Executive Summary Assignment_F07    University of Texas BA 324

Instructions for Executive Summary Assignment
You are to write an overview of an article for your boss, a very busy manager who does
not have time to read original articles in their entirety. She has come to you for information
about cross-cultural communication because she hopes to increase social interaction between the
Business and Research & Development Divisions in your organization. You are to find a recent
(published in 2003 or later) article from the academic or business press that discusses any aspect
of cross-cultural communication in business. The cultures described in the article need not be
business and engineering. Instead, they can involve national, regional or organizational cultures.
To search for your article, you need to use UT’s electronic databases (such as Business Source
Complete, Lexis Nexis etc). The article must be the equivalent of a minimum of 4 pages of 12
point font (Double spaced).
Executive summaries present an overview of a longer report or article. They play an
important role in business communication. Some people argue that the executive summary is the
most important part of a report because it is the first thing the reader will read. Summaries must
grab readers’ attention and keep it. For instance, aspiring entrepreneurs need to use their
executive summary in their business plan to build interest among potential investors and get
them to read further. No matter the context, learning how to synthesize and describe information
in a concise manner will serve you well in your career.
When writing an executive summary, you summarize key points made in the article. Y