1
Chapter 1 Solutions to Activities
1.1 Social Media Inventory (Objs. 1–4)
The generalization that young people today are “digital natives” and as such must all be
extremely tech savvy may not necessarily apply equally to all students, not even the millennials
among them. Taking stock of students’ social media and technology use can be important for
1.2 Writing Inventory (Objs. 1–3)
Answers will vary. Some students may express the wish to write blogs instead of term papers,
1.3 Assessing Communication Skills Online: Evaluate Your Skills (Objs. 1–3)
1.4 Collaborating on the Opening Case Study (Objs. 1–5)
This activity takes place over the entire semester. Student teams have a choice of one of the 16
1.5 Introducing Yourself (Objs. 1, 2)
This e-mail or memo is an excellent way to assess students’ skills and, at the same time, get to
know them. Don’t grade this assignment, but be sure to write a friendly comment on all papers or
2 Chapter 1 Solutions
1.6 Small-Group Presentation: Introducing Team Members (Objs. 1, 2)
Decide whether you wish your class to (a) interview a group member and introduce that person
1.7 Communication Skills: Employer Wish List (Obj. 1)
Students may work in groups or individually on this project. Consider grouping them by their
1.8 Writing Skills: But My Job Won’t Require Writing! (Objs. 1-3)
a. No one really writes anymore. They just text and send e-mails.
Everyone writes in today’s workplace—and probably more than ever in the past. In professional
workplaces, e-mail has become the most important communication channel. Texting is less
b. Because I’m in a technical field, I will work with numbers, not words.
Estimates suggest that nearly 90 percent of all business messages involve written
Chapter 1 Solutions 3
c. Secretaries will clean up my writing problems.
In the current work world of tightened budgets and economic downturn, only a few upper-level
d. Technical writers do most of the real writing on the job.
e. Today’s sophisticated software programs can fix any of my writing mistakes.
Today’s style, grammar, and spell checkers are wonderful aids to business writers. They can
f. I can use forms and templates for most messages.
Books and computer programs can provide dozens of ready-made letters or pattern paragraphs
1.9 Wanted: A Jack- or Jill-of-All-Trades
Answers will vary and may shed light on the aspirations and anxieties of the current generation
1.10 Taking the Pulse of Today’s Workforce
The answers will vary. As in Activity 1.9, it may be instructive to learn about the hopes and
4 Chapter 1 Solutions
1.11 Customer Service: Tech Skills Not Enough (Objs. 1–3)
Service reps at any company must be totally familiar with its products and typical problems. On
1.12 Oral or Written Communication: How Rich Must the Media Be? (Obj.4)
a. You are returning with the senior auditor from a client visit to company headquarters, where
you must attend an important department meeting. It looks as though you will be at least 15
minutes late. What are your options?
Text or e-mail, possibly call, if it’s not going to disrupt the meeting, depending on the
b. Working at 8 a.m. in your Boston office, you need to get in touch with your counterpart at
your company’s West Coast office and ask a few clarifying formatting questions about a
report on which the two of you are collaborating.
Phoning is out of the question because it’s only 5 a.m. Pacific time (PST) and your
c. John, the information technology vice president, must tell employees about a new company
social media policy. He has two employees in mind who particularly need this information.
Policies flowing downward from management to subordinates should be written. They
Chapter 1 Solutions 5
d. As soon as possible, you need to learn from Daryle in Document Imaging whether she can
make copies of a set of engineering blueprints. If she cannot, you need her advice on where
you can get it done.
When you require an immediate answer, deliver the message orally, by telephone. In this
e. As a manager in your Human Resources department, you must terminate three employees in a
company-wide initiative to reduce costs.
Messages as traumatic as termination should always be delivered in person—one-on-one or
f. It wasn’t your fault, but an order for printed checks for a longtime customer was mishandled.
The checks are not ready, and the customer is angry.
Responding to an upset customer should always be done orally, if possible. The best
g. As chairman of the Employee Benefits Committee, you have worked with your committee for
two months evaluating several health plan options. You are now ready to convey the
recommendations of the committee to management.
Explaining a committee’s findings should be done in a written report traveling upward. Such a
6 Chapter 1 Solutions
1.13 Information Flow: What’s Good and Bad About Gossip at Work? (Obj. 5)
Mr. Bender responded in an appropriate manner by going to the source and talking about the reason
behind the gossip. Experts suggest seeking the source of malicious gossip and documenting what
was learned or discussed.
Benefits of workplace gossip might include the following:
a. Managers can keep a pulse on what is happening by relying on information from employees who
company handbook.
Negative consequences of gossip might include the following:
1.14 Attitudes Toward Ethics: Making Concessions on the Job (Obj. 5)
This view is, of course, not limited to the Millennial Generation. Many workers in other age groups
believe that to keep a job, they must compromise their personal ethics. But most would probably want
to draw the line between harmless “white lies” on the one hand and committing fraud on the other.
Chapter 1 Solutions 7
1.15 Ethical Dilemma: Applying Tools for Doing the Right Thing (Obj. 5)
1.16 Ethical Dilemma: Rival Chicken Chains Tempt Ethics in Taste Test (Obj. 5)
Students face an ethical dilemma. Should they do what they think is right for the company and
bolster its position by calling the El Pollo hot line with their praise of KFC chicken? Although