Management Communication Strategy in Case Assignments: The Double-Message Approach

Abstract

Case studies, used extensively in business communication classes, offer an advantage by presenting students with real-life situations to which they can respond using writ ten business genres. Cases, however, limited by their cryp tic and condensed nature, may not fully communicate the context of the event. Understanding context has become increasingly important as issues of race, gender, and mul ticultual communication have emerged in the workplace. The double-message approach offers a solution by asking students to write a context memorandum along with their response to the case protagonist.