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©2007 by the McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

10

The Business of Reports: Informal and Formal Report Writing

©2007 by the McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

McGraw­Hill/Irwin

The Business of Reports

• What Is a Report?

◦

oral presentation or written business document that provides information, requests funding or approval, analyzes company or market data, or makes recommendations for innovation and change

3

 Report

The Business of Reports

• Styles of Reports

◦

usually brief and use personal pronouns (I, we, and you) and a direct style

 Informal reports

◦

long and are constructed in a prescribed format

4

 Formal reports

Purposes of Reports

 Provide information

 Analyze data and information

 Persuade

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Purposes of Reports

• Provide Information

◦

provide objective statistical data or facts. Analysis of the data is usually not included

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 Informational reports

Purposes of Reports

• Provide Information (continued)

Types of informational reports:

 Memos

 Progress or interim reports

 Compliance reports

 Annual reports

 Policy and procedure reports

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 Minutes

Purposes of Reports

• Writing an Annual Report

• Components of Annual Reports

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1. yearly financial highlights 2. letter from the president/CEO 3. short- and long-term goals 4. management discussion and analysis 5. financial statement 6. stock price 7. information about officers and directors 8. summary

Purposes of Reports

• Sample Annual Report

• Analyze or Justify

◦

offer interpretations of information or solutions to problems

 Analytical reports

◦

offer support for an action or determine the potential benefit of an action based on a series of reasons

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 Justification reports

Purposes of Reports

• Analyze or Justify (continued)

◦

type of justification report that includes detailed research, analysis, and a judgment on the potential success or failure of an action

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 Feasibility study

Purposes of Reports

• Writing a Justification Report

1. -Identify as information investigator & gatherer

-Write brief statement of the problem or need

2. Provide brief history or describe problem

3. State recommendations, solutions, or actions

4. Describe benefits

• Sample Justification Report

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5. Brief summary emphasizing primary benefits

Purposes of Reports

• Writing a Feasibility Report

1. Give purpose of report & any decision made 2. -Discuss background of issue or problem

-Provide history & findings -State recommendations, solutions, or actions

• Sample Feasibility Report

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3. Describe benefits 4. Specify any problems or disadvantages 5. State costs that may be incurred & time frames 6. Close with brief summary

Purposes of Reports

• Persuade and Propose

◦

propose, request, or recommend specific actions or problem solutions

 Persuasive reports

◦

comprehensive report that defines and describes all the components of a business, including its feasibility, profitability, and marketing environment

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 Business plan

Purposes of Reports

• Persuade and Propose (continued)

◦

persuasive written report that offers to provide a service, sell a product, or provide a solution to a problem or need

 Proposal

◦

submitted at the request of a potential funder

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 Solicited formal proposals

Purposes of Reports

• Persuade and Propose (continued)

◦

business, government agency, or private foundation that will approve or finance a project

 Funder

◦

submitted to a government agency, company, or individual without having been requested or invited

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 Unsolicited formal proposals

Purposes of Reports

• What Are the Differences between Reports

and Proposals?

provide information, analysis, or recommendations used to solve problems

- - - monitor or document progress - -

clarify or implement policies or procedures guide change, direction, or decisions

◊ Reports

- -

request funding or acceptance in exchange for work to be performed

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◊ Proposals

Organizing Reports

• Determine the Mission

Ineffective problem/mission statement

 Productivity is down because employee morale

is low

 Changes in the market make this a good time

to invest in real estate

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 Meadowvale Health Clinic requires additional funding to maintain its current level of service

Organizing Reports

• Evaluate Your Audience

Key info for fund raiser proposal:

 Funding organization

 Type of funder

 Financials

 Organization purpose and activities

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 Fields of interest

Organizing Reports

• Evaluate Your Audience (continued)

Key info for fund raiser proposal (continued):

 Types of support

 Limitations

 Application information

 Organization personnel

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 Funding activity

Organizing Reports

• Select a Report Structure

• Format the Report

Primary report formats:

 Manuscript

 Memo

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 Letter

Organizing Reports

• Format the Report (continued)

Writing reports:

 Use positive language

 Use appropriate graphics

 Be honest

 Be original

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 Be specific

Organizing Reports

• Establish the Scope of Information

◦

the range of issues it addresses

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 Scope of the report

Organizing Reports

• Assign Tasks and Collaborate

Parts of a workplan:

 Mission statement

 Plan of investigation

 Projection of results

 Proposed outline

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 Task and assignment schedule

Conduct Research and Collect Data

• Complexity of the Problem

Basic types of data to collect

– Quantitative

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– Qualitative

Types of Problems

• Creative Problems

• Pattern Problems

• Solving Complex Problems

• Solving Creative Problems

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Primary Data Collection Methods

• Surveys

• Experiments

• Observation

•

Interviews

• Solving Pattern Problems

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Primary Data Collection Methods

• Secondary Data Collection Methods

 Library

 Internet search engines

 Books

 Specific databases

 Authoritative websites

 Journal articles

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 Popular publications

Primary Data Collection Methods

• Analyzing and Interpreting Your Data

• Using and Applying Your Research

• Tone and Point of View in Report/Proposal

Writing

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Primary Data Collection Methods

• Practice Report Design

 Determine the report goal

 Evaluate the audience

 Conduct research

 Write the report

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 Check for design flaws

Questions

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