LibGuides: English 101S: Case Study

Profile Essay

After conducting an interview with someone from the business you're observing, analyze how character, values, and virtues are infused into the business world.

CareerOnestop--Informational Interviews
Learn how to conduct an informational interview. Some of the questions are specific to discovering information about getting a job in the field, but can be adapted for the purposes of your assignment.
Interview Etiquette
11 do's and don'ts while interviewing. Some of the suggestions are specific to job interviews, but can be adapted for the purposes of your assignment.
Questioning Techniques
Learn how to ask better questions. Before your interview, write a list of questions you would like to see answered. Use these tips to write that list.

The Ethics of Business by Al Gini; Alexei Marcoux
Call Number: HF 5387 .G555 2012
ISBN: 9780742561618
Publication Date: 2011-10-10
Discover some of the ethical dilemmas that face people in business today and how they should respond. The authors present to students the essential concepts, ideas, and issues involved in ethics in business and emphasize the individual acting person and what it means to have character and integrity when doing business.
Winners Never Cheat by Jon M. Huntsman
Call Number: HF 5387 .H863 2005
ISBN: 0131863665
Publication Date: 2005-03-23
Huntsman presents the lessons of a lifetime: a passionate, inspirational manifesto for returning to the days when your word was your bond, a handshake was sacred, and swarms of lawyers weren't needed to back it up. This is no mere exhortation: it's a practical business book about how to listen to your moral compass, even as others ignore theirs.

Visual Rhetorical Analysis

Analyze how rhetoric is used in the business you're observing to convey messages to intended audiences.

The Art of Rhetoric: Persuasive Techniques in Advertising
The video breaks down the rhetoric used in popular advertising.
Breaking Down an Image--Writing Commons
When looking at an image or company logo, how do you break down all the elements? In this brief article, Jenna Pack highlights different pieces to consider when analyzing visual rhetoric.
How Rhetoric Helps Videos Go Viral
Ethos, Pathos, and Logos are the rhetorical tools that cause a video go viral. Read about how in this article and try to find examples in the advertising of the business you are observing.
The Psychology of Color in Marketing and Branding (video)
Gregory Ciotti explores how color is used in branding and all the considerations that go into choosing a brand's coloring. These considerations include gender preferences, how color creates emotion, and how the name of a color can affect perception.
The Psychology of Colors in Marketing Infographic
This infographic breaks down each color and how it influences people and then dissects a few major global brands and the colors they use.

Research Analysis and Information Literacy

Research and analyze other companies in the same industry as the business you are observing. LDSBC Library has a number of databases to help you with doing company and industry reports. Here is a list of our favorite databases to help you find industry and company information.

Glassdoor
Glassdoor is a database of company information created by contributing employees. Find company reviews, interview questions, benefit reviews, and other similar information.
Guidestar
Find information about a nonprofit. Guidestar gathers and disseminates information about every single IRS-registered nonprofit organization.
Hoover's Company Records
The ProQuest Business Collection offers access to Hoover's Company Records. Hoover's provides detailed information on companies and industries.

IBIS World: Industry Reports This link opens in a new window
IBIS World contains industry reports. The reports are comprehensive, well organized, easy to read, and give you information on nearly any industry you can imagine.
Privco This link opens in a new window
Privco is the premier source for locating business and financial information on private non-publicly traded corporations as well family owned companies.

Written Communication Evaluation

Evaluate what types of writing are done in the business you are observing.

5 Types of Business Documents
There are many different documents that a business could produce; this article gives 5 examples.
Purdue OWL--Professional and Technical Writing
The Purdue O.W.L. gives an overview on many topics related to business writing including rhetoric, tone, and a few of the different types of documents businesses produce.
Four Types of Communication in Business Writing
Different occasions call for different tone. Learn about four different business tones in this article.
Rhetoric in Business Writing
This article lists ways that rhetoric can invigorate business writing. Use the list to help you identify rhetoric in business writing.
Types of Business Communication Writing
Learn about the purposes and styles of business writing.
Wag the Tagline: the Rhetoric of Brand Messaging
This articles breaks down taglines and all the thought that goes into creating one.