Business Email Essay

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BUSI 300

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BUSINESS EMAIL ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS

OVERVIEW

The purpose of this assignment is to strengthen your ability to apply email-writing strategies,

think critically about AI as a communication tool, and produce professional business

correspondence. You will apply guidelines for preparing email messages, analyze and evaluate

AI-generated drafts, and then create a polished email that adheres to professional business

standards as outlined in the course textbook.

INSTRUCTIONS

For this assignment, submit a single MS Word document (not a PDF) that includes the seven

components listed below. Use each component as a heading and place the required content under

that heading. A sample submission is provided as an assignment resource in Canvas for the

purpose of modeling correct format and demonstrating the level of detail expected.

Important: The use of AI is limited to Part III: AI Draft Collection. For this portion, you may

only use Microsofts AI-powered assistant, Copilot; no other AI tools are permitted.

I. Scenario

Without the use of AI, come up with a business-related scenario connected to your own

business or career interests. Note that the scenario must be detailed, realistic, and

original. Examples include, but are not limited to:

A service issue (e.g., damaged product, inaccurate product description, etc.)

Organizational changes (e.g., restructuring, leadership changes, etc.)

Pitching a product or service to a potential client

Be sure to include specific details such as your company name, job title, customer/client

name, and business context.

II. Prompts

Do this next step without the use of AI. Using the scenario you created in Step 1, write

two distinct prompts that will be used to generate draft emails in Copilot (for the next

step of this assignment). A prompt is how you ask AI to do something for you. Think of

it like giving instructions to a coworker; use plain but clear language and include the

details from your scenario (company, role, client, issue, etc.) so Copilot has the right

context. When finished, label the prompts clearly as Prompt 1 and Prompt 2.

III. AI Draft Collection

Log into Microsoft Copilot. Copy your first prompt (from the above step), paste it into

Copilot, and click enter. Once Copilot produces a response, paste the unedited draft

into your document, labeling it AI Draft 1. Next, copy your second prompt, paste it

into Copilot, and click enter. Once Copilot produces a response to this second draft,

paste the unedited draft into your document, labeling it AI Draft 2.

IV. Analysis of AI Drafts

Without the use of AI, write a well-developed, error-free, cohesive paragraph (45

BUSI 300

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sentences) analyzing each AI draft, resulting in a total of two paragraphs. In each, discuss

the drafts strengths and weaknesses of the draft related to clarity, tone, professionalism,

and adherence to business email guidelines. Support your analysis with at least one

citation from the course textbook.

V. Evaluation and Revision

Select the AI draft that has the strongest foundation. Without the use of AI, write a well-

developed, error-free, cohesive paragraph (56 sentences) explaining why you chose one

draft over the other and what revisions are needed to meet professional standards.

VI. Final Professional Email

Without the use of AI, write a concise, professional email response that reflects your

companys values and demonstrates courtesy and effective problem-solving. Avoid

copying the AI draft directly; instead, develop an original email that incorporates the

strongest ideas from the AI draft along with your revisions. Include an appropriate

subject line and format the email as if you were sending it to the intended recipient. Be

sure to utilize our course textbook for proper formatting guidelines for professional

business emails.

VII. References: Copilot and the course textbook are the only required sources for this

assignment and must be included in your reference list. However, if you use additional

outside sources, include them as well. Format all references according to current APA

formatting guidelines.

Saving and Submitting Your Assignment

Submit a single Word document not a PDF file – in Canvas by the due date.

Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.