Learning Outcomes:

1. Identify sentence and paragraph level language neededto convey a business voice in management writing (Lo1.3)

2. Describe appropriate writing format for businessletters using in-house communication principles. (Lo4.5)

Your boss has a habit of making last-minute arrangements withclients-‘the scramble’, as you and your co-worker call it, thatsomehow precedes most important deals. This current negotiation isno exception. Your boss leaves you voicemail saying that animportant client is arriving late in the afternoon for a businessmeeting, but needs his dry-cleaning dropped off at a nearby cleanerno later than 6pm. Your boss tells you to stop by his office around4:30 pm to pick up the bag of laundry and take it over to thedry-cleaner, then to pick it up the next morning. You have workedfor the company for four years and have never been asked to dothese sorts of non-work tasks. They are definitely not part of yourjob description.

In this situation, you worry about two types of response:

a) Your boss needs your service and you have to send him a ‘Yes’letter.

OR

b) The service asked by your boss is not among your prerogativesand you can send him ‘No’ letter.

1) For every alternative, write a letter while justifyingthe nature of your response. Your letters should consider allethical consideration (specify why you say yes or no; begin withbuffer when needed; clearly state what you can and cannot do; offeralternatives to your boss; maintaining goodwill…).

Your boss ask also from you to inform the operations directorand commercial director about this business meeting and ask fromthem to prepare their interventions.

2) What is/are the form(s) of in-house communication is/aremore appropriate for this case? Why? (1 Mark)