Assignment:
Creating a Report
You began the Pre-Writing step for a report for your boss on Richard Hackman's statement that using a team to complete a complex project may not be the best approach. Review your contributions to the discussion forum so that you are able to leverage a wide variety of perspectives.
Your written assignment is to continue the 3x3 writing process and complete the report.
Continuing your research using the South University Online Library, complete the report. Your report must include the following:
An outline of how you have formulated your response to Richard Hackman's statement. Your outline should provide a reasonable framework for the report and show where you are going to use each of the pieces of information you found through your research
An introduction to the report that explains the purpose of the report, the significance of the topic, and a preview of the main points to be discussed
The body of the report that uses clear headings and topics arranged logically, in an appropriate tone
Meaningful conclusions and practical recommendations in the report
Multiple current and credible sources
Elements of a Report
You should provide suitable headings and subheadings at all appropriate places. Your report should also include:
• Objective of the report and background information
• Method ology explaining from where and how you collected the data
• Specific results of the report
• Possible interpretations of the results of the research
• Conclusion and suggestions
Business reports, whether or not resea rch-oriented, should containsome or all of the following elements:
• A cover letter or memorandum stating the purpose of the report-a cover letter is written when addressing the externalaudience; and a memo is required for addressing the internalrecipients
• A title page that suitably describes the topic of the report
• An executive summary, also known as an abstract, usually of 350 words or less
• Table of contents with respective page numbers
• Headings for various sections such as introduction,background, method ology, results, discussion, and conclusionor recommendations
• Bibliography or a reference list
Appendices for tables and charts of quantitative data, or specific survey responses and comments for qualitative data
• Glossary of terms, particularly useful in highly technicalreports
• Index depicting numbers or any particular scale, if necessary
Layout and Language
While writing a report, it is important to keep the languageaccessible and the layout well- defined. With regards to this, thekey points to bear in mind are:
• Use gender-neutral language: Avoid using pronounslike he or she; rather, use they or their.
• Avoid references to cultural or ethnic stereotypes, as these references might be misinterpreted by certain people.
• Avoid clichés, jargon, or highly technical language. Rather,keep the language simple. Use the terminom logy related to yourprofessional field only, and be original.
• Use examples and analogies, wherever they can be used.
This will ma ke the report seem more authentic andinteresting.
• Use short sentences, paragraphs, and subheadings. Whilerevising, verify that the content in each section is foc used;check if it maps to the specific heading and subheading.
• Use bulleted lists wherever applicable. It is always preferredto break down information into bullets; th is b rings in moreclarity and facilitates ease of understanding.
Use tables, figures, and graphs. You can use tables or graphsto support the content in the body of the repor t, but make sureyou use appendices for detailed tabulated data.
• Use le gitimate sources and cite them under a "References"section.
• Consider all the stakeholders and provide bias-free recommendations for action.
Planning and Organizing Content
Writing a business report requires that you plan, prepare, andorganize the content of your report. Certain questions that youn e ed to consider before starting to write a business report are:
• What is the purpose of the report? What decisions shouldfollow from the information in the report?
• Who is the decision maker? If the decision maker is you thenyou should include all the supporting information that explainshow and why you arrived at your decision. But if the decisionmaker is another person then you should include all thefindings and other factual detai ls that will help him or her inmaking a well-informed decision.
• Who is the audience for the repor t? Is it possible that theremight be multiple audiences for it?
• What, where, and who are the information sources? Sourcesmay be primary or s eco ndary, or internal or external, but theyshould be reliable.
• What is a reasonable and realistic timeline for the report you
need to create? You should bear in mind the time allotted, and accordingly, devote enough time for research, compilation, and preparation.
• What resources are available to help collect and collate therequired information?
Objectives and Elements of a Proposal
Business proposals are formal letters that are written for a number of purposes, like:
• Writing an application for receiving some kind of finance
• Writing to an office for receiving grant for a research
• Writing to a large client for obtaining business from them
A business proposal is an official document, u sually directed to anaudience that is external to the organization.
The key elements of a business proposal are:
• Introduction and organizational background
• Cover letter
• Abstract or executive summary
• Table of contents
• Requirements of:
o Staffing
o Budget
o Finance sources
o Timeline
• Authorization and any appendices
Writing a Business Proposal
The process of planning, preparing, organizing, and writing aproposa l is similar to that of a formal business or research report.
Preparing to write a proposal involves:
• Formulating the objectives of the proposal
• Analyzing the audience profile and understanding their needs
Analyzing markets and competition
• Understanding organizational strengths
• Researching for supporting data
• Identifying and communicating the benefits of the proposal
Writing a proposal is usually considered difficult, as it involvesbearing in mind several aspects that determine its effectiveness. It should be persuasive; the content must maintain the reader'sinterest and it must reflect your or your company's credibility, workethic, and competence.
Your proposal should have a realistic or feasible budget andstaf fing requirements. Also, a proposal is treated as a contract
between two parties; for this reason, all the requirements and terms of the proposal must be well thought out before writing.