Instructor: Scott Temple © 2010

ENG: 114
Directions for Group Project for NBA Basketball Memo Assignment ENG: 114

You have been assigned a group (see group pages on Blackboard). Each group has its own page. Only edit and
participate in the group you are assigned. You will receive a “0” on this project for tampering with another group’s
project. Remember, I can track all changes to this site. Please be considerate of your colleagues.

You will create and edit your memo in Wikispaces. Each group has an individual Wiki page. Please click on the Wiki
link to the left. All editing will be completed on this Wiki site. I should be able to see all editing changes. Once you
click on your group page, click “Edit the Page” to make your changes. You can use the “discussion” key located in
your individual group page (not on this home page site) to add comments about your editing changes to your team
members.

I want to reiterate that group work participation is highly important in this class and in most business settings.

Dress Policy Memo Lesson

The objective of this lesson is to create a memo using collaborative group efforts.

Your group represents the Marketing Managers for the National Basket Ball Association (NBA), and you will write to
the National Basket Ball Association team players (I will play this role) and explain the need for a new uniform policy
on the court. The NBA already has a specific uniform policy for off the court when the players are representing their
team. This policy can be found at the Web address: http://www.nba.com/news/player_dress_code_051017.html

As marketing managers for the NBA, your goal is to convince the NBA players to dress more professionally on the
court. Your reason for this policy change is up to your individual group and will require creativity and teamwork.

This project will require your team to develop an analysis plan and an organizational plan for your memo.
You will want to consider the information found in chapters 4 (page 62), 5 (page 79) and 10 (page182) of your
textbook.

Some Memo Considerations

Tone of the memo -- you want to make sure that you are not over demanding, yet firm. Do not talk down to the NBA
players. Make sure that you use professional language and avoid “isms,” such as ageism, racism, sexism and so
forth.

Follow the check off list for creating a memo found on page 210 of your textbook. There are examples of memos in
chapter 10, such as on page 185 (figure 10.1). There is also a sample Memo at the OWL of Purdue Web site
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/590/04/

Order of Importance – What information should come first? How will the information be displayed (bullet points,
boldface headers, images)? Should the most important points be disclosed first ending with the least important
points? Or should you work up to the most important points and end on a strong reason why the policy change is
important? I think either way could work if the process is thought through correctly.

Appearance of Document -- Does the document look professional in the end? This memo will be developed on the
Wiki Spaces Web site. There may be limitations. You will need to be flexible. This is a space and format
consideration. Remember, you can use hyperlinks in an online document but not in a printed document. Remember
what the book says about the expectations of printed material versus online material.

Develop a Course of Action -- You must create a course of action paragraph in your memo. This is important because
another class will be responding to your memo with a letter. Perhaps you might have the NBA players consider three
dress code options and your team wants specific (your team determines this) feedback.
Instructor: Scott Temple © 2010
ENG: 114
Group Work and Dynamics

Your group has many forms of online tools for communication, such as college e-mail, Message Board and
Group Message Board in Blackboard, the Group Discussion Board, Pronto and the Wikispaces page (the Discussion
tab located under your individual group page).

As always in real life, people are busy. By developing an action plan for each group member, the delegation of duties
can make the project expectations for each group member easy to understand.

Groups will encounter team dynamic issues. The biggest issue is lack of communication between team members. If a
misunderstanding happens because of communication confusion, do your best to express intentions to each other in
another way that clears up the confusion. If there is/are no communication between member(s) of a group, continue
with the project with the remaining group member(s). I have a team worksheet that needs to be filled out and turned
in by the group. Each member must review the form and agree to its information. If a group member was not able to
be contacted, this should be noted on the form.

My examination of each member’s participation will be to evaluate the group worksheet form, the
Discussion Board posts on Wikispaces under team page, the actual time and energy spent on the Wikispaces site,
and your communication with me.

If in the unlikely case you find yourself alone in developing a project because you cannot contact any other group
member, the project becomes an individual project and still needs to be completed.

If a group member does not contact his or her group by Thursday (this would be a late contact), please send them an
email message with my email as a CC (Carbon Copy) so that I will know you have tried to contact him or her. If a
team member joins a group project after Thursday, his or her grade will reflect the absence. If a group member has
certain hours of available time, this needs to be discussed with the group within the first few days of the project. No
one should be surprised midweek or later about an individual’s lack of time for participation. Each group member
should have his or her share of the workload.