, Solution manual for Business Communication
Process & Product , 10th Edition Mary Ellen Guffey
Notes
1- All Chapters are step by step.
2- We have shown you 10 pages.
3- The file contains all Appendix and Excel
sheet if it exists.
4- We have all what you need, we make
update at every time. There are many new
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, Solution and Answer Guide: Guffey/Loewy, Business Communication: Process & Product, 10e, 2022, 9780357129234; Chapter 1:
Business Communication in the Digital Age
Solution and Answer Guide
Guffey/Loewy, Business Communication: Process & Product, 10e, 2022, 9780357129234;
Chapter 1: Business Communication in the Digital Age
Table of Contents
Zooming In—Critical Thinking Answers ................................................................................................................. 1
Nordstrom: A Century-Old Retailer Keeps Reinventing Itself .................................................................... 1
Zooming In—Your Turn Solution.............................................................................................................................. 2
Applying Your Skills at Nordstrom ............................................................................................................. 2
Ethics Check Answers .................................................................................................................................................... 3
Too Informal? ............................................................................................................................................ 3
Office Grapevine........................................................................................................................................ 3
How Bad is “Prosocial Deception” a.k.a. White Lies? ................................................................................ 4
Critical Thinking Answers ............................................................................................................................................. 4
Activities Solutions.......................................................................................................................................................... 6
Zooming In—Critical Thinking Answers
Nordstrom: A Century-Old Retailer Keeps Reinventing Itself
• Wall Street analysts have criticized Nordstrom for its lagging profits in recent months; the
company’s bold new ventures have been called a “gamble.” What explains this clash
between the Nordstrom family’s vision and the reaction of the stock market??
Solution
Wall Street investors expect quarterly profits to increase and focus on short-term gains. They are
skeptical of companies that prioritize long-term investment at the expense of profits. Nordstrom’s
executives, on the other hand, favor the long view. Their heavy investment in high-end stores and
neighborhood hubs is unlikely to pay off immediately. Nordstrom is keenly focused on meeting
customers’ changing preferences and enhancing their shopping experience, merging online and
offline shopping. The Nordstrom family wished to take the company private to “ensure that the
company has the flexibility to successfully navigate a challenging retail landscape at a critical time
when the public market for retail stocks is highly volatile and increasingly focused on short-term
results and risks.” By continuing to measure retail success by sales per square foot, analysts are
using irrelevant criteria, one consultant claims. Nordstrom recognizes that an economic model
that excludes online results is outdated; shoppers visit stores but tend to make their purchases
online. [Kapner, S. (2017, September 10). Nordstrom tries on a new look: Stores without
merchandise. The Wall Street Journal.].
1 © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to
a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Solution and Answer Guide: Guffey/Loewy, Business Communication: Process & Product, 10e, 2022, 9780357129234; Chapter 1:
Business Communication in the Digital Age
• Why does Nordstrom allow only approved and trained employees to use company-owned
social media accounts, logos, and videos on behalf of Nordstrom?
Solution
Nordstrom understands that employees who post on its behalf on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest,
or Twitter are acting as company representatives, not private individuals. Whether positive or
negative, their behavior reflects on the company’s reputation. Nordstrom clearly wants its
representatives to speak with one voice and not engage in questionable behavior. The company
may also be implying that not all employees have the requisite writing and communication skills.
In fact, any mention of how exactly Nordstrom staff should write is noticeably absent. This
omission suggests that the company carefully handpicks whom it wishes to represent it to protect
its corporate image (the phrase approved and trained suggests selectiveness).
• Why do Nordstrom’s social media guidelines emphasize ethical behavior and ethical
communication?
Solution
Organizations such as Nordstrom have core values, or principles, that guide their day-to-day
business activities. For example, Nordstrom is committed to an unparalleled customer service
experience that has translated into strategic decisions that emphasize proper conduct. A
“fabulous customer experience” is impossible without fairness and solid ethics. Customer
relationships thrive on trust. Reputation is fragile; it takes very long to build but is easily damaged.
[return to top]
Zooming In—Your Turn Solution
Applying Your Skills at Nordstrom
• You are an intern in the User Experience and Optimization division overseen by Jamie
Nordstrom, president of stores. You are learning about the "Nordie" ethos of truly
believing in helping others and genuinely loving customer service. As the former chairman
Bruce A. Nordstrom put it: "We can hire nice people and teach them to sell, but we can't
hire salespeople and teach them to be nice." Naturally, this means being kind online.
• The intern supervisor wants you to study Facebook interactions among customers and
Nordstrom representatives to learn about the friendly, casual tone employed in such virtual
encounters. How are the Nordstrom posters helping their Facebook followers? What are
some of their most prominent strategies? Read several days' worth of Facebook posts.
Summarize your observations in an e-mail. Refer to Chapter 8 for information about how to
draft an e-mail. Be sure to select two or three specific posts representing a pattern or
strategy. For example, discuss particularly successful responses, whether they are prompted
by an inquiry, complaint, or praise.
2 © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to
a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Solution and Answer Guide: Guffey/Loewy, Business Communication: Process & Product, 10e, 2022, 9780357129234; Chapter 1:
Business Communication in the Digital Age
Solution
Answers will vary, but generally Nordstrom’s interactions with customers are warm,
compassionate, and casual. They seem to be driven by a genuine desire to help, answer queries,
resolve problems, or commiserate. Nordstrom representatives come across as real human beings,
not corporate shills. The followers in the following exchange even step in to help the Nordstrom
representatives quell the discontent that seems to grow after one disappointed customer begins
to vent and others chime in. Students could also be asked to find examples of posts by
Nordstrom representatives that could be rewritten because they seem too casual or show
misspellings, missing commas, and more—as rare as such grievous errors may be, given that
Nordstrom handpicks its social media representatives. One of the social media use guidelines
admonishes users to be humble, meaning that Nordstrom employees should deliver excellent
customer service but not brag about it because mistakes do happen. More advanced students
could be prompted to look for this attitude of humbleness or respecting customer privacy.
[return to top]
Ethics Check Answers
Too Informal?
• Executives typically spend 80 percent of their workday communicating. Thanks to Slack and
other internal communication platforms, some top managers come close to 90 percent.
One CEO complained that an entry-level hire pinged him on Slack to find out where his kids
go to school. Why was the CEO unhappy?
Solution
The CEO complained because he may have felt that the question was too personal or trivial; it was
not work related. The boss may have felt communication overload. A flattened management
structure implies an egalitarian relationship between top management and rank-and-file workers.
It suggests an informality that may confuse workers because it appears to erase boundaries that
perhaps should be respected. This is why young workers must develop emotional intelligence, so
that they can avoid faux pas attributable to misreading social cues.
Office Grapevine
• Like a game of telephone, the grapevine can distort the original message because the news
travels through many mouths and ears at the office. Knowing this, can you safely share
with even a trusted colleague something you would not comfortably discuss with
everyone?
Solution
Aside from the advantages and the general accuracy of the office grapevine, participating in this
informal communication channel can spell trouble. Meaning can be distorted, and even
colleagues we trust may mangle our words or reveal a secret with which we entrusted them. On
the other hand, savvy workers are able to work the grapevine to their advantage by purposely
leaking their work-related accomplishments. Similarly, by tapping into the grapevine, they may be
3 © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to
a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Solution and Answer Guide: Guffey/Loewy, Business Communication: Process & Product, 10e, 2022, 9780357129234; Chapter 1:
Business Communication in the Digital Age
able indirectly to expose a coworker who clearly did wrong. Although honesty generally is the
best policy, sometimes directness is not the smartest option.
How Bad is “Prosocial Deception” a.k.a. White Lies?
• We all tell lies intended to benefit others daily, for example: “Your presentation was
terrific” or “I can’t believe you were passed over for promotion.” Meant to spare others’
feelings, such fibs are thought to be harmless, perhaps socially necessary. However, even
compassionate lies can harm people, claim researchers studying prosocial deception, for
instance, if the white lie gives the incompetent presenter false confidence. Compassionate
people, say researchers, lie more than others. How can you determine when a small lie may
be appropriate?
Solution
Answers will vary. Experts suggest the following guidelines: Be kind. Brutal honesty can be selfish.
A well-intended lie can be merciful when there are no long-term consequences. Consider the
timing. The truth is best avoided when the other person cannot make any changes at the
moment. Provide reassurance. Sometimes people are not asking for honesty but may be fishing
for a compliment to feel better. Learn a person’s general preference for the truth. Know the
target’s tolerance for the truth before a situation involving potential lying emerges. Examine your
own motivation. Do you want to make the other person really feel better or do you want
something in return, say, a gift or affection? Don’t lie if the truth is likely to come out. Don’t
praise a poor presentation when other team members are likely to offer more sincere critiques. Be
honest if you want someone to change. It’s best not to overlook a high-stakes issue such as
substance abuse or growing obesity to prevent embarrassment or dodge an argument.
Remember the Golden Rule. Ponder whether you would want to be on the receiving end of the
lie you are about to tell. [Source: Bernstein, E. (2017, June 5). When Is it OK to Lie? The Wall Street
Journal.]
[return to top]
Critical Thinking Answers
1. All this talk about interpersonal skills and future-proofing your career may make you
nervous, especially if your communication skills are shaky. Do you think workers today can
be successful if they lack communication skills and write poorly?
Solution
Each of us probably knows at least one example of a highly successful dyslexic person or a poor
writer who is admired and thrives in the world of work. However, such cases are the exception
rather than the rule. Surveys of employers find over and over again that woefully unprepared
young job applicants fall behind in their careers and are not promoted if they are even hired in
the first place. The workforce of the future will depend on interpersonal skills to find and keep
meaningful employment as automation will gobble up entire industries. The good news is that
writing and communication skills can be learned and honed.
4 © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to
a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Solution and Answer Guide: Guffey/Loewy, Business Communication: Process & Product, 10e, 2022, 9780357129234; Chapter 1:
Business Communication in the Digital Age
2. Sharing various digital media impulsively can lead to embarrassment and worse. Have you
or has someone you know ever regretted posting a comment, photo, or other media
online?
Solution
Answers will vary. Some students may be too embarrassed to admit to serious blunders on the
Internet, whereas others may be willing to share. Ask students how such slip-ups could affect their
chances of finding employment. You could also discuss the permanence of our data and the so-
called right to be forgotten that the Europeans have asserted against Google and other Internet
search giants. The concept means that people wish to not be haunted by their indiscretions
practically forever.
3. Despite laws dictating a 40-hour workweek, many young Chinese tech workers work the
dreaded 9-9-6 schedule: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week. How do you feel about work-life
balance? What effects on your health and personal life do you anticipate?
Solution
Answers will vary, but most students are probably aware that being constantly tethered to their
jobs with smart mobile technology comes at a price. A potential overreach by the office is the
dark side of convenience and 24/7 connectedness facilitated by smart devices. The distinction
between work and leisure is becoming blurry, and workers are expected to be always on duty. The
whole concept of time off will most likely shift. Businesses with a global reach are always on and
never sleep, according to experts. Depression, anxiety, sleeplessness and other negative effects of
constant stress have been reported. Some companies are setting boundaries and establishing a
culture that allows for disconnecting and recharging. The work-life imbalance will continue to be
a hot topic.
4. Critics complain that texting and instant messaging lead to textspeak, poor writing
characterized by acronyms, abbreviations, and emoticons. Others have claimed that emoji
help supply important missing cues in lean media channels that are “toneless” otherwise.
What do you think?
Solution
The author of The Atlantic article cites a sociolinguist who says that emoticons and emoji are
revolutionizing language and add intention to a statement in e-mail, a lean medium. Business
communicator Will Schwalbe is quoted as saying that in the absence of tone in e-mail and other
lean media, people read negative tone into it. Emoticons make for a more cheerful, friendly
communication, Schwalbe says. A Scandinavian study has found that emoticons reduce negative
interpretations. In addition, even work e-mail is becoming more casual and emoticons more
acceptable. However, a career coach cautions that emoticons and emoji should not be used with
superiors or clients. Warn students that they will not find uniform acceptance when using
nonstandard expressions of this kind. Young office workers need to consider their audience.
5 © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to
a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Solution and Answer Guide: Guffey/Loewy, Business Communication: Process & Product, 10e, 2022, 9780357129234; Chapter 1:
Business Communication in the Digital Age
5. Ethical Issue: Author and entrepreneur Dave Kerpen believes that doing unto others as we
would want done to us is insufficient. He prefers the Platinum Rule: Do unto others as they
would want done to them. “The Golden Rule, as great as it is, has limitations, since all
people and all situations are different. When you follow the Platinum Rule, however, you
can be sure you’re actually doing what the other person wants done and assure yourself of
a better outcome.” Do you agree? Why does Kerpen think the Platinum Rule beats the
Golden Rule?
Solution
The Golden Rule is an ancient moral principle; therefore, it may feel odd that someone would
question it. However, Kerpen—and Tony Alessandra before him—proposes shifting the
perspective from the self to the other. Instead of judging others by our own needs, he suggests
that we focus on what the other person wants. He admits that it’s a lot harder to put ourselves
into someone else’s shoes, but he believes that understanding someone else’s perspective is
more powerful in business as in life than imposing one’s own needs and wants onto others. A
possible critique of Kerpen’s and Alessandra’s approach is that it’s impractical and perhaps
occasionally impossible to know what other people may want done unto them. We tend to know
our own minds better than those of others and the Golden Rule accounts for that.
[return to top]
Activities Solutions
1.1 Fact Checking: Digging Deep to Spot Fake News
Solution
Students may need guidance in correctly inputting search terms or their browsing may end in
frustration. Ask them to pick a current topic, for example, flu vaccine and run it through one or
several fact checkers at once. The students will come across various reputable authorities
explaining the risks and the efficacy of flu vaccine while debunking common misconceptions.
Checking on Elon Musk may yield rich results as the brilliant but flawed entrepreneur and inventor
tends to deal in grand ideas and outrageous claims. To avoid fiery political discussions of
controversies, it’s useful to limit the discussion to business-related news stories and controversial
claims to be adjudicated.
A shout-out to college and public librarians is in order. Tirelessly they compile resources to help
library patrons with their research and separate the wheat from the chaff. We found the website
of the university libraries at the University of Colorado, Boulder particularly helpful. Their research
guides at https://www.colorado.edu/libraries have been invaluable.
Discussing the funding of fact checkers could present a teachable moment. Following the money
is often revealing of biases and untrustworthiness.
6 © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to
a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Solution and Answer Guide: Guffey/Loewy, Business Communication: Process & Product, 10e, 2022, 9780357129234; Chapter 1:
Business Communication in the Digital Age
1.2 Exploring Remote and Flexible Work: Meet Distributed Companies
Solution
Personal views of remote work will vary; not all business disciplines lend themselves equally to
employment with distributed companies. Most of the talent sought-after and suited for remote
work is recruited from among IT professionals, software developers, designers, finance experts,
and project managers. However, FlexJobs lists pre-screened positions from many additional job
categories, for example, accounting, advertising, customer service, engineering, human services,
manufacturing, retail, and sales, as well as jobs for writers, artists, and translators.
Automattic is an Internet company that developed and maintains digital platforms such as
WordPress, Jetpack, Gravatar, and more. The fully distributed company has more than 800
workers in 68 countries speaking 84 languages. AnswerConnect provides business answering, web
chat, appointment taking, and call center services. On LinkedIn, the company canvases for remote
workers with attractive videos that depict an appealing, stress-free, self-designed lifestyle of
working from home. inVision is a distributed company that provides a design platform for other
Internet firms—with clients ranging from Airbnb and Amazon to Netflix and Lyft. Short for top
talent, Toptal is itself a platform connecting qualified individuals and global organizations. Toptal
offers huge benefits to remote workers. The few who qualify are free to vacation and work
whenever they want and anywhere they want as long as they get their work done and attend
virtual meetings.
Alternatively, students could be tasked with listing the advantages and disadvantages of
telecommuting and asked to evaluate them in a cost-benefit analysis.
1.3 Analyzing the “Holy Grail” of Interpersonal Skills: Iowa Core
Solution
Answers will vary. This assignment offers many options. Aside from the questions listed, students
could be asked early on whether they are surprised by any of Iowa’s “universal constructs.” Are
some more self-evident than others? For example, under Flexibility and Adaptability, what does
“17) meet the challenges of new roles, paradigms and environments,” “19) balance one’s core
beliefs and the appropriate reaction to change,” or “20) respond to dissonance in productive
ways,” mean? How could we illustrate “9) combine seemingly unrelated ideas into something
new” and “10) think divergently”? The most astute participants with well-developed critical-
thinking skills may conclude that, unlike technical skills, interpersonal or professional skills are
more elusive and difficult to measure. A Capgemini and LinkedIn study claims that more than half
of global organizations believe “the talent gap in soft digital skills is more pronounced than in
hard digital skills” and that it impedes their digital transformation. [Beach, G. (2018, June 26).
Hard-pressed by soft skills, CIOs face talent challenge. CIO Journal.]
1.4 Facing Screen Time
Solution
Findings will vary. The generalization that young people today are digital natives and as such
must all be extremely tech savvy may not apply equally to all students, not even the millennials
among them. Taking stock of students’ social media and technology use can be important for
7 © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to
a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Solution and Answer Guide: Guffey/Loewy, Business Communication: Process & Product, 10e, 2022, 9780357129234; Chapter 1:
Business Communication in the Digital Age
getting to know the class and its members’ preparedness. Assign the inventory activity to small
groups or collect written responses from individuals if you fear that students might hesitate to
admit that they do not fit the stereotype of the hyperconnected contemporary and do not own
the latest electronics, particularly given that gadgets tend to be expensive. You may also want to
ask about attitudes: how important are smartphones and staying connected with friends via text,
chat, Facebook or Instagram to the students? Do they see any disadvantages in being connected
nonstop?
Screen Time and Digital Wellbeing are helpful apps in establishing totals per day, but the statistics
provide a nuanced picture of mobile technology use. Time spent looking up reference tools and
reading, for example, may be less harmful than time spent binge watching, texting, and posting
on social media. Recent studies claim that American adults spend more than ten hours daily
interacting with their smart devices. They may be setting a poor example for their teenage kids
1.5 Practicing Critical Thinking: Analyzing the Opening Case Scenario
Solution
This activity takes place over the entire semester. Student teams have a choice of 1 of the 16 two-
part case studies in the textbook. Each team must fully research the company in the case study
using outside resources, answer the questions presented, and prepare and deliver a group
presentation about the company. This excellent long-term project helps students develop critical
thinking, teamwork, research, writing, presentation, and other important interpersonal and
professional skills.
1.6 Polishing Those Interpersonal Skills: Introductions
Solution
This e-mail or memo is an excellent way to assess students’ writing skills and, at the same time,
get to know them. Don’t grade this assignment, but be sure to write a friendly comment on all
papers or in all e-mail replies to demonstrate that you have an interest in them as students and as
individuals.
You may want to use the profile function in your institution’s learning-management system to
request that students create a professional profile covering the information requested or
additional information you may want to gather. This assignment may be revisited later in the term
to practice professional online presence (e.g., in a LinkedIn profile) when you cover employment
communication. If you are tech savvy and teach smaller classes, you may want to try introductions
by tweet in 140 characters or fewer. These messages might include a tiny URL taking the recipient
to a profile, website, or other virtual location. More information about using LinkedIn is provided
in Chapter 15.
1.7 Exercising Those Interpersonal Skills: Introduce Your Team
Solution
Decide whether you wish your class to (a) interview a group member and introduce that person to
the group or (b) have each class member introduce himself or herself to the entire class. Class size
may help you decide. Encourage students to consider this a casual introduction. However, it is a
8 © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to
a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Process & Product , 10th Edition Mary Ellen Guffey
Notes
1- All Chapters are step by step.
2- We have shown you 10 pages.
3- The file contains all Appendix and Excel
sheet if it exists.
4- We have all what you need, we make
update at every time. There are many new
editions waiting you.
5- If you think you purchased the wrong file
You can contact us at every time, we can
replace it with true one.
Our email:
, Solution and Answer Guide: Guffey/Loewy, Business Communication: Process & Product, 10e, 2022, 9780357129234; Chapter 1:
Business Communication in the Digital Age
Solution and Answer Guide
Guffey/Loewy, Business Communication: Process & Product, 10e, 2022, 9780357129234;
Chapter 1: Business Communication in the Digital Age
Table of Contents
Zooming In—Critical Thinking Answers ................................................................................................................. 1
Nordstrom: A Century-Old Retailer Keeps Reinventing Itself .................................................................... 1
Zooming In—Your Turn Solution.............................................................................................................................. 2
Applying Your Skills at Nordstrom ............................................................................................................. 2
Ethics Check Answers .................................................................................................................................................... 3
Too Informal? ............................................................................................................................................ 3
Office Grapevine........................................................................................................................................ 3
How Bad is “Prosocial Deception” a.k.a. White Lies? ................................................................................ 4
Critical Thinking Answers ............................................................................................................................................. 4
Activities Solutions.......................................................................................................................................................... 6
Zooming In—Critical Thinking Answers
Nordstrom: A Century-Old Retailer Keeps Reinventing Itself
• Wall Street analysts have criticized Nordstrom for its lagging profits in recent months; the
company’s bold new ventures have been called a “gamble.” What explains this clash
between the Nordstrom family’s vision and the reaction of the stock market??
Solution
Wall Street investors expect quarterly profits to increase and focus on short-term gains. They are
skeptical of companies that prioritize long-term investment at the expense of profits. Nordstrom’s
executives, on the other hand, favor the long view. Their heavy investment in high-end stores and
neighborhood hubs is unlikely to pay off immediately. Nordstrom is keenly focused on meeting
customers’ changing preferences and enhancing their shopping experience, merging online and
offline shopping. The Nordstrom family wished to take the company private to “ensure that the
company has the flexibility to successfully navigate a challenging retail landscape at a critical time
when the public market for retail stocks is highly volatile and increasingly focused on short-term
results and risks.” By continuing to measure retail success by sales per square foot, analysts are
using irrelevant criteria, one consultant claims. Nordstrom recognizes that an economic model
that excludes online results is outdated; shoppers visit stores but tend to make their purchases
online. [Kapner, S. (2017, September 10). Nordstrom tries on a new look: Stores without
merchandise. The Wall Street Journal.].
1 © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to
a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Solution and Answer Guide: Guffey/Loewy, Business Communication: Process & Product, 10e, 2022, 9780357129234; Chapter 1:
Business Communication in the Digital Age
• Why does Nordstrom allow only approved and trained employees to use company-owned
social media accounts, logos, and videos on behalf of Nordstrom?
Solution
Nordstrom understands that employees who post on its behalf on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest,
or Twitter are acting as company representatives, not private individuals. Whether positive or
negative, their behavior reflects on the company’s reputation. Nordstrom clearly wants its
representatives to speak with one voice and not engage in questionable behavior. The company
may also be implying that not all employees have the requisite writing and communication skills.
In fact, any mention of how exactly Nordstrom staff should write is noticeably absent. This
omission suggests that the company carefully handpicks whom it wishes to represent it to protect
its corporate image (the phrase approved and trained suggests selectiveness).
• Why do Nordstrom’s social media guidelines emphasize ethical behavior and ethical
communication?
Solution
Organizations such as Nordstrom have core values, or principles, that guide their day-to-day
business activities. For example, Nordstrom is committed to an unparalleled customer service
experience that has translated into strategic decisions that emphasize proper conduct. A
“fabulous customer experience” is impossible without fairness and solid ethics. Customer
relationships thrive on trust. Reputation is fragile; it takes very long to build but is easily damaged.
[return to top]
Zooming In—Your Turn Solution
Applying Your Skills at Nordstrom
• You are an intern in the User Experience and Optimization division overseen by Jamie
Nordstrom, president of stores. You are learning about the "Nordie" ethos of truly
believing in helping others and genuinely loving customer service. As the former chairman
Bruce A. Nordstrom put it: "We can hire nice people and teach them to sell, but we can't
hire salespeople and teach them to be nice." Naturally, this means being kind online.
• The intern supervisor wants you to study Facebook interactions among customers and
Nordstrom representatives to learn about the friendly, casual tone employed in such virtual
encounters. How are the Nordstrom posters helping their Facebook followers? What are
some of their most prominent strategies? Read several days' worth of Facebook posts.
Summarize your observations in an e-mail. Refer to Chapter 8 for information about how to
draft an e-mail. Be sure to select two or three specific posts representing a pattern or
strategy. For example, discuss particularly successful responses, whether they are prompted
by an inquiry, complaint, or praise.
2 © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to
a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Solution and Answer Guide: Guffey/Loewy, Business Communication: Process & Product, 10e, 2022, 9780357129234; Chapter 1:
Business Communication in the Digital Age
Solution
Answers will vary, but generally Nordstrom’s interactions with customers are warm,
compassionate, and casual. They seem to be driven by a genuine desire to help, answer queries,
resolve problems, or commiserate. Nordstrom representatives come across as real human beings,
not corporate shills. The followers in the following exchange even step in to help the Nordstrom
representatives quell the discontent that seems to grow after one disappointed customer begins
to vent and others chime in. Students could also be asked to find examples of posts by
Nordstrom representatives that could be rewritten because they seem too casual or show
misspellings, missing commas, and more—as rare as such grievous errors may be, given that
Nordstrom handpicks its social media representatives. One of the social media use guidelines
admonishes users to be humble, meaning that Nordstrom employees should deliver excellent
customer service but not brag about it because mistakes do happen. More advanced students
could be prompted to look for this attitude of humbleness or respecting customer privacy.
[return to top]
Ethics Check Answers
Too Informal?
• Executives typically spend 80 percent of their workday communicating. Thanks to Slack and
other internal communication platforms, some top managers come close to 90 percent.
One CEO complained that an entry-level hire pinged him on Slack to find out where his kids
go to school. Why was the CEO unhappy?
Solution
The CEO complained because he may have felt that the question was too personal or trivial; it was
not work related. The boss may have felt communication overload. A flattened management
structure implies an egalitarian relationship between top management and rank-and-file workers.
It suggests an informality that may confuse workers because it appears to erase boundaries that
perhaps should be respected. This is why young workers must develop emotional intelligence, so
that they can avoid faux pas attributable to misreading social cues.
Office Grapevine
• Like a game of telephone, the grapevine can distort the original message because the news
travels through many mouths and ears at the office. Knowing this, can you safely share
with even a trusted colleague something you would not comfortably discuss with
everyone?
Solution
Aside from the advantages and the general accuracy of the office grapevine, participating in this
informal communication channel can spell trouble. Meaning can be distorted, and even
colleagues we trust may mangle our words or reveal a secret with which we entrusted them. On
the other hand, savvy workers are able to work the grapevine to their advantage by purposely
leaking their work-related accomplishments. Similarly, by tapping into the grapevine, they may be
3 © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to
a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Solution and Answer Guide: Guffey/Loewy, Business Communication: Process & Product, 10e, 2022, 9780357129234; Chapter 1:
Business Communication in the Digital Age
able indirectly to expose a coworker who clearly did wrong. Although honesty generally is the
best policy, sometimes directness is not the smartest option.
How Bad is “Prosocial Deception” a.k.a. White Lies?
• We all tell lies intended to benefit others daily, for example: “Your presentation was
terrific” or “I can’t believe you were passed over for promotion.” Meant to spare others’
feelings, such fibs are thought to be harmless, perhaps socially necessary. However, even
compassionate lies can harm people, claim researchers studying prosocial deception, for
instance, if the white lie gives the incompetent presenter false confidence. Compassionate
people, say researchers, lie more than others. How can you determine when a small lie may
be appropriate?
Solution
Answers will vary. Experts suggest the following guidelines: Be kind. Brutal honesty can be selfish.
A well-intended lie can be merciful when there are no long-term consequences. Consider the
timing. The truth is best avoided when the other person cannot make any changes at the
moment. Provide reassurance. Sometimes people are not asking for honesty but may be fishing
for a compliment to feel better. Learn a person’s general preference for the truth. Know the
target’s tolerance for the truth before a situation involving potential lying emerges. Examine your
own motivation. Do you want to make the other person really feel better or do you want
something in return, say, a gift or affection? Don’t lie if the truth is likely to come out. Don’t
praise a poor presentation when other team members are likely to offer more sincere critiques. Be
honest if you want someone to change. It’s best not to overlook a high-stakes issue such as
substance abuse or growing obesity to prevent embarrassment or dodge an argument.
Remember the Golden Rule. Ponder whether you would want to be on the receiving end of the
lie you are about to tell. [Source: Bernstein, E. (2017, June 5). When Is it OK to Lie? The Wall Street
Journal.]
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Critical Thinking Answers
1. All this talk about interpersonal skills and future-proofing your career may make you
nervous, especially if your communication skills are shaky. Do you think workers today can
be successful if they lack communication skills and write poorly?
Solution
Each of us probably knows at least one example of a highly successful dyslexic person or a poor
writer who is admired and thrives in the world of work. However, such cases are the exception
rather than the rule. Surveys of employers find over and over again that woefully unprepared
young job applicants fall behind in their careers and are not promoted if they are even hired in
the first place. The workforce of the future will depend on interpersonal skills to find and keep
meaningful employment as automation will gobble up entire industries. The good news is that
writing and communication skills can be learned and honed.
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a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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Business Communication in the Digital Age
2. Sharing various digital media impulsively can lead to embarrassment and worse. Have you
or has someone you know ever regretted posting a comment, photo, or other media
online?
Solution
Answers will vary. Some students may be too embarrassed to admit to serious blunders on the
Internet, whereas others may be willing to share. Ask students how such slip-ups could affect their
chances of finding employment. You could also discuss the permanence of our data and the so-
called right to be forgotten that the Europeans have asserted against Google and other Internet
search giants. The concept means that people wish to not be haunted by their indiscretions
practically forever.
3. Despite laws dictating a 40-hour workweek, many young Chinese tech workers work the
dreaded 9-9-6 schedule: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week. How do you feel about work-life
balance? What effects on your health and personal life do you anticipate?
Solution
Answers will vary, but most students are probably aware that being constantly tethered to their
jobs with smart mobile technology comes at a price. A potential overreach by the office is the
dark side of convenience and 24/7 connectedness facilitated by smart devices. The distinction
between work and leisure is becoming blurry, and workers are expected to be always on duty. The
whole concept of time off will most likely shift. Businesses with a global reach are always on and
never sleep, according to experts. Depression, anxiety, sleeplessness and other negative effects of
constant stress have been reported. Some companies are setting boundaries and establishing a
culture that allows for disconnecting and recharging. The work-life imbalance will continue to be
a hot topic.
4. Critics complain that texting and instant messaging lead to textspeak, poor writing
characterized by acronyms, abbreviations, and emoticons. Others have claimed that emoji
help supply important missing cues in lean media channels that are “toneless” otherwise.
What do you think?
Solution
The author of The Atlantic article cites a sociolinguist who says that emoticons and emoji are
revolutionizing language and add intention to a statement in e-mail, a lean medium. Business
communicator Will Schwalbe is quoted as saying that in the absence of tone in e-mail and other
lean media, people read negative tone into it. Emoticons make for a more cheerful, friendly
communication, Schwalbe says. A Scandinavian study has found that emoticons reduce negative
interpretations. In addition, even work e-mail is becoming more casual and emoticons more
acceptable. However, a career coach cautions that emoticons and emoji should not be used with
superiors or clients. Warn students that they will not find uniform acceptance when using
nonstandard expressions of this kind. Young office workers need to consider their audience.
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a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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Business Communication in the Digital Age
5. Ethical Issue: Author and entrepreneur Dave Kerpen believes that doing unto others as we
would want done to us is insufficient. He prefers the Platinum Rule: Do unto others as they
would want done to them. “The Golden Rule, as great as it is, has limitations, since all
people and all situations are different. When you follow the Platinum Rule, however, you
can be sure you’re actually doing what the other person wants done and assure yourself of
a better outcome.” Do you agree? Why does Kerpen think the Platinum Rule beats the
Golden Rule?
Solution
The Golden Rule is an ancient moral principle; therefore, it may feel odd that someone would
question it. However, Kerpen—and Tony Alessandra before him—proposes shifting the
perspective from the self to the other. Instead of judging others by our own needs, he suggests
that we focus on what the other person wants. He admits that it’s a lot harder to put ourselves
into someone else’s shoes, but he believes that understanding someone else’s perspective is
more powerful in business as in life than imposing one’s own needs and wants onto others. A
possible critique of Kerpen’s and Alessandra’s approach is that it’s impractical and perhaps
occasionally impossible to know what other people may want done unto them. We tend to know
our own minds better than those of others and the Golden Rule accounts for that.
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Activities Solutions
1.1 Fact Checking: Digging Deep to Spot Fake News
Solution
Students may need guidance in correctly inputting search terms or their browsing may end in
frustration. Ask them to pick a current topic, for example, flu vaccine and run it through one or
several fact checkers at once. The students will come across various reputable authorities
explaining the risks and the efficacy of flu vaccine while debunking common misconceptions.
Checking on Elon Musk may yield rich results as the brilliant but flawed entrepreneur and inventor
tends to deal in grand ideas and outrageous claims. To avoid fiery political discussions of
controversies, it’s useful to limit the discussion to business-related news stories and controversial
claims to be adjudicated.
A shout-out to college and public librarians is in order. Tirelessly they compile resources to help
library patrons with their research and separate the wheat from the chaff. We found the website
of the university libraries at the University of Colorado, Boulder particularly helpful. Their research
guides at https://www.colorado.edu/libraries have been invaluable.
Discussing the funding of fact checkers could present a teachable moment. Following the money
is often revealing of biases and untrustworthiness.
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a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Solution and Answer Guide: Guffey/Loewy, Business Communication: Process & Product, 10e, 2022, 9780357129234; Chapter 1:
Business Communication in the Digital Age
1.2 Exploring Remote and Flexible Work: Meet Distributed Companies
Solution
Personal views of remote work will vary; not all business disciplines lend themselves equally to
employment with distributed companies. Most of the talent sought-after and suited for remote
work is recruited from among IT professionals, software developers, designers, finance experts,
and project managers. However, FlexJobs lists pre-screened positions from many additional job
categories, for example, accounting, advertising, customer service, engineering, human services,
manufacturing, retail, and sales, as well as jobs for writers, artists, and translators.
Automattic is an Internet company that developed and maintains digital platforms such as
WordPress, Jetpack, Gravatar, and more. The fully distributed company has more than 800
workers in 68 countries speaking 84 languages. AnswerConnect provides business answering, web
chat, appointment taking, and call center services. On LinkedIn, the company canvases for remote
workers with attractive videos that depict an appealing, stress-free, self-designed lifestyle of
working from home. inVision is a distributed company that provides a design platform for other
Internet firms—with clients ranging from Airbnb and Amazon to Netflix and Lyft. Short for top
talent, Toptal is itself a platform connecting qualified individuals and global organizations. Toptal
offers huge benefits to remote workers. The few who qualify are free to vacation and work
whenever they want and anywhere they want as long as they get their work done and attend
virtual meetings.
Alternatively, students could be tasked with listing the advantages and disadvantages of
telecommuting and asked to evaluate them in a cost-benefit analysis.
1.3 Analyzing the “Holy Grail” of Interpersonal Skills: Iowa Core
Solution
Answers will vary. This assignment offers many options. Aside from the questions listed, students
could be asked early on whether they are surprised by any of Iowa’s “universal constructs.” Are
some more self-evident than others? For example, under Flexibility and Adaptability, what does
“17) meet the challenges of new roles, paradigms and environments,” “19) balance one’s core
beliefs and the appropriate reaction to change,” or “20) respond to dissonance in productive
ways,” mean? How could we illustrate “9) combine seemingly unrelated ideas into something
new” and “10) think divergently”? The most astute participants with well-developed critical-
thinking skills may conclude that, unlike technical skills, interpersonal or professional skills are
more elusive and difficult to measure. A Capgemini and LinkedIn study claims that more than half
of global organizations believe “the talent gap in soft digital skills is more pronounced than in
hard digital skills” and that it impedes their digital transformation. [Beach, G. (2018, June 26).
Hard-pressed by soft skills, CIOs face talent challenge. CIO Journal.]
1.4 Facing Screen Time
Solution
Findings will vary. The generalization that young people today are digital natives and as such
must all be extremely tech savvy may not apply equally to all students, not even the millennials
among them. Taking stock of students’ social media and technology use can be important for
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a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
, Solution and Answer Guide: Guffey/Loewy, Business Communication: Process & Product, 10e, 2022, 9780357129234; Chapter 1:
Business Communication in the Digital Age
getting to know the class and its members’ preparedness. Assign the inventory activity to small
groups or collect written responses from individuals if you fear that students might hesitate to
admit that they do not fit the stereotype of the hyperconnected contemporary and do not own
the latest electronics, particularly given that gadgets tend to be expensive. You may also want to
ask about attitudes: how important are smartphones and staying connected with friends via text,
chat, Facebook or Instagram to the students? Do they see any disadvantages in being connected
nonstop?
Screen Time and Digital Wellbeing are helpful apps in establishing totals per day, but the statistics
provide a nuanced picture of mobile technology use. Time spent looking up reference tools and
reading, for example, may be less harmful than time spent binge watching, texting, and posting
on social media. Recent studies claim that American adults spend more than ten hours daily
interacting with their smart devices. They may be setting a poor example for their teenage kids
1.5 Practicing Critical Thinking: Analyzing the Opening Case Scenario
Solution
This activity takes place over the entire semester. Student teams have a choice of 1 of the 16 two-
part case studies in the textbook. Each team must fully research the company in the case study
using outside resources, answer the questions presented, and prepare and deliver a group
presentation about the company. This excellent long-term project helps students develop critical
thinking, teamwork, research, writing, presentation, and other important interpersonal and
professional skills.
1.6 Polishing Those Interpersonal Skills: Introductions
Solution
This e-mail or memo is an excellent way to assess students’ writing skills and, at the same time,
get to know them. Don’t grade this assignment, but be sure to write a friendly comment on all
papers or in all e-mail replies to demonstrate that you have an interest in them as students and as
individuals.
You may want to use the profile function in your institution’s learning-management system to
request that students create a professional profile covering the information requested or
additional information you may want to gather. This assignment may be revisited later in the term
to practice professional online presence (e.g., in a LinkedIn profile) when you cover employment
communication. If you are tech savvy and teach smaller classes, you may want to try introductions
by tweet in 140 characters or fewer. These messages might include a tiny URL taking the recipient
to a profile, website, or other virtual location. More information about using LinkedIn is provided
in Chapter 15.
1.7 Exercising Those Interpersonal Skills: Introduce Your Team
Solution
Decide whether you wish your class to (a) interview a group member and introduce that person to
the group or (b) have each class member introduce himself or herself to the entire class. Class size
may help you decide. Encourage students to consider this a casual introduction. However, it is a
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a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
