MGT269 BUSINESS

COMMUNICATION

REPORT WRITING
• A report is a written, factual account that objectively
communicates information about some aspect of
business.

• A usually detailed account or statement of a judicial

(legal) opinion or decision.

• A report gives

Information Ideas

Recommendations &
Survey findings
Actions

What is a REPORT?
Purpose of Report

To monitor & control To help implement To comply with legal @ To document work
operations. policies & procedures. regulatory performed for a client.
requirements.

To guide decisions on To obtain new business To get products, plans,

particular issues. @ funding. @ projects accepted
by others.
 Characteristic of a good report

Clear and Documented

Complete Balanced logical properly
Accurate
Information Include all Present all Clear To properly
is factually information sides of issue sentence document
correct and necessary for fairly and structure and give
error free. readers to equally and and good credit to
understand include all transitions to primary and
the essential help readers secondary
situation, information. move from sources used
problems or one point to in the
proposal. another. report.
Classifications of Business Reports
Reports are often classified by CRITERIA such as

SOURCE
Who initiates them

FREQUENCY
How often they are needed
TARGET
AUDIENCE Where they are being sent

LENGTH
How much detail they contain

INTENT Whether they are designed to simply educate

or to present a decision and require action
Classifications of Business Reports

SOURCE FREQUENCY
Routine @ periodic
Voluntary reports reports submitted
prepared on own on a recurring basis
initiative. (daily, weekly,
monthly..)

Special reports
Authorized reports present the result of
prepared at the specific, onetime
request of someone. studies @
investigations.
Classifications of Business Reports

TARGET
LENGTH
Long reports AUDIENCE Internal reports:
examine problem in for use within
detail and require organization. (less
extensive research & formal eg: memo
preparation time. format)

Short reports may External reports:

discuss just one part for use outside
of the problem and organization.
not require formal (letter/manuscript
research. format)
Classifications of Business Reports

Informational reports focus on facts &

INTENT are intended mainly to explain or to
educate readers.
Presents data and facts without analyses
@ recommendations.
Offering information but no analysis or
recommendation.
Analytical reports designed to solved
a problem by convincing readers that
conclusions and recommendations
reached are justified based on data,
analysis and interpretations.
Offering both information and analysis,
and perhaps recommendation
Features of Analytical and Informational
Reports
INFORMATIONAL
▪ Sometimes oral
• Usually quite short
• Subject matter maybe a routine
occurrence
• Present factual information
without analysis
• Sometimes special preprinted
forms are provided
• May be in letter or memo form
• No conclusion or
recommendation given
ANALYTICAL
▪ Mostly written
• Vary in length, can range
between one page and a book
• Usually written on a particular
issue of problem
• Combine factual information
with and evaluation
• Usually in a fixed format
• Maybe in letter or memo format
• Recommendations are given for
making important decisions
ANALYTICAL REPORT
Format of an Analytical Report
FRONT PAGE Title of report

LETTER OF
Introduces your report to your audience
TRANSMITTAL

TABLE OF Indicates in outline form the coverage, sequence, and relative

CONTENT importance of the information in the report

EXECUTIVE
Brief overview of the report’s most important points
SUMMARY
Format of an Analytical Report
INTRODUCTION:
Background of
Provide some background information of the company or series of events
problems or that show how the problems developed
issues

Purpose Objective, aim goal or mission

Scope The exact coverage of the problem

Method of How and where you obtain information

Investigation

Limitations Problems or obstacles that you face

Format of an Analytical Report
FINDINGS/ Include all the relevant data, results, statistical information, accounts of
ANALYSIS observation.

Summarized the result and draw conclusion of your findings or result.

CONCLUSION
Could be opinions based on facts, comparisons of viewpoints.

RECOMMENDA Recommendation in solving the problems/issues.

TION E.g., suggestions for actions, suggestions for further investigation.
Format of an Analytical Report

REFERENCES/BIBILIOGRAPHY

• A report always contains information taken from secondary

sources such as books, journals, newspaper articles, magazine and
other online articles that you have referred to in your research.

• Your sources should include the following:

• Name of Author
• Year of publication
• Title of book, article, journal
• Name of publisher
• Place of publication
Format of an Analytical Report

REFERENCES/BIBILIOGRAPHY

• Two commonly known reference style

• APA – American Psychological Association,
• MLA – Modern Language Association

• Example of listing references

• Black, D & Wilson, J. (2004). Academic Report Writing. Pearson Prentice
Hall
• Azmin, Mohamad. (1994, June 20). The Year of Misery Asia Week, p 20-22
• Pang, E.S. (2003, October 20). Unemployment Among University
Graduates. The Star, p 76
• Special Committee on Language Teaching Practice (2001) Operations
Plan from http://www/SCLTP.org/index.html
Format of an Analytical Report

Appendices
• Questionnaires
• Sample of articles, newspaper cuttings, pictures
 Planning Selecting
and Information Drafting Revising
Gathering and
Data Outlining

Report Writing : The Four Stage Method


• Planning involve 4 steps:
Step 1 : Determine the
problem/issue
Planning the Report
Define the problem
Limit problem definition
to a realistic assessment
Do this by asking 5Ws
and 1 H – What, Why,
Where, Who, When,
How
• What is the issue of the problem?
• Why are you conducting the research?
• Where will you collect the data?
• Who will be your respondents?
• How will you collect the data?
• When is the timeframe for you to
conduct the research?
 Ask yourself two questions:
• What do I need?
• Where can I get it?

Where can I get it?

• Primary Data
• Secondary Data
Step 2: Conducting the
research
Primary Data
• Questionnaires
• Interview
• Observation
• Experiment
Secondary Data
• Books, journals,
newspapers, internet
websites, etc
• Quote
 The word analysis means
to look at the part of
things separately or in
relationship to the whole.

The various parts of your

Step 3: Analyzing the information are
data compared and contrasted
in an effort to develop
ideas

Facts and figures are

interpreted by explaining
what they mean
 A good outline will help
you write clearly

Step 4: Preparing the

outline

Outline performs the

following function:

Presents ideas in a logical order

Serves as a guide to writing the report
Keeps you focus on the main topics
Enables you to spot structural mistakes, such as explaining some ideas fully
Permits checking of relationships between all parts of the report
Verifies that conclusions and recommendations are supported
Serves as a detailed table of contents
 Based on your analysis, you
Conclusion is an inference
can offer solution or
drawn from the facts of your
solutions to the problems
analysis.
that you have researched.

Based on your conclusion, Conclusions and

you could state the recommendations must be
recommendation or based on findings and your
research solution. objective analysis.

Conclusions and Recommendations