1. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 1 Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals

2. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 2 Basic Report Categories InformationalAnalyticalProposals Data and Facts Feedback Information Analysis Recommendations Persuasion Internal External

3. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 3 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.

4. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 4 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.

5. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 5 Gather the Information PrioritiesPriorities AudienceAudience PurposePurpose

6. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 6 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.

7. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 7 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

8. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 8 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

9. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 9 Plan Your Research Develop a Problem Statement Generate Research Questions Identify Information Needs Prioritize

10. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 10 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

11. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 11 Data and Information PrimaryResearchPrimaryResearchSecondaryResearchSecondaryResearch

12. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 12 Evaluating Sources Honesty and Reliability Potential Bias Purpose of Material Author’s Credibility

13. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 13 Evaluating Sources Source’s Information Independent Verification Timely and Complete Careful Scrutiny

14. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 14 Secondary Research Inside CompanyOutside Company Reports and Memos Other Documents Print Resources Online Resources

15. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 15 Finding Information at the Library NewspapersNewspapersPeriodicalsPeriodicalsBusinessBooksBusinessBooksDirectoriesDirectories AlmanacsAlmanacsStatisticalResourcesStatisticalResourcesGovernmentPublicationsGovernmentPublicationsElectronicDatabasesElectronicDatabases Almanacs and statistical sources give facts and statistics about countries, politics, the labor force, and so on.

16. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 16 Internet Search Tools Search Engines WebDirectoriesWebDirectoriesOnlineDatabasesOnlineDatabasesMetasearchEnginesMetasearchEngines Meta search engines are search engines that search other search engines

17. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 17 Search Techniques Keyword Searches Boolean Operators Natural Language Forms-Based Searches

18. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 18 Fine Tune Search Methods Read the instructions Observe the details Review your options Vary the search terms Adjust the search scope

19. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 19 Innovative Search Methods Newsfeed Subscriptions Desktop Search Engines Research Managers Social Bookmarking Sites Enterprise Search Engines Content Managers

20. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 20 Documenting Sources Credit Sources Credit Sources Build Credibility Build Credibility Help Readers Help Readers Direct Quotations Common Knowledge Summarizing Paraphrasing

21. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 21 Primary Research Experiments Observations InterviewsSurveys

22. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 22 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

23. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 23 Internet Surveys Save Time Minimize Cost

24. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 24 Conducting Interviews Select QuestionsAsk Questions Open-Ended Closed Sequencing Methodology

25. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 25 Using Research Results Avoid Plagiarism Summarizing Paraphrasing Quoting Cite Sources Observe Context

26. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 26 Apply Research Results Drawing Good Conclusions Making Feasible Recommendations

27. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 27 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.

28. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 28 Organizing Informational Reports Comparison Chronology ImportanceSequence GeographyCategory

29. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 29 Organizing Website Content Demanding Readers Reading Challenges Non-Linear Format Multidimensional Medium

30. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 30 Information Architecture Site Navigation Reader Control Information “Chunks”

31. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 31 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.

32. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 32 Challenges of Analytical Reports PersuasionPersuasion ResponsibilityResponsibility AnalysisAnalysis

33. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 33 Focus on Conclusions AdvantagesDisadvantages Easy to Use Bottom-Line Driven Possible Resistance Oversimplification

34. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 34 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

35. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 35 Focus on Logical Arguments Hostile Readers Skeptical Readers Indirect Approach Rational Approach 2 + 2 = 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.

36. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 36 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.

37. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice HallChapter 10 - 37 Structuring Proposals SolicitedUnsolicited Expected Direct Approach Unexpected Indirect Approach