Investing in the future, what does it mean for an individual

You have been asked by your boss to thoroughly research information on a chosen topic for him or her to review. You will write a FIVE-PAGE executive summary on this topic.

INSTRUCTIONS
Read the instructions very carefully. Not following directions on project requirements could mean a “0” on the project grade with no allowance for resubmission.

1) Choose an Approved Business Topic or Health Strategy from the Topic List document, which can be found by going to the “Home” tab on Canvas. Then, scroll down to the “Assignments”
section. You may also email me for permission to use your own business topic that is not on this list.

Note: Use the same topic you chose for your Business Message Assignment. You will also use this topic for your Oral Presentation Assignment.

Note that you may NOT use a research paper or slide presentation that you have completed for another class. Furthermore, this research project and presentation must be your original work!

2) You will write a five-page (5) to eight-page (8) executive summary using APA formatting. The paper should be double-spaced with one-inch margins. Use Times New Roman or Calibri, 12 pt. font. You will need to include in-text citations and a reference page. A cover page should also be included. The cover page and reference page do not count as part of the five-page requirement. Write complete paragraphs. If you would like to include a graph, table, or enumerated list, then create an appendix. Click here, for APA Guidelines.

3) The five- to eight-page content section of the paper should include interesting information about current events and information on your selected topic. The finished product will be a formally-written brief that you could hand into your boss. You are to provide in-depth details about your topic. Tip: Think carefully about the points you are making and explain why you are discussing them (i.e., why are the important to your intended audience?). In other words, what is your point? Why is the topic interesting? What is the take-away or learning points for your employer?

The paper should be written in third-person. This paper summary should not sound conversational or as if one is reading a “speech.” Do not use colloquial phrasing.

LAYOUT
First paragraph: You must have a thesis statement or problem/purpose statement. This statement will state the purpose of the topic and reveal what you are trying to achieve in this executive summary. The first paragraph will also include the points that you will make it the paper (advanced organizers). Middle Paragraphs: Separate paragraphs that will focus on the three to four points supporting your purpose statement. Last Paragraph: This is your closing paragraph. You should adequately summarize your thesis and how your research supports your hypothesis.

4) You must include a minimum of three reputable, credible sources that come from published or digital business or health journals (i.e., HR Magazine, Bloomberg, Business week, Fortune, Economist, etc.), academic journals, or newspapers (i.e., The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, etc.), or credible websites (government websites, SHRM, etc.).

Your sources may be retrieved online. However, non-credible web sites such as Wikipedia, Dictionary, etc. may not be used. Also, your BCOM textbook may not be used as one of your sources.

Of your three sources, two (2) must be from published articles and only one (1) can be from a credible website.

Sources must be listed on a separate reference page and listed alphabetically by authors’ last names. Make sure the reference page is in proper APA format. Click here, for APA Guidelines.

5) Citations: All sources a) must be used if listed in reference page and b) must be cited within the body of the paper, and c) must be done in proper APA format.

Not doing this properly; a) not citing at least one source in each paragraph, b) not listing sources cited in the reference page, c) not citing sources listed in the reference page will result in a “0” for the paper. Improper citations can mean plagiarism violation. Instructor has a zero tolerance for improperly citing sources or not citing sources at all.

6) Paraphrasing: Do not use direct quotes in the executive summary. All of the executive summary must be paraphrased (completely written in your own words). Technically, no more than four words in consecutive order from the original source should be used. (The only exception is if you are stating a law.)

Students MUST submit their executive summary via the “Assignments” tab in Canvas. The Turnitin feature is turned ON for this assignment; thus, your paper will be evaluated for similarity to other online sources. If your paper has a similarity index of 25% or higher (meaning25% or more of your paper came directly from other sources) then revisions must be made, prior to submitting final assignment. Otherwise, not properly paraphrasing could result in a “0” for the paper.

7) Cover Page: Create a professional-looking cover page with your name, course name & course number, semester & year, instructor name, university name, and date.

8) Headings must be used throughout the body of the executive summary. See Chapters 9 and 11.

9) Your paper should be triple-checked for proper spelling, sentence structure, punctuation, and word usage. Feel free to utilize the free services of tutoring on campus.

10) Only 1- inch margins for all four sides of paper and only 12-point font (Times New Roman or Calibri) allowed.

11) This executive summary document must look professional. Feel free to review business report templates and Chapters 9, 10 and 11 for documentation formatting.

12) One file, including cover page, executive summary, and reference page MUST be uploaded to the “Assignments” tab in Canvas on or before the due date (see course syllabus). Your submission should be in MSWord or PDF format.