How to Write a Business Memorandum

							Appendix 1 PHPM 616 Writing Assignment


            INSTRUCTIONS FOR WRITTEN MEMORANDUM TO SUPERVISOR

Goals & Objectives of this assignment:

The writing assignment is intended to help expand your professional portfolio and to provide you
with a writing sample for job interviews. This is an assignment you should take very seriously.
Please plan on investing extra time.

Effective business writing is a straightforward, succinct way of writing about a problem. Knowing
how to write a concise, sharp business memorandum will be a competitive advantage in your
business career.

You will use your book, the internet, and any other text or journal to research and report on the HR
problem you select. You will write a 4 - 6 page memorandum explaining the nature of the problem
and HR approaches to addressing the issue.

15% of your grade is allotted to the process of writing your business memorandum. Your
memorandum must be turned in on the assigned due dates. Ten (10) points are allotted to your
first draft and you will be graded on the quality of your research and analysis. I don’t expect
polished writing on the first draft. Five (5) points will be allotted to the final draft—which should be a
document you would want your CEO and the Board of directors to read.

Your overall goal is to write an effective, professional, business memorandum that is intended to
be circulated at the highest levels of your place of employment. The memorandum should
demonstrate analysis of a complex human resources problem from one of the three scenarios
given on the next page. One or more recommendations will need to be made.

Here are your instructions and critical deadlines:

   1.      Select one of the HR Case Assignments (next page)
   2.      Review resources and materials addressing the issue you have selected.
   3.      Create an outline conforming to standard business memorandum style
   4.      Write the business memorandum
   5.      Draft 1 of your memorandum is due on October 18, 2007 by 12 noon. Local students
           are to deliver hard copies to room 369. (Worth 10 points)
   6.      I will review and edit your memorandum and return the edited version to you within 10
           days.
   7.      Final business memorandum is due no later than November 29, 2007 by 12:00 noon.
           Local students deliver hard copies by 12:00 noon. (Worth 5 points)


Helpful websites and resources for creating business memoranda:

EHow.com- How to write an inter-company memo
http://www.ehow.com/how_2052700_write-professional-intercompany-memo.html

How to Write a Business Memo
http://us.deskdemon.com/pages/us/training/write-business-memo

Memo Writing
http://business.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Memo_Writing
Appendix 1 PHPM 616 Writing Assignment




Purdue Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/pw/p_memo.html


                              Memorandum Assignment Options
                            (Select from one of these three options)


1.       Recruiting Options in a Tight Job Market

You have just been hired as a health management fellow at Christus Spohn Hospital in South
Texas. Your boss, (the CEO) has assigned you to write a memo regarding recruiting options for
hiring nurses in the current tight job market. She also relates her frustration with spending over
$500,000 annually on newspaper and magazine advertising with no real progress in addressing
the shortage of available nurses in the area. Your boss asks you to write a memorandum to be
shared with the Board of Directors on (1) what options are available for recruiting, (2) differences
between external and internal recruiting, and (3) whether bonuses to nurses has been a successful
option in other companies. Your boss asks you to provide your recommendation.
Due Date: 10/18/07 (length 4 – 6 pages)


2.         Designing Incentive Plans to Keep Valued Employees

You have just been hired as a health management fellow at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Your
boss, (the HR Manager), has just returned from a meeting with the CEO and Board of Directors
where the topic of losing valued employees to other health organizations has been discussed.
M.D. Anderson requires highly skilled healthcare workers and invests substantial time in their
training and skill improvement—only to see them leave to other hospitals. M.D. Anderson also
provides competitive salaries. However, the drain of trained workers from M.D. Anderson has
executives and directors worried. Your boss asks you to write a memorandum to be shared with
the CEO on incentive plans and benefit options for attracting and retaining professional employees.
Your boss asks you to provide your recommendation. Due Date: 10/18/07 (length 4 – 6 pages)


3.         The Employee Termination Process—Should ADR be Considered?


You have been working for 10 months as a mid-level administrative executive for St. Joseph’s
Health System. In that time three employees have filed wrongful termination complaints against
St. Joseph’s complaining that their firing was motivated by unlawful (discriminatory) motives rather
than poor performance. These claims were made despite several documented incidents of poor
performance (not showing up on time, leaving early, failing to follow hospital protocol etc). Now,
faced with defending itself in the lawsuits, the CEO at St. Joseph’s wonders if an alternative
dispute resolution, (ADR), policy would provide more prompt resolution of employee claims and
save the organization money over time. The CEO asks you to prepare a memo outlining types of
ADR policies, the “pro’s and con’s” of each ADR policy, and whether there are other options for
resolving employee disputes and grievances. Your boss asks you to provide your
recommendation. Due Date: 10/18/07 (length 4 – 6 pages)