CHAPTER 1

FUNDAMENTALS OF EFFECTIVE BUSINESS WRITING

I. Introduction

Communication is the process of transmitting ideas from one person to another with the
purpose of being understood.

II. Communication Cycle

Communication cycle is a mechanism in which one person sends a message and it moves
via a resistance chain to another person. It involves the conveying and receiving of messages
between two individuals or entities in an easy-to-understand format. The illustration below
shows the communication process or cycle:

(https://www.google.com/search?q=communication+cycle&rlz=1C1GIWA_enPH911PH911&o
q=co&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j69i59j35i39j0i433i512j0i131i433i512j69i60l3.3731j0j7&sourceid=c
hrome&ie=UTF-8)

III. Best Practice Writing Principles

The purpose of writing is to convey relevant information to the readers in a clear,

concise, and effective manner. Proficient writing is a critical aspect of effective communication.
The following ten (10) principles of effective writing are recommended as guides for best writing
practice:
1. Brevity
Time is of the essence for readers; thus, writing should avoid wasting time.

2. Clarity
 At the onset, the writer should be clear as to who the readers of the report and
what he wants to convey to the readers through his report. Clarity of purpose gives a
direction to the writing and develops its tone, structure, and flow.

Thinking before writing makes the writing less structured, meandering, and
repetitive. Skills in writing is required to reduce long, rambling sentences into concise,
clear ones. Mastery of the English grammar and sentence structure is very basic.
Moreover, be updated with the conventions to hone writing skills. Furthermore, write
what is significant only to write clearly. After all, the purpose of writing is to serve
people, thus should be clear so as not to cause the readers trouble in understanding.

3. Communication

Writing is a way to communicate, thus should comply with the intention of

communication which is to understand. The primary goal of business writing is to convey
valuable information. Inaccurate or irrelevant content affects the purpose of the
document. Thus, for effective business writing, information must be value-additive and
complete.

4. Emphasis

The art of writing depends on the positioning of words properly. The best practice
is to give emphasis on important words by putting the strongest words at the end which
is the climax so that they will reverberate in the mind of the readers even after reading.

5. Honesty
Be true to what you write about as it will reflect your personality on which people
will judge what you have written.

6. Passion and Control

Writing is a matter of passion which is a requirement to write effectively and
which will enable you to have control of what and how you write.
7. Reading

By reading good books, one can develop skills in writing. While reading, pay
attention to the vocabulary, sentence structure, and style of writing to develop the
same instinct while penning one’s thoughts down.

8. Practice

Proficiency in business writing can be attained through regular practice.

 9. Revision

Reading the draft out loud after completion can reveal flaws and gaps in the
arguments. It is recommended to welcome constructive feedback from colleagues and
revise the document for improvement.

10. Sophistication and Simplicity

Using simple language or words will enable the writer to write with ease and the
readers to understand easily which are the sophisticated qualities of what has been written.
Furthermore, a simple and uncluttered writing style goes a long way in communicating
the message to the readers. Grandiose writing full of industry-specific buzzwords and
acronyms should be avoided to the maximum possible extent. Otherwise, the reader may
be unable to comprehend the document or lose interest in it.

Business executives value a document that can convey its message in a cursory
glance or in an easy to scan presentation by using numbered or bulleted lists, clear
headings, concise paragraphs, and judicious use of bold formatting to highlight the
keywords. This will suit the taste of busy employers.

11. Sound and Rhythm

The sound produced when reading what has been written, plus the injection of
words with rhythm will solicit appreciation from the readers and will even ease out
understanding. (https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/careers/how-to-job-
guides/business-writing/)

IV. Roles of an Effective Report Writer

Report writers are information technologists who analyze data and produce reports
for a wide variety of industries, including computers, finance, education, and healthcare. Other
duties may include testing applications and making presentations to others in the company.

(https://www.google.com/search?q=Roles+of+report+writer&rlz=1C1GIWA_enPH911PH911&
oq=rol&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i57j69i59j0i20i263i512j46i199i291i512j46i199i433i465i512j0i5
12j0i131i433i512j0i433i512j0i433i457i512.4071j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)

V. Effective Report Content

Effective business reports include a title page, executive summary, table of

contents, an introduction, the body portion, the conclusion, recommendations,
references, and appendices.
(https://www.google.com/search?q=effective+report+contents&rlz=1C1GIWA_enPH911PH911
&oq=effective+report+contents&aqs=chrome..69i57.22201j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)

VI. Types of Reports

The broad field of business writing can be grouped into four categories based on their
objectives as follows:

1. Instructional

The instructional business writing type is directional and aims to guide the reader
through the steps of completing a task. A user manual falls under the instructional
category such as a memo issued to all employees outlining the method of completing a
certain task in the future.

2. Informational

Informational business writing pertains to recording business information

accurately and consistently. It comprises of documents essential to the core functions of
the business for tracking growth, outlining plans, and complying with legal obligations.
For example, the financial statements of a company, minutes of the meeting, and report
writing.

3. Persuasive

The goal of persuasive writing is to impress the readers and influence their
decisions. It conveys relevant information to convince them that a specific product,
service, company or relationship offer the best value. Generally, this type of writing is
associated with marketing and sales such as proposals, bulk sales emails, and press
releases.

4. Transactional

Day-to-day communication at the workplace falls under the transactional

business writing category. The bulk of such communication includes emails, official
letters, forms, and invoices. (https://qsstudy.com/business-studies/types-report-basis-
objectives)

Paterna E. Manalo and Escolastica S. Tenorio (2002) gave the following types
of business reports according to their functions:

1. Fact-finding report
 The purpose of a fact-finding report is to provide the readers pertinent details
about a problem, an issue, and a procedure. The report initially traces the historical
background of the issue and factual data are presented without analytical remarks,
conclusions, and recommendations. For example, the reporter would like to know the
evolution of the computer from the beginning to the present. He will prepare a list of
all computers, their components, parts, and features. Then he will discuss the changes
of computers from the beginning to the present.

2. Analytical report

The purpose of an analytical report is to propose a solution to an issue. The

reporter will gather data about the issue, then conduct a study, analyze, and interpret
the data, and finally do an evaluation For example, after the reporter has traced the
evolution of the computer, he will do an analysis of his report and give suggestions on
how to make the computers more relevant and responsive to the needs of the present
time.

3. Performance report

The performance report is intended to evaluate the potentials and capabilities

of a person, a product, an activity, and a particular service rendered. For example, if
an employer wants to know the performance of an employee, he will use an
instrument which has criteria for evaluating performance and rate the employee.

4. Progress or status report

The progress or status report aims to find out how much work has been done
or what has been accomplished for a given period of time by a person or group. It will
describe a present ongoing situation or development of a specific project, a problem,
and an activity.

5. Problem-solving report

The problem-solving report intends to offer possible solution to a problem or

an issue. The reporter identifies the nature and cause of the problem as his basis in
recommending solutions.

6. Progress report

The progress report aims to present how information, instructions, and

methods for implementing a project, a procedure, and an activity is processed. The
reporter outlines the different tasks and show how much have been done.

7. Feasibility report
 The feasibility report intends to evaluate the merits and demerits of an issue or
a problem. The reporter collects data or information and scrutinizes them. He then
offers suggestions or solutions regarding the issue or problem.

8. Sales report

Sales report has the purpose of presenting important business variables such
as daily, weekly, monthly, and annual sales of a business, behaviors of consumers,
income of the business, products sold, and services rendered which are used as bases
in making business decisions. It usually includes graphical or any illustration for easy
interpretation.

9. Marketing report

A marketing report intends to present the discussion on the capacity and

potentiality of products sold or services rendered by a business and suggest effective
marketing strategies. The reporter is required to have a thorough knowledge of the
products or services for which the report is prepared.

10. Audit report

The audit report is prepared by an accountant to check whether or not the

financial statement is in accordance with the generally accepted accounting principles
based on the balance sheet, statement of income and retained earnings, and the
statement of changes in financial position.

11. Annual report

The annual report aims to present informative data about the status of the
business within a one-year operation by showing the overall perspective of the
organizational structure, a description of its products and services offered, an
assessment of the latest operating classification of report which are bases to project
the future of the business.

Reports may also be categorized according to the degree of formality and the
arrangement of their parts as follows:

1. Formal report

A formal report aims to present information in the form of analysis and

interpretation of both the current and previous conditions of an issue or problem to
propose a future course of action. It follows a prescribed format with an elaborate
layout and an attractive binding. Its depth, complexity, and style serve as its most
distinctive features.

2. Informal report
 The informal report has the purpose of reporting an issue or problem briefly,
about two or more pages. The report may be presented in an ordinary business letter
or an enlarged memorandum. Furthermore, it expresses in conversational writing
style and makes use of personal information.

(https://www.google.com/search?q=types+of+report&rlz=1C1GIWA_enPH911PH9
11&oq=types&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j69i59j0i20i131i263i433i512j0i131i433i512j0i4
33i512j0i512j0i131i433j69i60.10591j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)

VII. Approaches to Report Writing

A step-by-step systematic approach to report writing would include the following:

1. Gather the information that is appropriate for your topic and based on your
objectives.
2. Prepare a rough draft that includes an introduction, background information,
factual presentation of events or findings, conclusions, and recommendations
based on the type of report desired.
3. Revise the rough draft in terms of content, logic, clarity, and amount of details, as
well as provide page numbers and sections and adopt a style.
4. Edit the second draft in terms of spelling, punctuation, grammar, etc.
5. Prepare the final report and proofread again.
6. Sign and date the report.
7. Circulate copies of the report to concerned persons.
8. Keep a file copy for yourself.
(https://www.vskills.in/certification/blog/a-step-by-step-approach-to-report-writing/)

VIII. Objectives of Business Report Writing

The aim of business report writing is to provide critical analysis of how the
business is tracking in all areas of the organization and transparency to shareholders, the
government, and others with financial data and ownership information about the
business. Specifically, business reporting provides useful insights for management such
information on spending, profits, and growth and specifically details that can be used to
help develop future forecasts, marketing plans, guide budget planning, and comparison
and measurement with other businesses within the same sector and thus improve
decision-making.

Business reports are important tools to guide decision-making of business owners

and senior managers by providing the opportunity to investigate and solve any identified
issues or irregularities. They also enable them to track progress and growth, build an
audit trail of business activities including reports that document annual budgets, sales,
meetings, and planning initiatives, formulate budget and planning activities for the
ensuing year using the report data to back choices and provide justification for each
decision, and define future growth opportunities by identifying proven successes in order
to continuously move forward.
(https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/blog/why-business-reporting-is-important-for-
business-success)