Memo

Respond to one of the following:

RU-32

You're the CEO of a global pharmaceutical company. After decades of work (and the investment of hundreds of millions of dollars), your scientists have come up with a major breakthrough. Your new drug, RU-32, is a low- cost anti-diabetic medication that dramatically stabilizes insulin levels.

If approved, your company will own the patent on a drug worth billions of dollars. However, during Phase III clinical trials, unexpected complications arose, and approval by the FDA is now unlikely. Without FDA approval, you cannot sell RU-32 in the U.S. and most first-world countries. However, other countries--primarily in the third-world--will allow you to market the drug without U.S. FDA approval.

You must choose whether to stop all development and cancel the program, or proceed with manufacturing for sale to citizens of third-world countries.

Inform the Board of Directors of your decision. Write a memo explaining your position and your reasons. Be specific and use detailed examples to support your main points.

Press-Enterprise

A statistic taken from the Press-Enterprise states that the average American worker spends about 1.8 hours of every 8 hour work day on non-work activities (e.g., personal phone calls, internet surfing, etc.).

Estimates suggest this lack of productivity costs American business hundreds of millions of dollars annually, but workers say focusing 8 hours a day strictly on work-related business is unreasonable and impossible considering we work more people hours than ever before. Additionally, workers argue that they need to schedule appointments and daily activities when businesses are open. In your opinion, which side makes a stronger case?

Write a persuasive memo to your business explaining your opinion on this issue. Be sure to bring up arguments on both sides of the issue, but ultimately prove your position in your response.

On-Line Profile

Many businesses are recognizing that traditional resumes are becoming outdated or are no longer an accurate way to evaluate potential employees. To get to know potential employees better, several companies are asking applicants to submit an "on-line, electronic profile."

In addition to searching Google for applicant background, firms are looking at applicants' Facebook page, Twitter and Linked-In accounts. Your firm has discovered that the majority of resumes submitted in the past few years have been largely inaccurate, misleading, and filled with misinformation.

Because of this, your firm has been unable to hire qualified workers, which has caused many problems. The Hiring Manager, Sheila Lass, has decided to stop accepting traditional resumes. Instead, she will ask potential employees to submit an "on-line, electronic profile." She feels she can get to know the "real" person by examining their profile.

Write her a correctly formatted memo informing her of your position on this issue. Include several, well- reasoned ideas that either support or oppose her plan.

Smart or Attractive?

In today's world, we are inundated with all kinds of images and new technologies, but when it comes down to it, it's the employee who completes the work. In correct memo format, to your supervisor or instructor, respond to the following prompt: In the modern business world, which is more highly valued: being smart or being attractive?

You're encouraged to include real-life experiences to support your position and be sure to pay close attention to format to avoid a reduction in your score.