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Chapter 11 Solutions to Activities
Zooming In: Applying Your Skills at Pew Research Center
[Current date]
Ms. Erin Currier
Director, Pew Economic Mobility Project
901 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Ms. Currier:
As a college student about to enter the workforce, I was heartened by your recent publication of
How Much Protection Does a College Degree Afford?
The report’s findings confirmed that my decision to attend college was the right decision. But I
was particularly impressed by the engaging way the report was written. From the Table of
Contents to the pages of cited sources, every aspect of the report was clear, accessible, and well
researched. The charts and tables illustrated important data, and the use of bulleted points helped
the reader focus on key ideas.
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11.1 Report Functions, Strategies, and Formats (Obj. 1)
a. Function: analytical; strategy: indirect; format: manuscript with cover letter, potentially
posted on the Web as a PDF document
b. Function: informational; strategy: direct; format: memo or e-mail
c. Function: analytical; strategy: direct or indirect; format: PowerPoint or PDF slide decks, a
very condensed report style formatted as an appealing self-contained slideshow to be e-mailed
to the client
11.2 Collaborative Project: Looking Closely at Annual Reports (Obj. 1)
Free, full-text corporate annual reports in PDF format are easy to find on the Web and in electronic
11.3 Types of Data and Research Questions (Obj. 3)
a. Data forms: Background or historical, statistical, individual or group opinion Question:
Will I need to add to the available data?
b. Data form: Statistical
Questions: Is the source reliable? How were the figures derived? How recent are they?
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11.4 Problem, Purpose, and Scope Statements (Obj. 2)
a. Problem question: Should AlphaCore Company seek the help of expert IT consultants to
recommend a computer system that best meets its current and future needs?
Purpose: To analyze appropriate computer network systems to select one that would be most
b. Problem question: Which persuasive techniques should closers avoid to improve the overall
customer ratings of the negotiation process?
Purpose: To examine current persuasive strategies and improve sales techniques to lower the
c. Problem question: Does the introduction of hands-free devices significantly influence traffic
accident rates?
Purpose: To study accident statistics to determine whether hands-free devices lower the
incidence of traffic crashes.
d. Problem question: Should Old World Bakery hire a laboratory or a consultant to change its
food processing and rewrite its package labels to meet new trans fat requirements imposed by
the FDA?
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Purpose: To investigate how potential trans fat bans and FDA regulations might affect Thin
e. Problem question: How can Eddie Bauer train telephone service reps to motivate customers to
increase the number of items ordered per call?
Purpose: To investigate and recommend training procedures aimed at motivating telephone
11.5 Problem and Purpose Statements (Obj. 2)
Sample problem: Our business is losing customers because we are one of the few neighborhood
coffee bars that don’t offer free Wi-Fi service to our patrons. If the expense for the equipment is
11.6 Plagiarism, Paraphrasing, and Citing Sources (Obj. 4)
This colorful quotation from Edward Tufte’s classic book Envisioning information [Cheshire,
CT: Graphics Press, 1990, p. 34] is difficult to paraphrase and would most likely be cited
verbatim.
a. Weakness: The paraphrase is too close to the original because only a few words are changed
here and there while the structure of the passage remains the same. The following version is a
credible paraphrase.
b. Weakness: The paraphrased text follows the original too closely in sentence structure and
word choice. Only a few words and phrases here and there were changed.
150 Chapter 11 Solutions
c. Weakness: Despite the parenthetical reference (Henderson 44), the passage is plagiarized. It
follows the original too closely in sentence structure and word choice. Only a few words here
and there were changed.
Improved Passage: Cellular phone use around the world is increasing rapidly as a result of
decreasing computing costs. Half of all new phones are now wireless. Poorer countries are
experiencing the most rapid development because they can move straight to cellular without
focusing on the outdated technology of landlines (Henderson 44).
11.7 Factoring and Outlining a Problem (Obj. 2)
Outline Key
I. Should the Virgin America tour training program be located in Burbank?
A. Does Burbank have adequate access to air travel?
II. What entertainment areas are available to serve as training sites?
A. Does NBC offer training seminars, guest speakers, and other resources for tour
operators?
III. Who could be invited to serve on an advisory committee?
A. Would representatives of the travel community be interested?
B. Would executives of other major airlines be willing to serve with JAL people?
C. How could these people be motivated to participate?
11.8 Developing a Work Plan (Obj. 2)
If your students are writing a long report, you will want to have them complete this exercise as
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11.9 Experimenting With Secondary Sources (Obj. 3)
This exercise gives students an opportunity to practice using different techniques to record and
11.10 Exploring Culinary Trends With SurveyMonkey or Zoomerang (Obj. 3)
Students are asked to conduct primary research in the form of online surveys. SurveyMonkey is
11.11 Time for Research! Studying Teen and Young Adult Media Use (Obj. 3)
The assignment can be a short informational report sent by e-mail or, if additional sources are
added, an analytical report. Some useful additional sources are listed in Your Task. The
analytical report should suggest ways advertisers could successfully connect with teens, the
target population.
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Because the behavior of teenagers and young adults is of keen interest not only to marketers
will prevent plagiarism in the form of copying key findings or executive summaries.)
11.12 Researching Data: Target Aims at Charitable Giving (Objs. 3, 4, and 5)
This activity lends itself to several options. Potential assignments range from memos
11.13 Gathering Data: Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For (Objs. 3, 4)
The themes that emerge after studying the winners in Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work
11.14 Who Gets Hurt? Examining Infamous Plagiarism Scandals (Obj. 4)
The students could individually focus on a single plagiarism case or they could investigate
multiple cases in the same discipline—for example, among historians, where plagiarism seems to
11.15 Selecting Graphics (Obj. 5)
a. Photo, map
11.16 Evaluating Graphics (Obj. 5)
11.17 Creating a Bar Chart (Obj. 5)
With the figures provided in the activity, students could create a bar chart that shows an
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a. A bar chart comparing the latest tax rates in eight industrial countries:
b. A bar chart that shows the change from the previous year to the current year:
United…
Canada
Japan
United States
41%
39%
34%
22%
Tax Rates as Percentage of
Gross Domestic Product
34
22
28
28
Japan
United States
Tax Rate as Percentage of GDP—A Comparison
In Percent
Previous Year Most Recent
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11.18 Creating a Line Chart (Obj. 5)
11.19 Searching for Data Visualization and Infographics in Annual Reports (Obj. 5)
This would be a very informative exercise, especially if students are not going to write a long
report. This exercise would be especially beneficial for accounting and finance majors. Answers
11.20 Seeking Business Infographics (Obj. 5)
The selections will vary. Many business-related infographics can be found online or in
11.21 Learning From the Titans of Infographic Design (Obj. 5)
Edward Tufte is a visual design pioneer, data theorist, and sculptor, whose two influential
7.0
8.0
Sidekick Athletic Shoes
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11.22 Creating Meaningful Infographics —Making Statistics Come Alive (Obj. 5)
Depending on the students’ comfort level, PowerPoint slides will probably be the simplest
platform for designing an infographic as the program allows users to insert SmartArt and shapes,
photos, and other images; adjust colorful backgrounds; use various fonts; choose colors; and so
on.
11.23 Avoiding Huge Credit Card Debt for College Students (Objs. 3, 4)
Students are to write a memo information report. They should discuss some of the following
information:
• Credit card on parents’ account. Parents get the bill and can track spending.
11.24 Netflix & Co.: Movies After DVD and Blu-Ray (Objs. 3, 4)
The future seems to belong to video-on-demand via the Internet. Netflix is waging a battle on