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Executives' and Academics' Perceptions on the Need for Instruction in Written Persuasion

Arizona State University

Picture a new hire. Sh's put in two weeks on her first job after raduation. In business college she wrote one sales letter, one collection letter, one favor request letter, and one job application letter—and another application when she graduated and applied for work. Her new boss says, "Write an inter-branch memo that'll speed up my counterpart in the Dayton office. We've called him and called him, but I'm getting the idea he doesn't believe what he doesn't see on paper. Dayton is holding up our Air Force contract on superwide radials. If they mess around much longer our competitor's going to get that business, but it'll be OUR fault, not theirs. Oh, and put my name on the memo, Don't get em mad, though. Here's the file. By three today, okay?"

A problem in persuasion. It isn't sales . Nor a favor request. Nora collection. Nor a job application—though she might get to write another of those if she doesn't solve problems like these effectively.

Do business communication classes prepare students adequately for tasks like these? According to a survey of communication executives and business communication teachers, probably not.

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