Write a 300-350 word letter reflecting on how you will apply what you learned in the attachments.
novakingwai
academic-writing_to_business-writing1.pptxAcademic-Writing to Business-Writing
Writing that Works (2010). Oliu, Brusaw, & Alred
This presentation is on ‘Academic Writing to Business Writing.’ The two styles are very different and your business writing success is dependent on your understanding the differences.
You have spent your entire academic career writing in academic style, and I am here to teach you a new style. For most students, they find this new writing style a challenge in changing their thinking. Good news is I do see considerable student success, in learning this new style, in those that push forward through their brain’s natural resistance to change. If you feel this negative resistance, contact me so I can help not let it interfere with your learning. I want your success.
So, let’s talk about the differences.
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Academic-Writing to Business-Writing
| Academic Organization | Business Organization |
| Research to expand knowledge Research to create new knowledge Indirect approach | To cause action To Direct approach |
| Abstract Introduction/Background Analysis/Critical Conclusion/Recommendations | Recommendation/Actions Evidence/Support/Further Analysis/Details |
Take a look at this chart. It demonstrates the basic differences in the two styles. Basically, academic focus is for exploration of new ideas and business is about action. Notice that Academic ends with the conclusion/recommendations and that’s where business starts.
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Business Writing Differs
Purpose
Academic writing is to demonstrate learning.
Business writing is to meet an organizational need.
Purpose
The purpose of academic writing is for the professor to access your learning. The professor knows the material; this is not new information to him/her.
In business writing, you are the one that knows, not the reader. You are writing to meet an organizational need, perhaps it’s to all a meeting, maybe launch a product or project.
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Business Writing Differs
Audience
Academic writing is for the instructor,
who already knows the information.
Business writing is for internal & external constituencies, who most often, do not know the information you need to share.
Audience
In academic writing, you are writing to one person with a singular assessment goal. In business, you have many different audiences: internal and external. You may communicate to peers & colleagues, bosses and executives, customers or clients, vendors and prospective business partners.
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Business Writing Differs
Organization
Academic writing is essay format
Business writing is organized to the reader’s needs.
Organization
Most academic writing is in essay formal report form. I expect you have produced many reports/research papers over your years of academic study. You learned that the normal academic paragraphing format is generally 5 to 6 sentences.
In business writing, you organize your information to meet the reader’s needs. Some information is presented direct; some information is presented indirect. The key is to present the information in the way that best connects/relates to your reader. We like to use a varying number of sentences in the paragraphs to keep the reader’s interest.
And, surprising is, a one sentence paragraph is absolutely fine.
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Business Writing Differs
Style
Academic writing is most often formal.
Business writing is conversational.
Review HBR article on “What do you mean – Style?”
Style
Academic writing is most often formal. You, the writer, work to use the new vocabulary that your instructor has introduced you to. Business writing language is conversational – not formal with ‘big’ words nor casual with slang and jargon. Go for the middle comfortable area.
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Good Business Writing…
Is clear & concise
Is complete
Is correct
Saves the reader’s time
Builds goodwill
Effective business writing is clear and concise. The language is easily understood by the reader. Use as many words as you need to convey your message - no more and no less.
Be complete. This means include everything the reader needs to know and no more. Too little information is upsetting to the reader and causes a need for him/her to follow up with you. Too much information causes the reader to get bored and stop reading. This is a critical business writing factor to employ.
Correct. It should go without saying, your document is to be error free. If you have errors in your work, you loose credibility. If you loose credibility in business, you have harmed your ability to get ‘things’ done.
Saves the reader’s time. You are to create documents that are quick and easy to read. Don’t make the reader work hard to understand…because they won’t. They’ll stop reading and feel dis-engaged from you – which is what you dont’t want.
Goodwill. Business is relationships. We get work done through each other and with each other. So, when you communicate both in writing and orally, you need to work to build goodwill.
http://www.canadaone.com/ezine/jan08/persuasive_communication2.html
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Business Writing Differs
Visuals
Academic writing is mostly narrative.
Business writing employs multiple strategies to convey a message – tables, charts, Powerpoints, and more.
Visuals
Academic writing is mostly narrative.
Business writing uses the best medium to convey the message. Business writing is meant to be attractive and persuasive. It’s written to get the reader’s attention. So, go ahead, use lots of visuals to convey your message. But, don’t get cutesy – stay with professional polish.
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Business Writing Checklist/Rubric
In Blackboard usually in the Course Information link/Bcomm Toolkit link, you’ll find the Business Writing Checklist/Rubric which details items in business writing. Review this list, compare the items to the mentions in your text and in all the content in Blackboard. Contact me for any expansion of information that you need. Use this document as a reminder of the requirements for this new way of writing and thinking.
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Controlling Sentence Length
Sentence Length
8 words
15 words
19 words
28 words
Comprehension Rate
100%
90%
80%
50%
In the beginning of moving from academic to business style writing, I often find sentences made of 50 or more words. Yikes. As you can see from the table on the slide, this is not helpful to the reader.
According to Guffey, The American Press Institute data, states that sentences that are 8 words in length are understood by the reader at 100% comprehension. The more words in the sentence the more we don’t comprehend. Notice that at 28 words our comprehension has dropped to 50%.
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Conventional Formatting
Use 11 font size
Standard margins
Single-spaced
Times News Roman, Veranda, Arial
Follow cultural conventions
Typical business writing is in 11 (Times News Roman, Veranda or Arial), using Microsoft’s standard margins and is single-spaced. Be careful not to choose font’s that cause the reader to feel the message is too formal or too casual.
Follow cultural conventions in your place of employment. That is to say, whatever that particular organization uses as protocol is the format of appropriate choice.
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