Writing that Works (2010). Oliu, Brusaw, & Alred

Academic OrganizationBusiness Organization Research to expand knowledge Research to create new knowledge Indirect approach To cause action To Direct approach Abstract Introduction/Background Analysis/Critical Conclusion/Recommendations Recommendation/Actions Evidence/Support/Further Analysis/Details

Purpose Academic writing is to demonstrate learning. Business writing is to meet an organizational need.

Audience  Academic writing is for the instructor, who already knows the information.  Business writing is for internal & external constituencies, who most often, do not know the information you need to share.

Organization Academic writing is essay format Business writing is organized to the reader ’ s needs.

Style Academic writing is most often formal. Business writing is conversational. Review HBR article on “What do you mean – Style?”

 Is clear & concise  Is complete  Is correct  Saves the reader ’ s time  Builds goodwill

Visuals Academic writing is mostly narrative. Business writing employs multiple strategies to convey a message – tables, charts, Powerpoints, and more.

 Sentence Length  8 words  15 words  19 words  28 words  Comprehension Rate  100%  90%  80%  50%

 Use 11 font size  Standard margins  Single-spaced  Times News Roman, Veranda, Arial  Follow cultural conventions