In order to reproduce the politically charged environment
of most corporations, I turn my class into a company. Using
previously designated study groups, I make one the presi
dent, another the vice president, and a final one the man
ager of operations. Then I give them a problem which they
can handle only through memos. Outside of class, they
communicate by fax machines. Inside of class, they read
and discuss each other's memos. This assignment enables
the instructor to drop out of the role of lecturer as students
discover for themselves the complex interaction between a
writer and an audience.
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References
1.
Booher, D. (1987). Send me a memo. In R. G. Newman, M. A. Danziger, & M. Cohen (Eds.), Communicating in business today . (pp. 576-585). Boston: Heath.
2.
Edwards, O. (1992, November). Send me a memo - or better yet, don't . Across the Board, pp. 12-13.
3.
Hennington, J.A. (1978). Memorandums: An effective communication tool for management. ABCA Bulletin, 41(3), 10-14.
4.
Locker, K.O. (1992). Business and administrative communication (2nd ed.). Homewood, IL: Irwin.
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Sellers, J. (1990). Hope for the hopeless writer. Currents, 16(1), 24-28. ?
