| Course | BUSI 300 Business Communications (BUSI300) |
|---|---|
| Module/Week | 7 |
| Assignment | PowerPoint Presentation |
| Paper type | PowerPoint training presentation with speaker notes |
| Length | about 1,083 words, 4 double-spaced pages plus title page and references. Course guide: a PowerPoint presentation of at least 15 content slides on an aspect of professional communication that could be used in a business training session, citing at least 5 credible sources in current APA format |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| Points | 150 |
| School | Liberty University Online |
| Program | BS in Business Administration |
| Where it sits | Module/Week 7 in Liberty's published BUSI 300 course guide; current sections can differ |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for BUSI 300 Week 7
Delivering Bad News at Work: A Training Session for New Supervisors
[Student Name]
School of Business, Liberty University
BUSI 300: Business Communications
PowerPoint Presentation
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The training scenario and the company are composites; the textbook and research cited are real.
Delivering Bad News at Work: A Training Session for New Supervisors
Slide 1: Delivering Bad News at Work
- Training session for new supervisors
- 45 minutes, with a practice scenario
Speaker notes: Welcome. Every one of you was promoted because you are good at your work. Now part of your work is telling people things they do not want to hear: a denied vacation request, a schedule change, a failed promotion and, occasionally, a layoff. This session gives you a method grounded in our business communication text and in research on how people react to bad news.
Slide 2: Why Bad News Is Hard
- Supervisors fear conflict and blame
- Employees fear loss and unfairness
- Both sides remember the conversation for years
Speaker notes: Bad news is hard on both sides. Supervisors worry about anger and about being blamed; employees worry about what they are losing and whether they were treated fairly. Bies (2013) describes the delivery of bad news as a moment that shapes trust long after the news itself, which is why how we deliver it matters as much as what we deliver.
Slide 3: What Is at Stake
- Trust in you and in the company
- Retention of the people who stay
- Legal and reputational risk
Speaker notes: Poorly delivered bad news can cost the company good employees who were not even affected, because coworkers watch how others are treated. It can also invite complaints and lawsuits. Well-delivered bad news, by contrast, preserves trust even when the outcome is painful.
Slide 4: Outcome and Process Are Separate
- The outcome may be unavoidable
- The process is in your control
- Fair process softens unfavorable outcomes
Speaker notes: Brockner and Wiesenfeld (1996) reviewed many studies and found a consistent interaction: when outcomes are unfavorable, the fairness of the process matters most to how people react. You often cannot change the decision, but you can control how it is made known and how the person is treated.
Slide 5: The Indirect Plan
- Open with a neutral, relevant buffer
- Explain the reasons clearly
- State the bad news plainly
- Offer alternatives, then close positively
Speaker notes: Lehman et al. (2018) recommend an indirect plan for most bad-news messages. A brief, sincere opening prepares the listener, the reasons come before the decision so the decision makes sense, the news itself is stated clearly rather than hidden, and the close looks forward. For urgent or very serious news, a more direct approach can be better, and we will discuss that.
Slide 6: Explanations Change Reactions
- Specific reasons, not vague references to policy
- Sincere tone and real regret
- Delivered in time, before rumors
Speaker notes: Shapiro et al. (1994) studied what makes an explanation seem adequate and found that specific, reasonable explanations delivered sincerely were judged more adequate and reduced negative reactions. "Corporate decided" is not an explanation. Tell people what you can about why.
Slide 7: A Field Study of a Pay Cut
- Two plants, same temporary pay cut
- One explanation thorough and caring
- Theft rose far less at that plant
Speaker notes: In a classic field study, Greenberg (1990) followed factories where wages were cut for ten weeks. Employee theft rose during the cut, but at the plant where managers explained the reasons fully and expressed genuine regret, theft rose much less than at the plant given a brief explanation. The same bad news, explained with care, produced a measurably different response.
Slide 8: The Distancing Trap
- Managers tend to avoid people they must hurt
- Shorter meetings, less warmth
- Employees read distance as disrespect
Speaker notes: Folger and Skarlicki (1998) found that managers who felt responsible for layoffs tended to distance themselves from the people affected, spending less time with them. It is a natural response to discomfort, but employees experience it as coldness. Plan enough time, and stay present.
Slide 9: A Six-Step Conversation
- Setting, perception, invitation
- Knowledge, emotions, strategy
- Borrowed from how physicians give hard news
Speaker notes: Medicine has studied hard conversations closely. Baile et al. (2000) developed a six-step protocol known as SPIKES for physicians delivering bad news. We adapt it for the workplace: arrange a private setting, find out what the person already knows, ask how much detail they want, share the information clearly, respond to emotions and agree on next steps.
Slide 10: Before the Conversation
- Confirm the facts and the decision
- Know what support is available
- Choose a private place and enough time
Speaker notes: Preparation prevents most mistakes. Make sure the decision is final and you understand it, find out what alternatives or resources you can offer, such as a transfer or benefits information, and book a private room for longer than you think you need.
Slide 11: During the Conversation
- State the news within the first few minutes
- Use plain words, not euphemisms
- Pause and listen
Speaker notes: Do not make the person wait through small talk when they can sense bad news coming. Say it clearly, in plain language. Then stop talking. Silence feels uncomfortable, but it gives the person time to absorb what was said, and what they say next tells you what they need.
Slide 12: Responding to Emotion
- Acknowledge feelings without arguing
- Do not debate the decision
- Offer specific next steps
Speaker notes: People may react with anger, tears or silence. Acknowledge the reaction, for example, "I can see this is upsetting." Avoid defending the decision point by point, which turns the conversation into a debate. Instead, move toward what happens next and what support is available.
Slide 13: Practice Scenario
- Ana requested two weeks off in December
- Request denied: peak season staffing
- Ana has worked here six years
Speaker notes: Let's practice. Ana, a six-year employee, requested two weeks off during our December peak. The request has to be denied because of staffing. Take five minutes with a partner and plan the conversation using the indirect plan and the six steps.
Slide 14: One Way to Handle It
- Buffer: appreciation for six years of reliability
- Reason: peak staffing at minimum levels
- News: "I can't approve the full two weeks"
- Alternative: one week in December or two in January
Speaker notes: Here is one approach. Open by recognizing Ana's record, explain the staffing constraint specifically, state the decision plainly and offer real alternatives you have confirmed in advance. End by asking which alternative works best, which gives Ana some control over the outcome.
Slide 15: Your Checklist
- Facts confirmed and alternatives ready
- Private setting, enough time
- Clear statement, specific reasons
- Listen, acknowledge, plan next steps
- Follow up in writing
Speaker notes: Keep this checklist for your first few difficult conversations. The written follow-up matters, because people often do not remember details after hearing bad news. A short, respectful email that confirms what was decided and what happens next prevents misunderstandings.
Slide 16: Summary
- You may not control the outcome
- You do control the process and the respect
- Prepare, explain, listen and follow up
Speaker notes: The research and our textbook agree: fair process, sincere explanation and personal presence make bad news easier to accept and protect trust in you and the company. Thank you. Let's take questions.
References
Baile, W. F., Buckman, R., Lenzi, R., Glober, G., Beale, E. A., & Kudelka, A. P. (2000). SPIKES: A six-step protocol for delivering bad news: Application to the patient with cancer. The Oncologist, 5(4), 302-311. https://doi.org/10.1634/theoncologist.5-4-302
Bies, R. J. (2013). The delivery of bad news in organizations: A framework for analysis. Journal of Management, 39(1), 136-162. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206312461053
Brockner, J., & Wiesenfeld, B. M. (1996). An integrative framework for explaining reactions to decisions: Interactive effects of outcomes and procedures. Psychological Bulletin, 120(2), 189-208. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.120.2.189
Folger, R., & Skarlicki, D. P. (1998). When tough times make tough bosses: Managerial distancing as a function of layoff blame. Academy of Management Journal, 41(1), 79-87. https://doi.org/10.2307/256899
Greenberg, J. (1990). Employee theft as a reaction to underpayment inequity: The hidden cost of pay cuts. Journal of Applied Psychology, 75(5), 561-568. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.75.5.561
Lehman, C. M., DuFrene, D. D., & Walker, R. (2018). BCOM (9th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Shapiro, D. L., Buttner, E. H., & Barry, B. (1994). Explanations: What factors enhance their perceived adequacy? Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 58(3), 346-368. https://doi.org/10.1006/obhd.1994.1041
What the BUSI 300 Week 7 instructions ask
The PowerPoint Presentation is the largest single assignment in BUSI 300, worth 150 points and due in Module/Week 7, when students read chapters 12 through 14 of Lehman et al. on business presentations, résumés and application messages, and interviewing, with three presentations. Using Microsoft PowerPoint, the student develops a presentation on some aspect of professional communication that could be used during a business training session. It must contain at least 15 content slides and cite at least five credible sources in current APA format. The posted instructions and rubric give the complete requirements, including expectations for design and for the reference slide.
How this BUSI 300 Week 7 example is built
The sample is built as a real training session. A title slide sets the audience and purpose, and the first content slides explain why bad news is hard to deliver and what is at stake. The middle section teaches a method: the textbook's indirect plan, the research on fair process and explanations, and a six-step conversation protocol. A slide on managerial distancing warns about a common failure. Two slides apply the method to a practice scenario, and the last content slides give a checklist and a summary. Bullets on the slides stay brief while the notes do the teaching, and citations sit on the slide where each study appears.
BUSI 300 Week 7 grading rubric: where the points go
The rubric weighs content, sources and design. Content should address a real aspect of professional communication in a way a business could use for training, with accurate explanations and practical guidance. At least 15 content slides and five credible sources, cited in current APA format, are required. Design matters in a course that teaches presentations: slides should be readable, uncluttered and consistent, with detail moved to speaker notes rather than crowded onto the slide. Presentations that read like an essay pasted onto slides, that fall short of 15 content slides or that cite sources without listing them lose points. Notes written as a supervisor would actually say them prove the deck could run a real session.
BUSI 300 Week 7 help: mistakes that cost points
Choose a communication topic narrow enough to teach in one session, such as delivering bad news, running meetings or writing effective emails, and define the audience. Outline the session before opening PowerPoint: why the topic matters, the method, examples, practice and a summary. Follow BCOM's chapter 12 advice on visuals: a headline, a handful of short bullets and the talking in the notes. Use the textbook's guidance on presentations for design. Find five credible sources early, cite them on the slides where they support a point and list them on a reference slide. Rehearse with the notes to check that the session flows. Test readability by viewing each slide from across the room.
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BUSI 300 Week 7 questions, answered
What is the BUSI 300 PowerPoint Presentation?
The 150-point assignment due in Module/Week 7: a PowerPoint of at least 15 content slides on an aspect of professional communication for a business training session, citing at least five credible sources.
Where can I find a free BUSI 300 Week 7 sample paper?
This page shows a complete BUSI 300 Week 7 PowerPoint, a supervisor training session on delivering bad news, with speaker notes and sources.
How should bad news be delivered at work?
Texts recommend an indirect plan: a neutral opening, a clear and sincere explanation, the bad news stated plainly, any alternatives available and a respectful, forward-looking close.
Why does explaining a decision matter when the news is bad?
Research shows that a sincere, adequate explanation and a fair process reduce resentment; in one study, a pay cut explained with care produced less employee theft.
What else is due in BUSI 300 Module/Week 7?
Only the presentation is graded, alongside chapters 12 through 14 of Lehman et al. and three presentations; Quiz 4 and Test 4 follow in Module/Week 8.
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