Module 12–Persuasion, Research, Recommendation

****MY LOCATION IS NEWARK, NEW JERSEY!
Recommendation Report: A persuasive written report, in memo format, of 3-4 pages (750-1000 words), with at least 7 cited sources****

****All the completed sections of your Recommendation Report: Introduction, Body with 3 Critical Factors, Counter-Argument, Conclusion
A References page with at least 7 different sources, with complete publication information in APA style
At least 7 parenthetical citations in your report body that match the sources in your bibliography
At least one required image graphically showing data/statistics, inserted within the text****

Our final project, for the remainder of the term, focuses on persuasion. Here is the scenario that you will “role-play”:

Hello, fellow Amazon employees who work at the Seattle headquarters. This horrible coronavirus pandemic is an indescribable tragedy; however, we have to struggle on as quarantined and self-sheltering people are depending on us like never before. This pandemic is also forcing us to rethink our second headquarters.

As you know, we at Amazon conducted a nationwide search to open its second headquarters, initially narrowed its possible locations to twenty locations, and then chose TWO locations, Arlington, Virginia and New York City–before we changed our minds, backed out of NYC, and settled on the Northern Virginia (Arlington) location. You can refresh your memory on the process and see the initial final list of 20 at this surprisingly good Wikipedia page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_HQ2 (Links to an external site.)

Not surprisingly, this decision and reversal has caused much internal controversy, and many of us are not convinced we made the right choice, including our CEO, Jeff Bezos. He wants one final look at the alternatives; thus, our task is to make an argument for the other 19 choices (the original list of 20, but not including Arlington/Northern Virginia, but also revisiting New York City). To do so, each of you will pick one location, research how the location fits Amazon’s needs, and then try to persuade me that your location is the superior choice to Arlington/Northern Virginia. We already know that all of the locations meet the following criteria:

Metropolitan areas with a population of over 1 million
A stable and business-friendly environment
Within 30 miles (48 km) of a population center
Within 45 minutes of an international airport
Proximity to major highways and arterial roads 1–3 miles (2–5 km)
Access to mass transit routes
Up to 8 million square feet (740,000 m2) of office space for future expansion
Therefore, your task is to persuade me that your location is better than Arlington/Northern Virginia because it excels at some of these criteria, or that your location has other criteria that would also benefit Amazon. Here are some optional preferences that we outlined that you may consider:

airports with direct flights to Seattle, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.
urban locations
proximity to major universities