports, frequently evaluate whether you are being
fair. For example, whether you are doing primary or secondary research, make sure you
are examining all the available facts and interpreting them from various perspectives. A
common problem is that business professionals may enter into research with preexisting assumptions or even conclusions. In primary research, such assumptions may lead
you to ask the wrong questions or interpret the data incorrectly. In secondary research,
they may lead you to gather only information that matches your assumptions and conclusions. For example, if Jeff already assumes that developing and marketing green
meetings makes business sense for the Prestigio, he may inadvertently gravitate to information that supports his position and avoid information that does not, thus misleading
his readers.
Another way you may unintentionally mislead a reader is with numerical data. However, you can take a few steps to ensure that you represent data fairly and avoid losing
credibility. First, whenever you are unsure of a data relationship, discuss it with your
colleagues. Collectively, you will often arrive at a fair way to represent the information.
Also, ask yourself if you have provided enough information for your readers and audience members to make informed and accurate judgments.
Some business professionals show only the data that supports their points. In other
words, they cherry-pick the data in their favor. This practice is deceptive. Furthermore,
some business professionals distort information, even though it is technically correct.
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RESEARCH AND BUSINESS PROPOSALS AND PLANNING FOR BUSINESS REPORTS CHAPTER TWELVE
395
TABLE 12.11
Creating Fair Charts
Less Fair
More Fair
Cleanliness Ratings
Cleanliness Ratings
Compared toCompared
Competitors
to Competitors
Cleanliness Ratings
Cleanliness Ratings
Compared toCompared
Competitors
to Competitors
Great Falls
Great Falls
Great Falls
Great Falls
4.49
4.49
Grand Swan
Grand Swan
Grand Swan
Grand Swan
4.35
4.35
Wyatt
Wyatt
Wyatt
Wyatt
4.33
4.33
Prestigio
Prestigio
Prestigio
Prestigio
4
4.2 4
4.4 4.2
4.4
1
2
4.11
13
24
4.11
35
4
5
Note: Ratings are on a scale from 1, poor, to 5, excellent. All ratings
were retrieved from the Wahoo travel website and are averaged for
each month across the year.
By displaying this chart on an axis that contains only part of
the scale and no note or legend, this chart exaggerates the
differences in cleanliness ratings.
By displaying the entire scale and providing a note about
the ratings, this chart accurately reflects the differences in
cleanliness ratings. It clearly shows that although the
Prestigio is lower than its competitors, it still has an average
cleanliness rating that is good.
Charts, for example, can be manipulated to exaggerate or misinform. Notice
Table 12.11, which contains two versions of the same chart.
As you collect, analyze, and present data to others, ensure that you provide all the
relevant facts, even if they don’t fit into convenient conclusions. Grant access to your
data. Your full disclosure of data to colleagues, clients, and others in your business dealings will pay long-term dividends in terms of credibility. Many businesses emphasize
transparency on an institutional level. As an individual, when you make compelling
numerical arguments through charts, tables, and other formats while also maintaining
a level of personal transparency and full disclosure, you will gain many career opportunities. Also, remember the impacts of your data on others and present it with respect.
For example, when you collect data on your colleagues’ performance, how you present
your information can impact career opportunities, team cohesion, and morale.
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396 PART FIVE REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS
IDEAS IN ACTION
Learning from Books
Excellent business researchers read and study books to expose themselves to complex
ideas. Oprah Winfrey is among the most popular people in the world due to her authentic
and inspirational media presence, global philanthropic efforts, and immense business success. She believes books built the foundation for her career. In her 2004 Global Humanitarian Award acceptance speech at the United Nations, she explained, “Books allowed me to
see a world beyond the front porch of my grandmother’s shotgun house and gave me the
power to see possibilities.” Elsewhere, she has stated, “Books were my path to personal
freedom.” It’s not surprising that one of her most influential efforts over the past few
decades has been Oprah’s Book Club.
Like Winfrey, many business, nonprofit, government, and other leaders credit books with
opening their eyes to new possibilities and sparking new ideas. In fact, many leaders read
several hours each day to continue learning. Even as your career becomes busy and hectic,
find ways to read every day and include book reading as part of your regimen. For instance,
you might set aside 20 minutes a day when you can read without distraction. Consider carrying a book with you so you can read during “down times,” such as while riding the bus or
sitting in a waiting room. Read what interests you, and set goals for yourself, such as reading
one new book each month. Developing a strong reading habit can keep you inquisitive and
curious and help you develop meaningful approaches to business research.
CARL COURT/AFP/Getty
Images
Sources: Cowles, G. (2018). How to tap your inner reader. The New York Times. Retrieved
from www.nytimes.com/guides/year-of-living-better/how-to-tap-your-inner-reader; Kniffel, L.
(2011, May 25). Reading for life: Oprah Winfrey. American Libraries Magazine. Retrieved from
americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2011/05/25/reading-for-life-oprah-winfrey/; Weller, C. (2017, July 20).
9 of the most successful people share their reading habits. Business Insider. Retrieved from
www.businessinsider.com/what-successful-people-read-2017-7/#oprah-winfrey-4.
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Chapter Takeaway for Research and Business Proposals
and Planning for Business Reports
LO12.1 Explain how planning and conducting business research for reports impacts your credibility.
Planning and conducting research for business reports demonstrates your personal credibility.
It shows competence when you
can collect, analyze, and present
business research.
It shows caring when you collect
business research that fills an
unmet need for others.
It shows character when you
collect, analyze, and report your
research data fairly.
LO12.2 Create research objectives that are specific and achievable.
See examples of research objectives in Table 12.1.
LO12.3 Explain principles of effective design for survey
questions and choices.
LO12.4 Develop charts and tables to concisely display
data and accentuate key messages.
Principles for Survey Question Design
Criteria for Evaluating Charts
• Simple to answer • Exhaustive and unambiguous
• Non-leading
• Single idea
• Title descriptiveness
• Ease of processing
• Focal points
• Takeaway message
• Information sufficiency
See examples of survey question design in Tables 12.2
through 12.5. See a complete online survey in Figure 12.1.
See examples of charts and tables in Figures 12.2
through 12.6.
LO12.5 Evaluate the usefulness of data sources for business research.
Criteria for Evaluating Data Quality
• Reliability
• Relevance
• Adaptability
• Expertise
• Biases
LO12.6 Conduct secondary research to address a business problem.
Principles for Secondary Research
• Use business databases such as EBSCO, IBISWorld, and Hoover’s.
• Document your research.
• Conduct online research carefully, strategically, and creatively.
See an example of documenting research during the note-taking stage in Figure 12.10.
LO12.7 Evaluate research data, charts, and tables for fairness and effectiveness.
Facts: Present all relevant facts, even when they don’t fit nicely into convenient conclusions. Avoid exaggeration or
any other distortion of the facts.
Access: Grant access to your data to decision makers and others affected by your report. Focus on transparency and
disclosure.
Impacts: Consider how the data in your report will impact stakeholders.
Respect: Ensure that your presentation of the data demonstrates respect for stakeholders.
397
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398 PART FIVE REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS
Key Terms
adaptability, 387
bar charts, 377
biases, 388
business and management books, 389
business periodicals, 389
closed questions, 371
exhaustive, 373
expertise, 388
external blogs, 389
industry publications, 388
line charts, 377
non-leading, 372
open-ended questions, 371
pie charts, 377
primary research, 371
relevance, 387
reliability, 387
scholarly journals, 389
secondary research, 371
unambiguous, 373
white papers, 388
Discussion Exercises
12.1 Chapter Review Questions (LO12.1, LO12.2, LO12.3, LO12.4,
LO12.5)
12.3 Combining Quantitative and Communication Skills (LO12.1,
LO12.4, LO12.5, LO12.6)
A. Explain the features that distinguish reports from other types
of business correspondence.
B. Describe ways in which you can enhance your credibility by
creating reports.
C. Discuss the advantages and drawbacks of both primary and
secondary business research.
D. Describe strategies for understanding the needs of your audience for reports.
E. Explain why developing clear research objectives is so crucial
to business research.
F. Describe principles for effective survey questions.
G. Summarize the primary reasons for using charts and tables.
H. Explain at least three general design principles for charts.
I. Describe unique design and formatting principles that apply to
line charts, pie charts, and bar charts.
J. Explain the criteria for judging the quality of research data.
Lloyd C. Blankfein, chair and CEO of Goldman Sachs, was asked,
“What would you like business schools to teach more of, or less of?”
He responded:
12.2 Ideas in Action Discussion Questions (LO12.4, LO12.7)
In the Ideas in Action section, Oprah Winfrey is quoted as saying
“Books allowed me to see a world beyond the front porch of my
grandmother’s shotgun house and gave me the power to see
possibilities.” Elsewhere, she has stated, “Books were my path to
personal freedom.”
A. Based on Winfrey’s statements as well as your own experience,
in what ways can books help you see new possibilities and
­personal freedom?
B. Based on Winfrey’s statements as well as your own experience,
in what ways can a habit of deep reading help you accomplish
professional goals?
C. Develop a list of ten books you want to read next summer.
Why did you choose these books?
car88340_ch12_367-401.indd 398
Look, I think it’s very important to teach people to have a healthy
respect for facts and information. And you know, to paraphrase
Keynes, “to change minds when facts change.” That’s why I think
certain careers—and maybe not intuitive careers—do very well.
There’s a lot of lawyers floating around Wall Street. There’s a lot of
engineers. A lot of people who deal in facts and have an appreciation for facts. A quantitative thing is very helpful. I was a social
studies major, but you need to be numerate. If you have those good
quantitative skills, it’s very, very helpful.6
Based on Blankfein’s comments and your own opinions, respond
to the following questions:
A. Why are quantitative skills so highly valued in various business
disciplines?
B. How important do you think quantitative skills will be to your
career? In what ways?
C. What are your strongest areas in terms of quantitative skills?
Weakest areas?
D. What are your strongest areas in terms of spreadsheet
software? Weakest areas?
E. What are five goals you have for improving your quantitative
skills?
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C H p rov i n w i t h
E R 12 :
CHAP T
:
ce
an d
Re s e a rc h
s s P ro p o s a l s
Bu sine
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and Plan n
es s
fo r B u s i n
Re p o r t s
3 and
R
io n i o n s
t
sa
er
at
n
PRINCIPLES OF INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION
PRINCIPLES FOR & TYPES OF
BUSINESS MESSAGES
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After studying this chapter, you should be able to do the following:
LO10.1
Describe the relationship between
credibility and persuasion.
LO10.5
Explain how to influence professionals with
various decision-making styles.
LO10.2
Explain the AIM planning process for
persuasive messages and the basic
components of most persuasive messages.
LO10.6
Compose influential external persuasive
messages.
LO10.7
Construct effective mass sales messages.
LO10.3
Explain how the tone and style of
persuasive messages impact their influence.
LO10.8
Evaluate persuasive messages for
effectiveness and fairness.
LO10.4
Create compelling internal persuasive
messages.
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WHY DOES THIS MATTER?
In many business situations, you hope to persuade others. In internal business
communications, you may want your boss, peers, or colleagues to consider or
adopt your ideas when their perspectives differ from yours. In external business
communications, you will want to persuade your clients, customers, and prospects
to use your products and services. Persuasion involves influencing others to see
the merits of your ideas and act on your requests, even when they initially resist.
In this chapter, we explore strategies for persuading others through writing.
In some ways, all business messages contain an element of persuasion—that
is, you are hoping to influence the way others think, feel, or behave. Many of the
concepts in this chapter will enhance your ability to make any kind of request.
However, the approaches in this chapter are most applicable to situations in which
your audience will initially resist your requests.
Throughout this chapter, you will see examples of persuasive messages at
Better Horizons Credit Union. The chapter case provides the background.
Hear Pete Cardon
explain why
this matters.
bit.ly/cardon10
  SHIFTING COURSE AT BETTER HORIZONS
CHAPTER CASE
CREDIT UNION
Ha
Ch
ris ti n e R u s
Marketing Specialist
President and CEO
•
•
•
•
Started working at Better Horizons nearly five
years ago. She has worked 20 to 30 hours per
week while attending college with a major in
finance and a minor in event management.
Started as a teller. Within a few years, she was
promoted to positions of teller supervisor, loan
officer, and marketing specialist.
Currently working on marketing initiatives under
the direction of Christine Russo.
•
s
o
Who’s Involved
n iz Z o g by
Has worked at Better Horizons for
approximately ten years.
Currently interested in increasing
the number of young members.
With declining numbers of young
members, she is concerned that
the credit union does not have
good long-term prospects.
Haniz and Christine Want to Attract New Members by Focusing
on Financial Planning
Christine recognized that people under the age of 25 were not joining the credit
union. Christine asked Haniz and several marketing team members to develop
a plan to attract more college students. After several months of work, Haniz and
the team have a plan, but they know the executive team is deeply skeptical of
plans to draw younger members. These plans have failed often in the past.
SITUATION 1
(Haniz Zogby character): Ingram Publishing; (Christine Russo character): Jacobs Stock Photography/Photodisc/
Getty Images
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Situation 2
Christine and Haniz Promote a Mentorship Program to Attract and Retain New Hires
Christine recognizes that Better Horizons needs to hire younger, early-career professionals for several reasons. She thinks hiring early-career professionals will help with
the strategy to attract younger members. She recently asked several of her employees to develop a mentoring program, which would help attract and retain new hires.
She wants to persuade employees to volunteer as mentors for this program. Also,
she wants Haniz to use the mentorship program as part of a pitch about career
opportunities to soon-to-be college graduates.
Situation 3
Haniz Is in Charge of Recruiting Participants for a Local Charity Event
Christine asked Haniz to be in charge of recruiting credit union members to join this
year’s Hope Walkathon to support research on breast cancer. Better Horizons has
assembled a walkathon team for this prominent community event each year for
nearly a decade. Haniz is writing an email to send to all credit union members. The
message will be modified slightly to appear as an announcement on the credit union
website as well.
Situation 4
Haniz Needs to Create a Flyer Explaining the Benefits of Credit Union Membership Compared to Banks
Haniz is working on a flyer describing the benefits of membership at Better Horizons
Credit Union. The flyer will be part of a packet of materials that is distributed to community members who participate in free financial planning and income tax assistance
seminars offered by Better Horizons. Haniz is using the message to highlight the
benefits of Better Horizons compared to local banks.
Situation 5
Haniz Is Helping Develop a Sales Message for Auto Loans
Haniz and several other employees are working on sales messages for auto loans.
In recent months, Better Horizon’s senior management decided the credit union
should become a “player” in the auto loans market. Few Better Horizons members
take advantage of car loans, most assuming that dealer financing is cheaper and
easier to get.
TASK
1
2
3
How will Haniz write a
message to Christine and
the executive team that
motivates them to invest in
a new campaign? (See the
section “Creating Internal
Persuasive Messages.”)
How will Christine solicit volunteers
for the mentorship program? (See
“Creating Internal Persuasive
Messages.”) How will Haniz pitch
career opportunities at Better
Horizons to soon-to-be college
graduates? (See the section
“Composing Mass Sales Messages.”)
How will Haniz
persuade credit union
members to join the
Hope Walkathon?
(See the section
“Constructing
External Persuasive
Messages.”)
4
5
How will Haniz develop a general-purpose
flyer that shows the broad benefits of
choosing Better Horizons Credit Union
over banks? (See “Constructing External
Persuasive Messages.”)
How will Haniz develop
sales messages for an
auto loan campaign? (See
“Composing Mass Sales
Messages.”)
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PERSUASIVE MESSAGES CHAPTER TEN 297
The Importance of Credibility in an Era
of Mistrust and Skepticism
While credibility is critical to all business communications, its importance is heightened for persuasive messages. By definition, persuasion implies that you are communicating with someone who does not think or feel the same way as you do. So, your goal
is to help your audience members identify with and find merit in your positions. If they
question your credibility, they are unlikely to carefully consider your ideas, requests, or
recommendations.
Persuasion is becoming more difficult as we live in a time of increasing mistrust. In
Chapter 1, we discussed the declining levels of trust for nearly all professional groups,
particularly business-related occupations. Michael Maslansky, one of the leading corporate communications experts, has labeled this the post-trust era (PTE):
LO10.1 
Describe the
relationship
between credibility
and persuasion.
Just a few years ago, salespeople, corporate leaders, marketing departments,
and communicators like me had it pretty easy. We looked at communication
as a relatively linear process. . . . But trust disappeared, things changed. . . .
In a word, trust is out, skepticism is in.1
Over the past decade, Michael Maslansky and his colleagues have
examined how language is used to persuade and motivate others. By
interviewing hundreds of thousands of employees and customers in
some 30 countries, they have found that the language of trust is more
important than ever. Furthermore, they have noticed emerging trends
in how language impacts trust. Strategies for persuasion that once
worked are less effective in the PTE. Other strategies continue to work
well. In this chapter, we sort through some of these basic principles of
persuasive writing and identify those strategies that are most effective
in the PTE.
In the post-trust era, persuasion is more
challenging.
Gajus/Shutterstock
Applying the AIM Planning Process to Persuasive Messages
Persuasion involves extensive planning: analyzing your audience to understand their
needs, values, and how they are influenced; gathering the right information as you wrestle with the complicated business issues at hand; and developing a message that most
effectively reduces resistance and gai…