Write a business memo responding to one of the following prompts:

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 developed countries. However, other countries-primarily developing countries-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 developing 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 eight 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 eight hours a day strictly on work-related business is unreasonable and impossible considering we work more hours than ever before.

Additionally, workers argue 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 arguing one side. Be specific and use detailed examples to support your main points.

On-Line Profile

Your firm has discovered that the majority of resumes submitted in the past few years have been 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. In addition to searching Google for applicant background, she plans to ask applicants to allow searching their Facebook posts, Twitter feeds, LinkedIn accounts, and so on. By examining their on-line profiles, Ms. Lass feels she can get to know the "real" person.

Write the Hiring Manager a persuasive memo arguing for or against her proposal. Be specific and use detailed examples to support your main points.

Smart or Attractive

In the modern business world, which is more highly valued: being smart or being attractive? Write a business memo to your supervisor stating which is most important.

Fully explain your reasons. Be specific and use detailed examples to support your main points.