Critical Thinking

1. Molly, a twenty-three-year-old college graduate with a 3.5 GPA, was hired as an administrative assistant. She was a fast learner on all the software, but her supervisor had to help her with punctuation. On the ninth day of her job, she resigned, saying: “I just don’t think this job is a good fit. Commas, semicolons, spelling, typos—those kinds of things just aren’t all that important to me. They just don’t matter.” For what kind of job is Molly qualified?

2. Why is audience analysis so important in the selection of the direct or indirect strategy of organization for a business message?

3. How are speakers different from writers in the way they emphasize ideas?

4. Why are short sentences and short paragraphs appropriate for business communication?

5. Ethical Issue: Discuss the ethics of the indirect strategy of organization. Is it manipulative to delay the presentation of the main idea in a message?

Critical Thinking-2 (250-300 words, combine 1 to 3)

1. Assume that a recently hired culinary product manager is charged with generating and implementing new menu suggestions. What role does communication skill play in this person’s effectiveness in completing this task?

2. Do you think a culinary product manager would make an oral or a written presentation of new menu ideas?

3. Why is a writing process helpful in developing a presentation of new ideas?