BWC Back Wash Cocktails or Something Else?
Cynthia Roerick
Frostburg University at USMH
Abstract
This paper will serve as an informative guide to different types of business writing. It will also act as a wake-up call to freshman students who thought their days of writing were over after choosing a business major. The paper is written in the form of a conference platform and reveals how unique and different business writing is from other majors. While attending the conference students will learn valuable information on how to write a business research paper, a trade magazine article, and a scholarly article. Also included are examples of articles written in a business environment and a sample writing from the key note speaker. This paper will grab your curiosity beginning with the title and tickle your funny bone throughout the conference.
Students Welcome To The BWC Conference
Freshmen, welcome to the BWC Annual Conference. My name is Cynthia Roerick, and I am your keynote speaker today. You are in for an enlightening and humorous presentation that involves an aspect of the business world you probably thought did not exist. We at BWC purposely did not tell you what the initials stand for because we did not believe you would attend. So, before we say what the BWC Conference is I will say what it is not. BWC does not stand for Back Wash Cocktails. You see I was a freshman once too. BWC stands for Business Writing Concepts. Now I realize most of you thought when you chose business as your major that your days of writing were over. Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but writing is essential even in the business world. There are specific rules that business writers adhere too and that pertain specifically to business writing. A few of these include conveying a professional tone and writing concisely. As a business professional, you will be expected to be professional, articulate, and follow set guidelines and formats. This conference will give you the writing tools that your professors will expect from you and ones you will use in your future employment. I will teach you the correct formats for writing different types of papers and how to use APA format. What kinds of articles am I referring to you may ask? Specifically, during this conference, we will concentrate on how to write a research paper and focus on writing for a trade magazine. Lastly, we will touch on some examples of writing we see in the day to day business environment.
APA Format
What is APA format you ask? Is it Aggressive Party Animal? I don’t think so, it is a format commonly used by the American Psychological Association, but business and math sciences use it too. By following APA formatting guidelines, you will see how easy it is to write business papers. Throughout this conference, you will regularly get exposure to the APA format. You will notice how the first word of every paragraph is indented and that the top and bottom margins are set at 1 inch. Focus on the font size which is 12 pt. and the chosen font which is Times, New Roman. Both the font size and margins are requirements of APA format. Lastly, note how this entire document is double spaced and the paper size I utilized is “8 1/2 X 11”. Paper size is also an important concept seen in APA formatted documents.
Now let us begin our presentation and show you how to achieve above average grades when writing business papers. Now that I have your attention let us start with a few questions. Yes, you there, please remove your gum so I can understand your question and not your smacking. What types of things will we write in the business world?
Scholarly Article Example 1
One example is a scholarly business article which is an item that has gone through a rigorous peer review process. Most articles go through an editorial process, but only academic articles take this extra step. The article I chose to utilize as an example is, “Working With Airlines” by Ugur Akkas. The article consists of 3 major steps which include collecting information, effective planning and drafting the plan. In this article, Akkas writes about combining several different airlines into one. In his plan, he quotes “Obtain information about your travel program from your TMC databases, online booking systems, and third-party data consolidator” (Akkas, 2017, p. 50). The author’s quote is a great example of the first step in a business writing which is to gather information from many sources. Next, we can see the utilization of the second phase of business writing which is to pitch your article topic. For example, the following quote “Many companies over commit and then underperformance puts programs at risk, by concentrating on small business airlines we avoid this issue” allows the reader to see that the focus will be on small airlines rather than larger ones. (Akkas,2017, p. 53). By presenting and explaining financial data and timelines as seen in the following quotes, the planning process comes alive. “When estimating domestic and international air volume for the next year, it should be based on last year’s numbers. Traditionally, deals negotiated between airlines extend 2-3 years, and most carrier agreements include formal periodic reviews upon request at 30 days notice” the next step in business writing becomes apparent which is effective planning (Akkas, 2017, p. 55-56). Lastly, you need to draft an executive summary which is your final appeal to your readers. It should be less about the small details of operations and more about the company itself. View this step in the following quote. “Growth of airline alliances and joint ventures will allow for airfare negotiations increasing revenues” (Akkas, 2017, p. 57). The previous quote allows the reader to ascertain how the article will end.