Transcript Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e

Chapter 12
Preparing To Write
Business Reports
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication:
Process and Product, 5e
Copyright © 2006
What Are Business Reports?
Business reports are systematic
attempts to answer questions and solve
problems. They include the following
activities.
Planning
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 2
What Are Business Reports?
Business reports are systematic
attempts to answer questions and solve
problems. They include the following
activities.
Planning
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 3
What Are Business Reports?
Business reports are systematic
attempts to answer questions and solve
problems. They include the following
activities.
Planning
Research
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 4
What Are Business Reports?
Business reports are systematic
attempts to answer questions and solve
problems. They include the following
activities.
Planning
Research
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 5
What Are Business Reports?
Business reports are systematic
attempts to answer questions and solve
problems. They include the following
activities.
Planning
Research
Organization
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 6
What Are Business Reports?
Business reports are systematic
attempts to answer questions and solve
problems. They include the following
activities.
Planning
Research
Organization
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 7
What Are Business Reports?
Business reports are systematic
attempts to answer questions and solve
problems. They include the following
activities.
Planning
Research
Organization
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 8
Presentation
Ten Truths About
Business Reports
1. Everyone writes reports.
2. Most reports flow upward.
3. Most reports are informal.
4. Three report formats (memo, letter,
and manuscript) are most common.
5. Reports differ from memos and
letters.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 9
Ten Truths About
Business Reports
6. Today’s reports are written on
computers.
7. Some reports are collaborative
efforts.
8. Ethical report writers interpret facts
fairly.
9. Organization is imposed on data.
10. The writer is the reader’s servant.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 10
Report Functions
• Informational reports
• Analytical reports
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 11
Report Formats
•
•
•
•
Letter format
Memo format
Manuscript format
Printed forms
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 12
Writing Style
• Formal
• Informal
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 13
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
are informed
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 14
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
are informed
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 15
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
are informed
Direct Pattern
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 16
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
are informed
Direct Pattern
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 17
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
are informed
Report
Direct Pattern
-----Main Idea --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 18
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
are supportive
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 19
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
are supportive
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 20
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
are supportive
Direct Pattern
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 21
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
are supportive
Direct Pattern
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 22
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
Report
If readers
are supportive
Direct Pattern
-----Main Idea --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 23
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
are eager to
have results first
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 24
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
are eager to
have results first
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 25
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
Direct Pattern
If readers
are eager to
have results first
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 26
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
Direct Pattern
If readers
are eager to
have results first
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 27
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
Report
Direct Pattern
If readers
are eager to
have results first
-----Main Idea --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 28
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
are informed
If readers
are supportive
If readers
are eager to
have results first
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 29
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
are informed
If readers
are supportive
If readers
are eager to
have results first
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 30
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
are informed
If readers
are supportive
Direct Pattern
If readers
are eager to
have results first
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 31
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
are informed
If readers
are supportive
Direct Pattern
If readers
are eager to
have results first
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 32
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
are informed
If readers
are supportive
Report
Direct Pattern
If readers
are eager to
have results first
-----Main Idea --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 33
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 34
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 35
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated
Indirect Pattern
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 36
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated
Indirect Pattern
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 37
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated
Report
Indirect Pattern
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Main Idea ----
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 38
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
need to be
persuaded
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 39
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
need to be
persuaded
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 40
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
need to be
persuaded
Indirect Pattern
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 41
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
need to be
persuaded
Indirect Pattern
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 42
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
Report
If readers
need to be
persuaded
Indirect Pattern
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Main Idea ----
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 43
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 44
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 45
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
Indirect Pattern
If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 46
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
Indirect Pattern
If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 47
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
Report
Indirect Pattern
If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Main Idea ----
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 48
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated
If readers
need to be
persuaded
If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 49
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated
If readers
need to be
persuaded
If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 50
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated
If readers
need to be
persuaded
Indirect Pattern
If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 51
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated
If readers
need to be
persuaded
Indirect Pattern
If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 52
Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated
If readers
need to be
persuaded
Report
Indirect Pattern
If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Main Idea ----
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 53
Applying the Writing Process
to Reports
Analyze the problem and purpose.
Anticipate the audience and issues.
Prepare a work plan.
Implement your research strategy.
Organize, analyze, interpret, illustrate
the data.
Step 6 Compose the first draft.
Step 7 Revise, proofread, and evaluate.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 54
Work Plan for a Formal
Report
• Statement of problem
• Statement of purpose
• Sources and methods of data
collection
• Tentative outline
• Work schedule
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 55
Researching Report Data
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 56
Researching Report Data
• Locating secondary print data
• Books – card catalog, online catalog
• Periodicals – print indexes, CD-ROM indexes
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 57
Researching Report Data
• Locating secondary electronic data
• Electronic databases
• The Internet
• World Wide Web search tools
Google
Ask Jeeves
MSN search
Yahoo!
• Evaluating Web sources
How current is the information?
How credible is the author or source?
What is the purpose of the site?
Do the facts seem reliable?
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 58
Researching Report Data
• Tips for searching the Web
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Use two or three search tools.
Understand case sensitivity.
Prefer uncommon words.
Omit articles and prepositions.
Use wild cards.
Know your search tool.
Learn basic Boolean search strategies.
Bookmark the best pages.
Be persistent.
Repeat your search a week later.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 59
Researching Report Data
• Researching primary data
•
•
•
•
Surveys
Interviews
Observation
Experimentation
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 60
Illustrating Report Data
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 61
Illustrating Report Data
• Functions of graphics
• To clarify data
• To condense and simplify data
• To emphasize data
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 62
Illustrating Report Data
• Forms and objectives of graphics
• Table
To show exact figures and values
Class
Agree
Disagree
Undecided
Seniors
738
123
54
Juniors
345
34
76
Sophomores
123
234
78
Freshmen
45
567
123
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 63
Illustrating Report Data
• Forms and objectives of graphics
• Bar chart
To compare one item with others
48
47
46
45
Enrollees
44
43
42
1st Qtr
2nd Qtr
3rd Qtr
4th Qtr
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 64
Illustrating Report Data
• Forms and objectives of graphics
• Line chart
To demonstrate changes in quantitative data over time
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Net ($M)
Gross ($M)
2001
2002
2003
2004
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 65
Illustrating Report Data
• Forms and objectives of graphics
• Pie graph
To visualize a whole unit and the proportion of its
components
Disagree
28%
Strongly
Disagree
38%
Agree
13%
Strongly
Agree
18%
No
Opinion
3%
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 66
Illustrating Report Data
• Forms and objectives of graphics
• Flow chart
To display a process or procedure
Receive
Test
Repair
Re-box
Re-stock
Floor
Shelves
Ship
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 67
Illustrating Report Data
• Forms and objectives of graphics
• Organization chart
To define a hierarchy of elements
Charles Eubank
President
William Dixon
Joan Williams
Wayne Lu
Vice President
Sales
Vice President
Design
Vice President
Production
Clarice Brown
John Deleuze
George LaPorte
Manager
Manager
Foreman
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 68
Illustrating Report Data
• Forms and objectives of graphics
• Photograph, map, illustration
To create authenticity, to spotlight a location, and to
show an item in use
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 69
Pie Graph
2006 MPM INCOME BY DIVISION
DVDs & Videos
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 70
Pie Graph
• Use pie graphs to show a whole and
the proportion of its components.
• Generally begin at the 12 o’clock
position, drawing the largest wedge
first. Computer software programs,
however, may vary in placement of
wedges.
• Include, if possible, the actual
percentage or absolute value for
each wedge.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 71
Pie Graph
• Use four to eight segments for best
results; if necessary, group small
portions into one wedge called
“Other.”
• Distinguish wedges with color,
shading, or crosshatching.
• Keep all labels horizontal.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 72
Vertical Bar Chart
Figure 1
2006 MPM INCOME BY DIVISION
Scale
value
Figure number
Figure title
Millions of Dollars
40
$32.2
30
$24.3
$22.0
20
10
0
Theme
Parks
Motion
Pictures
Videos
Source: Industry Profiles (New York: DataPro, 2002), 225.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 73
Scale captions
Source note
Bar Charts
• Bar charts make visual comparisons.
They can compare related items,
illustrate changes in data over time,
and show segments as parts of
wholes.
• Bar charts may be vertical,
horizontal, grouped, or segmented.
Avoid showing too much
information, thus producing clutter
and confusion.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 74
Bar Charts
• The length of each bar and segment
should be proportional.
• Dollar or percentage amounts should
start at zero.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 75
Documenting Data
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 76
Documenting Data
• Reasons for crediting sources
• Strengthens your argument
• Gives you protection
• Instructs readers
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 77
Documenting Data
• Learning what to document
• Another person's ideas, opinions, examples, or
theory
• Any facts, statistics, graphs, and drawings that
are not common knowledge
• Quotations of another person's actual spoken
or written words
• Paraphrases of another person's spoken or
written words
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 78
Documenting Data
• Manual notetaking suggestions
• Record all major ideas from various sources
on separate note cards.
• Include all publication data along with precise
quotations.
• Consider using one card color for direct quotes
and a different color for your paraphrases and
summaries.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 79
Documenting Data
• Electronic notetaking suggestions
• Begin your research by setting up a folder on
your hard-drive that will contain your data.
• Create separate subfolders for major topics,
such as Introduction, Body, and Closing.
• When on the Web or in electronic databases
you find information you may be able to use,
highlight (i.e., drag with your mouse) the
passages you want to save, copy them (using
control-c), paste them (using control-v) into
documents that you will save in appropriate
subfolders.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 80
Documenting Data
• Be sure to include all publication data.
• Consider archiving on a Zip disk the Web
pages or articles used in your research in case
the data must later be verified.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 81
Documenting Data
• Learn to paraphrase
• Read the original material carefully so that you
can comprehend its full meaning.
• Write your own version without looking at the
original.
• Do not repeat the grammatical structure of the
original, and do not merely replace words of
the original with synonyms.
• Reread the original to be sure you covered the
main points but did not borrow specific
language.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 82
Documenting Data
• Two Documentation Formats
• Modern Language Association
Author’s name and page (Smith 100) placed in text; complete
references in “Works Cited.”
• American Psychological Association
Author’s name, date of publication, and page number placed
near text reference (Jones, 2000, p. 99). Complete references
listed at end of report.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 83
End
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 84