Category: Business

Project 2: Opportunity Feasibility Study
Due in Week 5 Project Purpose
In this project, you will evaluate the idea selected in project one for its viability as a commercial opportunity. Just because the idea sounds good to you doesn’t mean it will make money. The purpose of this assignment is to analyze the idea for its commercial viability. Using the feasibility outline you will collect data, apply evaluation tools (Porter’s Five Forces) and to translate your idea into a money-making business. Along with critical thinking skills, you will develop research, communication and data evaluation skills.
Outcomes You Will Meet by Completing This Project:
apply the basic steps involved in evaluating the commercial viability of a business idea.
describe and explain the environments that businesses operate in—social, economic, political, technological, environmental and legal.
develop your business vocabulary and knowledge of concepts, trends, and current issues by applying them in all course work.
demonstrate the use of software and Internet sources by researching and planning the start-up and operation of your business.
demonstrate the use of a marketing assessment process to develop a marketing plan and a marketing strategy.
analyze and explain projected financial performance, using selected financial ratios.
Instructions:
Complete a Feasibility Study of your selected idea from assignment one.
Step 1: Review the business feasibility study assessment form and rubric before completing the assignment.
Step 2: ** Use the four sections highlighted below as your headings and answer the suggested questions in your analysis of the heading topic. Step 3: Answer in complete sentences, make sure to define your terms, and give the reasons behind the conclusions that are drawn. Be thorough and clear in your analysis.
Step 4: Research is required for all four heading topics. STUDENTS ARE ADVISED to use Hoovers.com (in the UMGC virtual library) for both market and industry information. Each section of the paper should be well-cited. A minimum of two relevant sources are required. Summarize the data points collected from the research when answering the question.
Step 5: Review to make sure all elements have been answered, and instructions followed.
Step 6: Create a separate Title Page (Class Name, Instructors Name, Students name and Date) and Reference Page.
Four Topic Headings
Type of Company You Will Create. Here you should describe your future company as you envision it. Who will benefit from your business? Why do you want to start this company? What skills or interests do you have that make this company likely to succeed? Where do you want to locate the company and why do you want to locate it there? Do you plan on rapid growth or moderate growth? Are you financially able to start your company?
Industry Analysis. Here you look at the industry. You should describe how the industry is structured. Are there a few main companies that dominate the industry? Who are the major companies in the industry? What are their earnings, revenues, and other financial data? Will there be large start-up costs? Look at possible suppliers as well. Does the industry have lots of room for growth? Is the market shrinking, growing, or growing quickly? Have major failures in the industry occurred? What are the risks of operating in this type of industry? What opportunities or threats exist in the industry?
Competitive Analysis. Using Porter’s Five Forces Model analyze the industry in which your business will compete. Be sure to think about online as well as face-to-face competitors (e.g. if you are making socks for instance, think about who is selling online and who is big in retail stores) Identify at least 3 major competitors, who are selling many of the same products or services that you will offer which the research tells you will be the most likely to be your strongest competitors. Who are the industry leaders? Which of your products/services will be the most competitive and which will be least competitive? How will you compete? Will you be a follower, a challenger, or a nicher (define the terms)? Will you concentrate on a specific market segment? Why or why not? MOST IMPORTANTLY WHAT MAKES YOUR IDEA UNIQUE AND THEREFORE COMPETITIVE?
Product or Service Offerings. This is where you consider your market analysis or plan. You should conduct a market analysis using the course reading for this part. How will you promote your product or service? What marketing strategy will you pursue? How will you price the product? What distribution channels will you pursue? This section is about marketing your products and your company.
GO OR NO GO DECISION: In this section, using your information and analysis in sections 1-4 to support your decision, explain whether your idea is commercially viable and why it should be pursued. Do not be afraid to say it should not be pursued. If you choose not to pursue the idea as you envision it, does the data suggest how you might change it to become viable? Remember you will be using all the information collected in this assignment and more to create your business plan going forward in the class so if your idea isn’t working now it will never make it later on. Include a minimum of 2 relevant sources to support your work.
Review the Rubric for this Project.
Submit the paper in the Assignment Folder NOTE: All submitted work is to be your original work.
Due on Jun 18, 2024 11:59 PM
Hide Rubrics
Rubric Name: Project 2
Criteria Excellent
Proficient
Sufficient
Needs Improvement
Did Not Achieve
Criterion Score
Evaluation Summary draws conclusions as to the commercial strength of the idea, supported by research and class material concluding in a clear statement of whether the idea is viable and able to be pursued.
25 points
Executive summary gives the results of the opportunity evaluation succinctly and thoroughly. It details the elements reviewed and the conclusions drawn for each element and states a clear recognition as to the potential commercial viability of the idea whether negative or positive.
20 points
Executive summary gives the results of the opportunity evaluation accurately. One or two elements were either mentioned but over or under developed. The overall introduction was not as concise as a result.
17.5 points
Every element was mentioned but the discussion was over broad and not concise in its statement of conclusions drawn. 15 points
Summary was attempted but it did not state most of the conclusions drawn as to the elements and or no recommendation as to viability of idea.
0 points
Student did not achieve the minimum level
Score of Evaluation Summary draws conclusions as to the commercial strength of the idea, supported by research and class material concluding in a clear statement of whether the idea is viable and able to be pursued.,/ 25
Content Discussion shows geniune understanding of what makes the idea unique
20 points
Idea of product “genuine demand” and uniqueness were evaluated thoroughly and conclusions as to viability of the product or service were logical reasoned by using by ideas and data obtained through research and course material. Discussion showed an insightful understanding of the importance of uniqueness and genuine demand to a commercially successful product or service.
16 points
Idea of product “genuine demand” and uniqueness were evaluated and conclusions as to viability of the product or service were logical reasoned by using by ideas and data obtained through research and course material. Discussion showed understanding of the importance of uniqueness and genuine demand to a commercially successful product or service but some conclusions were underdeveloped.
14 points
Idea of product “genuine demand” and uniqueness were evaluated in a general way; most salient conclusions as to viability of the product or service were logical reasoned by using by ideas and data obtained through research and course material. Discussion showed a sufficient understanding of the importance of uniqueness and genuine demand to a commercially successful product or service but one major conclusion was missing or conclusions were generally underdeveloped. 12 points
Idea of product “genuine demand” and uniqueness were under evaluated; most conclusions as to viability of the product or service were illogically reasoned and or failed to use ideas and data obtained through research and course material to support.
0 points
Student did not achieve the minimum level
Score of Content Discussion shows geniune understanding of what makes the idea unique,/ 20
Content: Shows understanding of the prices the product/service can demand, size of the market and the potential to make enough money (pages 2,5,6)
20 points
Idea of product prices, size of market, and investment return were evaluated thoroughly and conclusions as to viability of the product or service were logical reasoned by using by ideas and data obtained through research and course material. Discussion showed an insightful understanding of the importance of prices, size of market, and investment return to a commercially successful product or service.
16 points
Idea of product prices, size of market, and investment return were evaluated and conclusions as to viability of the product or service were logical reasoned by using by ideas and data obtained through research and course material. Discussion showed understanding of the importance Idea of product prices, size of market, and investment return to a commercially successful product or service but some conclusions were underdeveloped.
14 points
Idea of product Idea of product prices, size of market, and investment return were evaluated in a general way; most salient conclusions as to viability of the product or service were logical reasoned by using by ideas and data obtained through research and course material. Discussion showed a sufficient understanding of the importance Ideas of product prices, size of market, and investment return to a commercially successful product or service but one major conclusion was missing or conclusions were generally underdeveloped.
12 points
Idea of product prices, size of market, and investment return under evaluated; most conclusions as to viability of the product or service were illogically reasoned and or failed to use ideas and data obtained through research and course material to support. 0 points
Student did not achieve the minimum level
Score of Content: Shows understanding of the prices the product/service can demand, size of the market and the potential to make enough money (pages 2,5,6),/ 20
Content: Shows understanding of competitors and competition in marketplace, ability to protect your idea or uniqueness (pages 2,4,10)
20 points
Competition in Marketplace, competitors and, product protection were evaluated thoroughly and conclusions as to viability of the product or service were logical reasoned by using by ideas and data obtained through research and course material. Discussion showed an insightful understanding of the importance knowing the Competition in Marketplace, competitors and, product protection to a commercially successful product or service. 16 points
Competition in Marketplace, competitors and, product protection were evaluated and conclusions as to viability of the product or service were logical reasoned by using by ideas and data obtained through research and course material. Discussion showed understanding of the importance of knowing the Competition in Marketplace, competitors and, product protection to a commercially successful product or service but some conclusions were underdeveloped. 14 points
Competition in Marketplace, competitors and, product protection were evaluated in a general way; most salient conclusions as to viability of the product or service were logical reasoned by using by ideas and data obtained through research and course material. Discussion showed a sufficient understanding of the importance of knowing the Competition in Marketplace, competitors and, product protection to a commercially successful product or service but one major conclusion was missing or conclusions were generally underdeveloped.
12 points
Competition in Marketplace, competitors and, product protection were under evaluated; most conclusions as to viability of the product or service were illogically reasoned and or failed to use ideas and data obtained through research and course material to support. 0 points
Student did not achieve the minimum level
Score of Content: Shows understanding of competitors and competition in marketplace, ability to protect your idea or uniqueness (pages 2,4,10),/ 20
Content Discussion shows understanding the ease of entry into the market, funds needed and ability to raise them (pages 7 & 9)
20 points
Funds availability and ease of market entry were evaluated thoroughly and conclusions as to viability of the product or service were logical reasoned by using by ideas and data obtained through research and course material. Discussion showed an insightful understanding of the importance of funds availability and ease of market entry to a commercially successful product or service. 16 points
Funds availability and ease of market entry were evaluated and conclusions as to viability of the product or service were logical reasoned by using by ideas and data obtained through research and course material. Discussion showed understanding of the importance of Funds availability and ease of market entry to a commercially successful product or service but some conclusions were underdeveloped. 14 points
Funds availability and ease of market entry were evaluated in a general way; most salient conclusions as to viability of the product or service were logical reasoned by using by ideas and data obtained through research and course material. Discussion showed a sufficient understanding of the importance funds availability and ease of market entry to a commercially successful product or service but one major conclusion was missing or conclusions were generally underdeveloped. 12 points
Funds availability and ease of market entry were under evaluated; most conclusions as to viability of the product or service were illogically reasoned and or failed to use ideas and data obtained through research and course material to support. 0 points
Student did not achieve the minimum level
Score of Content Discussion shows understanding the ease of entry into the market, funds needed and ability to raise them (pages 7 & 9),/ 20
Content: Discussion reflects comprehension of the demand that the business would have on you personally and an assessment of your ability to meet those demands (page 8)
20 points
Personal ability and business demands were evaluated thoroughly and conclusions as to viability of the product or service were logical reasoned by using by ideas and data obtained through research and course material. Discussion showed an insightful understanding of the importance of Personal ability and business demands to a commercially successful product or service. 16 points
Personal ability and business demands were evaluated and conclusions as to viability of the product or service were logical reasoned by using by ideas and data obtained through research and course material. Discussion showed understanding of the importance of Personal ability and business demands to a commercially successful product or service but some conclusions were underdeveloped. 14 points
Personal ability and business demands were evaluated in a general way; most salient conclusions as to viability of the product or service were logical reasoned by using by ideas and data obtained through research and course material. Discussion showed a sufficient understanding of the importance of Personal ability and business demands to a commercially successful product or service but one major conclusion was missing or conclusions were generally underdeveloped. 12 points
Personal ability and business demands were under evaluated; most conclusions as to viability of the product or service were illogically reasoned and or failed to use ideas and data obtained through research and course material to support. 0 points
Student did not achieve the minimum level
Score of Content: Discussion reflects comprehension of the demand that the business would have on you personally and an assessment of your ability to meet those demands (page 8),/ 20
Content: Outside Research Selection: materials used show academic validity and are appropriate for the topic intended
10 points
Excellent sources were used to support the ideas and conclusions drawn throughout the paper and they were of academic quality and demonstrated appropriate application to the topic under discussion.
8 points
Good outside sources were used to support the ideas and conclusions drawn throughout the paper and they were of academic quality and demonstrated appropriate application to the topic under discussion.
7 points
Poor outside sources were used to support the ideas and conclusions drawn throughout the paper and they mostly were of academic quality and demonstrated appropriate application to the topic under discussion.
6 points
Little to no academic sources were used to support the ideas and conclusions drawn throughout the paper and/or the academic quality was not valid or failed to be appropriate to the topic under discussion.
0 points
Student did not achieve the minimum level
Score of Content: Outside Research Selection: materials used show academic validity and are appropriate for the topic intended,/ 10
Writing Mechanics, Organization and Format
15 points
Includes clear and concise language that uses appropriate style, has a rich vocabulary, and is free of grammatical & spelling errors. 12 points
Includes clear and concise language, but the style and vocabulary are inconsistent or imprecise at times. The writing has some minor errors. 10.5 points
Includes some clear and concise language, but the style and vocabulary are very inconsistent or imprecise at times. The writing has many minor or major errors. 9 points
Includes language that lacks clarity and/or is not concise. There is no evidence of proofreading or an attempt at applying conventional writing mechanics, style, or vocabulary. 0 points
Student did not achieve the minimum level
Score of Writing Mechanics, Organization and Format,/ 15
Total
Score of Project 2,/ 150…..

Assignment Overview
Business reports often analyze how a scenario or aspect of a business relates to a strategic goal or need. These types of reports might address the status of the organization, stakeholder summaries, market trends, or financial statements.
The main goal of business reports is to help leaders develop strategies and decide on or suggest ways to improve their business. These reports may also analyze potential worst-case scenarios, offer solutions to current challenges, or review best practices and similar situations in other organizations. This assignment will give you an opportunity to analyze a business report
Module Six Assignment Scenario
You are a business manager who is in the planning phase of building a stakeholder summary report. You need to analyze examples of similar reports from competitors to figure out what content and structure your report should have. To get ideas for your report, you decide to analyze the 2020 Year in Review report from Estée Lauder Companies.

Instructions
To learn how to conduct an internal company analysis
Assignment Description:
Conduct an internal analysis of a company or organization of your choosing.
Use all of the tools necessary to conduct a thorough evaluation of the internal environment, in which your chose company or organization operates. Make sure you emphasize internal concerns: skills, financial performance, and marketing capabilities in which your firm operates.Identify all the issues pertaining to that internal organizational environment.
Identify at least five sources of revenue related to financial performance.
Identify any internal marketing needs.
Perform an analysis and evaluation of those issues.
The evaluation should be 3-5 pages in length, at least 3 references, and be APA formatted.

Instructions
Read the following case details, then answer and submit the 2 questions at the end.
Mini Case at the end of chapter 27, Rensselaer AdvisorsSubmit
Submit a Word Document containing your assignment and the following APA requirements:APA Requirements1” inch margins
Times New Roman 12 pt font
Double-Spaced
Title Page
Reference Page and in-text citations

Part I: Reflect on how the concepts in this course can be applied to real-world situations and can increase your chances of career or life success. Part II: Reflect on why the on-ground retailer has experienced so many difficulties of late. What do the retailers need to do in order to save the on-ground retailer? Your journal entry must be at least 200 words in length. No references or citations are necessary. 1. Please go a little over the minimum words required 2. If you are to cite, please do so in APA (include reference page) Course Name: Advanced Marketing (MKT 5301) Course Description: Provides an overview of advanced topics in marketing management, planning, strategy, analysis, and control. The course provides a domestic and international emphasis on consumer needs, industry position, competition, and ethical marketing practices. Application will include the management of both traditional and digital marketing strategies towards an effective integrated marketing communication (IMC) plan. Course Outcome: Course Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this course, students should be able to: 1. Explore the ethical management of marketing implementation. 2. Synthesize the use of marketing research to predict global business outcomes. 3. Analyze the use of marketing strategies in the management of global customer brand equity. 4. Compare the development of innovative new products on competitive product strategies. 5. Examine pricing strategies for effective marketing scenarios. 6. Summarize distribution management as a marketing method. 7. Explain the key aspects in managing marketing promotions through traditional and digital methods.

Do an economic analysis of two giant competitor brands, Coke and Pepsi, in the context of them being rivals in the “Twenty-First Century” and use all the knowledge you have gathered over the last several weeks. Please do not make it a financial case. It is to be an economics case study, utilizing the economic model of pure competition, monopolistic competition, oligopoly or monopoly.
Use the most recent sources to make it more relevant. There is plenty of information out there including their home pages for starters. apa format. Remember to cite/ reference page

Assignment Content
For this assignment, read ‘The Purina Story” and the “Let’s Get Technical-Data Mining” section in Chapter 6 of the textbook. Once you have read and reviewed this information, respond to the following questions with thorough explanations and well-supported rationale.
Compare and contrast online research and data mining. How do each affect the business strategy of a company?
Classify the research methods used by Purina in the case study, and determine if some type of cross-selling would benefit the company’s brand. Provide support for your conclusion.
With the privacy concerns of today’s online consumer, do you find Amazon or Purina behaving unethically in their practices? Why, or why not?
Analyze the privacy policies of Purina and Amazon online. What parts of their privacy policies are reassuring? Is there anything of concern?
Your case study must be at least two pages in length, not counting the title and reference pages. References should include your textbook, at least one website, and one additional credible source; therefore, you should have a minimum of three sources. All sources used must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations and be cited per APA guidelines.

Scenario
Your manager has just returned from the monthly Senior Management meeting where all departmental heads have been asked to present a report that showcases how they contribute to business performance. As someone who has experience in evidence-based practice and data analytics, she has asked if you would produce a report for Senior Management that explains what evidence-based practice is and its relevance to people professionals. She would also like you to include practical examples of the types of data analysis that people practitioners use to gain insight into people practices. In readiness for this you are required to complete a report comprising two sections. Section One – Report
For section one, you are to produce a report that provides the Senior Management team with knowledge and understanding of what evidence-based practice is and the approaches that can be taken for effective critical thinking and decision-making that ensures integrity and value is upheld. You must ensure that you:
Evaluate the concept of evidence-based practice and assess how approaches to evidence-based practice can be used to provide insight that supports sound decision-making across a range of people practices and organisational issues. (AC 1.1)
Evaluate one appropriate analysis tool and one appropriate analysis method that might be applied by organisations to recognise and diagnose issues, challenges, and opportunities. (AC 1.2)
Explain the main principles of critical thinking and describe how these might apply to your own and others’ ideas to assist objective and rational debate.(AC 1.3)
Explain three decision-making processes that can be applied to ensure that effective outcomes are achieved. (AC 1.4) Assess three different ethical perspectives and explain how understanding of these can be used to inform and influence moral decision-making. (AC 1.5)
Appraise two different ways organisations measure financial and non-financial performance, providing one example of each. (AC 3.1)
Explain how people practices add value in an organisation and identify two methods that might be used to measure the impact of people practices. (AC 3.2)
You should relate to academic concepts, theories and professional practice throughout your report to ensure that your work is critical and informed by using key academic texts, articles and relevant publications. All cited references used should be correctly acknowledged and presented in full in a bibliography at the end of your report. Section Two – Quantitative and qualitative analysis review
For section two, you are to provide a quantitative and qualitative analysis review using the two sets of data provided.
Firstly, review the Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Salary data that is presented in Table 1 and provide analysis of it to show the:
percentage of each gender by type.
ethnicity as a percentage per team.
disability percentage as an organisational whole and by teams. salary difference across genders.
overall average salary paid by the organisation.
Present your findings using appropriate diagrammatical forms and make justifiable recommendations based on your evaluations. Table 1 – Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Salary Data – (please click on the linkto open the table)
Worksheet 1 in New 5CO02
Secondly, Table 2 gives the rating feedback scores for a sample of 300 employees taken from a recent survey on hybrid working practices. Provide scrutiny of the applied scores, present written commentary on any themes or patterns that might be occurring, and present recommendations based on your findings. Table 2 – Feedback scores from a recent employee survey on hybrid working practices Feedback Scores in 5CO02 WORKSHEET
Completion of the above two activities will address the following ACs:
With reference to a people practice issue, interpret analytical data using appropriate analysis tools and methods. (AC 2.1)
Present key findings for stakeholders from people practice activities and initiatives. (AC 2.2) Make justified recommendations based on evaluation of the benefits, risks and financial implications of potential solutions. (AC 2.3) The evidence must consist of:
Task One. – Report (2900 words)
Task Two. – Quantitative and qualitative analysis review (1000 words)
Refer to CIPD word count policy
PLEASE FOLLOW THE BELOW
WORD COUNT MUST BE 4550
PAY ATTENTION TO THE PLAGIARISM
PLEASE PROVIDE 10 REFERENCES IN HARVERD REFERRING.
PLEASE PROVIDE A PLAGIARISM REPORTS ( A Must )
Please write each question before the answers
Please refer and follow the attached carefully.

A US importer who owes and Belgian company 500,000 Euros payable in 30 days from today expects that the US Dollar will weaken during this period. What would you advise the importer to do? What would happen if the imported took your advice yet instead of the dollar weakening, the dollar actually strengthened? apa format remember to cite/ reference page

Purpose
This assignment will allow students to practice memo format, write in business style, and reflect on important information about their goals and communication style.
Content
Write a memo that describes to me who you are, what direction you hope to go as a professional, and your strengths as a communicator and writer. Answer the following questions in your memo in about one sentence each:
1) Briefly explain the traits that make you unique:
What are your core traits? How do you use your strengths day-to-day?
What about your background has shaped you as an individual or makes you unique?
2) Briefly explain your educational history, work experience, and the professional paths that interest you:
Tell your major and year in school. Why did you choose that major or emphasis?
Explain any work, internship, or job shadowing experiences you have had. What did you learn or gain form these jobs?
Explain two career paths you could see yourself pursuing. What would make you a good fit for these careers?
Within those career fields, what are two companies or organizations that interest you? Why?
3) Briefly explain your preferences and strengths as a communicator and writer— and what you hope to gain from this course:
What are your strengths and weaknesses as a communicator? How do you see those strengths and weaknesses affecting you in the workplace? What are your strengths as a writer? In what ways would you like to improve as a writer?
What could we cover this semester that would help you as a professional communicator?
Format
Strictly follow the course format for memos found in the document design lesson. (HINTS: This memo is to your instructor from you. Put one space between paragraphs and no spaces within paragraphs. Think about the role of bold headers, chunked paragraphs, bullets, and white space in business writing. Follow the document design model exactly). Please use Times New Roman 12 point font. Think about organization, having an introduction paragraph and a conclusion paragraph, and using professional tone. Please proofread your work for English language conventions and for writing style. No contractions in formal writing!
Assignment Details Please limit your memo to one page in length — practice conciseness (to achieve this, the right pace for the memo is to answer each question in about one to two sentences). 100 Points Possible. Review the grading rubric for how you will be evaluated and use the rubric as a checklist for your work. Upload your submission to Canvas by the deadline. part two: Submit – Communication Situation Analysis
Overview
After watching the video lecture on Analyzing Your Communication Situation, breakdown the communication scenario below by giving a detailed description of who would be in the audience, what the context is, and what matters about the speaker’s profile. Given those factors, explain how the speaker should adapt their communication in that situation. (Use the sample scenario analyzed in the video lecture as an example of how to approach the questions).
Scenario to Analyze
Scenario: Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas gives a speech at a ground breaking ceremony for a new transit line on the streetcar that will run from Union Station in downtown to the UMKC/Plaza area. (You can fill in other minor details, as needed).
Guiding Questions
Step 1) Explain the components of the Rhetorical Situation for the scenario Analyze the profile of the audience: audience demographics? primary/secondary? internal/external? direction of audience? background? role? title? position? beliefs? values? knowledge? interests? industry/sector? organizational entity?
Analyze the context the communication is happening in: setting? message medium? situation? type of task? date? time? place? occasion? economy? time of year? current events? organizational culture? document format?
Analyze the speaker’s profile: demographics? background? persona? organizational role or title? position? experience level? beliefs? values? knowledge? ethos/credibility?
Step 2) Label barriers and opportunities
Place a plus (+) sign next to the elements you listed above that you think advantage the speaker and are an opportunity in the communication situation. Place a minus sign (-) next to the elements you listed above that you think are a negative for the speaker and present a barrier they have to overcome in the communication situation. Step 3) Explain what strategies you would use to approach the communication situation
How should the speaker adapt their message? What strategies should the speaker consider for this communication situation?
Assignment Details
Your write up should be no more than one page in length. Bullets and sentence fragments are okay, where needed. You can use normal academic format for this paper (no letter or memo format needed). Please submit as a Word document. Use Times New Roman 12 point font. This assignment is worth 20 points. Upload your submission by the assignment deadline. thats the video Hi class This lesson is about analyzing your communications situation and then using that information0:00
to create strategic messages. In any kind of communication0:05
situation we’re in, there are always gonna be three elements and these three elements make up the rhetorical0:11
situation and rhetorical is kind of another fancy word for communication. So0:16
basically these are the three elements in any kind of a communication situation. There’s always going to be an audience,0:21
a context in which the communication is happening, and then a speaker or someone who’s0:27
doing the communicating. And that is true of any kind of situation, whether you’re just talking0:33
to someone else one on one or you’re giving a speech in an auditorium or you’re meeting0:38
with others only as a small group of people around a boardroom table. Regardless of the setting,0:43
even a telephone call, there’s always gonna be those three elements. So to kick us off,0:48
let’s just imagine a quick scenario. Pretend that the chancellor of UMKC has asked0:53
you to meet with him to learn about your experience as a student. Let’s just try to figure out, what0:58
would be these elements for that? What would you want to know about that meeting going into it based1:03
on these elements of the rhetorical situation? So first of all, you might want to know about who is he1:09
as your audience? What his academic background? What are his interests?1:14
What have his goals been for the university? You might want to know1:19
more about where he worked before you worked at UMKC. Lots of things you might1:25
want to know to help you analyze who is he as your audience? Next, questions about1:30
context. The setting in which that meeting is going to happen. Is he going to ask you1:35
to come to his office, which is sort of formal, or will you meet at a coffee shop instead?1:40
What time of day would you meet? What time of the academic year? What is his goal1:45
or purpose in meeting with you? It may be interesting to know what you1:51
should wear or what other1:56
things will be about the environment that could be important. And then lastly, what matters about you as2:01
the speaker, the communicator. He might have a very different meeting with different types of students,2:06
right? Whether you’re a traditional student or nontraditional student, live on campus or don’t live on2:11
campus. If you’re involved in activities or you have a job based on what your major2:16
is or your GPA, if you’re involved in athletics, those are all things that might shift the conversation2:21
based on who he’s speaking with. So just in this example, we can see kind2:27
of those elements of audience context and speaker brought to life and even based on the sort of2:33
questions you’d have that you’d want to know, you’d want to be able to analyze going into a meeting2:38
with the chancellor for him to learn more about your student experience. But I want to2:43
dive in to each of these in depth here for the rest of this segment. Let’s start with audience2:48
and figure out what kind of things will help us analyze our audience in any given communication situation.2:53
We’ll start with audience demographics. So when we say demographics, things like gender,3:00
race or ethnicity, socioeconomic status, geography,3:07
Lots of things there that we could include there to try to figure out what sort3:13
of demographic groups does someone belong to as your audience or what type of demographic3:18
groups are represented in your audience. Next item here is to say primary or secondary.3:23
Is your audience a primary audience, meaning your original intended recipient for3:29
your message or could there be a second or third or fourth or fifth level audience to consider3:34
who might also be receiving your message, even if they weren’t that very original intended3:39
recipient? So one way I like to think about that is if you think about one of the TV hosts with3:45
a late night talk show. The talk show host has got the guests3:50
that they bring onto the stage with them. Those two people are having a conversation. And3:55
that person, the guest, is kind of primary audience for that conversation. They’ve also got everybody in the studio4:01
audience who’s watching it being recorded, who’s laughing or reacting, and they’re also4:06
playing off of those people as maybe a second level audience for the interaction. And then there’s a third4:11
level audience of anybody who’s going to watch it on TV or recorded or on the Internet, right?4:16
So we call it a lot of different audiences then and that audience really starts to grow. But this is one4:21
way to think about who’s that primary audience versus what could some other levels of audience. We4:26
also want you to think about internal versus external. So internal audiences are any audiences4:31
that are part of your organization, part of your team, part of your work group, part of your company,4:37
right? The external would be all of these kind of entities that could be outside of the organization.4:42
So things like suppliers, vendors, distributors, government entities, the media,4:48
different trade associations, special interest groups, stockholders or investors,4:53
customers and clients or potential customers and clients, potential employees, unions,4:59
professional services. There are a lot of different entities there that could be outside of the organization that5:05
could represent external audiences that we might interact with. Well, we’ll also5:10
have those internal audiences that would be our colleagues or our teammates within our own company.5:15
We also want to think about direction of audience. I put a little directional symbol on the page here5:21
to help us picture this. You picture yourself in the middle. There are always5:26
going to be communication audiences that are above you represented by that arrow going up, below5:31
you, you know, maybe people who report to you versus people that you report to them. Communication5:36
audiences that are parallel to you on either side of you. And then there always there’s also going to be communication5:41
audiences that are external represented by that arrow that is sort of pointing in the outward5:47
direction. When we’re looking at our audience, we also want to think about5:52
at the individual level, what is that person’s background, their role, their title, their5:58
position, their own beliefs, values, knowledge or interests about whatever topic you’re communicating6:03
about, the industry, sector, organizational entity that you’re communicating with,6:08
you know, for something like a job application letter, cover letter, right? Those questions6:13
matter for sort of who is the company as a whole? So some of these6:18
questions might apply to individuals, some of these may apply to groups, some may apply to more of an organizational6:23
entity. Well, let’s move on to the element of context.6:28
So context just means what is the setting or the environment in which the communication is taking6:34
place? So it could be things like what sort of message medium are you using?6:39
Are you talking to someone on the phone? Are you sending an email? Are you composing a memo or another type6:45
of a business document? Are you speaking to them face to face? Are you giving a speech in front of6:50
a group? A lot of different message mediums that could impact the context.6:55
Things like the situation and the task that you have to perform. You know, if if a major company7:01
has to come out and deliver bad news or talk about bad earnings that quarter, that’s7:06
a bad news message. That task is different than if they get to announce some special deal7:11
or that they’re giving their customers some kind of incentive. The date, the time,7:17
the place, those kind of physical aspects of the context might also matter. The occasion.7:22
What’s going on in the economy, the time of year where we are in the fiscal cycle, current events7:28
going on, overall organizational culture, all of those could be part7:33
of that broader context in which our communication sits. And those elements7:38
of context can all impact your message and impact your communication. An analogy7:43
I like to give for this is thinking about the difference between giving a eulogy at7:48
a funeral versus a toast at a wedding. The exact same friends and family could be in the7:54
audience for both events and you would be the same speaker. But the element that changes7:59
there that lets you know you need to have a different type of message for each situation is the context.8:04
Next one is speaker, and by that we just mean the communicator, the person doing the speaking or the communicating.8:12
So what could matter about that when we think about how is that communicator’s,8:18
How is their own profile and their own presence impacting the communication situation?8:24
We want to analyze what would be elements of their own demographics, their background, their8:29
persona, their organizational role, title position, their experience level,8:34
their own beliefs, values and knowledge, and then lastly, their ethos or credibility8:39
that they bring to a situation. So ethos and credibility mean the same thing. It’s just a Greek word8:45
for trustworthiness, believability. And8:50
all of these elements can impact how much credibility a communicator has in8:55
any situation.9:00
Another thing to add to the mix here is the idea of what the purpose of your communication9:05
is in a communication situation and usually in business communication, there are going to be three9:10
purposes either to inform, to request or persuade, or to build goodwill.9:15
And I represent this is like a Venn diagram that we can think about how these might be overlapping,9:21
that you might have to inform someone about something at the same time that you’re trying to make9:26
a request. Or you may need to build goodwill at the same time you you’re doing both of those others. So9:31
these could all be overlapping in different ways. But when it comes to business communication, we’ll probably have9:36
one of these three purposes. So I’d like to practice9:41
applying this to some real world situations beyond just the Chancellor.9:47
And I’ve got four listed here. So just to get you thinking about how could the audience change,9:52
what might change about the context and what might change about what matters about the speaker in each of these situations.9:58
Hillary Clinton speaking at Yale graduation ceremony. We could think about who would be10:03
in her audience there? What matters about her as a speaker? The fact that she herself was a Yale graduate kind10:09
of lends her credibility in that situation. Kansas City Mayor Quinn Lucas breaking10:14
ground for a new line of the city street car. Sheryl Sandberg announcing10:19
a security breach of some kind at Facebook. And then Chief’s head coach Andy Reid giving10:24
a press conference after a game. So I’m actually going to take the scenario10:29
here about Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and try to analyze that here next as an example,10:34
and I’ve left the scenario about Kansas City Mayor Quinn Lucas breaking ground for a new10:40
line of the Kansas City street car for you to tackle in your assignment.10:45
So let’s look at the scenario of Chiefs head coach Andy Reid giving a press conference after a game. First of all,10:51
who would be in his audience? So he steps to the podium in that press room.10:56
Who’s in his audience? Probably the primary audience is going to be the media11:02
and the press, right? They’re the ones actually asking the questions. When he gives his11:07
answer, that’s that primary audience he’s directly answering in the room with him. But11:12
when he responds to them, he’s also thinking about other layers11:17
of audiences that could be out there a second or third or fourth layer audience who is all would could also be listening11:22
to that press conference and listening to his answers. So who could be in that broader audience? Right. Probably people11:27
like fans, his own players, the NFL as an organization,11:33
maybe potential recruits, the front office staff, sports analysts,11:38
the owners of the Chiefs, sponsors. So those are just some of the potential audiences11:44
out there that as he thinks about how to respond to questions and craft his answer, he has11:49
all those audiences in mind and he has to say and do things that are going to be appropriate or that work11:54
for all those different audiences. He’s not just speaking to one media person or one press11:59
person. He has all those audiences in mind. Now, let’s think about what could impact his context12:04
as he gives a press conference. Probably the biggest element would be whether they won or lost that12:09
particular game, right? But it could also be something like where they are in the season. Is it a playoff12:15
game or is it more of a preseason game? It doesn’t really matter. Was it the Super Bowl?12:20
Right. That that is a big element of context. What their win loss record is for that season.12:25
Say they had a loss, but it really wasn’t perhaps as big of a deal because they’ve12:30
been winning all along and doing really well. That’s different than if they had a loss that came12:36
and kind of a difficult season. Specific plays or game play on12:41
the field. You know, maybe they won, but they played really terribly for four hours.12:46
Then that’s going to impact, that’s the context he has to address. If there were any kind of injuries,12:51
any sort of controversies or current events going on that impact the game,12:57
whether it was a rivalry, weather that was happening. You know, maybe maybe they didn’t play that13:02
well, but it was because it snowed at Arrowhead Stadium for the whole time and13:07
there was snow on the field or there was some other conditions that impacted the game, right? So13:12
all those elements of context are things that he may have to address. And then13:17
the element of speaker, so, you know, thinking about him as a communicator. He has the title13:22
of head coach, right? That gives him a lot of built-In credibility. He’s now coached a Super13:27
Bowl championship, that adds more credibility. He even before that, was a very13:32
experienced coach. Things like his own win loss record over time, his own win loss13:38
record with the Chiefs could it be impactful here. He’s male. He’s not13:43
a former player, right? Some other past Chiefs head coaches have been former NFL players,13:48
but he’s not. So that just tells us some things about his.13:53
He’s Caucasian. So these are these all tell us some things about sort of his profile13:59
as a speaker and communicator in any given situation. Now, looking at this list of stuff,14:04
there are going to be some things on this list that we could say are opportunities14:10
or pluses that help him as a communicator here, that help him with his message.14:15
And there are other things that are maybe negatives or barriers that he asked to try to work with14:20
or overcome as he communicates. I could go through and14:25
label each of those. So I sort of done that with color here, that maybe negative things are in red and14:30
potentially positive things are in green. So the fact that the media and the press are14:35
questioning him, maybe that’s a barrier or a negative he’s got to work with. The fans are out14:40
there listening. That’s a positive. Perhaps there’s been some difficulty with the NFL he’s had to navigate14:45
and that’s a negative. But he you know, he’s no he’s got some good potential recruits14:51
coming in maybe paying attention, so perhaps that’s good. The analysts14:57
are listening who like what the team has been doing, but perhaps the owners or sponsors aren’t15:02
happy about what’s occurred. So he’s got to try to manage them and their expectations. Terms of the15:07
context, perhaps they lost the game and maybe it was a difficult loss because they were really15:12
far along in the season or it was a game that really mattered. However, they’d had a good win loss15:17
record for that season and for the season before. And maybe they played really well and there weren’t any injuries15:22
and perhaps there was some sort of a weather event that kind of contributed to how badly they played. But maybe15:30
there’s been some controversy in the news that they’re reacting to. And it was a rivalry, so that sort of represents15:35
a negative that they lost. So we could go through all of these and figure out does that go in the positive column15:41
or the negative column? We put a plus mark by that or a negative mark by that in terms of something15:46
that either is a barrier in his communication he has to try to overcome15:51
or an opportunity that he can use as the speaker. So15:56
what that basically brings me to is this model or this formula that16:01
whatever your purpose is in your communication, be it to inform, to build goodwill, to question or persuade,16:06
combined with the opportunities and the barriers that come from these elements16:12
of the communication situation, who the speaker is, who their audiences and what’s important16:18
and the context. Those two things combined give us an output of what our strategy16:23
should be. And I know that sounds maybe complicated,16:28
but it really isn’t. So this is not meant to be a special scientific16:33
brain surgery at all. We do this kind of stuff every day, all day long. We’re16:39
constantly calculating in the human brain what’s going on in our environment and around16:44
us who are speaking to, how they’re perceiving the things that we’re saying, and we’re making those calculations.16:49
For example, if you’re going on a date with somebody new, you probably would think through,16:55
you know, what situation or what context should I put it in that would be fun or interesting? What’s17:01
interesting, what I want to know more about them, what I know about them as my audience. What kind of things I want17:06
to share about myself, right? So you’re thinking about this stuff day to day. But17:11
where miscommunications happen and where communication problems happen is when17:17
people don’t calculate this slowly and carefully enough in a business setting.17:22
So our goal in this class this semester is to really slow this process down17:28
and to think about how to be strategic about our communication17:34
by really thinking through this kind of equation about how17:39
can I analyze the elements of what’s involved in this communication situation? What represents a17:44
plus for me right now? What represents a negative for me? And how then do I navigate those?17:50
That’s what becomes your strategy. And if we can become really deliberate and17:55
thoughtful about thinking that through every time we face a communication situation,18:00
then you’re more likely to avoid communication missteps because communication missteps are18:05
when someone has miscalculated one of those elements.18:10
So that brings me to the end and I’ll just ask you to reflect on what your takeaways were from the lesson.18:20
Anything that was new information that helped you see something in a new way or some information that you18:25
could see yourself using in the future on the job. Thanks for listening.18:30