Information Interview Mini-Assignment: Interview with a Public Relations officer at American Airlines (Memo)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Information Interview Mini-Assignment COMM 390 The purpose of this activity is for you to obtain information from working professionals in your field or major by talking with them about the subjects below. We will use their experience and recommendations to discuss current business practices. In addition, we will discuss how to use their information as references for documents, meetings and presentations. ASSIGNMENT Find a professional in your field or major (see resources below) who will be your ¡®Contact.¡¯ You should discuss the following subjects with them: 1. Position your Contact holds in the firm 2. Types of written communication your Contact¡¯s firm uses a. What percentage of the time does your Contact initiate correspondence? Respond to correspondence? b. Which written communication channels does your Contact use the most (e-mail, memos, letters, blogs, reports, sales proposals, etc.)? 3. Your Contact¡¯s recommendations for written communication a. What recommendations does your Contact make in relation to written communication? For example, does your Contact recommend that professionals or organizations use or not use specific written communication channels? Why? b. What recommendations does your Contact make in relation to written communication as it relates to internal and external audiences? Although you may feel more comfortable talking with parents, relatives or friends about these subjects, I¡¯d prefer that you seek out and establish new business relationships. Let¡¯s discuss in class why this is important. Also, I¡¯d prefer that you hold these discussions in person, but you may use telephone and e-mail if that is impossible. DELIVERABLES 1. After Action Report This report should be a 2-page memo to me, and it should include a summary of your Contact¡¯s answers to the above questions. Include each Contact¡¯s name, title, organization, and contact information. Discuss the process you used to contact and interact with your contacts and your conclusions and recommendations. 2. Thank-you Letter Include a copy of the letter or e-mail you sent to your contact to thank him/her for talking with you. 3. Research On a separate page, include a summary of the research you did to find the right Contact and then to prepare for your interview. Briefly describe which were the most useful sources and explain why. Information_Interview_Activity.pdf
CONTENT:
Interview with a Public Relations officer at American Airlines: MemoStudent:Professor:Course title:Date:Summary The present business environment has a strong influence not only on organizational performance but also on employee behavior. The increased competitiveness, complexity and ever advancing technology is significantly changing the conventional means of working and organizing in these organizations. Apparently, there is an increased momentum in seeking better ways of achieving enhanced organizational performance (Beer, 2010). It is through evaluation of the broad network of the present tendencies and trends in organizational operations and design that we could be able to gather crucial knowledge with regard to the present business practice and for research purposes. This paper contains a report of an interview with Thomas W. Horton, the current PR officer of the American Airlines. This interview was mainly concerned on the forms of communication channels preferred by his company plus the company`s response with regard to correspondence. Mr Horton claims that his company is available 24/7 for correspondence matters as part of the initiative to remain honest and available. Concerning communication channels, he says that the company prefers using the internet, email and websites for interacting with clients or stakeholders while the memo is used for internal communications. Mr Horton advocates the use of the internet for professional communication since it has come to be widely used by many people. In addition, it is also a faster and cheap way of communication. After making due inquiry about the availability of the personn...