Summary of assignment
Task: You will complete the following:
o Identify the decision-maker or group of decision-makers to whom you will write this memo.
o Consider the secondary research you conducted on your topic for writing assignment #2 and what additional secondary research you will need.
o Write a proposal memo to your decision-maker asking for permission to write a report based upon your research.
Length: 700-1000 words
Format: A template for the memo is provided on page 2.
How This Assignment Informs Writing Assignment #4
This proposal memo is a preliminary step you take prior to writing your final paper, which is the research-based report (writing assignment #4). Your final paper in WRTG 394 will be a report in which you:
define a problem in your workplace or community persuasively and accurately.
propose a solution or solutions to the problem or issue.
As part of defining the problem and proposing a solution, you must conduct additional secondary research to that which you conducted for your synthesis literature review.
In Writing Assignment #3, the proposal to conduct research, you are persuading a decision-maker or group of decisionmakers to authorize you to begin conducting this research that will end up in your final report.
The main purposes of the research proposal memo are to accomplish the following:
Demonstrate that the problem youve identified for Project #4 is significant enough to warrant investigation.
Present a feasible plan or blueprint for your research.
Set forth potential benefits to the organization or community from the research that justify the use of time and resources.
Template for Submitting Your Memo
Note: Please use the format outlined below, including the headers provided in bold, for the memo.
To: [Decision Maker Names and titles]
From: [Your name]
Subject: Request to Conduct research on [….]. Date:
Summary
[Write one or two setences to explain why you are writing this memo. Specifically request to conduct research for a report on this topic.]
What the problem is and why it needs to be investigated
[In a series of paragraphs, describe the problem to which you are going to propose a solution and explain why you think this problem is important.]
What seondary research I have conducted/will conduct about the problem
[In one-two paragraphs describe the secondary research you have conducted on the problem.]
[Be sure to mention both scholarly and trade/professional sources you have used or hope to use.]
Why we will benefit from my research and recommendations
[In one or two paragraphs, describe your recommendations to the problem/situation you are describing. Include a description of the potential benefits that your ogranization or community will incur by authorizing your research and considering your recommendations]
Conclusion
[In one or two setences, conclude your memo by reapeating the request for permission and reminding of the benfits of your conducting the research and considering your recommendations.]
Examples of How to Make Topics Specific for the Final Report in WRTG 394
If you wish to write a report to your supervisor at work suggesting that email be used less frequently for communication and that another application, such as texting, be used to improve communication, you cannot simply prepare a report on the benefits of texting in the workplace. You must establish that your specific office has problems in communicating by email and indicate the benefits of using alternative communication systems, such as texting, for your workplace environment.
If you write a report to your neighborhood community association that a traffic light be posted at a particular intersection, you cannot simply prepare a report on the benefits of traffic safety. You must show that the specific intersection in your neighborhood needs a traffic light in order to improve safety.
If you write a report to the program chair of your major at UMGC recommending changes to the curriculum, you cannot simply prepare a report on the benefits of a certain class. You must show that the specific curriculum for your major at UMGC lacks something that your suggested adjustment will provide.
If you write a report on recycling facilities at your workplace, you cannot simply prepare a report on the benefits of recycling. You must show that the recycling facilities at your specific workplace are inadequate or need improving.
Example:
To: Joe Smith, HR Business Partner of Naval Aviation Company
From: Renee Ermer, Program Analyst
Date: February 17, 2020
Subject: Request to Conduct Research on Communication Techniques and Alternatives
Summary
As a cleared government contractor supporting the Navy, we have many employees working in different office locations or from remote locations exercising telework. Because of such, communication between employees is limited to email or teleconferences in which employees cannot collaborate and communicate to the fullest as our program demands. To improve this, I propose that the company enforce new policies in which employees can only telework on approved bases, subjecting employees to participate in a traditional environment. Additionally, in order to solve issues related to workers in different locations within the same city, I propose that the company develop a company-wide instant messaging (IM) software and enforce new policies requiring each team and program to have a weekly face-to-face meeting in which employees can engage with one another and establish working relationships.
What the Problem Is and Why It Needs to Be Investigated
The problem we are facing as a company is that employees are becoming detached and uninterested or invested in their work as they do not have a cohesive location and often cannot communicate with co-workers effectively. This is not to say that telework should be prohibited, more so that remote work should be used as an alternative when employees need flexibility outside of the traditional work environment. This poses many issues to the company. First, it is our role as government contractors to satisfy our government customers to maintain contracts and business. Without effective communication and cooperation, we cannot provide the support required to our customers and we run the risk of losing contracts and losing business and revenue.
Secondly, this poses a problem to the company in that employees are not engaging with one another on a daily or regular basis. Instances in which employees do not establish working relationships with one another often result in decreased job satisfaction and increased employee turnover in which the company is constantly hiring new workers and investing funds to train new employees.
It is essential that employees feel appreciated and heard in their concerns in the workplace. It is also crucial that employees can effectively complete the jobs required of them, which in our industry, required constant communication and contact with one another and other team members. Frequent turnover is not only a problem to the company, but also presents a bad representation of the company to our customers when they are frequently engaging with new individuals as personnel leave.
What Secondary Research I Have Conducted about the Problem
Secondary research that I have conducted on the problem has revolved around the issues telework poses in creating distance barriers that bar effective communication. Many scholars and studies support the notion that telework limits employees and managers from developing relationships that are impactful on promoting increased collaboration in the workplace. Additionally, studies suggest that face-to-face communication directly leads to increased productivity and innovation in work as employees are more likely to engage in conversations that would be limited on virtual platforms. To promote constant collaboration and teamwork, employees need to have a platform that provides constant communication as well as regular team meetings and in-person contact.
Why We Will Benefit from My Research and Recommendations
Our company will benefit in many ways from the research that I will perform on the issues. Through my research, the HR Department will get a better understanding of the concerns that employees have related to communication issues. Additionally, the company will be able to gauge the satisfaction that we are giving our government customers and ways in which we can improve to serve them better and better perform our goals. Additionally, my research will reveal techniques that can improve employee communication and ultimately improve working relationships and boost employee morale. As a company, we can always benefit from keeping talent in our company and further investing in employees that have been loyal to our cause and efforts. My recommendations will allow the HR Department, as well as Business Partners, to consider the repercussions of failing to enforce relevant policies related to communication and work techniques.
Conclusion
The Naval Aviation Company is a growing organization that is currently facing problems related to distance between employees and lacking methods of improving communication techniques. As a company, we are always striving to attain more government contracts demanding more workers, and we cannot continue to grow without addressing communication concerns. With your permission, I will conduct research on implementing a company-wide communication system and show the benefits of enforcing policies pertaining to in-person meetings and team events.
