Final answer:
In business writing, failure to properly quote and document external sources is called plagiarism, which is a serious violation of ethical writing practices and can have severe consequences.
Step-by-step explanation:
In business writing, neglecting to quote and document material written by people outside the organization is a serious ethical breach known as plagiarism. Plagiarism can occur in various forms, such as copying a passage from an Internet site and failing to provide quotation marks or proper author attribution. This misstep can make it difficult for readers to differentiate between the student's original ideas and the sourced content, leading to confusion and possible misrepresentation.
Moreover, plagiarism undermines the integrity of the work which may result in serious consequences like expulsion from school or termination from employment.
Another aspect of business writing impacted by improper citation is the tone and language choices. Maintaining a professional tone and being fair and accurate in one's articulation of ideas is vital. Attempting to cite sources but doing so incorrectly can lead to lack of clarity on where information originated, further complicating the writer's credibility