Task: After the formal report proposal was approved, we were then tasked to create an outline for the report, provide a timeline of the research and report to be written, and provide survey questions to also be approved by Professor Erika Paterson.

MEMORANDUM

To: Dr. Erika Paterson, Instructor ENGL 301 Technical Writing UBC
From: Kelly Kim, Student ENGL 301 Technical Writing UBC
Date: February 28, 2022
Subject: 301 Formal Report Progress Report: Proposal to Enhance Visibility of Affordable Meals options for UBC students

Please find this as an update to my formal report proposal posted previously. Attached to this memo is a copy of survey questions to be asked to UBC students.

Purpose and Significance of Report

As there are limited avenues to find the menu options and is extremely difficult to find affordable options on campus, the purpose of the research is to find or develop a centralized board where price points and restaurants offering the menu are easily accessible.

Intended Audience

Mitchell Post – Student Services Manager at AMS of UBC Vancouver

Report Objectives

The purposes of this report are:

• To raise awareness on the concerns of students in finding affordable meal options on the UBC campus
• To provide cost-effective recommendations on how we can increase the visibility of affordable food options already on campus
• To find affordable means to distribute the collected information

Significance of Report

The report provides potential solutions to benefit the UBC students who have limited avenues to find affordable meal options on campus. It also provides an insight into the food affordability situation for students.

Methods

1. Primary data collection via UBC students. Attached is the link to the survey questions being used to gather data:
   https://forms.gle/GECqGrz5eBU5WS4g7 
2. Secondary sources will include article or blog post research conducted on the web.

Research Method:

In order to research ridership efficiency and provide effective recommendations, I plan to:

• Review concerns of food affordability on UBC campus
• Compile primary data source through surveying students to identify preferences of students.
  • What is affordable for students?
  • Investigate if there are current avenues students take to find affordable meals on campus
• Interview UBC students to inquire about current affordability of meals on campus.
• Data analysis of surveys and compare results with secondary research findings and resources
• Compile a report on potential recommendations to improve the student experience.

Scope of Research: The scope of the report is focused on international and domestic students at the University of British Columbia Vancouver Campus.

Writing Schedule:

The following is the schedule for the coming months:

• March 1: Formal report outline/progress report for a formal report
• March 7: Collect research and reports on primary data
• March 10: Compile initial report with data
• March 14-16: Formal report draft
• March 17- 19: Peer review formal report draft
• March 20 – 22: Peer review edits
• March 22-26: Post revised and final draft of the report

Thank you for taking the time to review the progress of my formal report. Kindly let me know if there are suggestions to better the survey questions or the research process if needed.

Survey Link: https://forms.gle/GECqGrz5eBU5WS4g7

Formal Research Proposal Link:https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl301-99c-2021wc/2022/02/15/email-memorandum-formal-report-proposal-2/

Formal Report Outline: https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl301-99c-2021wc/2022/02/28/assignment-23-formal-report-outline/

Task: Before the formal report, students were tasked to introduce a problem, provide potential analysis research methods, and provide potential solutions. This proposal was then approved by Professor Erika Paterson.

To: Dr. Erika Paterson

From: Kelly Kim

Date: February 15th, 2022

Subject: Proposal to Enhance Visibility of Affordable Meals options for UBC students

Introduction:

As the effects of the pandemic wear off and classes resume back in person, students are faced to go back to the UBC campus and resume their activities. Every day, the primary question we ask ourselves is, “what are we going to eat today?” Students living on campus and attending in-person lectures are often faced to purchase their meals on campus. However, one problem students face is – are there affordable food options on campus? As students have a limited budget for food, it is quite difficult to find affordable options within walking distance that fit within the budget.

UBC campus itself is isolated from the rest of Vancouver, located 30 minutes from the heart of downtown. The geographical isolation mandates students to purchase their meals on retail options on campus, which oftentimes are higher in the price point and are limited in quantity as well. Unfortunately, the meal is affordable with good quality ingredients, students are faced with a long queue.

Audience Description:

The formal report will be pitched to the representatives of the AMS Student Life Committee the AMS Advocacy committee.

Statement of the problem:

Food prices also have grown almost by six percent last year. So how are students coping with the situation? Students must keep their monthly food spending within their budget while their grocery bills are higher. According to Ascenda, an estimate for food costs for students is around $300 to $700 per month. Whereas the average meal cost in Vancouver per meal per person is around $10- $15. It is rare to find a hearty full meal on campus below $10. As there are limited avenues to find the menu options and is extremely difficult to find affordable options on campus, centralized board can be great tool for UBC where price points and restaurant offering the menu is easily accessible.

Proposed Solution:

The first step of the solution is identifying the severity of the problem. What are the affordable options for students on campus? Is there a congregated source where students can easily access the list of food within their budget? Are students aware of these options? After the problem has been assessed, the next step is to create a solution by conducting research. What mode of method do students have to find affordable options on campus? If there are already a lot of affordable options, how can UBC communicate these options effectively to the students? If there is an updated centralized board where all on-campus menus and their price points are listed, students will benefit and not have to exceed their monthly food budget or travel outside of campus to eat.

Scope:

To assess the feasibility of the current, I plan to investigate:

• What are the current options for students on campus?
• What are students’ budgets for food for UBC students?
• How many times per week do they purchase food on campus?
• What media do students use to research for food?
• How satisfied are students with the options provided?
• Are students aware of the affordable options available within walking distance?
• Is there a list of centralized food menus offered on campus for students?

Methods:

The primary source of data will include surveys with the University of British Columbia students. Surveys will help identify the current budget and their current knowledge of food options on campus. It will also help to gauge interest for this project and if there is demand from students for this research to be completed.

The secondary sources of information on the topic will include research on price points and food availability on campus through the web using yelp and the UBC food webpage.

My Qualifications:

I am an undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia. Having experienced a limited food budget, and deeply relating to the topic at hand, I am one of the target populations that the research is seeking to question. I also have built great relationships with the undergraduate students on campus to ask for their opinion or interview when needed to minimize my personal bias to ask for a variety of feedback about the topic.

Furthermore, as I attend in-person lectures and come to campus every day, I am accessible to view restaurants’ and retailers’ offerings on campus.

Conclusion:

As food is a necessity and a fuel for growth for students, it is imperative that students have visibility to affordable options to help them focus more on their studies. By assessing the current state of student’s understandings of food prices in UBC and proposing a well-rounded solution, students will be able to easily pick their next menu.

Task: We were tasked to peer review each other’s work and gain insight through reading each other’s as well as through receiving direct feedback.

To: Leo Kim, Student ENGL 301 Technical Writing UBC
From: Kelly Kim, Student ENGL 301 Technical Writing UBC
Date: Feb 5, 2022
Subject: Review of Your Report Assignment 1:3 – “Kepler’s Laws Definition

Peer Review / Term: 

Thank you for your elaborate explanation of the term, “Kepler’s Law”. I have heard the term before but never fully understood the true meaning and the context behind this law; therefore, this was a great detailed introduction for me. Please see the review of the three definitions provided below and let me know if you have any questions.

Initial Impression: 

The documentation is well organized as per the assignment requirement, along with the works-cited section.

Organization:

• The introduction is succinct explaining why the three definitions have been presented, and to whom it was presented.
• The title of definitions is bolded and the different sections within the expanded definitions are italicized. At the beginning of the document, it lacks a title that shows that these definitions are for the “Kepler’s Law”. Adding the title will help us understand the subject of the paper right away.
• The expanded definitions expanded on the history, analysis of parts, comparison and contrast, and visuals.
• For a normal student audience, the visuals do need further explanations. For example, adding in the variables in the diagram, such as what S1 or S2 stands for, could be added to explain the diagram and why it’s important in explaining Kepler’s Law.
• Visuals also need to be cited with correct placement. Please refer to the textbook.

Language/Expression:

• In the introduction, the objective of the assignment is presented. The objective could be paraphrased to blend in better with the rest of the document. Furthermore, because the reading situation is short, it would also be good for the introduction and reading situation to be merged into one category as it both introduces what the paper will be about.
• To meet the grammatical consistency requirement, please correct the sentence to “Kepler’s laws of planetary motion is composed of three laws that make reference to elliptical trajectories and explain how planetary velocities vary.”

Content:

• For a parenthetical definition, we need a parenthesis statement after the term to clarify the meaning of the word by using parenthesis. In the parenthesis, we can add a familiar synonym.
• The sentence definition is written with great content! Please write numbers such as “3” as three.
• In the Analysis of parts, could we get an explanation of what foci mean? If the visuals explain the different parts in the analysis of parts, the placement of the visuals could be improved by placing them above what they are explaining. This method could improve both parts of the expanded definition.
• After the comparison and contrast where it explains the three sections of where Kepler’s law was corrected, could you include what ellipse and epicycles mean and what the difference between these two terms is? Moreover, what does the focal point of the elliptical orbit mean? For those who do not have a background in science, it could be better if these differences could be explained with a visual.

Visuals:

• Please describe in further detail what the description of Kepler’s law is explaining.
• Please also include where the visual reference is from.
• For Figure 3, what do “G”, “M”, and “m”, variables mean? What is the significance of this formula?

Clarity:

• There were a couple of occasions for more detail for the audience to fully understand what the different sections of the parts mean:
  • The history portion describes when the observation was found and when they were published. Why has since then have the law been notable? Why has it been accredited more than the other similar theories?
  • It states, “still Kepler’s laws are regarded as a masterpiece of astronomy,” Why is this so?

Highlights/Weaknesses:

• The breakdown of the three laws was great! This was a good technique as it provided a strong explanation of what the different laws are.
• The visuals are awesome too as it explains Kepler’s law in detail with images that texts cannot explain.
• The definition report should be reviewed again to correct some grammatical errors. There are areas for improvement. For example, in the analysis of parts, it should be corrected to, “be sure to follow the three separated laws”.

Works Cited List:

• The references should be in alphabetical order. Furthermore, by improving the analysis and content of the expanded definitions, more references can be added.

Concluding Comments:

Thank you for the awesome explanation about Kepler’s law. The following edits would make this a more wonderful definition:

• Further details on variables and what the Copernicus model is.
• Please correct citation for visuals and provide a detailed explanation about the formulas in the visuals.
• Grammatical errors should be reviewed.
• Reviewing Works Cited list

Please do not hesitate to ask questions.

Best,

Kelly Kim

Loe’s “Kepler’s Law” Definition

Power Distance

Introduction:

For the third week of unit one, we were assigned to explain a widely used professional term using three types of definitions – a parenthetical definition, a sentence definition, and an expanded definition. The objective of this assignment is to build effective communication by defining a term used in the professional setting as there can be many different interpretations and meanings.

Situation:

Power Distance is a widely used term in organizational behaviour studies. For the exercise, the situation will have two assumptions. First, the term is explained by a professor in commerce class. Secondly, the audience is business students who have never studied organizational behaviour. For clarity, power distance will be elaborated by the following three definitions:

1. Parenthetical Definition: It is defined by utilizing familiar synonyms or with clarifying phrases after the term.
2. Sentence definition: A more detailed definition by providing a broader class and distinguishing features of the term.
3. Expanded definition: For power distance, I will expand through expanding on its history, operating principal, visuals and examples.

Parenthetical Definition:

In a large power distance (accepting of unequal power distribution) society, parents teach children obedience, and employees are complaint to the hierarchical corporate system.

Sentence Definition:

Power distance refers to the extent to which less powerful members of organizations and institutions (including the family) accept and expect unequal power distributions.

Expanded Definition:

History:

In 1995, Hofstede defined power distance as “the extent to which the members of a society accept that power in institutions and organizations is distributed unequally”. The original theory was formed from Hofstede’s global survey on the values of IBM employees between 1967 to 1973. His original theory formed the introduction of cultural differences between people in the business context. He explained that in very high-power distance cultures, the lower-level person will defer to the higher-level person and feel relatively ok as it is the natural order. In lower power distance cultures, everyone expects to be listened to regardless of rank or background, and they will reject autocratic leaders.

How it is used:

Through globalization, it is important to understand the differences between cultures as businesses become more integrated into the global economy. When people are immersed in their own cultures, they often fail to see the patterns and habits that could affect business. Power distance helps us understand how to work with a large variety of people from different countries and cultural backgrounds.

Executive coaches use the theory to help understand the hardships for innovation in high power distance cultures. In these cultures, senior-level people and junior-level people lack communication; hence, the leaders believe they have nothing to improve upon, which leads to slower innovation in the corporate environment.

The differences in perception seem particularly relevant during international business collaborations. For example, Austria has a power distance index of approximately 11, while many Arab nations have indices around 80. With drastic differences in power distance index, employing Austrian business practices or management style in an Arab country may be counterproductive, or result in a degree of culture shock. Executives from a lower index country may open their doors for employees to come in with ideas, but if employees are from higher index countries, they may not knock on the open door.

Visuals & Examples: Which countries exhibit high vs. low power distance?

Figure 1: Which countries exhibit the smallest power distance and the largest power distance? (Source: Runaway Suitcase, A Six-Dimensional Model of Cultural Difference)

Figure 2: In high power distance societies, people will have to show respect and loyalty to people with higher ranks. (Source: Thailand and Italy Comparison, Hofstede’s cultural dimensions)

The primary example of countries with high power distance includes China and Saudi Arabia. They exhibit a characteristic where they believe everybody has a place, which needs no further justification. Particularly in Asian countries, the corporate culture is rooted in deeply held values in the larger culture, which makes it much tougher to shift from the status quo.  In comparison, in many of the western countries, such as the United States and Canada, people believe in equalization, distribution of power which lead them to demand change and justification for any inequalities.

Conclusion:

How does the knowledge about power distance apply to the betterment of corporate development in a globalized society? After accessing the power distance of the company or people’s culture, leaders need to put a plan to further the communication amongst employees and employers with different power distances. Moreover, it is imperative that leaders accept that changing historical and cultural roots take time, and it is a tough challenge. Lastly, they need to identify and engage the people leaders and ask for their support in changing their behaviour toward openness and realization of different cultures.

Works Cited

“Examples of Cultural Dimensions.” American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/professional-issues/cultural-competence/examples-of-cultural-dimensions/#:~:text=Power%20distance%20refers%20to%20the,power%2C%20but%20from%20the%20followers.

“Hofstede: The Six Dimensions of Cultural Difference [Overview + Graphic].” Runaway Suitcase, 17 Feb. 2020, https://www.reservations.com/blog/resources/power-distance-index/.

“In Asia, Power Gets in the Way.” Harvard Business Review, 23 July 2014, https://hbr.org/2012/04/in-asia-power-gets-in-the-way.

Kenton, Will. “What Is the Power Distance Index (PDI)?” Investopedia, Investopedia, 13 Sept. 2021, https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/power-distance-index-pdi.asp.

“Power Distance – Thailand and Italy Comparison.” Google Sites, https://sites.google.com/site/earncynbud/hofstede-s-cultural-dimensions/power-distance.