BUS301 Memo Rubric Spring 2020 - Student.docxBUS301 Writing Ru.docx

BUS301 Memo Rubric Spring 2020 - Student.docx
BUS301 Writing Rubric
Performance Dimensions
N/A
Not Met
Met
Comments
Organization (OABC)
Opening gets attention, provides context, and introduces topic
0
1
Agenda previews content of the document
0
1
Body
0
2
Sound paragraphing decisions (length and development)

Paragraphs limited to one topic per paragraph
Complete discussion of one topic before moving to next topic
Transitions and flow between paragraphs smooth
The overall flow/logic/structure of document is apparent
Closing summarizes and concludes, recommends, if appropriate
0
1
Content
The content of the document is relevant; information
meaningful
0

2
The document is developed with adequate support and examples
0
2
The content is accurate and appropriate, with insightful analysis
0
2
Proofreading
The grammar and spelling are correct (proofread)
0
3
Punctuation—comma usage, capitalization, etc.—used correctly
0
3
The sentence structure and length are appropriate
0
1
Format
Appropriate formatting is used for type of document written

0
1
Good use of font, margins, spacing, headings, and visuals
0
1
[11/2016]
Example - Good - Corrected student example Spring 2020.docx
TO: Professor __________
FROM: Suzy Student
DATE: February 1, 2020
SUBJECT: Out of Class Experience – Cybersecurity
Conference
Cybersecurity is a topic everyone should be concerned about, so
I attended the 3rd Annual Cybersecurity Event held in the
Grawn Atrium. I gained insight and knowledge from listening
to the speakers that came from different kinds of industries. In
this memo, I will discuss what I learned from the speaker and
two takeaways: 1) cybersecurity is everywhere, 2) personal
identifiable information, and 3) cybersecurity for the business
student.
Cybersecurity is Everywhere
The conference was an opportunity to learn about cybersecurity.
The first speaker talked about how companies are attacked in
many different ways every day. The “bad guys” are trying to
steal company information as well as employee information.
Both kinds of information are valuable on the black market.
The second speaker talked about the internet of things (IoT).

These are things that are attached to the internet. The speaker
talked about autonomous cars and medical equipment (heart)
that talks to the internet. She talked about how cyber can and
should influence designs. “Things” must be created with
cybersecurity included in every step of the design. The last
speaker talked about how my information has value. The “bad
guys” steal my information and people want to buy it. Making
money is one reason hackers steal millions of records.
Personal Identifiable Information
Personal Identifiable Information (PII) is any information
relating to an identifiable person. There are laws in place to
help make sure this information is secure. This topic is a
takeaway for me because I had no idea my data had any value to
anyone but me. The speaker talked about multi-factor
authentication (MFA). When possible, MFA should be used on
my accounts. She shared several stories about how this 2nd
layer of protection will stop most amateur hackers.
Cybersecurity for the Business Student
Everyone must be cognizant of cybersecurity. Business
students should learn about how they play a role in keeping the
company safe. Helping with security was a take away for me
because I thought this was an IT problem. I now understand that
I play a role by being aware of who is sending me emails and
clicking on the link.
Importance of Cybersecurity
I learned a lot from this conference. Before attending, I didn’t
know what cybersecurity had to do with me as a business
student. I have a new appreciation and a greater concern for
keeping my information safe. I will think about security now
when I see things talking to the internet.
Total # Words (350-400)
Number of Sentences

Avg # Words/Sentence
Number of Commas
409 – 14 = 395
29
395 / 29 = 13.62
6
Fundamental Writing Rules handout(1).docx
Fundamental Writing Rules – Dr. Hicks
Follow these rules to improve your writing!
This document should be used when watching the video
recorded by Dr. Hicks.
Four Most Common Writing Problems
1. Comma usage
2. Indirect phrasing
3. Run on sentences/excessive sentence length
4. Lack of organization
Remember: The well-written sentence almost punctuates itself.
Comma Usage
Three most common (and frequently violated) comma rules:
1. When independent clauses are joined by a coordinating
conjunction, they are separated by a
comma. Place the comma before the coordinating
conjunction.
Note: youmayomit the commaif the first clause is short (five or
fewer words); include the comma if
you want to force a pause in the reading.
-Coordinating conjunctions FANBOYS = for, and, nor, but,
or, yet, so
Example:
· You may enroll in the course in the spring, or you may wait

until summer to take the class.
2. When starting a sentence with an introductory phrase
(dependent clause), use a comma after it.
Note: Commas can be optional after some brief prepositional
phrases (three or fewer words). Use a
comma whenever confusion might occur without it.
Examples:
· After many interviews over the past month, we have selected a
candidate.
· If Anna achieves the highest score, she will be “student of the
month.”
3. To separate items in a series. The elements (items) must
have parallel grammatical structure (words,
phrases, or clauses.)
Example:
· The chief financial officer, secretary, and treasurer attended
the December 2 committee meeting.
Active vs. Passive Voice
Active voice = subject + verb + object (SVO); the subject is
doing the action: I love Molly.
Passive voice – Molly is loved by me. or Molly is loved. (and
you don’t know who loves her)
· He kissed her.
vs.
· She was kissed by him.
Passive voice always requires more words. The subject is not
performing the action in passive voice.
· He threw the ball.
vs.
· The ball was thrown by him.
*Specific question? Read more about active voice vs. passive

voice at this URL (podcast is also available):
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/active-voice-versus-
passive-voice.aspx
Run-on Sentences; Excessive Sentence Length
Use the Rule of 8s (applies to paragraphs as well) as a
measuring stick when writing:
8 words/sentence and 8 lines/paragraph
Short sentences increase rate of comprehension by readers:
e.g. 12 word sentence = 100% comprehension; 28 word sentence
= 50% comprehension
Lack of Organization Source: Writing
for Today’s Workplace,
Prepare to write - use an outline (pre-write)
by William Baker
-Use the OABC framework for organized writing:
O = Opening
A = Agenda
B = Body
C = Closing
-Utilize the HATS design techniques:
H = headings (be sure you use informative headings to create
skim value)
A = access (visuals like tables, charts, graphs, and photos)
T = typography (font, size, and alignment)
S = spacing (block format)
-Utilize CLOUD (the five attributes of good body paragraphs):
C = coherent; reads smoothly and flows logically
L = length; does not discourage reader (rule of 8s = 8
lines/paragraph)
O = organization; often top-down order with main idea

(topic sentence) in first sentence
U = unity; each sentence discusses only information falling
within scope of topic sentence
D = developed; who, what, when, where, why, how details
related to topic sentence
Focus on these five tips for good business writing:
1. Use simple, concise sentences (and avoid punctuation errors)
-short sentences are clearer and eliminate the need for
punctuation
2. Know the three most common comma usage rules
3. Be direct when you write; use active voice
4. Write from an outline - use the OABC framework to organize
your writing
5. Utilize the HATS design techniques in all business
documents
TEMPLATE - OABC Memo Report v1_.docx
OABC Memo Report Template
Align the heading information as shown here
TO: Recipient’s Name
Use 1” margins all around
Use 11 pt. font
1 blank line
FROM: You
DATE: Month day, year
SUBJECT: Provide Concise and Informative Subject Line

1 blank line
In your opening paragraph introduce your topic. Provide
background information as needed. Include an attention getter
that makes your reader want to continue reading. Introduce your
agenda items in the last sentence of this paragraph by referring
to your topic, e.g., I will discuss what I did during the rotation
and two take-aways: (1) first agenda item, (2) second agenda
item and (3) third agenda item.
1 blank line between para-graphs
Heading = bold,
left-aligned, Title Case
First Agenda Item Heading Here
Discuss your first topic (as identified in your agenda item). Be
direct. Begin with a topic sentence that states your agenda item.
Keep paragraphs relatively short in length, e.g. no longer than
eight lines is a good rule of thumb for paragraph length. Better
to use multiple shorter paragraphs than one long paragraph.
Xxxxxx xx xxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xx xxx xxxxx
xxxxxxxx xxxxx xxxxxx xx x x xxxxxxx x x .
· Xxxxxx x x x xxx x xxxxxx
Utilize bulleted or numbered lists to improve information access
and make key information stand out
· Xxxx xx x x xxxx x x xxxxxxx
1 blank line
Second Agenda Item Heading Here
Discuss your second topic (as identified in your agenda item).
Be direct. Begin with a topic sentence that states your agenda
item. Keep paragraphs relatively short in length, e.g. no longer
than eight lines. Better to use multiple shorter paragraphs than

one long paragraph. Xxxxxx xx xxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xx xxx
Begin each paragraph with a concise topic sentence using direct
phrasing. Xxxxxx xxx xxxxxx x x xxxxxx x.
1 blank line
Third Agenda Item Heading Here
Discuss your third topic (as identified in your agenda item). Be
direct. Begin with a topic sentence that states your agenda item.
Keep paragraphs relatively short in length, e.g. no longer than
eight lines. Better to use multiple shorter paragraphs than one
long paragraph. Xxxxxx xx xxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xx xxx x xxxxx
xxx xxxxxx x x xxxxxx. x xxxxxx x x xxxxxxx x xxxx xx
xxxxxx x xxxxxxxx xx x x x.
Begin each paragraph with a concise topic sentence using direct
phrasing. Xxxxxx xxx xxxxxx x x xxxxxx x.
Informative Heading for Closing Paragraph Here
Provide a closing paragraph that accomplishes your goal for this
memo. Begin with a topic sentence that reflects the heading you
created for this paragraph. You can provide a brief summary of
your content, a recommendation, and/or discuss additional work
to be done, etc. Xxxxxxx xx xxx xxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxx.
This is not part of a business memo but it is a requirement for
this class. You must include and complete the following
information. It should be located at the very bottom of the
memo.
Number of Sentences
Avg. # Words/Sentence
Number of Commas
388
33

11.7
10
Writing Statistics - How to compute Ver 1(2)(1).docx
Writing Statistics
Use the table below to record your writing statistics. Copy and
paste this table at the bottom of your memo and include the
stats for each item.
Number of Sentences
Avg. # Words/Sentence
Number of Commas
How to Compute Writing Stats:
Step 1 - Compute total word count: Open your memo. The
bottom left-hand corner of Word shows the total word count.
Highlight the opening, agenda, body and closing. Review the
left-hand corner again. It will now show the amount of words
highlighted. This total includes the headings. Do not include
your memo headings in the total word count. Manually count
the words in the headers and subtract them from the word count.
This is your Total # of Words. The total word count must be
between 350 and 400 words.
Step 2 – Determine total number of sentences: Click "Find" on
the Home toolbar or use Ctrl + F to open the Navigation pane in
Word. Type a period in the search box. A number will appear

directly below the search box. The number represents how
many periods are in the document. Subtract any periods used for
other reasons other than to end a sentence. This is the number
of sentences.
Step 3 – Determine average number of words/sentence: Divide
the number of words (from step 1) by the total number of
sentences (from step 2); for example, if you have 380 words/24
sentences = 15.8 average number of words/sentence. Your
average sentence length should be less than 20. See the note
below for details.
NOTE - IMPORTANT: If your average sentence length is not
under 20 words, you should review your document. Look for
ways to improve the conciseness of your sentences. The goal for
any business is writing an average of 15 words/sentence.
Research also shows that a 28-word sentence has a
comprehension rate of 50 percent! An 8-word sentence has a
comprehension rate of 100 percent! This doesn't mean you have
to have 8-word sentences, but it does demonstrate the
significant role conciseness plays in effective communication.
Research shows that the longer the sentence, the more likely
there will be errors in grammar, punctuation, and clarity. It will
benefit you and your audience if you use concise sentences.
Step 4 – Determine total number of commas: Replace the
period in the Navigation pane with a comma. A number will
appear directly below the search box. Subtract for any commas
not used within sentences, like in the date line.
William Tuominen
Week 5 Discussion Bill Tuominen

COLLAPSE
Top of Form
Overall Rating:
· 1
· 2
· 3
· 4
· 5
Your Rating:
· 1
· 2
· 3
· 4
· 5
Chap 9, Question 10 - Discuss the impact of the IT revolution
on the poorest countries.
The IT revolutions has hastened world awareness of many in the
poorest nations. Two of the most substantial breakthroughs
creating awareness in developing nations have been cellular
LTE networks and high-powered cellular phone processors. In
most underdeveloped nations, there is little conventional
(wired) communications infrastructure. It is more cost effective
and economical to stand up cellular networks than wired
infrastructure. For instance, according to CEICData.com (2018),
Kyrgyzstan, a central Asian nation, has a population of about
6.6 million, with 8.7 million cellular subscribers, and only
331,140 fixed line subscribers. Though cellular subscriber data
is oftentimes inaccurate due to latent accounts, it is safe to say
that this nation probably has more than fifteen to twenty
cellular users for each landline user. Liberia is a poor African
nation of about 4.5 million people. According to Theodora.com
(2020), it has over 3 million cellular subscribers, and only 8000
landline subscribers, a ratio of 375 to 1. In poorer nations,
cellular devices are often the only link to the web and the only
means of outside communication. The processors and storage of

today’s phones rival laptop computers from a decade ago. They
are used to talk, text, mine data, view sports and news
programming, become part of social networks, and conduct
commerce.
Chap 9, Question 18 - One of the ramifications of emerging
markets is the creation of a middle class. Discuss.
Emerging markets distribute wealth more quickly and evenly
than subsistence, agrarian-based markets. This creates a growth
in the amount of disposable income throughout the economy. A
rise in disposable income creates a rise in discretionary
consumption. That consumption has a cumulative affect on the
economy, bringing more trade, creating a need for more labor,
and creating more income. This allows a higher level of
discretionary consumption among families and groups who
heretofore were surviving in a subsistence economy, where the
majority of commerce was geared toward essential goods (food,
medicine, shelter).
Chap 10, Question 15 - Why have African nations had such
difficulty in forming effective economic unions?
The African slave trade that ended in the late 1800’s gave way
to colonial intrusion from European nations; These nations
exported great quantities of resources (Frankema, 2015) and
formed colonial states with little regard to culture, ethnicities,
languages, or African history. Deng ( 2015) asserts that this
arrangement has propagated ethnic tensions and eroded the
ability of many African nations to govern effectively. This
eventually created today’s economic environment, what Deng
(2015) describes as a high-risk competition for power and
resources. These tensions also run along political lines,
fostering distrust within nations and groups of nations, affecting
the ability of African nations to effectively work together and
manage their economies. Though many economists believe that
African markets will grow and thrive in the next two decades,
exploitation of African workers is still rampant (Congo,
Nigeria), ethnic tensions continue to foment war and create risk,

and the sheer weight of history (Biafra, Rwanda, Dafur) affect
investments and markets.
EChap 10, Question 16 - Discuss the implications of admitting
Eastern European nations into the EU.
Eastern European membership in the EU is a complicated issue,
due to the varying degree of economic and social development
of each nation. Estonia and the Czech Republic moved quickly
to cast off the vestiges of Soviet rule, which included moving
quickly to a market-based economy. But there were other
factors to consider in their admittance beyond the economic ,
such as the cultural and linguistic ties that Estonia shares with
Finland (a nation very active in the EU), and the cultural and
historical ties that the Czech people hold with Germany, another
EU powerhouse. Geography and security are also important
factors for nations working toward full EU admittance. A quick
venture into recent history (Crimea) and a scan of the borders of
Russia’s Kaliningrad Oblast highlight the fragile security
situation that still plagues some Easter European nations.
References
Deng, Francis, Ethnicity: An African Predicament (1997),
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/ethnicity-an-african-
predicament/
Frankema, Ewout (2015), How Africa’s Colonial History
Affects its Development,
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/07/how-africas-
colonial-history-affects-it s-development/
Kyrgystan Number of Subscriber Mobile (2018).
https://www.ceicdata.com/en/indicator/kyrgyzstan
/number-of-subscriber-mobile
Liberia Communications
(2018) https://theodora.com/wfbcurrent/liberia/liberia_communi
cations.html
Bottom of Form
Lindsay Detzler
Lindsay Detzler DB3

COLLAPSE
Top of Form
Overall Rating:
· 1
· 2
· 3
· 4
· 5
Your Rating:
· 1
· 2
· 3
· 4
· 5
10. Discuss the impact of the IT revolution on the poorest
countries.
Jan-Francois Rischard suggested early on that the introduction
of technology would boost educational development, a factor
that has been noted as a characteristic of economic development
(1996, p. 99). With the growing demand of IT in modern
business, developed economies seeking to make waves in
emerging markets will be prompted to provide such countries
access to the technological advancements that currently exist,
which will also require investment in training and education.
Rischard’s points were certainly accurate, as proven by a fact
provided by Deanna Wetmore, sharing that thirty-eight percent
of Nigeria, Egypt and Indonesia’s gross domestic product
(GDP) was generated by micro-entrepreneurs that had access to
the technological offerings and were able to be educated and
trained in current business affairs (2017). Wetmore further
shares that skewed distribution of technology can hamper an
emerging market’s growth (2017). Economic growth will not be
stable and recurring unless technology is supplied evenly,
properly trained and discussed, and monitored and evaluated.
18. One of the ramifications of emerging markets in the creation
of a middle class.

While creation of the middle class brings economic opportunity
and growth, with it comes concern of future maintenance of
middle class wants and possible fiscal fragmentation. Mario
Pezzini stated though a middle-class existence is swiftly
developing in emerging markets, in prosperous countries it has
matured and is depleting in prosperous markets, which is
suffocating the consumer’s ability to maintain standards of
living; this can be witnessed in England, Israel and Spain
(2012). The middle class’s role, predominately industrial line
work, is losing its need as technologies replace manual labor
and financial wealth redistributes to the wealthier classes.
8.Differentiate between a free trade area and a common market.
Explain the marketing implications of the differences.
A free trade area (FTA) is an arrangement between at
least two countries that aims to reduce or altogether remove
trading expenses and barriers between the member nations,
while members of the arrangement continue to uphold tariff
charges with non-member nations. Common market agreements
remove all tariffs and restrictions on internal trade, capital, and
labor, as well as requires the acceptance of common external
tariffs (Cateora, Money, Gilly, and Graham, 2020, p. 295).
FTAs allow for the benefit of a trade cooperation between
countries but act separately regarding home country trading
expectations and fees when transactions occur with other
nations, compared to common markets, which are further
synchronized in shared treatment of external trade contracts.
While FTAs allow for liquidity in movement of
product and services, marketing implications of an FTA arise in
that cost implications of labor and capital, which impact
pricing, thus causing difficulties in competition if the market
includes comparable offerings. The homogenous nature of the
common market provides ease of transfer with product, service,
labor and capital, which allows for competitive pricing
structure. Further, while both FTAs and common market have
been noted to generally share geographical location as well as
cultural beliefs, a common market would be more synced with

the firm’s home base’s audience, making marketing efforts
relatively simpler (Salter, 2017).
15.Why have African nations had such difficulty in forming
effective economic unions?
The countries of Africa are small and impoverished,
with differing economies regarding structure, policies, available
and reliable data, and exchange rates and deflators, as well as
continued political turmoil and civil discord (Tarp, 1997, pp. 7
and 11). Without the reliance of sound statistics and
performance metrics, a developed economy would rather
establish trade alliances in less risk territories. Without the
outside investment, financial health runs stagnant, thus allows
for no internal development of free trade arrangements. The
varying policies and inability to link monetary exchanges would
further hamper the development of an economic union, as ease
of doing business would be warded away with the concern of
loss at exchange rate. Most importantly, the dismantled political
health of
Africa shows the lack of ability to create compromise among
participating nations.
Cateora, P. R., Money, R. B., Gilly, M. C., & Graham, J. L.
(2020) International Marketing. (18th ed.) New York, NY:
McGraw Hill.
Pezzini, M. (2012). An Emerging Middle Class.
https://oecdobserver.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/3681/An_emerg
ing_middle_class.html
Rischard, J. (1996). Connecting Developing Countries to the
Information Technology Revolution. SAIS Review 16(1), 93-
107. doi:10.1353/sais.1996.0019.
Salter, J. P. (2017, February 3). What is the difference between
a free-trade area and a single market? Retrieved from
https://ukandeu.ac.uk/explainers/what-is-the-difference-
between-a-free-trade-area-and-a-single-market/#

Tarp, F. (1997). Stabilization and structural adjustment
macroeconomic frameworks for analysing the crisis in Sub-
Saharan Africa. London: Routledge.
Wetmore, D. (2017, November 29). How Technology is Helping
Economies in Developing Countries. Retrieved from
https://borgenproject.org/how-technology-is-helping-economies/
Bottom of Form
Discussion Board Instruction and Grading Guideline
The discussion activity that is due may only be posted during
the active week that it is assigned. No early postings or late
postings will be accepted.
Sharing information leads to new ideas, and the best way for us
to learn is from each other. To that end, each module has an
associated discussion forum. Post a response to each forum
question, and start conversations with your peers. Points are
earned for responding to each discussion forum and for replying
to fellow participants. Though you will only earn points for up
to two responses, we encourage you to keep an ongoing
dialogue about the discussion topic. The purpose of the
discussion forum is to generate conversation about relevant
topics.
Post your response to each discussion question no later than
Thursday of each week, and respond to at least two other class
members’ postings by the Sunday of the week. Please feel free
to respond to more than two other postings. We encourage you
to learn from each other!
Do not post early – only post in the discussion boards during
the active weeks. No early postings will be accepted. Note that
no points will be earned for discussion responses posted after
the week ends OR before the week begins.
Discussion Board grades are based on the following rubric:
Discussion Board Grading Element:
Points

· Deliver solid content in 300-350 words – deductions taken for
shorter responses.
· Remember that the restatement of the questions and the
reference recap at the bottom of your postings do not count
towards the word count requirement.
· There is no penalty for going over 350-words.
11
· Use an authored outside reference beyond your textbook. Zero
points given for non-authored web sources. It is okay/great to
use your textbook, but I want to see more research beyond your
text. You may use a brand web page too, but you still need an
authored source too.
· Recap your reference in APA format only at the bottom of
your posting. Your reference must be clearly cited within your
posting to count. Always provide the exact web site address in
your recap of references for full credit.
· Research always beyond the materials provided to ADD to the
discussion.
5
Respond to two other student’s work by end of activity week
(11:59 PM) - minimum 50-words (no outside references
required)
4
Late Penalty
· Discussion Board postings are not accepted after the week
concludes.
· The original posting is due on Thursday. Original postings are
accepted late (after Thursday but still within the week
assigned). If posted after Thursday, minus one point for Friday
posting, minus 2 points for Saturday posting, and finally, minus
3 points for Sunday posting.
· But in each of these cases the discussion is accepted.

Requirements – Use one of the links below for Memos 2 and 3.
Each memo should use a different link.
· Include the URL (web address) under the Writing Statistics.
· All other requirements are the same as Memo 1. See Course
Material > Memo Instructions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPRUNGGORDo
Communication Skills – How to Improve Communication Skills
– 7 Unique Tips!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFc08j9eorQ The 7 Habits
of Highly Effective People Summary (Part 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LbCRx1UbWY The 7
Habits of Highly Effective People Summary (Part 2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toJKbhgR1G4 Analytical
Thinking Techniques
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toJKbhgR1G4 How To
Build Integrity in the Workplace
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZx4DTglHJc Simon Sinek:
Change Your Future – Life-Changing Motivational Speech
https://www.linkedin.com/learning/executive-presence-on-
video-conference-calls/your-video-conference-presence Your
Video Conference Presence
https://www.linkedin.com/learning/building-resilience/what-
why-and-how-to-become-resilient What, Why, and How to
Become Resilient
https://www.linkedin.com/learning/developing-
resourcefulness/be-resourceful Be Resourceful
https://www.linkedin.com/learning/managing-stress-for-
positive-change/welcome Managing Stress for Positive Change
Don’t forget to use www.grammarly.com!

BUS301 Memo Rubric Spring 2020 - Student.docxBUS301 Writing Ru.docx

BUS301 Memo Rubric Spring 2020 - Student.docxBUS301 Writing Ru.docx

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to BUS301 Memo Rubric Spring 2020 - Student.docxBUS301 Writing Ru.docx

Similar to BUS301 Memo Rubric Spring 2020 - Student.docxBUS301 Writing Ru.docx (19)

More from richardnorman90310

More from richardnorman90310 (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

BUS301 Memo Rubric Spring 2020 - Student.docxBUS301 Writing Ru.docx