COMM 2200

Business Communication

Citation and Documentation Exercise

Assignment There is 2 assignments and needs to be in 2 seaparte memos

Situation:Your boss has been hearing about aromatherapy and its possible benefits in the workplace.Since you’re so good at research, you’ve been assigned the task of gathering information on the subject and reporting back.

Write a short research report, in standard memo format, summarizing the information from all of these five sources.Give citations and your list of Works Cited in APA style.

1.From Charles Forth, Ancient and Modern Medicine (book), published in Sunnydale, CA by the New Social Press, 2011.This paragraph was on page 49.

“Aromatherapy is an ancient medicinal practice that uses natural scents from herbs, flowers, trees and other plants to treat both physical and emotional problems, from depression and stress to addiction and influenza.Though it’s been labeled New Age by both its critics and its practitioners, there’s really nothing new about aromatherapy at all.It was practiced at least 5000 years ago by the Egyptians, 3000 years ago by the Chinese and 2000 years ago by the Australian Aborigines.”

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2.From a news story “Mystics in the corporate office” by Woody Boyd, Hooterville World Guardian (newspaper), p. D12, on October 22, 2013.

“Over the past decade, everyone from major industries to small businesses has turned increasingly to alternative medicine and New Age philosophy to boost the spirits and fortify the health of their employees, while also increasing staff efficiency and productivity.Some of America’s largest and most conservative corporations now offer workshops in yoga, meditation, aromatherapy and Tai Chi to their employees.Why?Because these practices actually work.”

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3.From an article called “New age in Japan,” by Howard Moss, written in 2011 on a web site at http://www.altmedicine.org/aroma.html

“Does aromatherapy really help workers perform their jobs better?That’s what Japanese scientists wanted to know when they conducted experiments in several office buildings around Tokyo a few years ago.They infused the ventilation systems with various fragrances to see whether there would be any effect on workers.Remarkably, they discovered that workers performing data entry tasks made 15% fewer errors when those offices were scented with lavender, 25% fewer errors when scented with a crisp lemon, and up to 40% fewer errors when the work environment smelled of mulberry.”

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4.From a magazine article called “Health benefits of aromatherapy” by Virginia Nordquist, appearing on page 14 of New Faithful Weekly, on June 7, 2014.

“French physicians Rene Maurice Gatefosse and Jean Valnet were the first modern scientists to rediscover the wisdom that ancient doctors knew centuries ago about the healing power of aromatherapy.They discovered that sniffing the right scents will help a patient battle infectious disease, and can significantly shorten the recuperation time for someone who has been ill or injured.For today’s employer, the good news about aromatherapy is that it can help produce healthier employees in more productive offices and cut down on health care costs.”

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5.From a newspaper article called “Gizmonic smells its way to health” by Jay Kinzo that appeared in the Albatross Gazette, p. A3, on February 9, 2013.

“Three years ago, Gizmonic Institute in San Francisco was facing a health crisis with its workforce.Absenteeism spiked as high as 35% during the winter, employees were chronically fatigued, and the institute’s HMO was threatening to raise their rates for health insurance coverage.That’s when president Clayton Forrester heard about the benefits of aromatherapy and decided to give it a try.Today, Gizmonic’s employees are treated to regular therapy involving rose, cinnamon, jasmine, sandalwood and orange.Aromatherapy has improved their health, minimized absenteeism and even reduced Gizmonic’s insurance costs.”

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Note:Remember that all of these authors, books, magazines, etc. are fictional.None of these sources of information actually exists.

Bad News Letter Assignment

Faye Miranda applied for your Visa card, asking for a credit limit of $15,000 and a separate card for her husband, Raul Miranda. Her credit references merit granting a credit card. But you generally give new customers only a $7,500 limit, even when the family income is very high, as it is in this case.

You might make an exception if your bank had a previous relationship with the client, but no such relation- ship exists here. While you have no set policy for reviewing and raising credit limits, normally you would expect at least six months of paying the minimum amount promptly.

Write a letter to Ms. Miranda, granting her a credit card with a $7,500 limit.