Preparing Informative and Influential Business Reports Chapter 11: Preparing Informative and Influential Business Reports © 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

Definition of a Business Report An orderly and objective communication of factual information that serves a business purpose. Orderly-prepared carefully Objective- unbiased Factual Information-Information based on statistics, data and events Business Purpose- To be classified as a business report it should serve a business purpose 11-2

Determine the Report Purpose Conduct a preliminary investigation. -Gather facts to better understand the problem. -Consult multiple sources 2. Create a clear problem/purpose statement. -Create a clear problem/purpose statement, preferably in writing. - To clearly understand the problem/purpose in your mind - To allow others to review it 11-3

State the Problem & Purpose The statement can take 3 forms Question: "What effects does radio advertising have on company X’s sales?" Infinitive phrase: "To measure the effects of radio advertising on X company sales" Declarative statement: "Company X wants to know how a radio advertising campaign will affect its sales.“ 11-4

Determine the Factors Find out the factors that have affected your purpose/caused the problem. There are 3 types of factors that we shall discuss 1 Subtopics: Subtopics of the overall topic about which the report is concerned. Used in informational and some analytical reports 2 Hypotheses: Possible explanations of the problem that have to be tested. Used in problem-solving situations. 11-5

Determine the Factors 3. Comparisons: Problems that include comparison between multiple elements. Bases of comparison used in evaluative reports. 11-6

Ex: Purpose & Subtopics Situation: As a general management practice, the Springfield store authorities want to look at store operations for a certain period. Purpose statement: To review operations of Springfield Stores from January 1 through March 31. Subtopics: Production Sales and promotion Financial status Product development Human resources 11-7

Ex: Problem & Hypotheses Situation: Sales has declined in Springfield stores in the previous quarter and the management is interested in finding out why. Problem statement: Why has sales at the Springfield stores declined in the last quarter? Hypotheses: Activities of the competing companies have caused the decline. Changes in the economy of the area have caused the decline. Company deficiencies have caused the decline. 11-8

Ex: Purpose & Comparison Bases Situation: Springfield wants to decide a new store location and they are considering 2 cities as their probable options. Purpose statement: Springfield wants to decide a new store location in City A or City B. Comparison bases: Availability of skilled workers Tax structure Transportation facilities Nearness to markets 11-9

Gather the Information Needed Secondary Library Online Journals Newspapers Articles Primary Interviews FGD Surveys Telephone Mail/Email Web surveys Company records (raw data) © 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part. 11-10

Statistical Tools for Data Analysis Statistical tools permit you to examine data There are many (Excel, Stata, Eviews, SPSS) Descriptive statistics Dispersion (Range, Variance, Standard Deviation) Ratios (Proportionate Relationship) Probability 11-11

Interpret the Findings Report the facts as they are. (don’t overstate/understate) Draw conclusions only when appropriate (there might be inconclusive results, if so just summarize your findings) Compare data that is comparable. (apples and apples not apples and oranges) Be sure the data used for research are reliable and representative. (Published papers and working papers) 11-12

Key points While Writing the Report The Beginning and the Ending of the report are critical parts. A good beginning . . . – states the subject of the report – reveals what kind of data it is based upon – indicates its likely significance to the reader A good ending . . . – summarizes, interprets, and recommends—depending on the report’s purpose. 11-13

Key points While Writing the Report Use smooth Transitions -When writing in groups make sure the different parts flow and make sense one after another. Be Consistent with Time (Past tense or Present tense) Avoid abstract writing 11-14

A Basic Blueprint Determine the Purpose Identify the Factors Gather the Information Interpret the Information Organize the Material Plan the Writing Assign Parts to be Written Write assigned Parts Revise Collaboratively Edit the Final Draft 11-15