Tips: The Faux Pas Case

If you're finding the Faux Pas Case a little baffling, you're probably not alone. It's a complicated situation for a writer. In addition, as I reviewed the learning module and the textbook this morning, I found the assignment to be a bit confusing.

Thus, I offer these clarifications and tips.

1. What are you supposed to produce? A letter of apology to Madame Jeaneaux AND a memo to Nestor explaining why he needs to sign the letter of apology. You do NOT have to write the internal report memo to Phillips. You do not have to write a Project Assessment memo. In short, what you will turn in for a grade are items 4 and 5 on the Exercises list on page 159 in the textbook. If you wish, you may do Item 3 the internal report in memo form to the CEO for extra credit.
2. Aids to developing your draft. Even though you will not turn in for a grade items 1-3 on page 159, working your way through them will help you do a better job of solving the problem. Item 1 highlights the need to do research; you don't have to write the internal report called for in Item 2 but thinking about what you would say in an internal report will help you get a handle on the content for the Jeaneaux letter and your approach in the Nestor memo. The planning worksheet in the course module helps step you through some of the issues identified in Item 3. Ignore Item 6 altogether.
3. Sources of information. All of the information you need about the incident itself can be gleaned from the initial case description on pages 153-155 (up to the point at which lunch concludes). If you triangulate that information with the complaints lodged by Madame Jeaneaux in her letter, you can identify some areas where you may need to do some research.You need to look for sources that explain why particular parts of the lunch meeting caused problems; the web is full of resources on cross-cultural communication problems in business settings.
4. The letter to Jeaneaux should include a clear apology but emphasize the positives. It must be written from Nestor's point of view on behalf of the company. You may choose whether the letter will be written and signed by Nestor alone (with references to you) or be written and signed as if it were from both of you (with Nestor as the first signatory). If you opt for the first approach, then the letter should be written using "I" when referring to Nestor, your last name or "my assistant" when referring to you, and "we" or "Bellcom" when referring to the company. If you opt for the second option, the letter should be written using "we" to refer to you and Bill collectively, your individual names to refer to either of you individually, and "Bellcom" to refer to the company. You might find some of these resources helpful.
   Emphasizing positives
   Tone in business letters
   Sample letter of apology
   Another sample
5. The memo to Nestor in which you explain why you can't sign his letter and then convince him to sign the letter you wrote is the most challenging part of this assignment. You need to pay careful attention to your tone and stay keenly aware of the power differentials that are coming into play. Your goal with this memo is to preserve the following relationships: 1) your relationship with Bill, 2) your relationship with Phillips; 3) Bill's relationship with Phillips, and 4) your family's relationship with Bill. That's a lot to pull off in a memo where you're telling somebody older, more powerful and in a position of authority over you (to whom you are indebted for your job) that they were in the wrong originally and that their letter is making a bad situation worse. This memo should use "I/you" or "we" language appropriately. Oh, and you can assume that Phillips can see anything you write at anytime, so don't badmouth the big boss.