Are Writing Deficiencies Creating a Lost Generation of Business Writers?
Diane D. Arrington
Grand Canyon University: UNV-504 Introduction to Graduate Studs in the College of Business
July 8, 2015
DEFICIENCIES IN WRITING 2
It has become evident that the writing skills of business employees are considered
inadequate. This problem has caused tangible as well as intangible costs. The tangible cost of
employees’ deficient writing skills are: image degradation for the employees and employers;
(b) negative impact on productivity when employees must reread poorly written material to
decipher the meaning; (c) the outcome when an incorrect decision is made because of poor or
ineffectively written material. NCW (2004)
Employers are left with the tedious tasks of hiring college graduates demonstrating the
writing skills needed to articulate to upper management; clients or stake holders. There is a
lack of the basics in spelling, grammar and sentence structure. We find students completing their
course studies and graduating without the knowledge needed to carry out said functions. This
academic deficiency can also be as a result of social media. In general, people tend to migrate
the use of acronyms that are normally portrayed in dialogues on Facebook and Twitter pages.
Including such language into their business communication, has evaded the correct use of words
and the role of grammar instructions. Sams (2003) indicated that the grammar-in-context
approach has an inherent flaw because it treats grammar as an isolated set of rules. It ignores the
context from which the rules derive from the language itself. Students have no knowledge about
grammar, vocabulary, concepts, context and no means for understanding the teacher’s
explanation of rules or their application. (p. 63).
There are many different approaches; however, we need to effectuate the ability to
References: College Board, The National Commission on Writing for America’s Families, Schools and Colleges, (2004). Writing: A powerful message from state governmental, New York.