Philip C. Kolin
Australia
Preface xiii
Chapter 1: Getting Started: Writing and Your Career 1
Writing—An Essential Job Skill 1
Writing for the Global Marketplace 2
Competing for International Business 2
Communicating with Global Audiences 2
Seeing the World Through Their Eyes 2
Cultural Diversity at Home 4
Using International English 4
Four Keys to Effective Writing 5
Identifying Your Audience 5
Case Study: Writing to Different Audiences in a Large Corporation 10
Establishing Your Purpose 10
Formulating Your Message 11
Selecting Your Style and Tone 11
Case Study: A Description of Heparin for Two Different Audiences 12
Characteristics of Job-Related Writing 14
1. Providing Practical Information 14
2. Giving Facts, Not Impressions 14
3. Supplying Visuals to Clarify and Condense Information 15
4. Giving Accurate Measurements 16
5. Stating Responsibilities Precisely 16
6. Persuading and Offering Recommendations 16
Ethical Writing in the Workplace 18
Ethical Requirements on the Job 18
Computer Ethics 20
Employers Insist on and Monitor Ethical Behavior 21
Some Guidelines to Help You Reach Ethical Decisions 22
Ethical Dilemmas: Some Scenarios 23
Writing Ethically on the Job 24
Successful Employees Are Successful Writers 26
Revision Checklist 27
Exercises 28
iii
Contents
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iv Contents
Chapter 2: The Writing Process and Collaboration at Work 31
What Writing Is and Is Not 31
What Writing Is 31
What Writing Is Not 32
Researching 32
Planning 33
Drafting 37
Key Questions to Ask as You Draft 37
Guidelines for Successful Drafting 37
Revising 38
Allow Enough Time to Revise 38
Revision Is Rethinking 38
Key Questions to Ask as You Revise 38
Case Study: A “Before” and “After” Revision 39
Editing 41
Collaboration Is Crucial to the Writing Process 51
Advantages of Collaborative Writing 52
Seven Guidelines for Successful Group Writing 53
Sources of Conflict in Group Dynamics and How to Solve Them 54
Common Problems, Practical Solutions 55
Computer-Supported Collaboration 57
Advantages of Computer-Supported Collaboration 57
Types of Groupware 57
Avoiding Problems with Online Collaboration:
A Summary 60
Revision Checklist 61
Exercises 62
Chapter 3: Writing Routine Business Correspondence:
Memos, Faxes, E-Mails, IMs, and Blogs 69
What Memos, Faxes, E-Mails, IMs, and Blog Posts Have in Common 69
Memos 70
Memo Protocol and Company Politics 70
Memo Format 71
Memo Parts 74
Questions Your Memo Needs to Answer for Readers 74
Memo Style and Tone 75
Strategies for Organizing a Memo 76
Organizational Markers 77
Sending Memos: E-mail or Hard Copy? 77
Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Contents v
Sending Faxes: Some Guidelines 77
Cover Page 77
Sending a Document 78
E-Mail: Its Importance in the Workplace 78
Business E-Mail Versus Personal E-Mail 78
E-Mails Are Legal Records 81
Guidelines for Using E-Mail on the Job 81
Instant Messages (IMs) for Business Use 84
When to Use IMs Versus E-Mails 86
Guidelines on Using IMs in the Workplace 86
Blogs 88
Internal/External Blogs 88
Guidelines for Writing a Business Blog 88
Routine Correspondence: A Final Word 91
Revision Checklist 92
Exercises 93
Chapter 4: Writing Letters: Some Basics for Communicating
with Audiences Worldwide 95
Letters in the Age of the Internet 95
Letter Formats 96
Full-Block Format 96
Modified-Block Format 96
Semi-Block Format 98
Continuing Pages 98
Parts of a Letter 99
Heading 99
Date Line 99
Inside Address 99
Salutation 101
Body of the Letter 101
Complimentary Close 101
Signature 102
Enclosure(s) Line 102
Copy Notation 102
The Appearance of Your Letter 102
Organizing a Standard Business Letter 103
Making a Good Impression on Your Reader 105
Achieving the “You Attitude”: Four Guidelines 105
The Five Most Common Types of Business Letters 109
Inquiry Letters 110
Cover Letters 110
Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
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vi Contents
Special Request Letters 112
Sales Letters 112
The Four A’s of Sales Letters 112
Customer Relations Letters 114
Being Direct or Indirect 116
Follow-Up Letters 117
Complaint Letters 117
Adjustment Letters 124
Adjustment Letters That Tell the Customer “No” 126
Guidelines for Saying “No” Diplomatically 128
Collection Letters 131
International Business Correspondence 131
Ten Guidelines for Communicating with
International Readers 134
Respecting Readers’ Nationality and Ethnic/Racial Heritage 138
Writing to Readers from a Different Culture: Some Examples 139
Sending Letter-Quality Messages: Final Advice to Seal Your Success 142
Revision Checklist 143
Exercises 144
Chapter 5: How to Get a Job: Searches, Dossiers, Portfolios,
Résumés, Letters, and Interviews 152
Steps the Employer Takes to Hire 152
Steps to Follow to Get Hired 153
Analyzing Your Strengths and Restricting Your Job Search 153
Social Networking Sites and Your Job Search 154
Enhancing Your Professional Image 154
Looking in the Right Places for a Job 155
Dossiers and Letters of Recommendation 158
Obtaining Letters of Recommendation 158
Preparing a Résumé 160
What Employers Like to See in a Résumé 160
The Process of Writing Your Résumé 162
Parts of a Résumé 163
Career Portfolios/Webfolios 169
Organizing Your Résumé 172
The Online Résumé 174
Letters of Application 179
How Application Letters and Résumés Differ 179
Writing the Letter of Application 179
Going to an Interview 186
Preparing for the Interview 186
Questions to Expect at Your Interview 187
Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
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Contents vii
What Do I Say About Salary? 188
Questions You May Ask the Interviewer(s) 189
What Interviewer(s) Can’t Ask You 189
Ten Interview Dos and Don’ts 189
The Follow-up Letter 190
Searching for the Right Job Pays 190
Revision Checklist 192
Exercises 192
Chapter 6: Designing Successful Documents, Visuals,
and Websites 197
Characteristics of Effective Design 197
Organizing Information Visually 198
The ABCs of Print Document Design 198
Page Layout 198
Typography 203
Successful Document Design: A Wrap-Up 207
The Purpose of Visuals 207
Choosing Effective Visuals 209
Generating Your Own Visuals 211
Inserting and Writing About Visuals: Some Guidelines 211
Identify Your Visuals 211
Cite the Source for Your Visuals 212
Insert Your Visuals Appropriately 212
Introduce Your Visuals 212
Interpret Your Visuals 213
Two Categories of Visuals: Tables and Figures 214
Tables 214
Parts of a Table 214
Figures 216
Graphs 216
Charts 218
Pictographs 222
Maps 224
Photographs 225
Drawings 227
Clip Art 229
Using Visuals Ethically 230
Guidelines for Using Visuals Ethically 230
Using Appropriate Visuals for International Audiences 235
Visuals Do Not Always Translate from One Culture
to Another 235
Guidelines for Using Visuals for International Audiences 236
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viii Contents
Writing for and Designing Websites 238
Web Versus Paper Pages 238
Web Versus Print Readers 238
Preparing a Successful Homepage 239
Designing and Writing for the Web: Eight Guidelines 239
Revision Checklist 243
Exercises 244
Chapter 7: Writing Instructions and Procedures 249
Instructions, Procedures, and Your Job 249
Why Instructions Are Important 249
Safety 250
Efficiency 250
Convenience 250
The Variety of Instructions: A Brief Overview 250
Using Word Processing Programs to Design Instructions 252
Assessing and Meeting Your Audience’s Needs 253
Key Questions to Ask About Your Audience 254
Writing Instructions for International Audiences 254
The Process of Writing Instructions 255
Plan Your Steps 255
Perform a Trial Run 255
Write and Test Your Draft 255
Revise and Edit 255
Using the Right Style 256
Using Visuals Effectively in Instructions 258
Guidelines for Using Visuals in Instructions 258
The Five Parts of Instructions 259
Introduction 259
List of Equipment and Materials 261
Steps for Your Instructions 261
Warnings, Cautions, and Notes 263
Conclusion 264
Model of Full Set of Instructions 264
Writing Procedures for Policies and Regulations 272
Some Examples of Procedures 272
Meeting the Needs of Your Marketplace 272
Writing Procedures at Work: An Example 273
Some Final Advice 273
Revision Checklist 276
Exercises 276
Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
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Contents ix
Chapter 8: Writing Effective Short Reports and Proposals 280
Why Short Reports Are Important 280
Types of Short Reports 281
Seven Guidelines for Writing Short Reports 281
1. Anticipate How an Audience Will Use Your Report 281
2. Do the Necessary Research 281
3. Be Objective and Ethical 282
4. Organize Carefully 282
5. Use Reader-Centered Headings, Bullets and Numbering,
and Visuals 283
6. Write Clearly and Concisely 284
7. Choose the Most Appropriate Format 284
Periodic Reports 288
Sales Reports 288
Progress Reports 288
Audience for Progress Reports 290
Frequency of Progress Reports 290
Parts of Progress Reports 290
Travel/Trip Reports 292
Questions Travel Reports Answer 293
Common Types of Travel/Trip Reports 293
Incident Reports 296
When to Submit an Incident Report 296
Parts of an Incident Report 298
Protecting Yourself Legally 299
Writing Successful Proposals 300
Proposals Are Persuasive Plans 300
Proposals Frequently Are Collaborative Efforts 301
Guidelines for Writing a Successful Proposal 302
Internal Proposals 303
Some Common Topics for Internal Proposals 303
Following the Proper Chain of Command 307
Ethically Identifying and Resolving Readers’ Problems 308
Organizing Internal Proposals 308
Sales Proposals 310
Knowing Your Audience and Meeting Its Needs 310
Organizing Sales Proposals 313
Short Reports and Proposals: Some Final Words 315
Revision Checklist 316
Exercises 317
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x Contents
Chapter 9: Writing Careful Long Reports 320
Characteristics of a Long Report 320
Scope 320
Research 321
Format 321
Timetable 321
Audience 322
Collaborative Effort 322
The Process of Writing a Long Report 322
Parts of a Long Report 323
Front Matter 323
Text of the Report 325
Back Matter 327
Documenting Sources 328
The Ethics of Documentation: What Must Be Cited 328
What Does Not Need to Be Cited 329
Parenthetical Documentation 329
Works Cited or Reference Pages 330
A Model Long Report 336
Final Words of Advice About Long Reports 354
Revision Checklist 355
Exercises 356
Chapter 10: Making Successful Presentations at Work 357
Types of Presentations 357
Informal Briefings 357
Guidelines for Preparing Informal Briefings 358
Formal Presentations 359
Analyzing Your Audience 359
The Parts of Formal Presentations 361
Presentation Software 366
Using Noncomputerized Visuals in Your Presentations 368
Rehearsing Your Presentation 369
Delivering Your Presentation 369
Evaluating Presentations 372
Revision Checklist 374
Exercises 374
Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Contents xi
A Writer’s Brief Guide to Paragraphs, Sentences, and Words 376
Paragraphs 376
Writing a Well-Developed Paragraph 376
Supply a Topic Sentence 376
Three Characteristics of an Effective Paragraph 377
Sentences 380
Constructing and Punctuating Sentences 380
What Makes a Sentence 380
Avoiding Sentence Fragments 381
Avoiding Comma Splices 382
Avoiding Run-on Sentences 384
Making Subjects and Verbs Agree in Your Sentences 385
Writing Sentences That Say What You Mean 386
Correct Use of Pronoun References in Sentences 387
Words 388
Spelling Words Correctly 388
Using Apostrophes Correctly 388
Using Hyphens Properly 389
Using Ellipses 389
Using Numerals Versus Words 390
Matching the Right Word with the Right Meaning 390
Index 395
