Situation: Pretend you are the CEO of a large American auto company (i.e.
Ford, GM, etc) and
have been asked for your opinions by the Board of Directors. They will be
discussing your position paper at the next shareholder meeting, as this issue
is hotly debated in the business world right now and shareholders want to know
where company management stands on this issue.
Topic for Position Memo #2: Should companies support
the goal of net zero emission by a certain date or take another approach?
Sources: Sources can be found on a separate page in this
“Weeks 3 & 4” module. While you can utilize other sources if
you’d like, your memo should still show a clear understanding of the
information presented in the core sources I have provided.
Format: You are basically writing a letter to the Board of
Directors (this can also be called a memo – it’s the same thing). Here are the
details:
Short version of the instructions
· 1,000 words at least (not
including the title and the citations)
· State your position
· Provide three clear
rationale for your position
· Address two
counterarguments to your position
· Include five total
citations (this should be easy because I’ve already provided six sources)
Longer version of the instructions
· 1,000 words at least (not
including the title and the citations)
· State your overall
position on the issue in the first part of the memo
· Create three sub-sections
that outline three key rationale supporting your position. You’ll create a
sub-header for each sub-section. Then each sub-section will explain the
rational in 1-3 paragraphs (usually).
· For each sub-section, be
sure to provide a combination of examples, data, research, anecdotes,
or other information supporting that rationale. Ideally, you should have at
least two pieces of supporting information for each sub-section.
o Example: If I was writing
a paper about why someone should exercise, my first rationale might be:
“Exercise helps you stay healthy into old age”. That will be the
sub-header for that section. Then, when explaining that rationale I would cite
research showing how weightlifting slows muscle and bone density loss as we
age. Then, I might present some data for the lifespans of those who lifted
regularly versus those who didn’t. Then I might tell a story of my
father-in-law barely being able to go up stairs at 75 years old, but then he
started lifting and got stronger and lived until he was almost 90. Please note
how I used different types of information to provide full support for my rationale.
· Provide one new citation
for each subsection (this means that you can utilize information cited in
previous parts of the memo, but each sub-section should introduce a new
citation)
· Create two sub-sections
that address counterarguments to your position. Show that you see and hear the
other side’s of the arguments and are willing to address them. You can address
them by explaining how these counterarguments helped you arrive at your overall
position. For example, maybe you had a more extreme position before but the
counterarguments moderated your view. Or the counterarguments helped you refine
one of your rationale to achieve a broader consensus.
· Provide one new citation
for each of the counterargument sub-sections (this means that you can utilize
information cited in previous parts of the memo, but each sub-section should
introduce a new citation)
· With three sections of
rational and two sections addressing counterarguments – and one new citation
per section – you’ll end up with five citations total (minimum)
