Writing Resources

There are many keys to success in business today. Knowledge of best practices in accounting, finance, information systems, marketing, operations, planning, and organizational behaviour are among them. However, knowledge of these disciplines is not enough. The fundamental key to success in business‒and in university‒is the ability to communicate well. In business, writing well is not a deviation from what is really important: it is a critical success differentiator.

Employers are increasingly using grammar tests as part of their pre-employment process. Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit and founder of Dozuki, says that all job applicants say they are detail-oriented; he wants proof. He argues that applicants who have not learned to pay attention to detail when writing are unlikely to pay attention to detail in other areas of their work, even if that involves only stocking shelves or labelling parts. Good grammar, according to Wiens, is credibility, particularly on the Web. He says, “In blog posts, on Facebook statuses, in e-mails, and on company websites, your words are all you have. They are a projection of you in your physical absence.”

The Goodman School of Business focuses on educating tomorrow’s business leaders. Leaders, by their very nature, give purpose to collective effort while inspiring willing effort to support that purpose. Business leaders need to communicate well to inspire. Business writing is a fundamental building block of a leader’s communication skill set.
English language business writing is the proper language of business. While it has unique nuances and style differences, it is based on the grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure of English language writing best practices.

English language business writing is much different from the language of social media. The language of social media provides an important level of immediacy. However, it also has levels of informality, shortcuts, abbreviations, and acronyms; they are not considered part of English language business writing best practices.

This site describes the keys to successful English language business writing. It features resources available at Brock, including written material, videos, podcasts, workshops, courses, tutoring, and direct writing assistance. They are directed at students with basic, remedial, and advanced English language business writing requirements.