business communication

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MODULE 2.2MODULE 2.2

Forms of Writing

Introduction:

Writing is done for a number of different purposes and for different

audiences. Usually, the assessment brief will indicate the required form,

such as report, reflective essay, annotated bibliography, discussion post

etc. Regardless of the form of writing, focusing on the audience

enhances the quality of the finished product.

Audience and PurposeAudience and Purpose

To write effectively and appropriately, both the audience and the

purpose of the text should be considered. Identifying the audience’s

education, prior knowledge, and expectations will affect the way the text

is written – writing a business report for the CEO of a company will look

different from a personal letter to a dear friend. The purpose of the text

can be either informative, persuasive, descriptive, or narrative.

When writing an assessment, the audience isn’t simply whoever reads it,

but instead whoever it seeks to inform, educate, or persuade. It’s the

writer’s job to attract the reader and to meet their expectations.

Identifying the audience and purpose help to define the content and

format of the text.

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For example, in project management, there are two main groups of

people with whom the project manager needs to ensure clear and

effective communication: the stakeholders and the project team.

Whereas in business, the audience might be a customer, supplier, or a

colleague. Depending on the purpose of the communication, the

expectations and the form of writing (report, proposal, case study) may

vary greatly.

Essays and ReportsEssays and Reports

Academic essays and reports have some fundamental differences

although their general structure (introduction, main body, and

conclusion) is similar.

Purpose

ReportsReports are the presentation and analysis of findings from

practical research. They begin with an aim (to investigate, to

explore) and probably a hypothesis (a proposition that the

research will test). Depending on the purpose, a report may make

recommendations.

EssaysEssays begin with a question and seek to answer that question

based on research into existing theories and through the writer’s

own evaluation. An essay may include results of practical research

but only in so far as it may help support the writer’s conclusions.

Content

ReportsReports are generally descriptive, reporting sequential events

(e.g. experiments or fixed results from surveys). However, they

usually involve an evaluation in either the conclusion or

recommendations section.

EssaysEssays can be descriptive, discursive, evaluative, etc. This is

dependent on the process given in the assessment brief. Content

usually involves a synthesis of knowledge gained from existing

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texts and from the author's own opinions and argument.

Additionally, some assessments might require reflection, a form of

writing used for thinking about an academic topic without having to use

academic language. In reflective writing, the aim is to assess the learning

experience and connect it to existing knowledge and experience.

Writing for BusinessWriting for Business

In business, communication needs to be concise, effective and efficient.

If the reader of a progress report expects a recommendation, it

shouldn’t be buried after several pages of analysis. Therefore, business

writing should be direct and deliver relevant information in a

straightforward manner regardless of the form. Business writing should

also be courteous. Respect is a quality all business writing should carry,

regardless of the message it’s communicating.

Another feature of business writing is how it varies in style: it can be

conversational or formal (emails vs proposals), downright dense (e.g.

contracts) or conforming to a strict format (such as order letters). The

writer needs to be sure what style to use and write accordingly.

References:References:

Lumen. (n.d.). Purpose, Audience, Tone, and Content. Retrieved from

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishforbusiness/chapter/5-

1-purpose-audience-tone-and-content/

Morley-Warner, T. (2010). Academic writing is... – A guide to writing in a university context. Australia: CREA Publications.

Moxley, J. (n.d.). Good Business Writing. Retrieved from https://writingcommons.org/chapters/professional-technical-

communication/the-fundamentals/789-good-business-writing

Solent Online Learning. (2012). Writing reports – The difference

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between essays & reports. Retrieved from https://learn.solent.ac.uk/mod/book/view.php?

id=232731&chapterid=36555

Essential Resources:

Carini, A. (2002). Nine Basic Ways to Improve Your Style

in Academic Writing. Retrieved from

https://slc.berkeley.edu/nine-basic-ways-improve-your-

style-academic-writing

Nine easy tips for novice writers to express themselves effectively

in academic writing.

Rajkumar, S. (2010). Art of communication in project

management. Retrieved from

https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/effective-

communication-better-project-management-6480

This conference paper is a recommended reading for project

management students. It highlights the importance of successful

communication in project management. It goes into more detail

about the meaning of communication in a project, the process

itself and how to develop an effective communication plan.

Learnhigher. (2012). Structure of reports. Retrieved from

http://www.learnhigher.ac.uk/writing-for-

university/report-writing/structure-of-reports/

This website explains the structure of a report in a concise and

easy-to-read manner. It also includes information about titles for

sections as well as suggested content.

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UNE. (n.d.). Writing an annotated bibliography. Retrieved

from

https://www.une.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/11132/WE_Writing-

an-annotated-bibliography.pdf

Succinct instructions on writing an annotated bibliography. You

should read this document in preparation for Assessment 1A.

Nordquist, R. (2018). What Is Business Writing?

Definition, Tips, and Examples. Retrieved from

https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-business-writing-

1689188

A recent article about the dos and don’ts of business

correspondence.

Learning Activity:

Learning Activity 1: Discussion Forum – FindingLearning Activity 1: Discussion Forum – Finding

Purpose and AudiencePurpose and Audience

Search for an online news article and try to identify the

audience and purpose of it. Consider these questions:

Who would be interested in the article? Is prior knowledge

required?

How is it written: word choice, special vocabulary,

formal/informal, etc.?

Why is the article written?

What does the article try to achieve: inform, persuade,

explain, etc.?

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Post your chosen article (or a link) along with the audience and

purpose you’ve identified on the Discussion Forum and comment

on your peers’ posts - do you agree with the audience and purpose

they’ve identified?

To participate in the Discussion Forum, click here to scroll

to the bottom of this page then click on the "Module 2 -Module 2 -

Discussion ForumDiscussion Forum" link.

Learning Activity 2: Discussion Forum – EditingLearning Activity 2: Discussion Forum – Editing

Business CommunicationBusiness Communication

Choose two real-life writing samples from your workplace or a

business you have been in contact with. Consider using

communication such as an e-mail, junk mail, personal letter,

company report, social networking page, local newspaper, bulletin-

board posting, or public notice.

Find something from each sample that you would edit and explain

why. Then, write your own version of the same passage. Also,

highlight expressions and phrases you find useful and give

examples of situations when you might want to use them.

Share your examples on the Discussion Forum and compare your

answers with your classmates. Replace any recognisable company

name with a fictitious name.

To participate in the Discussion Forum, click here to scroll

to the bottom of this page then click on the "Module 2 -Module 2 -

Discussion ForumDiscussion Forum" link.

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Note:Note: The Learning activities above are not part of summative/graded

assessment; however they are designed to prepare you for incremental

graded assessment and expand your learning.

These activities encourage a community learning experience between

peers, and provide opportunities for facilitators to offer formative

feedback, throughout a module, to the student cohort.