Short Informal Report (Collaborative)
Justification/Recommendation Report (qtd. and modified from Guffey & Loewy, 2013, pp. 272)

Developing an Organizational Media Policy
As a manager in a midsized insurance firm, you are aware that members of your department frequently use email, social networking sites, instant messaging, and web browsing for private messages, shopping, and games. In addition to the strain on computer facilities, you worry about declining productivity, security problems, and liability issues. Although workplace privacy is a controversial issue for unions and employee rights groups, employers have legitimate reasons for wanting to know what is happening on their computers or during the time they are paying their employees to work. A high percentage of lawsuits involve the use and abuse of email or other social media. You have voiced your concerns informally with another manager, who agreed with your concerns. You both think that the executive council should establish some kind of email, web use, and social media policy. The council is generally receptive to sound suggestions, especially if they are inexpensive. At present, no explicit media use policy exists, and you both fear that the executive council is not fully aware of the dangers. Together, you decide to write a justification/recommendation report discussing social media policies for similar companies so that the executive council understands the issue more fully.

Your Task
With your partner, using the web and electronic databases, find information about other firms’ adoption of such policies. Look for examples of companies struggling with lawsuits over abuse of technology on the job. In your report, consider the types of media use that might be covered in your company’s social media policy. Should you describe suitable policies? Should you recommend computer monitoring and