Module 1 – Case
BUSINESS AND INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
Case Assignment
Business and Intercultural Communication
The principle activity of this Case is to complete two
interactive tutorials, and prepare short essays (one or two pages each)
summarizing their key points.
Essay 1: Complete the
Pearson interactive tutorial, “Introduction to Business Communication.” This is
referenced on the Background page as Pearson 2015a. Write a short essay summarizing the key
features of business communication, as opposed to ordinary, everyday
communication. Feel free to use short
lists. Be sure to include a reference to
the tutorial (you may copy the reference from the Background page to the
bibliography of your own paper).
Additionally, be sure to include a citation in the body of your paper,
showing your readers where you used the tutorial. For information about references and
citations, please refer to the Writing Style Guide, found under the “My
Resources” tab on the TLC Portal.
Essay 2: Identical to
Essay 1 above, but summarizing the contents of the Pearson interactive tutorial
“Intercultural Communication.” This is
listed on the Background page as Pearson 2015b.
Assignment Expectations
APA Points:
According to the Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association, there are three reasons why we need to use proper
citations and references.
They are:
“To ensure the accuracy of scientific knowledge” (p.11). –
How do we know if what you are reading is really the truth? We can look at the citation and the reference
and do further research to make sure what you are reading and what you are
basing your research on is correct.
“To protect the rights and welfare of research participants”
(p.11). – People deserve to get credit for their work. When you earn a degree and go on to do
research, you will want credit for the work you have published.
“To protect intellectual property rights” (p.11). – When we
refer to inventions, we should give credit to the person who invented the item,
trademarked the item, or developed a design. This protects their work.
A reference system also allows the reader to use the in-text
citation and reference page to find out how to do further research when they
find a topic of interest. It can save a lot of time.
As educated students, we should know the APA Style rules and
work to perfect them.
Below are three common mistakes that cost Trident
Students. Reviewing these examples
should help you improve your grade and also make future assignments easier.
APA Point 1: Where
does the period go?
The use of a period.
The period indicates the end of a sentence. However, if we put the
period before the in-text citation, we are actually beginning the next sentence
with the citation. Therefore, the period goes after the citation.
Another misuse of the period is putting it before the
citation and another after the citation.
This is not correct. The period goes after the in-text citation.
Example:
Intercultural Communication is quite important in how we deal with
individuals from different Countries and even from different neighborhoods of
our cities (Pearson, 2015b). – Notice where the period is.
APA Point 2: Do we
need to use Quotation Marks?
When using information word for word from someone else’s
work, quotation marks are necessary. This example illustrates the use of quoted
material at the end of the sentence, followed by a citation and reference. The reference will also include the page
numbers.
Example: When we are writing a Negative Letter, there are
numerous authors who recommend starting the letters with a buffer. Remember, “Openings for negative messages are
often called Buffer Beginnings because they are designed to buffer the negative
message that will follow” (Bowman, 2002, p. 1).
APA Point 3:
Arranging entries on a reference list.
Once again as we dive into our Publication Manual of the
American Psychological Association, we get guidance on how to arrange our
references on the reference page.
“Arrange entries in alphabetical order by the surname of the first author
followed by initials of the author’s given name” (p. 181).
One may ask why. When
there are two or three references, it does not make a great amount of
difference. But with numerous references, it is much easier if we arrange the
references by the author’s last name.
Remember, one of the purposes of a reference page is to help readers
find additional information. If there
are 10 or more references listed in random order, it is difficult to find the
appropriate reference. So let’s use the alphabetical ordering.
Go to any of the “Background Pages” in our Modules to see an
example of a reference page.
Well-organized, well-written essays covering all the topics
outlined in the assignment.
No errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax, and an
appropriate scholarly style. Refer to
the Writing Style Guide.
All sources cited and referenced in accordance with a
standard citation style. APA is
preferred, but not required. Refer to
the Writing Style Guide.
