1. Chapter 13 Organizing and Writing Typical Business Reports
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication:
Process and Product, 5e
Copyright © 2006

2. Interpreting Data You’re looking for Meanings Relationships Answers!
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

3. Devices for Tabulating and Analyzing Data
Tables – systematic columns and rows
The Three Ms
Mean – arithmetic average value
Median – middle point in a range of values
Mode – most frequently appearing value
Correlations – relationships between variables
Grids – intersecting rows and columns
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

4. A Statistical Problem 14 12
12 What is the mean?
12 What is the median?
11 What is the mode? 11 10 9 8 7 6
----
200
The athletic department is collecting data on shoe sizes for players and assistants (some female). Here are the tennis shoe sizes for 20 people.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

5. A Statistical Problem 14 12
12 Mean=10
12 What is the median?
11 What is the mode? 11 10 9 8 7 6
----
200
The athletic department is collecting data on shoe sizes for players and assistants (some female). Here are the tennis shoe sizes for 20 people.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

6. A Statistical Problem 14 12
12 Mean=10
12 Median=11
11 What is the mode? 11 10 9 8 7 6
----
200
The athletic department is collecting data on shoe sizes for players and assistants (some female). Here are the tennis shoe sizes for 20 people.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

7. A Statistical Problem 14 12
12 Mean=10
12 Median=11
11 Mode=12 11 10 9 8 7 6
----
200
The athletic department is collecting data on shoe sizes for players and assistants (some female). Here are the tennis shoe sizes for 20 people.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

8. A Statistical Problem 14 12
12 Mean=10
12 Median=11
11 Mode=12 11 10
10 How can such statistical
9 values be important to
8 report writers? 8 7 6
----
200
The athletic department is collecting data on shoe sizes for players and assistants (some female). Here are the tennis shoe sizes for 20 people.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

9. Drawing Conclusions and Making Recommendations
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

10. Tips for Writing Report Conclusions
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

11. Tips for Writing Report Conclusions
Interpret and summarize the findings.
Tell what your findings (collected data) mean.
Relate the conclusions to the report problem.
Focus only on conclusions that help solve the original problem.
Limit the conclusions to the data presented.
Do not introduce new material.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

12. Tips for Writing Report Conclusions
Be objective.
Avoid exaggerating or manipulating the data to prove a point.
Use consistent criteria.
In evaluating options, use the same criteria for each alternative.
Enumerate each conclusion.
Number and list each item. Present items in parallel form.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

13. Tips for Writing Report Recommendations
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

14. Tips for Writing Report Recommendations
Suggest actions.
Indicate specific procedures that can help solve the report problem.
Focus on recommendations that are practical and agreeable.
Suggest feasible actions that would be acceptable to this audience.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

15. Tips for Writing Report Recommendations
Present recommendations separately.
Enumerate each in a statement beginning with a verb.
If requested, indicate how the recommendations may be implemented.
Some writers present detailed plans for executing the recommendations.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

16. Tips for Writing Report Recommendations
Conclusion:
Survey results show that the biggest student complaint centered on long registration lines.
Recommendation:
Implement a registration reservation system in which students sign up for specific registration time slots.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

17. Organizing Information
Reader comprehension, not writer convenience, should govern report organization.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

18. Possible Methods of Organization
Time
Arrange data by chronology: e.g., 2000, 2001, 2002.
Component
Arrange data by classifications: location, geography, division, product, or part. A report discussing company profits could be organized by each product.
Importance
Order data from most important to least important, or vice versa.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

19. Possible Methods of Organization
Criteria
Arrange data by evaluative categories. In a report comparing fax equipment, organize by such areas as price, warranty, speed, print quality, etc.
Convention
Organize data according to prescribed categories. For example, proposals are organized by staff, budget, schedule, etc.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

20. Structural Cues for Report Readers
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

21. Structural Cues for Report Readers
Introduction
Discuss the purpose and significance of the report.
Preview the main points and the order of development.
Transitions
however therefore
on the contrary moreover
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

22. Structural Cues for Report Readers
Headings
Write short but clear headings.
Experiment with wording that tells who, what, when, where, and why.
Include at least one heading per report page.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

23. Structural Cues for Report Readers
Headings
Balance headings within levels. All headings at a given level should be grammatically similar; for example:
Creating Team Motivation
Treating Employees Like Customers
(not Employees Should Be Treated Like Customers)
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

24. Structural Cues for Report Readers
Headings
Integrate headings gracefully. Try to avoid repeating the exact wording of a heading in the following sentence. Also avoid using a heading as an antecedent to a pronoun.
Avoid:
CUSTOMER SURVEYS
These are . . .
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

25. Levels of Report Headings
REPORT, CHAPTER, AND PART TITLES
The title of a report, chapter heading, or major part should be centered in all caps.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

26. Levels of Report Headings
First-Level Subheading
Headings indicating the first level of division are centered and bolded. Whether a report is single-spaced or double-spaced, most writers triple-space (leaving two blank lines) before and double-space (leaving one blank line) after a first-level heading.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

27. Levels of Report Headings
Second-Level Subheading
Headings that divide topics introduced by first-level subheadings are bolded and begin at the left margin. Most writers double-space (leaving one blank line) after a second-level heading.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

28. Levels of Report Headings
Third-Level Subheading. Because it is part of the paragraph that follows, a third-level subheading is also called a paragraph heading. It should appear in boldface print.
[Note: Indent double-spaced paragraphs. Don’t indent single-spaced paragraphs.]
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

29. Writing Informational Reports
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

30. Writing Informational Reports
Introduction
Identify the report and its purpose.
Present a brief overview of the report’s organization, especially for longer reports.
When readers are unfamiliar with the topic, briefly fill in the background details.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

31. Writing Informational Reports
Body
Group facts or findings into three to five roughly equal segments that do not overlap.
Organize by time, component, importance, criteria, convention, or some other method.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

32. Writing Informational Reports
Body
Supply functional or talking heads (at least one per page) to describe each section.
Use an informal, conversational writing style unless a formal tone is expected.
Use bullets, numbered and lettered lists, headings, underlined items, and white space to enhance readability.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

33. Writing Informational Reports
Summary/Conclusion
When necessary, briefly review the main points and discuss what action will follow.
If relevant, express appreciation or describe your willingness to provide further information.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

34. Writing Informational Reports
Typical informational business reports
Periodic reports
Describe production, sales, shipping, service, and other recurring activities.
Trip, convention, conference reports
Describe an event, summarize three to five main points, itemize expenses, and estimate the event’s value.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

35. Writing Informational Reports
Typical informational business reports
Progress and interim reports
Explain continuing projects, including work completed, work in progress, future activities, and completion date.
Investigative reports
Examine problems and supply facts; provide little analysis.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

36. Student Progress Report
DATE: ~~~~~~
TO: ~~~~~~
FROM: ~~~~~~
SUBJECT: ~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Background
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Work Completed
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

37. Student Progress Report
~~~~~~~~~~ Page ~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Work To Be Completed
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

38. Writing Analytical Reports
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

39. Writing Analytical Reports
Introduction
Explain why the report is being written. For research studies, include the significance, scope, limitations, and methodology of the investigation.
Preview the report’s organization.
For receptive audiences, summarize the conclusions and recommendations.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

40. Writing Analytical Reports
Findings
Discuss the pros and cons of each alternative. For receptive audiences, consider placing the recommended alternative last.
Establish criteria to evaluate alternatives. In “yardstick” studies create criteria to use in measuring each alternative consistently.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

41. Writing Analytical Reports
Findings
Support the findings with evidence: facts, statistics, expert opinion, survey data, and other proof.
Use headings, enumerations, lists, tables, and graphics to focus attention.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

42. Writing Analytical Reports
Conclusions/Recommendations
Develop reasonable conclusions that answer the research question. Justify the conclusions with highlights from the findings.
Make recommendations, if asked. Use action verbs. Explain needed action.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

43. Writing Analytical Reports
Typical analytical business reports
Justification/recommendation reports
Make recommendations to management; provide data to solve problems and make decisions.
Feasibility reports
Analyze problems and predict whether alternatives will be practical or advisable.
Yardstick reports
Establish criteria and evaluate alternatives by measuring against the yardstick criteria.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

44. End
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e