Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Basic Report Categories InformationalAnalyticalProposals Data and Facts Feedback Information Analysis Recommendations Persuasion Internal External

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter The Three-Step Process Analyze Situation Gather Information Select Medium Get Organized Revise Produce Proofread Distribute Adapt to the Audience Compose the Message PlanningCompletingWriting When writing reports, pay special attention to analysis tasks such as Developing the statement of purpose (explains why you are preparing the report). Preparing a work plan.

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Analyze the Situation To Inform To Identify To Analyze Determine Tasks Create Outline Set Schedule State PurposePrepare Work Plan A carefully thought-out work plan insures that you make the best use of your time. A work plan for yourself may include a simple list of steps you plan to take. If you’re working on a more detailed project with others, the work plan should be more detailed.

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Gather the Information PrioritiesPriorities AudienceAudience PurposePurpose

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Select the Medium DigitalFormatMediaRequirementsMediaRequirementsDocumentUsesDocumentUsesFeedbackPreferencesFeedbackPreferencesSubjectMatterSubjectMatter HardcopyFormat Audience Members Many reports and proposals have specific requirements and you may not have a choice in selecting your medium. Consider how your audience wants to provide feedback on your report or proposal. Decide if people need to search through your document frequently or update it in the future. Bear in mind that your choice of media also sends a message.

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Organize the Information Direct Approach Indirect Approach The direct approach Is the most popular and most convenient for business reports. Saves time and makes the rest of the report easier to follow. Produces a more forceful document. Use the indirect approach when You are a junior member of a status-conscious organization Your audience is skeptical or hostile

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Support Your Messages 1.Plan your research 2.Locate data and information 3.Process the data and information 4.Apply your findings 5.Manage information efficiently

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Plan Your Research Develop a Problem Statement Generate Research Questions Identify Information Needs Prioritize

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Ethics and Research Keep an open mind Respect privacy of participants Do not mislead people Document and credit sources Respect intellectual property rights Observe research etiquette

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Data and Information PrimaryResearchPrimaryResearchSecondaryResearchSecondaryResearch

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Evaluating Sources Honesty and Reliability Potential Bias Purpose of Material Author’s Credibility

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Evaluating Sources Source’s Information Independent Verification Timely and Complete Careful Scrutiny

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Secondary Research Inside CompanyOutside Company Reports and Memos Other Documents Print Resources Online Resources

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Finding Information at the Library NewspapersNewspapersPeriodicalsPeriodicalsBusinessBooksBusinessBooksDirectoriesDirectories AlmanacsAlmanacsStatisticalResourcesStatisticalResourcesGovernmentPublicationsGovernmentPublicationsElectronicDatabasesElectronicDatabases Almanacs and statistical sources give facts and statistics about countries, politics, the labor force, and so on.

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Internet Search Tools Search Engines WebDirectoriesWebDirectoriesOnlineDatabasesOnlineDatabasesMetasearchEnginesMetasearchEngines Meta search engines are search engines that search other search engines

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Search Techniques Keyword Searches Boolean Operators Natural Language Forms-Based Searches

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Fine Tune Search Methods Read the instructions Observe the details Review your options Vary the search terms Adjust the search scope

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Innovative Search Methods Newsfeed Subscriptions Desktop Search Engines Research Managers Social Bookmarking Sites Enterprise Search Engines Content Managers

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Documenting Sources Credit Sources Credit Sources Build Credibility Build Credibility Help Readers Help Readers Direct Quotations Common Knowledge Summarizing Paraphrasing

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Primary Research Experiments Observations InterviewsSurveys

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Conducting Surveys Easy-to-Analyze Questions Avoid Leading Questions No Ambiguous Questions No Compound Questions Validity and Reliability Clear Instructions Easy-to-Answer Questions Short Questionnaires

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Internet Surveys Save Time Minimize Cost

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Conducting Interviews Select QuestionsAsk Questions Open-Ended Closed Sequencing Methodology

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Using Research Results Avoid Plagiarism Summarizing Paraphrasing Quoting Cite Sources Observe Context

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Apply Research Results Drawing Good Conclusions Making Feasible Recommendations

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Planning Informational Reports Monitor and Control Operations Monitor and Control Operations DemonstrateComplianceDemonstrateCompliance Implement Policies and Procedures Implement Policies and Procedures Report Progress Reports to monitor and control operations Plans establish expectations and guidelines to direct future action. Business plans summarize a proposed business venture and communicate the company’s goals and plans for each major functional area. Operating reports provide feedback regarding sales, inventories, expenses, shipments, and so on. Personal activity reports provide information regarding an individual’s experiences during sales calls, industry conferences, and other activities. Reports to implement policy and procedures Policy reports range from brief descriptions of business procedures to manuals that run dozens or hundreds of pages. Position papers outline an organization’s official position on issues that affect a company’s success Reports to demonstrate compliance Compliance reports are annual reports such as tax returns to reports that describe the proper handling of hazardous materials. Reports to document progress Progress reports range from simple updates in memo form to comprehensive status reports.

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Organizing Informational Reports Comparison Chronology ImportanceSequence GeographyCategory

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Organizing Website Content Demanding Readers Reading Challenges Non-Linear Format Multidimensional Medium

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Information Architecture Site Navigation Reader Control Information “Chunks”

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Planning Analytical Reports Assess Opportunities Solve Problems Support Decisions Market Analysis Due Diligence Troubleshooting Failure Analysis Feasibility Justification Reports to assess opportunities Market analysis reports are used to judge the likelihood of success for new products or sales. Due Diligence reports examine the financial aspects of a proposed decisions, such as acquiring another company. Reports to solve problems Troubleshooting and Failure Analysis reports are written when individuals need to understand why something isn’t working properly and how to fix it. Failure analysis reports study events that happened in the past, with the hope of learning how to avoid similar failures in the future. Reports to support decisions Feasibility reports are written to explore the potential ramifications of a decision that managers are considering. Justification reports are written to explain decisions that have already been made.

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Challenges of Analytical Reports PersuasionPersuasion ResponsibilityResponsibility AnalysisAnalysis

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Focus on Conclusions AdvantagesDisadvantages Easy to Use Bottom-Line Driven Possible Resistance Oversimplification

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Focus on Recommendations 1.Establish the need for action 2.Introduce the overall benefits 3.List the required steps 4.Explain each step more fully 5.Summarize the recommendations

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Focus on Logical Arguments Hostile Readers Skeptical Readers Indirect Approach Rational Approach = 4 Approach ApproachYardstickApproachYardstickApproach The 2+2=4 approach convinces readers by demonstrating that everything adds up to your conclusion. The yardstick approach uses a number of criteria to decide which option to select from two or more possibilities.

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Internal Requests External Requests Planning Proposals General Projects Project Funding Management Support Sales Proposals Investment Proposals Grant Proposals External proposals request decisions from parties outside the organization. Investment proposals: request funding from outside investors. Grant proposals: request funds from government or other sponsoring agencies. Sales proposals: present solutions for potential customers and request purchase decisions.

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter Structuring Proposals SolicitedUnsolicited Expected Direct Approach Unexpected Indirect Approach