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Terms in this set (78)
report
a written, factual account that objectively communicates information about some aspect of business
types of reports
- informational
- analytical
Informational reports
- offering information but no analysis or recommendation
- provide the information that employees, managers, and others need to make decisions, take action, and respond to dynamic conditions both inside and outside the organization
types of informational reports
- monitor and control
- implement policies and procedures
- demonstrate compliance
-document
progress
monitor and control reports
-plans
-business plans
-operating reports
-personal activity reports
plans
establish expectations and guidelines to direct future action
business plans
usually a combination of analytical and informational reports and proposals
operating reports
provide feedback on a variety of an organization's functions including sales, inventories, expenses, shipments, and so on
personal activity reports
provide information regarding an individual's experiences during a sales call, industry conference, market research trip, etc.
policy and procedure reports
-policy reports
-position papers
policy reports
range from brief descriptions of business procedures to manuals that run dozens or hundreds of pages
position papers
- sometimes called white papers or
backgrounders
- outline an organization's official position on issues that affect the company's success
compliance reports
from tax returns to describing the proper handling of hazardous materials
progress reports
supervisors ,investors, and customers frequently expect to be informed of the status of projects and other activities
organizing informational reports (topical)
- Comparison
- Importance
- Sequence
- Chronology
- Spatial orientation
- Geography
- Category
Analytical reports
- offering both information and analysis, and perhaps recommendation
- analyze a problem or an opportunity to see how it affects the company
and often recommend how the company should respond
types of analytical reports
- assess opportunities
- solve problems
- support decisions
assessing opportunities
ex.
- market analysis reports
- due diligence reports
market analysis reports
used to judge the likelihood of success for new products or sales
due diligence reports
examine the financial aspects of a proposed decision
solve problems
ex.
- troubleshooting reports
- failure analysis report
troubleshooting reports
when managers need to understand why something isn't working properly and what needs to be done to fix it
failure analysis report
studies events that happened in the past with the hope of learning how to avoid similar failures in the future
support decisions
ex.
- feasibility reports
- justification reports
feasibility reports
are called for when managers need to explore the ramification of a decision they're about to make
justification reports
explain a decision that has already been made
analytical report presenting challenges
- quality of reasoning
- quality of
writing
- responsibility that comes with persuasion
define the problem
- What needs to be determined?
- Why is this issue important?
- Who is involved in the situation?
- Where is the trouble located?
- How did the situation originate?
- When did it start?
Problem factoring
breaking down the perceived problem into a series of logical, connected questions that try to identify cause and effect
hypothesis
a potential explanation that needs to be tested
analytical structures
- Focusing on conclusions (direct)
- Focusing on recommendations (direct)
- Focusing on logical argument (indirect)
Focusing on conclusions (direct) structure
use when:
- You've been asked to perform an analysis.
- Your credibility with target readers is high
but be wary because:
- The audience might not accept your conclusion without seeing the analysis first
- It can create the impression that you've oversimplified the situation
Focusing on recommendations (direct) structure
1.
Establish the need for action in the introduction, generally by briefly describing the problem or opportunity.
2. Introduce the benefit that can be achieved, without providing any details.
3. List the actions needed to achieve the benefit, using action verbs for emphasis.
4. Explain each step more fully, giving details on procedures, costs, and benefits.
5. Summarize your recommendations
Focusing on logical argument (indirect) structure
- The 2+2=4 approach
- The yardstick approach
2+2=4 approach
convinces readers by demonstrating that everything adds up:
- Your main points are the reasons behind your conclusions and recommendations
- You support each reason with the evidence you collected during your analysis.
- generally the most persuasive and most efficient.
yardstick approach
sets criteria for evaluating multiple alternatives:
- The opening discusses the problem and establishes the criteria that define a good solution.
- The body evaluates each alternative in relation to the criteria
- The close summarizes the findings, indicates which solution(s) would be best, and makes recommendations about alternatives that meet all criteria
yardstick approach drawbacks
- Your audience needs to agree with the criteria you set up.
- This approach can get boring when you have many alternatives or many criteria to compare.
...
- be sensitive to audience needs
- Build strong relationships with your audience
- Control style and tone
audience sensitivity
Adopt the "you" attitude
Maintain a strong sense of etiquette
Emphasize the positive
Use bias-free language
informal tone
If you know your readers reasonably well and your report is likely to meet with their approval
formal tone
- Writing about controversial or complex topics.
- Addressing
audiences in business environments outside the United States.
Content requirements
- Accurate
- Complete
- Balanced
- Clear and logical
- Documented properly
Report Introduction accomplishments
- Puts the report or proposal in a broader context by tying it to a problem or an assignment
- Introduces the subject or
purpose and indicates why the subject is important
- Previews the main ideas and the order in which they'll be covered
- Establishes the tone of the document and the writer's relationship with the audience
report introduction pieces
- Authorization
- Problem/opportunity/purpose
- Scope
- Background
- Sources and methods
- Definitions
- Limitations
- Report organization
Report Body divisions
- Present, analyze, and interpret the information gathered during your investigation
- Support the recommendations or conclusions discussed in your document
topics commonly covered in a report body
- Explanations of a problem or opportunity
- Facts, statistical evidence, and trends
- Results of studies or
investigations
- Discussion and analyses of potential courses of action
- Advantages, disadvantages, costs, and benefits of a particular course of action
- Procedures and steps for a process
- Methods and approaches
- Criteria for evaluating alternatives and options
- Conclusions and recommendations (in direct reports)
- Supporting reasons for conclusions or recommendations
direct analytical report
-
State your conclusions or recommendations in the introduction
- Use the body to provide your evidence and support
indirect analytical report
- Use the body to discuss your logic
- Reserve your conclusions or recommendations until the very end
Report Close functions
- Emphasizes the main points of the message
-
Summarizes the benefits to the reader if the document suggests a change or some
other course of action
- Brings all the action items together in one place and gives the details about who
should do what, when, where, and how
closing reports
- Spell out exactly what should happen next (if your report is intended to lead to action)
- Include separate sections for conclusions, recommendations, and
actions (for long
reports)
- Number and list conclusions, recommendations, or actions (if you have several)
closing direct reports
- Summarize key points
- Briefly restate your conclusions or recommendations (if appropriate)
closing indirect reports
present your conclusions or recommendations for the first time
four tasks involved in completing
- Revising
- Producing
- Proofreading
- Distributing
Formal reports and proposals
- require an extra measure of polish and professionalism
- carefully select elements
- Carefully evaluate Organization, Style, Tone
make sure that content is
- In a logical order
- Responsive to audience needs
- Clear, concise, and compelling
When the text quality meets expected standards
produce the report by incorporating various design and support elements, which may include:
- Charts
- Illustrations
- Other visuals
- Any missing textual elements, such as previews and reviews
parts included in a report
depend on the type of report, its length, your audience's expectations and requirements, and your organization's preferences
component categories
Prefatory parts
Text of the report
Supplementary parts
Prefatory Parts
- front-end materials that provide key preliminary information so that readers can decide whether and how to read the report
Includes:
- cover
- title fly
- title page
- letter of authorization or acceptance
- letter of transmittal
- The table of contents
- The list of illustrations
- synopsis or The executive summary
cover
- Report title
- Writer's name (optional)
- Submission
date (optional)
-Many companies have standard covers for reports, made of heavy paper and imprinted with the company's name and logo
- should be concise and compelling while still communicating the essence of the subject
title fly
a single sheet of paper with only the title of the report on it
title page
includes four blocks of information:
- The title of the report
- Prepared or submitted to (name, title, address)
- prepared or submitted by (name, title, address)
- The date on which the report was submitted
letter of authorization
- used if there is written authorization to prepare a report
- usually only in most formal reports
letter of acceptance
- written in response to authorization, accepting the assignment and clarifying any conditions or limitations
- usually only in most formal reports
letter of transmittal
- a specialized form of cover letter that introduces your report to the audience
- style is sometimes less formal than the rest of the report
- If your readers are likely to be skeptical of something in your
report, the letter of transmittal is a good place to acknowledge their concerns and explain how the report addresses those issues
- if conveying sensitive information to selected audience members, you can opt to include in just those copies
- can follow direct or indirect approach
table of contents
an outline form of the information in the report showing the following:
- Coverage of topics
- Sequence
of information
- Relative importance
synopsis
- a brief overview (one page or less) of a report's most important points, designed to give readers a quick preview of the contents
- also called an abstract
- often included in long technical, professional, or academic reports
- can be informative or descriptive
informative synopsis
presents the main points of the report in the order in which they appear in the text
descriptive synopsis
tells what the report is about, using only slightly more detail than the table of contents
executive summary
a fully developed "mini" version of the report itself
text of a report
-introduction
-body
-close
introduction
- prepares your readers to follow and comprehend the information that follows
- tells them what the report is about, why they should be concerned, and how the report is organized
body
contains information that supports your conclusions and recommendations as well as your analysis, logic, and interpretation of the information
close
hould summarize main ideas, highlight conclusions or recommendations, and list any courses of action that you expect readers to take or that you will be taking yourself
Supplementary parts
follow the text of the report and provide information for readers who seek more detailed discussion
Include:
- appendix
- bibliography
- index
appendix
contains materials related to the report but not included in the text because they are too long or perhaps not relevant to everyone in the audience:
- Sample questionnaires and cover letters
- Sample forms
- Computer printouts,
- Statistical formulas,
- Financial
statements and spreadsheets
- Copies of important documents,
- Multipage illustrations
bibliography
a list of the secondary sources you consulted when preparing your report
index
an alphabetical list of names and subjects mentioned in a report, along with the pages on which they occur:
- Product and company
names
- Markets
- Technical concepts
- Important persons
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