Report Design and Ethics

Unit V
Pull Quote

People are amazing at collecting data, but they’re

often less skilled at creating insights out of it and
spreading them throughout the whole organization.
Data is great, but it rarely means anything unless
you’ve figured out exactly what that data is saying—
and what you’re going to do about it.
Nancy Porte,
vice president of customer experience,
Verint-Vovici

19-2
Written
Presentation
and the
Research
Process

19-3
Relevance. Not Quantity.

“Focus on relevance. It’s never about the

volume of analyzed data or the complexity of an
algorithm but about the actionability of derived
insight.”

Michael Fassnacht, founder

Loyalty Matrix

19-4
The Written Research Report

19-5
Guidelines for Short Reports

Tell reader why you are writing

Remind reader of request

Write in an expository style

Write report and hold for review

Attach detailed materials in appendix

19-6
Components:
Short Report Memo or Letter-Style

Introduction
 Problem statement
 Research objectives
 Background
Conclusions
 Summary and conclusions
 Recommendations

19-7
Components:
Short Report Technical

• Prefatory Information (all)

• Introduction
(all, plus brief methodology and limitations)
• Findings
• Conclusions
• Appendices

19-8
The Long Research Report

19-9
Report Modules

Prefatory Information
Introduction
Methodology
Findings
Conclusions & Recommendations
Appendices
Bibliography

19-10
Components of Long Report: Management

Prefatory Information

Introduction
(brief methodology & limitations

Findings

Conclusions & Recommendations

Appendices

19-11
Components Long Report: Technical

Prefatory Information
Introduction
Methodology (detailed)
Findings
Conclusions & Recommendations
Appendices
Bibliography

19-12
Prewriting Concerns

What is the report’s purpose?

Who will read the report?

What are the circumstances?

How will the report be used?

19-13
The Outline

Major Topic Heading

A. Major subtopic heading
1. Subtopic
a. Minor subtopic
1) Further detail

19-14
Types of Outlines

Topic Sentence
Demand Demand for refrigerators
A. How measured A. Measured in terms f
1. Voluntary error factory shipments as
2. Shipping error reported by the U.S.
a. Monthly variance Department of
Commerce
1. Error is introduced
into year to year
comparisons

19-15
Grammar and Style Proofreader Results

19-16
Adjusting Pace

Use ample white space

Use headings
Use visual aids
Use italics and underlining
Choose words carefully
Repeat and summarize
Use service words strategically

19-17
Considerations for Writing

Readability

Comprehensibility

Tone

19-18
Avoiding
Overcrowded Text Use shorter paragraphs

Indent or space parts of text

Use headings

Use bullets

19-19
Appropriate
Data Displays

19-20
Sample
Findings
Page:
Tabular

19-21
Charts for
Written
Reports

19-22
Components of a Whole or Frequency

19-23
Relationships or Comparisons

19-24
Sample Findings Page: Graphical

19-25
Findings Page Templates

19-26
Appropriate Data Displays

19-27
Text Presentation

• Walmart regained its number-1 rank in the Forbes 500 due to its
strong sales performance (11% increase; $351.1 billion).
Although Walmart surpassed number-2-ranked Exxon Mobil in
sales, Walmart’s profitability ($11.2 billion) was far below the oil
giant ($39.5 billion). Some credit several challenging public
relations problems with the lower-than-expected level. Number-
6-ranked General Electric also outperformed Walmart in profits
with $20.8 billion. GE’s robust sales growth (27.4%) is an
indication that it will likely challenge both Walmart and
ExxonMobil in the future.

19-28
Alternative Text Presentation

• Walmart slipped to No. 2 in the 2011 Fortune 500 after holding onto the top
spot for two years in a row. The retail giant was forced to aggressively cut
prices to reverse its declining same-store sales in the United States.

• Walmart is the second largest business in the Fortune 500 with revenues up
by 6 percent but profits down by 4.2 percent.

19-29
Parts of a Table

19-30
Tabular Presentation

Walmart slipped to No. 2 in the 2011 Fortune 500 after holding onto the top spot for two
years in a row. The retail giant was forced to aggressively cut prices to reverse its declining
same-store sales in the United States.
Revenue Sales Profit
Company Rank ($, millions) Growth Profits Growth

Exxon 1 $452926.0 27.7% $41,060.0 34.8%

Mobil

Walmart 2 $446,950.0 6.0% $15,699.0 -4.2%%

Chevron 3 $245,624.0 25.1% $26,895.0 41.4%

19-31
Sample Graphics within Report

19-32
Sample Line Graph

2009 2011 2012

19-33
Sample Area Chart

19-34
Sample Pie Charts

19-35
Sample Bar Chart

19-36
Pictograph

19-37
Geographs

19-38
3-D Graphs

19-39
Preparing & Delivering
the Written Report

19-40
Preparing & Delivering
the Written Report

Prefatory Information

Introduction

Methodology

19-41
Preparing & Delivering the Written Report

19-42
Preparing & Delivering
the Written Report

19-43
Preparing & Delivering
the Written Report

19-44
Ethics in Business Research
Ethical Issues and the
Research Process

2-46
Types of Ethical Violations

Violating
Misrepresenting
disclosure
results
agreements

Breaking Deceiving
confidentiality participants

Padded Avoiding
invoices legal liability

2-47
Ethical Codes of Conduct

2-48
Ethical Treatment of Participants

Do no harm

Explain study benefits

Explain participant rights and protections

Obtain informed consent

2-49
Components of Informed Consent

Researcher Intro Describe Survey Topic

Describe geographic sample Reveal sponsor

Describe purpose Good Faith Time Estimate

Anonymity & confidentiality

Voluntary Participation

Item nonresponse acceptable

Permission to begin
2-50
Characteristics of Informed Consent

Competent to
Give Consent

Knowledge Voluntary
Elements
of Risks Consent

Adequately Informed

2-51
Ethical Responsibilities

• Special guidelines
apply to children!
• Informed consent
means parental
approval.

2-52
Deception

Disguising
non-research
activities

Camouflaging
true research
objectives

2-53
Reasons for Deception

Prevent biasing
participants

Protect confidentiality
of the sponsor

2-54
Debriefing

Explain any deception

Describe hypothesis, goal

or purpose

Share results

Provide follow-up

2-55
Protect Participant Confidentiality

Obtain signed
nondisclosure

Non-
Restrict access
disclosure of
to ID
data subsets

Minimize Reveal only

instruments with written
requiring ID consent

2-56
Right to Privacy

Right to refuse

Prior permission to
interview

Limit time required

2-57
The U.S. Safe Harbor Agreement

Notice Choice Access

Onward Data
Security Transfer Integrity

Enforcement

2-58
Sponsor Confidentiality

Sponsor Nondisclosure

Purpose Nondisclosure

Findings Nondisclosure

2-59
Unethical Behavior to Avoid

Violating participant Changing data

confidentiality
Creating false data
Changing data
presentation
Changing data interpretations

Injecting bias in interpretations

Omitting sections of data

Making recommendations beyond

scope of data
2-60
What To Do If Coerced?

Educate Explain
on problems
purpose

Emphasize
Terminate
fact-finding
Relationship
role

2-61
Principles of Effective Codes of Ethics

Enforceable Regulate

Specify
Protect
Behavior

2-62