Worth: 15% Due: Sunday, November 10, in the Submissions dropbox by 11:59pm Purpose: To allow you to demonstrate your critical thinking skills in relation to a specific case study. Task 1: Read the two articles on the Volkswagen emissions recall case study provided in class (and in the Week 7 Materials folder on FOL) titled Jennifer Lynes – Volkswagen Committed the Cardinal Sin of Greenwashing and Consumer Reports – Guide to the Volkswagen Emissions Recall Task2: After reading these articles about the Volkswagen emissions recall, our case study, compose a document in which you consider its significance, effects, and lessons. Include the following sections in your document and include the information for each section described below: INTRODUCTION In your own words and in paragraph form, summarize the controversy using information from these two articles. Explain what companies and individuals are involved and what has happened that is of interest or concern. Do not try to provide every detail. Rather, summarize the main ideas of the case study as you would for someone who does not know anything about it. Be objective and stick to the facts in this section as you are simply explaining what has happened. (NOTE: Use your answers you wrote for the in-class activity from Week 8 as a foundation for this paragraph. Include in your paragraph any citations you might have used in your answers for that exercise.) ANALYSIS In your own words and in paragraph form (think about connections between sentence ideas and transitioning from point to point), analyze the significance of this case by considering the questions below.
1. What is Consumer Reports? Why does this organization have authority to write on this subject?
2. Who is Jennifer Lynes? Why does she have authority to write her article in the Globe and Mail?
3. What specifically makes what Volkswagen (VW) did greenwashing? Explain using details and examples from the case study.
4. Why are VW’s emissions infractions such a big deal in environmental terms? In customer relations terms?
5. Do you think there are other automotive companies that are greenwashing but haven’t been caught? Explain and make references to other cases. (Remember to include the
website information in your paragraph and to provide proper citations using APA documentation methods.)
CONCLUSIONS In your own words and in paragraph form (think about connections between sentence ideas and transitioning from point to point), provide some final thoughts on the controversy.
1. Do some reading online. What has happened at VW since the controversy came to light? (Remember to include the website information in your paragraph and to provide proper citations using APA documentation methods.)
2. Has VW restored consumer faith in their brand? How can you tell? 3. How might VW have handled things differently in terms of communicating with the
public? Provide specifics. 4. Are there any lessons we can draw with regard to corporate communication practices
and communicating with consumers? 5. How might the International Association of Business Communicators’ code of ethics for
professional communicators (click here) have provided the company with some guidance?
6. What can we conclude about the importance of environmental regulations? How I Will Grade Your Case Study Assignment: INTRODUCTION
Properly summarizes all necessary background information and any essential details
Omits any extraneous information
Uses objective and impartial tone
/10
ANALYSIS
Identifies the bona fides of the authors of the articles
Explains the type of problem involved and its significance with specific details from the case study
/10
CONCLUSIONS
Clearly answers all questions with direct reference to online research
Provides reasons and specific details from further reading about the case study to support answers
/10
GRAMMAR AND STYLE
Free of all formatting, grammatical, spelling, and stylistic errors
