Devry ENGL510 final exam 2016

Page 1

On this page you will find two writing assignments similar to those you have done throughout the course, as well as a question about preparing and delivering oral presentations. Each is worth 60 points.

For the two writing assignments, remember to consult the templates for the four different kinds of workplace messages, and remember what you have learned from Writing Assignments 1, 2, and 3.

For the question about preparing and delivering oral presentations, remember what you have learned from the Oral Presentation Assignment and Writing Assignment 4.

In writing the messages, please represent as accurately as possible the situation described in the assignment, but at the same time please use your own words and sentences as much as possible rather than simply using the language of the assignment.

Question 1. 1. (TCOs A and B) Writing a Management Memo

Your Role

You are the assistant to Ron Kayle, the president of Crane Development. Crane Development is a large construction company with corporate headquarters located in Memphis, Tennessee. Kayle and the management team have decided to move the corporate headquarters to Des Moines, Iowa. As Kayle's assistant, you are in charge of the massive relocation project, and it is time to announce the proposed move to the employees of Crane Development.

Background

Crane Development was founded over a century ago in Memphis and located its corporate headquarters in an 8-story building in the downtown area. As Crane Development grew, conditions at headquarters began to get cramped. In the 1970s, space was so limited that Crane had to rent offices elsewhere in Memphis and in eastern Arkansas and relocate some headquarters staff. The company has a firmly set identity as a Memphis corporation because of its longevity in that city.

Two years ago, when Ron Kayle became president, Crane Development was losing business, and the company had experienced limited growth over the past decade. Kayle believed Crane's lack of growth was due to the separation of the headquarters staff. Because they were in multiple locations, effective communication was difficult. After obtaining management support for headquarters relocation, Kayle bought a large farm outside Des Moines for $20 million. A prestigious Des Moines architectural firm was hired to draw up the preliminary plans for a headquarters facility on the property. Construction is scheduled to begin next year, the first phase of the move to Des Moines will take place the following year, and the move will be completed in the third year. The move will cost Crane Development an estimated $90 million.

Current Situation

After careful study, a corporate decision has been made to offer relocation to all of Crane's 400 headquarters employees. Kayle believes that by giving everyone the opportunity to move, Crane Development can minimize the employee morale problems that are often associated with a relocation project of this magnitude.

Because all employees at Crane Headquarters will be asked to relocate, however, all employees will have to make a decision about whether they want to move or not. Most of Crane headquarters staff members are native Tennessee residents, who may be reluctant to move to Iowa because spouses have jobs in Memphis with other companies and children are involved in school activities. Employees who choose to relocate will have to sell their existing homes and purchase new homes in Des Moines. Crane Development, of course, will coordinate a massive relocation effort to help employees deal with these types of decisions. In any case, employees must be told about the move immediately, before rumors begin.

Relevant Facts about the Relocation

Here is a list of facts about the relocation effort that may be useful to Crane Development employees as they consider the move. You may also use your knowledge of business to develop your message.

Crane Development will provide

Relocation expenses - limit $4,000 per family

Assistance in finding comparable housing

Assistance in selling Memphis homes

Job listings and employment agency contacts for spouses

Assurance of comparable or better job for Crane Development employees

Job location assistance to employees who choose to remain in Memphis

Des Moines may be an excellent place to live for some employees because of the following factors:

Strong real estate market

Cooler summer weather

Good schools

Lower cost of living

Low crime rate

The move may be less desirable for some employees for the following reasons:

Colder winters

Too far from family and friends

Move will cost too much money

Need to adjust to a different cultural environment

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Ron Kayle, president of Crane Development and your immediate boss, has asked you to write a message informing him about the status of the relocation plan, including the timeline for the move, the benefits and drawbacks of the move for employees, and your plan for announcing the move to the employees and encouraging them to make the move. Write a message in which you convey this information to him in the most reader-friendly way possible. (Points : 60)

Question 2. 2. (TCOs A and E) Writing an Employee Memo

Your Role

You are the assistant to Chris Shakra, the president of Marine Enterprises. Marine Enterprises is a large manufacturing company with corporate headquarters located in New York City. Shakra and the management team have decided to move the corporate headquarters to Houston, Texas. As Shakra's assistant, you are in charge of the massive relocation project, and it is time to announce the proposed move to the employees of Marine Enterprises.

Background

Marine Enterprises was founded over a century ago in New York City and located its corporate headquarters in a 15-story building in the heart of Manhattan. As Marine Enterprises grew, conditions at headquarters began to get cramped. In the 1970s, space was so limited that Marine had to rent offices elsewhere in Manhattan and in northern New Jersey and relocate some headquarters staff. The company has a firmly set identity as a New York corporation because of its longevity in New York City. Two years ago, when Chris Shakra became president, Marine Enterprises was losing market share, and the company had experienced limited growth over the past decade. Shakra believed Marine's lack of growth was due to the separation of the headquarters staff. Because they were in multiple locations, effective communication was difficult. After obtaining management support for headquarters relocation, Shakra bought a ranch outside Houston for $12 million. A prestigious Texas architectural firm was hired to draw up the preliminary plans for a headquarters facility on the ranch property. Construction is scheduled to begin next year, the first phase of the move to Houston will take place the following year, and the move will be completed in the third year. The move will cost Marine Enterprises an estimated $150 million.

Current Situation

After careful study, a corporate decision has been made to offer relocation to all of Marine's 1,200 headquarters employees. Shakra believes that by giving everyone the opportunity to move, Marine Enterprises can minimize the employee morale problems that are often associated with a relocation project of this magnitude. Because all employees at Marine Headquarters will be asked to relocate, however, all employees will have to make a decision about whether they want to move or not. Most of the employees at Marine headquarters are native New Yorkers who may be reluctant to move to Texas because spouses have jobs in New York with other companies and children are involved in school activities. Employees who choose to relocate will have to sell their existing homes and purchase new homes in Houston. Marine Enterprises, of course, will coordinate a massive relocation effort to help employees deal with these types of decisions. In any case, employees must be told about the move immediately, before rumors begin.

Relevant Facts

Here is a list of facts about the relocation effort that may be useful to Marine Enterprises employees as they consider the move. You may also use your knowledge of business to develop your message.

Marine Enterprises will provide:

Relocation expenses - limit $3,000 per family

Assistance in finding comparable housing

Assistance in selling New York City homes

Job listings and employment agency contacts for spouses

Assurance of comparable or better job for Marine Enterprises employees

Job location assistance to employees who choose to remain in New York City

Houston may be an excellent place to live for some employees because of the following factors:

Strong real estate market

Warmer weather and less pollution than in New York City

Good schools

Lower cost of living

Low crime rate

The move may be less desirable for some employees for the following reasons:

Limited public transportation

Limited access via air

Too far from family and friends

Move will cost too much money

Need to adjust to a different cultural environment

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Employee Memo: Write a memo to the 1,200 employees at Marine Enterprises headquarters in which you announce and provide details of the relocation to Houston. Give the employees the information they need to make a wise decision about whether or not to relocate to the new Marine Enterprises headquarters in Houston. Remember that this is the first time they will be hearing about the relocation, and keep in mind the difficulties that this will cause for many employees.

(Points : 60)

Question 3. 3.

(TCO C, D, F, and G) Writing a Presentation Outline and a Set of Instructions

Your Role

You are the assistant to Chris Shakra, the president of Marine Enterprises. Marine Enterprises is a large manufacturing company with corporate headquarters located in New York City. Shakra and the management team have decided to move the corporate headquarters to Houston, Texas. As Shakra's assistant, you are in charge of the massive relocation project, and it is time to announce the proposed move to the employees of Marine Enterprises.

Background

Marine Enterprises was founded over a century ago in New York City and located its corporate headquarters in a 15-story building in the heart of Manhattan. As Marine Enterprises grew, conditions at headquarters began to get cramped. In the 1970s, space was so limited that Marine had to rent offices elsewhere in Manhattan and in northern New Jersey and relocate some headquarters staff. The company has a firmly set identity as a New York corporation because of its longevity in New York City. Two years ago, when Chris Shakra became president, Marine Enterprises was losing market share, and the company had experienced limited growth over the past decade. Shakra believed Marine's lack of growth was due to the separation of the headquarters staff. Because they were in multiple locations, effective communication was difficult. After obtaining management support for headquarters relocation, Shakra bought a ranch outside Houston for $12 million. A prestigious Texas architectural firm was hired to draw up the preliminary plans for a headquarters facility on the ranch property. Construction is scheduled to begin next year, the first phase of the move to Houston will take place the following year, and the move will be completed in the third year. The move will cost Marine Enterprises an estimated $150 million.

Current Situation

After careful study, a corporate decision has been made to offer relocation to all of Marine's 1,200 headquarters employees. Shakra believes that by giving everyone the opportunity to move, Marine Enterprises can minimize the employee morale problems that are often associated with a relocation project of this magnitude. Because all employees at Marine Headquarters will be asked to relocate, however, all employees will have to make a decision about whether they want to move or not. Most of the employees at Marine headquarters are native New Yorkers who may be reluctant to move to Texas because spouses have jobs in New York with other companies and children are involved in school activities. Employees who choose to relocate will have to sell their existing homes and purchase new homes in Houston. Marine Enterprises, of course, will coordinate a massive relocation effort to help employees deal with these types of decisions. In any case, employees must be told about the move immediately, before rumors begin.

Relevant Facts about the Relocation

Here is a list of facts about the relocation effort that may be useful to Marine Enterprises employees as they consider the move. You may also use your knowledge of business to develop your message.

Marine Enterprises will provide:

Relocation expenses - limit $3,000 per family

Assistance in finding comparable housing

Assistance in selling New York City homes

Job listings and employment agency contacts for spouses

Assurance of comparable or better job for Marine Enterprises employees

Job location assistance to employees who choose to remain in New York City

Houston may be an excellent place to live for some employees because of the following factors:

Strong real estate market

Better weather and less pollution than in New York City

Good schools

Lower cost of living

Low crime rate

The move may be less desirable for some employees for the following reasons:

Limited public transportation

Limited access via air

Too far from family and friends

Move will cost too much money

Need to adjust to a different cultural environment

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Presentation Plan: Chris Shakra, the president of Marine Enterprises and your immediate boss, has asked you to give a presentation to the Employee Affairs Committee persuading them that the company relocation is in the best interest of the company and that the relocation plan takes employee needs into account. Although you will give the presentation by yourself, you will plan, create, and prepare for it with the help of your intern.

This assignment asks you to do three things:

1. Create an outline for the presentation. 30 points

2. Compose an email message to your intern briefly describing the situation and indicating that a set of instructions is attached. 10 points

3. Create a set of instructions for your intern indicating the specific things you would like the intern to do in helping you to prepare for the presentation. The instructions should include at least five things that you need the intern to do and should include a deadline for each of the steps. 20 points

All three of these documents should be composed in the same textbox and given the labels Outline, Email, and Instructions.

(Points : 60)

Page 2

On this page you find 20 sentences to edit for errors in parallel structure, sentence boundaries (fragments, run-ons, and comma splices), grammar (subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, pronoun case, and pronoun reference), punctuation (commas, semicolons, colons), and other mechanics (apostrophes, hyphens, quotation marks, italics, parentheses, dashes, and capitalization).

Question 1. 1. When I finished shoveling the snow had re-covered the sidewalk behind me. (Points : 2)

Question 2. 2. Thank you for your attention to this matter, I will call next week to make an appointment. (Points : 2)

Question 3. 3. Some politician’s believe that the American public doesn't care about politics. (Points : 2)

Question 4. 4. As an undergraduate, I majored in French and was minoring in English. (Points : 2)

Question 5. 5. I'm going shopping tonight tell me what you need. (Points : 2)

Question 6. 6. I have always wanted to be an Accountant, which is why I majored in math at Harvard University. (Points : 2)

Question 7. 7. My High School English teacher recommended these two books.

(Points : 2)

Question 8. 8. Shakespeare's character, Hamlet, said, To be or not to be; that is the question. (Points : 2)

Question 9. 9. You need to do three things to improve this paper; correct the grammar, avoid wordiness, and make the organization more clear. (Points : 2)

Question 10. 10. The students whom submitted papers for the journal will hear from us soon. (Points : 2)

Question 11. 11. The school offers a variety of programs in: library science, social work, education, and business. (Points : 2)

Question 12. 12. A professor who had read almost every book in the library. (Points : 2)

Question 13. 13. Each employee should read their copy of the safety manual before Monday’s meeting. (Points : 2)

Question 14. 14. Please call Mr. Smith to make an appointment his number is in your Contacts list. (Points : 2)

Question 15. 15. The scheduling of this term’s final exams have created difficulties for some students.

(Points : 2)

Question 16. 16. New technology and the fast pace of life is forcing us to become like machines. (Points : 2)

Question 17. 17. When you go to the store please remember to buy milk. (Points : 2)

Question 18. 18. Some critical items to take on your camping trip are: a sleeping bag, a flashlight, and bug spray. (Points : 2)

Question 19. 19. Each employee must contact their supervisor to get the flextime schedule.

(Points : 2)

Question 20. 20. Each departments budget must be approved before any hiring is done. (Points : 2)

Page 3

On this page you will find 5 sentences to edit for wordiness. Eliminate any unnecessary words, which may require restructuring the sentence. Be careful not to delete any necessary words!

Question 1. 1. Edit the following sentence to make it more concise:

The company is in need of well-trained employees in order to keep up with new advancements in the field. (Points : 4)

Question 2. 2. Edit the following sentence to make it more concise:

It is possible for you to complete this quiz in one hour.

(Points : 4)

Question 3. 3. Edit the following sentence to make it more concise:

I would like to be considered for this position and have my past service with this organization evaluated for this position.

(Points : 4)

Question 4. 4. Edit the following sentence to make it more concise:

She was wearing a dress made of cotton and a hat made of straw. (Points : 4)

Question 5. 5. Edit the following sentence to make it more concise:

Terry Jones, who is the founder of the company, was born in San Jose, which is the center of the software industry. (Points : 4)