Chapter 7: Communication for work Examples

purposes a. Job instructions

b. Job rationale
Workplace writing c. feedback
- occurs for a definite purpose, and it is intended
for a particular audience Outward communication
- intended for workers outside the workplace
1. Purpose
On-the-Job Writings >For internal communication (upward, lateral, &
- usually done for at least one of three reasons: downward) the memorandum is the preferred
(a) To create/ build a record medium, but it is now almost totally taken over by
(b) To request or provide information email
(c) To persuade
>For outward communication, the standard
2. Reader/Audience business letter still prevails although it is now
In identifying your audience, the workplace has a sent by email or by fax machine
communication-network pattern of contact
created by the flow of messages among 3. Tone
communications: - Expresses your attitude toward a person
(a) Upward or thing
(b) lateral/horizontal - “You attitude” “consideration” or “reader-
(c) Downward centered”
(d) Outward - How you treat others which is similar to
Golden rule
Upward communication
- The written materials are sent by subordinates Minutes of the meeting
to their superiors - summary of what happened at a meeting
- legal documents
Types of messages conveyed
a. What subordinates are doing Formal minutes
b. unsolved work problems - long because all information is recorded in
c. suggestions for improvement detail, including the exact words of motions,
d. How subordinates feel about each other and amendments, resolutions, and number of votes
the job
e. reply to an inquiry from a supervisor Informal minutes
- shorter since discussions are just summarized
Lateral(Horizontal) Communication
- The materials are sent to people who are equal Basic Parts:
level or status; that is, between members of the 1. Day, time, and place of the meeting
same division or department of an organization 2. Name of the group holding the meeting
3. Name of presiding officer or chair
Serves the following purposes 4. Name of present and absent members
a. Task coordination 5. Approval or amendment of minutes of the
b. Problem-solving previous meeting
c. Sharing information 6. For each major point, what was done is
d. Building rapport indicated
a. What was discussed, suggested, or
Downward communication proposed
- sent by superiors to their subordinates
 b. What was decided and the votes,
including abstentions
c. What was continued or tabled for further
study or for another meeting
d. What time the meeting was officially
closed
7. Secretary’s Signature
Guidelines for preparing the minutes
As official company documents and evidence in
court litigations, minutes of meetings should be
prepared with care.
1. All motions and resolutions are recorded, and
proponents are identified by name.
2 Seconded motions are also noted and recorded
although the ones who seconded them need not
be identified.
3. Results of seconded motions must be recorded
and, whether approved or rejected, should be
indicated in the minutes.
4. Headings are used to mark report sections.
Titles should be all capital letters.
5. Minutes of the previous meeting should also be
taken up.
6. Do not report/write verbatim (word for word)
what are said. Summarize. Readers are more
interested in results.
7. Lengthy discussions, debates, and reports
given should be summarized.
8. The past tense is used.
Memorandum (Memo)
- Latin origin which means “something to be
remembered”
- This meaning explains the function of memos -
to record information of immediate
importance and interests
>A memo is usually written for internal or in-
house communication
>It is usuall short, direct to the point, clearly
stating what must be done or not done
Memo provide data for various functions
1. Making announcements;
2. Giving instructions;
3. Clarifying a policy, procedure, or issue;
4. Changing a policy or procedure;
5. Alerting staff to a problem;
6. Sending recommendations;
7. Providing legal records;
8. Calling a meeting; and
9. Reminding employees of corporate history,
policy, and procedure.
Memo protocols 4 Guidelines
1. Be timely
2. Be professional
3. Be tactful
4. Send memo to the right person
Memo formats and parts
Memo has basically two parts:
1. Header or identifying information
2. Message
1.Header
- includes 4 parts which is to, from, date and
subject
To - Name and job title of receiver (if more than
one, arrange names in order of job status)
From - Sender’s name (You may use first name
depending on your familiarity with the receiver)
Date - Full calendar date (May 6, 2024)
Subject - Indicates the purpose. This serves as
the title of your memo; it summarizes the
message
2.Message
- which follows the Orientation - Information -
Action format
a. Orientation(Opening paragraph)
- What is your purpose or reason for
writing?
b. Information
- What do you want to tell or convey to the
reader?
c. Action
- What step or course of action do you
intend to take?
Business Letters Problems
- typically used for external communication - - identifies any delay, cost overruns, or any other
messages from one company to another, from a unanticipated difficulties
company to a client or to a supplier
Conclusions
Request Letters - summarizes the status of the project
- written when a person seeks help of any kind
from someone else Incident Report
- deals with the unexpected that brings harm to
Short Report people and property, like fire, vehicular accidents
- may be either oral or written in the report form etc., is written either by person involved or person
of a memo or a letter attached to an email or in charge of the area
simply sent in the body of an email, consists of
significant information of a particular topic that is Project proposal
meant to inform a reader - a document designed to convince or persuade
- It is “an organized presentation of relevant data someone to follow or accept a specific course of
on any topic– money, travel, time, technology, action, is written to propose
personnel– that a company or agency deals with (a) Change of process or policy
in running the business (b) Solution to a problem
(c) Purchase of a product or service
Consists of (d) Pursuit of an activity
- Summary of the report (e) Research
- Brief background
- Defined purpose May be categorized as…
- Conclusion
- solicited and unsolicited depending on
Types of short reports the origin
1. Progress report - Internal or external on the reader or
2. Incident report audience type
3. Project proposal - Formal or informal depending on the
length
Progress report
- purpose is to ensure the successful completion Chapter 8: Communication for academic
of the task or project within the specified time, purposes
informs the reader about the status of an on-
going project or task - how much had been done, Academic writing
is being done, and will be done by a particular - any writing done to fulfill a requirement of a
date college or university…which may also be used for
publications that are read by teachers and
The report generally includes these components researchers or presented at conferences
Introduction
- background of the project Guidelines that need to be considered
1. Choose a topic
Work completed 2. Consider the rhetorical elements
- summary of accomplishment to date (a)Purpose for writing
(b)Expected audience
Work remaining (c)Stance
- summary of all uncompleted tasks - serious, objective, critical,
opinionated, curious, passionate, etc
 (d)Genre that calls for either formal or
informal
(e)Medium
(f)Design
3. Generate Ideas and Text
4. Organize your ideas
5. Write out a draft
6. Revise, edit, and proofread
7. Evaluate your work
The Structure of Academic Texts
>Most texts use the IMRD structure - the acronym
for Introduction, methods and materials, results,
and discussion
>The aim and research questions, which are
usually found after the introduction, together with
a conclusion and references, compliment the
structure
1. Aim
- General purpose of the text, and it
appears after the introduction
2. Research question
- Placed after the aim, limit or specify the
aim
3. Introduction
- Comes before the aim and the research
questions. Explain the importance of the
aim, mention that there is something
about it that should be known and
mentioned benefits that can be gained
from the knowledge to be discovered
4. Methods and materials
- Mentions what procedure you followed to
achieve your aim and answer your
research questions
5. Results
- Present the results without interpreting
because the interpretation will be in the
discussion section
6. Discussion
- Where you interpret the results
7. Conclusion
- Make a general statement about your
aim and your results
8. References
- All cited sources and use the APA style
Key features of academic texts
1. Literacy Narrative
- Well-told story, vivid detail, clear
significance
2. Article/Book Review
- A summary of text, attention to context, a
clear interpretation, support for your get
conclusions
3. Research Report
- A tightly focused topic, well researched
information, various writing strategies,
clear definitions, appropriate designs
4. Position Paper
- A clear and arguable position,
background information, good reasons,
convincing evidence, appeals to readers,
a trustworthy tone, considerations of any
other positions.
5. Abstract
- Such as informative, descriptive, critical
abstracts (a summary of basic
information, objective description, brevity
6. Evaluation
- A concise description of the subject,
clearly defined criteria, a knowledgeable
discussion, a balanced and fair
assessment, well-supported reasons
7.Laboratory report
- An explicit title, abstract, purpose,
methods, results, and discussion,
references, appendices, appropriate
format
8. Literary Analysis
- An arguable thesis, careful attention to
the language of the text, attention to
patterns or themes , a clear interpretation
9. Proposal
- A well-defined problem, a recommended
solution, a convincing argument for your
solution, possible questions, a call for
action, an appropriate tone