KIM WOODS

Name: _________________________________________

Chapter 8 Assignment – Maintaining Goodwill in Bad-News Messages

Due Date: Refer to your course calendar. All assignments are due by 11:00pm

Submit questions and answers, not just your answers.

Part A - Critical Thinking Questions Refused Requests (1 PAGE)

Please follow the illustrations and instructions on refusing a request from Chapter 7.

1. Play the role of a distinguished professor of business communication and assume that you have received an invitation to present the keynote address at the international meeting of the Association for Business Communication next June 14. It is a fitting award for you professional development over the past years, and you are greatly honored. The meeting will be in Singapore, and this adds to the excitement. Your excitement and happiness are dashed, however, when you check the date on your calendar. This is the date of your family reunion. For the past two years, your Aunt Mildred and Uncle Tony have been arranging this reunion in your old hometown. You will see kinfolk you have not seen in years. Out of love and loyalty you must attend the reunion. In fact, you have promised to attend and have made a generous contribution to the expenses of the event.

Much as you regret it, you will have to refuse the speaking engagement. But you’ll try to make the refusal so agreeable that you might be recommended for another such assignment in the future.

Part B - Critical Thinking Questions Credit Refusals (1 PAGE)

Please follow the illustrations and instructions on refusing a request from Chapter 7.

Kim Gao is opening a ladies’ shoe store in a new shopping mall in her home town, and apparently she wants suppliers to finance her. Today, as credit manager for Fifth Avenue Shoes, Inc., you received her application for credit. From the information she supplies you, it is evident that she has everything she needs except money.

The financial information she sent with her credit application does not justify credit. She has very little cash and apparently plans to finance her business mainly through her suppliers. Your company simply does not do business that way. She should get local financing first. After all her home-town bankers are in a position to understand her situation and take care of her needs better than a distant supplier.

Your information doesn’t tell you much about Ms. Gao. Your sales representative in the area tells you that she know the woman casually. She reports also that Ms. Gao appears to be competent and that she has a good reputation. But she also believes that although the new store is in a good location, there is no shortage of ladies’ shoe stores in the area.

Now you must write Ms. Gao, refusing credit. In time you hope to be able to grant it. Meanwhile, you’d like to get her cash business.