Posted: September 13th, 2017

situation Proposal Assignment

roposal Assignment
Learning Objectives:
? To analyze audiences and write to specific audiences in diverse situations
? To think about proposals as persuasive documents

Case:
Barksdale Accounting, where you have worked as a CPA for three years, is a small accounting firm in Newport, Rhode Island. Including you, the firm employs eight accountants and is managed by William Barksdale, the firm’s sole owner. When you took the job, you knew that the firm needed new computer equipment, and Mr. Barksdale assured you that new computers were on the horizon. At this point, however, you and all of the firm’s other accountants are still struggling along with outdated and incredibly slow Pentium II machines that clearly cannot handle their current workloads.

In recent months, the computer situation has become something of an office joke. While Mr. Barksdale changes the subject every time you try to mention computer upgrades in conversation, he has spent a considerable amount of money on a new suite of tax accounting software that barely works on the firm’s old computers. Since the new software was installed, you and two of your coworkers (Audrey Dean and Martin Hurachas) have experienced computer meltdowns so bad that Mr. Barksdale had to have a computer technician come to the office to fix them. In the end, each of you spent an entire day doing virtually nothing while you waited for your computers to be fixed.

While you feel that the whole computer crisis has become ridiculous, you do understand why Mr. Barksdale doesn’t want to discuss buying new computers—for a firm of this size, buying ten new computers (one for each of the accountants, plus one for Mr. Barksdale, and one for the office receptionist) is a considerable expense. At the same time, though, you wonder if Mr. Barksdale has so thoroughly isolated himself from the computer issue that he actually has no realistic idea of how much such an upgrade would cost. After all, you can buy a much better computer for much less money today than you could when he last bought computers. If you can present him with a plan for upgrading the firm’s computers in the right way, he might be much more receptive to the idea. As much as he tries to avoid the subject, you are sure that he wants his accountants to be able to use the expensive new software that he just purchased.

Questions to Think About

1. This case suggests that Mr. Barksdale does not like to talk about the subject of computer upgrades. Do you think that other forms of communication could be more effective? In what ways do you think a written proposal might be more effective?
2. Once you decided to submit a proposal for new computers to Mr. Barksdale, what type of proposal would you create? It would be an internal proposal, of course, but how formal would you make it? Why?
3. This case gives you enough information to suggest that Mr. Barksdale resists change and resists spending money—at least in certain areas of his business—but it tells you almost nothing about what might be at stake for you and your coworkers if you decided to make a concerted push for new computers. In the worst-case scenario, he might resent your actions and make your life miserable at work. What could you do in your proposal to mitigate the inherent risks that would accompany this document?

The Assignment

1. Using the Internet, gather information on computers that you think would be appropriate for this accounting firm. Pick the one computer that you think would be best.
2. Think carefully about what this case tells you about Mr. Barksdale and determine how you might best persuade him to buy new computers. Then organize and draft the most effective proposal you can create. Remember that all proposals should be absolutely free of any errors that may suggest a lack of professionalism or a lack of attention to detail.
3. The proposal should be a minimum of three full pages and should meet the requirements set forth in Chapter 13. Your proposals must contain a works cited list (please use MLA format).
4. In addition, organize and draft a memo to me that explains the decisions you made as you drafted your proposal to Mr. Barksdale. In particular, explain how you arrived at the persuasion strategies and the level of formality that you ultimately adopted.