Improving Business Student Writing – A Ten-Step Model

The ability to write effectively has been widely acknowledged as a consistent problem of business graduates – even at the best colleges and universities where English is the native language of the students. This paper identifies the challenges facing business students in becoming effective writers and identifies a model for improving business student writing which business schools at colleges and universities can apply. Objective: The purposes of this paper are to address the problem of ineffective business student writing and to suggest a ten-step model for colleges and universities to implement as they seek to improve the quality of their business graduates’ writing skills. We begin by briefly summarizing the writing limitations of many business school graduates, citing examples from the scholarly literature and feedback from employers. After identifying key issues in effective writing identified by scholars, we then present ten specific components of a model for improving business writing skills and explain how each of those components fits within a comprehensive program to improve business writing. We conclude this paper with a challenge to business faculty, department chairs, and deans to raise the bar by incorporating this ten-step model for the benefit of their own students and for those students’ future employers. Method: This is a conceptual paper that examines and integrates the academic literature with concepts related to improving business student graduate skills, particularly related to their ineffective writing abilities. Results: The paper identifies ten specific steps that can be applied as part of a holistic program to remediate ineffective student writing for business school students. Conclusion: Business schools have long been ineffective in preparing their graduates to write effectively. This ten-step model presents a resource to enable business faculty and administrators to honor their obligation to their students, future employers, and society.