The following six Mini Case Studies show how poor communications can have real world costs and consequences. In group, examine each Mini Case and answer the following questions for each case separately in your own words: 1. Define the rhetorical situation: Who is communicating to whom about what, how, and why? What was the goal of the communication in each case? 2. Identify the communication error (poor task or audience analysis? Use of inappropriate language or style? Poor organization or formatting of information? Other?) 3. Explain what costs/losses were incurred by this problem. 4. Identify possible solutions or strategies that would have prevented the problem, and what benefits would be derived from implementing solutions or preventing the problem. CASE 2: The unaccepted current regulator proposal The Acme Electric Company worked day and night to develop a new current regulator designed to cut the electric power consumption in aluminum plants by 35%. They knew that, although the competition was fierce, their regulator could be produced more cheaply, was more reliable, and worked more efficiently than the competitors' products. The owner, eager to capture the market, personally but somewhat hastily put together a 120-page proposal to the three major aluminum manufacturers, recommending that their regulators be installed at all company plants. She devoted the first 87 pages of the proposal to the mathematical theory and engineering design behind his new regulator, and the next 32 to descriptions of the new assembly line she planned to set up to produce regulators quickly. Buried in an appendix were the test results that compared her regulator's performance with present models, and a poorly drawn graph showed how much the dollar savings would be. Acme Electric didn't get the contracts, despite having the best product. Six months later, the company filed for bankruptcy