Deck 10: Proposals and Formal Reports

Question 1

Researching Secondary and Primary Data
In teams, discuss how you would collect information for each of the following report topics. Would your research be primary, secondary, or a combination of methods? What resources would be most useful-books, articles, the Web, interviewing, surveys?
a. Comparing the health care systems in France and the United Kingdom
b. Which public relations firm will best improve the ¡mage of a company so that its stock price increases c. Investigating high turnover and apparent employee dissatisfaction at a large retailer
d. The latest Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rulings that might affect your small business
e. The traffic count at a possible location for a new coffee shop
f. Planning to introduce healthier food in the company cafeteria and investigating how workers would feel about the new choices
g. The costs and features of a new network system for your company
h. How users are reacting to a new digital imaging software that was recently released
i. How to meet international quality standards (ISO certification) so that you can sell your products in Europe

Answer 1

a) I would use secondary information sources to compare the health care systems France and United Kingdom. Most important source which would be useful in this case would be Web because the health department of both the countries regularly post the health related data on its websites which are highly reliable and authentic.
b) To choose a best public relation firm for a company I would suggest that both secondary and primary sources must be used. First I would list down few premiere public relation firms which would be useful to attain the objectives of the company. After that I would interview the sales executives of each of those firms to determine which one is best suited for my company.
c) The best method in this case would be to generate primary information by preparing a questionnaire and conducting a survey of the employees so that the reason behind high turnover and dissatisfaction can be determined.
d) I would use the internet or web which is a secondary source of information in this case. The best way would be to go through the website of Occupational safety and health administration (OSHA) which is www.osha.gov. From this website I would be able to learn about the latest rulings which could impact my business.
e) I would use both secondary and primary sources to determine the traffic count. Secondary sources like magazines, and articles would help me understand the demographic and geographic nature of the location as well as about the competitive players already present in the market. With the use of this information I would then conduct a survey which would then help me in assessing the traffic count.
f) Preparing a questionnaire and conducting a survey of the employees would be the best way of investigating this situation. A direct interaction with the workers through a survey would be the best way to understand their preferences and choices.
g) For this situation I would do an extensive research on the web to analyse which network system is best based upon the requirement of my company and also best suited in my budget. I would take all necessary care to search for the most authentic and reliable sources from the web.
h) Both secondary and primary sources can be used to can be used for fulfilling this purpose. The secondary sources which can be used are various new articles published rating the reviews based on user's experiences. There are various premiere magazines which focus mostly on the new development in the software industry and provide broad reviews. The primary research method would be to conduct a survey in the market about user's reaction but this would be costly ant time consuming.
i) I would use the internet or web which is a secondary source of information in this case. The best way would be to go through the website of International Organization for Standardization which is www.iso.org. From this website I would be able to learn about the latest international quality standards which I should meet in order to sell my product in Europe.

Question 2

The following executive summary has faults in grammar, punctuation, spelling, wordiness, parallelism, and possessives. You may either (a) use standard proofreading marks (see Appendix B) Lo correct the errors here or (b) download the document from www.gtiffey.com and revise at your computer. Study the guidelines in the Grammar/Mechanics Handbook to sharpen your skills.

Bottled water has become a $4 billion-a-year business in the United states. Millions of consumer's use bottled water as there primary source of drinking water. Although most bottled water is of good quality some bottled water contains bacterial contaminants. Reassurances from the water industrys executives that bottled water is totally safe is false.
Summary of Findings
Commissioned by the National Resource's Defense Commission, this report analyzes tests of bottled water. The tests showed that most bottled water is not contaminated, however, after testing more then 1,000 bottles, we found that about one fourth were contaminated al levels violating many states limits. Bottled water contaminated with microbes may raise public health issues, and todays consumers are rightfully concerned.
There are government bottled water regulations and programs that have serious deficiencys. Under the FDAs control, the regulation of most bottled water is left to ill-equipped and understaffed state governments. In spite of the fact that voluntary bottled water industry controls are commendable. They are an inadequate substitute for strong government rules. FDA officials has stated that bottled water regulation carries a low priority. In addition the marketing of bottled water can be misleading. However, the long term solution to drinking water problems are to fix tap water rather than switching to bottled water.
Recommendations
Based on our tests and analysis we submit the following reccomendations:
1. Fix tap water quality so that consumers' will not resort to bottled water.
2. Establish the publics right to know about the contents of bottled water.
3. Require FDA inspections of all bottling facilities and thier water sources.
4. Institute a penny per bottle fee to ensure bottled water safety.
5. Bottled water certification should be established.

Answer 2

A revised version of the text is provided below along with highlighting the changes made.
HOW PURE IS BOTTLED WATER
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Problem
Bottled water has become a $4 billion-a-year business in the United States. Millions of consumers use bottled water as their primary source of drinking water. Although most of the bottled water is of good quality , some bottled water contains bacterial contaminants. Reassurances from the water industries, "spokesmen," that bottled water is totally safe are false.
Summary of Findings
Commissioned by the National Resource's Defense Commission, this report analyzes the tests of bottled water. The tests showed that most bottled water was not contaminated ; however, after testing more than 1,000 bottles, we found that about one fourth were contaminated at levels violating many state limits. Bottled water contaminated with microbes may raise public health issues, and today's consumers are lawfully concerned.
There are government bottled water regulations and programs that have serious deficiencies. Under the FDAs control, the regulation of most bottled water is left to ill-equipped and understaffed state governments. In spite of the fact that voluntary bottled water industry controls are commendable, they are an inadequate substitute for strong government rules. FDA officials have stated that bottled water regulation carries a low priority. In addition, marketing of bottled water can be misleading. However, the long-term solution to drinking water problems are to fix tap water rather than switching to bottled water.
Recommendations
Based on our tests and analysis, we submit the following recommendations.
1. Fix tap water quality so that consumers will find an alternative to bottled water.
2. Establish people's right to know about the contents of bottled water.
3. Require FDA inspections of all bottling facilities and their water sources.
4. Institute a penny per bottle fee to ensure bottled water safety.
5. Bottled water certification should be established.

Question 3

Apostrophes
Review Sections 2.20-2.22 in the Grammar/Mechanics Handbook. Then study each of the following statements. Underscore any inappropriate form. Write a correction ¡n the space provided and record the number of the G/M principle(s) illustrated. If a sentence is correct, write C. When you finish, compare your responses with those at the back of the book. If your answers differ, study carefully the principles shown in parentheses.
Example In just two years time, Marti earned her MBA degree.
1. Mark Hanleys PDA was found in the conference room.
2. The severance package includes two weeks salary for each year worked.
3. In only one years time, her school loans totaled $5,000.
4. The board of directors strongly believed that John Petersons tenure as CEO was exceptionally successful.
5. Several employees records were accidentally removed from the files.
6. The last witness testimony was the most convincing to the jury members.
7. Outstanding performance, efficiency, and superior communication skills led to Robins promotion.
8. I always get my moneys worth at my favorite restaurant.
9. Three local companies went out of business last month.
10. In one months time we hope to have our new Web site up and running.
11. I need my boss signature on this expense claim.
12. Only one legal secretaries document was error-free.
13. In certain aerospace departments new applicants must apply for security clearance.
14. My companys stock price rose dramatically last month.
15. In three months several businesses opening hours will change.

Answer 3

As per instructions, corrected statements are provided below:
1) Mark Hanley's PDA was found in the conference room.
2) The severance package includes two weeks' salary for each year worked.
3) In only one years' time, her school loans totaled $5,000.
4) The board of directors strongly believed that John Petersons tenure as CEO was exceptionally successful.
5) Several employees' records were accidentally removed from the files.
6) The last witness testimony was the most convincing to the jury members.
7) Outstanding performance, efficiency, and superior communication skills led to Robin's promotion.
8) I always get my money's worth at my favorite restaurant boss's signature.
9) Three local companies went out of business last month.
10) In one month's time, we hope to have our new web site up and running.
11) I need my boss' signature on this expense claim.
12) Only one legal secretary's document was error-free.
13) In certain aerospace departments new applicants must apply for security clearance.
14) My company's stock price rose dramatically last month.
15) In three months, several businesses' opening hours will change.

Question 4

Consider personal and business uses of proposals. How might you benefit if you know how to write proposals?

Question 5

Trash or Treasure: Assessing the Quality of Web Documents
Many users think that documents found by a World Wide Web search tool have somehow been previously validated by a trustworthy authority. Others think that, because the Web is the most current and most accessible source of information, its documents must be the most reliable available. Wrong on both counts! Almost anyone with a computer and an Internet connection can publish almost anything on the Web. In every Web domain, reliable sites and unreliable ones compete for your attention.
Unlike the contents of the journals, magazines, and newspapers found in research-oriented libraries, the contents of most Web sites haven't been carefully scrutinized by experienced editors and peer writers. To put it another way, print journals, magazines, and newspapers have traditionally featured reasonably unbiased, trustworthy articles; all too many Web sites, however, have another goal in mind. They are above all else interested in promoting a cause or in selling a product.
To use the Web meaningfully, you must learn to scrutinize carefully what you find in the documents it offers. The following checklist will help you distinguish Web trash from Web treasure.
Checklist for Assessing the Quality of a Web Page
Authority
• Who publishes or sponsors this Web page?
• Is the author or sponsor clearly identified?
• What makes the author or sponsor of the page an authority?
• Is information about the author or creator available?
• If the author is an individual, is he or she affiliated with a reputable organization?
• Is contact information, such as an e-mail address, available?
• To what domain (.com,.org, edu,.gov,.net,.biz, dv) does the site containing it belong?
• Is the site based in the United States or abroad (usually indicated by uk,.ca, ru, or other designation in the URL)?
• Is the site "personal" (often indicated by "-" or "%" in the site's URL)?
Currency
• What is the date of the Web page?
• When was the last time the Web page was updated?
• Is some of the information obviously out of date?
Content
• Is the purpose of the page to entertain, inform, convince, or sell?
• How would you classify this page (e.g., news, personal, advocacy, reference)?
• Is the objective or purpose of the Web page clear?
• Who is the intended audience of the page, based on its content, tone, and style?
• Can you judge the overall value of the content as compared with other resources on this topic?
• Does the content seem to be comprehensive (does it cover everything about the topic)?
• Is the site easy to navigate?
• What other sites does the Web page link to? These may give you a clue to the credibility of the target page.
• Does the page contain distracting graphics or fill your screen with unwanted pop-ups?
Accuracy
• Do the facts that are presented seem reliable to you?
• Do you find spelling, grammars or usage errors?
• Does the page have broken links or graphics that don't load?
• Do you see any evidence of bias?
• Are footnotes or other documentation necessary? If so, have they been provided?
• If the site contains statistics or other data, are the source, date, and other pertinent information disclosed?
• Are advertisements clearly distinguished from content?
Career Application. As interns at a news-gathering service, you have been asked to assess the qualety of the following Web sites. Which of these could you recommend as sources of valid information?
• Beef Nutrition ( http://www.beetnutritiom.org )
• Edmunds-Where Smart Car Buyers Start ( http://www.edmunds.com )
• I Hate Windows ( http://www.ihateWindowsxp.com )
• EarthSave International ( http://www.earthsave.org )
• The Vegetarian Resource Group ( http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/nutshell.htm )
• The White House ( http://www.whitehouse.org )
• The White House ( http://www.whitehouse.gov )
• The White House ( http://www.whitehouse.com )
• The Anaheim White House ( http://www.anaheimwhitehouse.com )
• National Anti-Vivisection Society ( http://www.navs.org )
• Dow Chemical Company ( http://www.dow.com )
• Dow: A Chemical Company on the Global Playground ( http://www.dowethics.com )
• Smithsonian Institution ( http://www.si.edu )
• Drudge Report ( http://www.drudgereport.com )
• American Cancer Society ( http://www.cancer.org )
• CraigsList ( http://www.craigsIist.com )
Your Task
If you are working with a team, divide the preceding list among team members. If you are working individually, select four of the sites. Answer the questions in the preceding check list as you evaluate each site. Summarize your evaluation of each site in a memo report to your instructor or in team or class discussion.

Question 6

Gathering and Documenting Data: Biotechnology Alters Foods
California is home to the nation's most diverse and valuable agricultural industry. Many of its crops are sold in Japanese and European markets where customers are extremely wary of genetically modified foods. Despite that fact, sources in the state capital are reporting that the biotech industry is actively seeking sponsors for a bill in the state legislature that would preempt the right of counties to ban genetically engineered crops. As an intern working for the Organic Consumers Association, the nation's largest public interest group dedicated to a healthy and sustainable food system, you have been asked to gather data about the dangers of genetically engineered crops. The organization plans to write a report to the state government about this issue.
Your Task. Conduct a keyword search using three different search tools on the Web. Select three articles you think would be most pertinent to the organization's argument. Save them using the strategies for managing data, and create a bibliography. Conduct the same keyword search in an electronic database. Save the three most pertinent articles, and add these items to your bibliography. In a short memo to your instructor, summarize what you have found and describe its value. Attach the bibliography.

Question 7

Who is hurt by plagiarism? Discuss.

Question 8

Writing a Survey: Studying Employee Use of Instant Messaging
Instant messaging (IM) is a popular way to exchange messages in real time. It offers the convenience of telephone conversations and e-mail. Best of all, it allows employees to contact anyone in the world while retaining a written copy of the conversation-without a whopping telephone bill! But instant messaging is risky for companies. They may lose trade secrets or confidential information over insecure lines. They also may be liable if inappropriate material is exchanged. Moreover, IM opens the door to viruses that can infect a company's entire computer system.
Your boss just read an article stating that 40 percent of companies now use IM for business, and up to 90 percent of employees use IM without their managers' knowledge or authorization. He asks you to prepare a survey of your 48-member staff to learn how many are using IM. He wants to know what type of IM software they have downloaded, how many hours a day they spend on IM, what are the advantages of IM, and so forth. The goal isn't to identify those using or abusing 1M. Instead, the goal is to learn when, how, and why it is being used so that appropriate policies can be designed.
Your Task. Use an electronic database or the Web to learn more about instant messaging. Then prepare a short employee survey. Include an appropriate introduction that explains the survey and encourages a response. Should you ask for names on the survey? How can you encourage employees to return the forms? Your instructor may wish to expand this survey into a report by having you produce fictitious survey results, analyze the findings, draw conclusions, and make recommendations.

Question 9

Are charts and graphs objective, unbiased presentations of data? Explain.

Question 10

Outlining: Explaining Blogs
Your boss has been hearing a lot about blogs (weblogs) lately and wonders ¡f this is something your company should start using for research and communication. He has asked you to write a short report on how blogs can be used ¡n a business environment. He also wonders whether a blogging policy would be needed. Here are some ideas you gathered from your Internet research:
Although some companies worry that blogs could be used to expose company secrets or violate securities laws, many companies are encouraging their employees to take part in blogging. The corporate world has found that blogging is an effective way to communicate with customers and clients, to encourage internal interaction, and to make them look more approachable and "human" to the outside world. Blogs can also be used by employees for research, for data collection, and for keeping up with what competitors are doing. Some companies have both external and internal blogs, and some even allow employees to set up personal blogs.
Companies that use blogs should probably have policies or guidelines governing their use. Companies might adopt guidelines that require employees to use first-person pronouns and to be honest. Microsoft tells employees to avoid writing blog entries when they are upset or emotional. Other companies provide lists of topics that should be avoided in blogs, such as anything that should remain confidential, private, or secret or anything that is embarrassing, libelous, or illegal. Above all, any policy should state that employees are responsible for their own posts.
Various tools can be used to set up blogs. Some of the most popular include Google's Blogger.com, Microsoft's MSN Spaces, and Yahoo's 360 0 service. These tools make setting up blogs easy to do. They help users publish text entries, add photos, publish links to other blogs and Web pages, and establish privacy if desired. They also provide themes and various editing tools that can help corporate blogs look professional.
Your Task. Select the most important information and organize it into an outline such as that shown in Figure 10.3. You should have three main topics with three subdivisions under each. Assume that you will gather more information later. Add a title.

Question 11

Is information obtained on the Web as reliable as information obtained from journals, newspapers, and magazines? Explain.

Question 12

Selecting Graphics
In teams identify the best graphic (table, bar chart, line chart, pie chart, flowchart, organization chart, illustration, map) to illustrate the following data:
a. Figure showing the process of making paper
b. Figures showing what proportion of every state tax dollar ¡s spent on education, social services, transportation, debt, and other expenses
c. Data showing the newly formed divisions of a major multinational company after several mergers and leveraged buyouts
d. Figures showing the operating revenue of a company for the past five years
e. Figures comparing the sales of PDAs (personal digital assistants), cell phones, and laptop computers over the past five years
f. Percentages showing the causes of forest fires (lightning, 73 percent; arson, 5 percent; campfires, 9 percent; and so On) in the Rocky Mountains
g. Figure comparing the costs of cable, DSL, and satellite Internet service in ten major metropolitan areas of the United States for the past ten years (the boss wants to see exact figures)
h. Figure showing the locations of a popular family-owned fast-food franchise operating in California and the Southwest.

Question 13

Should all reports be written so that they follow the sequence of investigation-that is, description of the initial problem, analysis of issues, data collection, data analysis, and conclusions? Why or why not?

Question 14

Evaluating Graphics in Publications
From U.S. News World Report, VSA Today, BusinessWeek , a textbook, or some other publication, locate one example each of a table, a pie chart, a line chart, a bar chart, and an organization chart. Bring copies of these visual aids to class. How effectively could the data have been expressed in words, without the graphics? Is the appropriate graphic form used? How is the graphic introduced in the text? Do you think the graphic is misleading or unethical in any way? Your instructor may ask you to submit a memo discussing visual aids.

Question 15

Why are many large companies encouraging their employees to participate in social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn or to create their own formal or informal networks?

Question 16

Studying Graphics in Annual Reports
In a memo to your instructor, evaluate the effectiveness of graphics in three to five corporation annual reports, Critique their readability, clarity, and success in visualizing data. How were they introduced in the text? What suggestions would you make to improve them? Do you feel the graphics presented the data accurately and ethically?

Question 17

What is the difference between a solicited and an unsolicited proposal. Give an example of when each would be written.

Question 18

Developing Bibliography Skills
Select a business topic that interests you. Prepare a bibliography of at least five current magazine or newspaper articles, three books, and five online references that contain relevant information regarding the topic. Your instructor may ask you to divide your bibliography into sections: Books, Periodicals, Online Resources. You may also be asked to annotate your bibliography, that is, to compose a brief description of each reference, such as this:
McManus, Reed. "Hybrid Helpers." Sierra, Mar/Apr 2007, 16.
McManus writes that U.S. cities are promoting new gas-electric hybrids with large rechargeable batteries to combat air pollution, over half of which comes from motor vehicles. The new vehicles will travel up to 60 miles without needing their gasoline engines. Many electric utilities have expressed interest in this cause. Toyota, Ford, and GM have agreed to manufacture hybrid cars although they are skeptical of electric vehicles and worry about the cost of large batteries.

Question 19

What are the six principal parts of an informal proposal? Be prepared to explain each.

Question 20

Creating an Annotated Works-Cited List
Being a quick learner and smart researcher will serve you well in college and in the workplace. Savvy businesspeople are lifelong learners who often must become knowledgeable fast ¡n a subject they initially know very little about. To become a well-informed citizen and businessperson, you will need to be able to make sense of controversies and public discussions.
Here are a few topic Suggestions:
a. Should the government and airlines allow in-flight cell phone calls?
b. Should something be done about high gas prices (affordable housing, tax reform, health care, and so forth), and what are some of the proposals being discussed?
c. What are the security risks of e-commerce? How do fraud, identify theft, and invasions of privacy affect online business?
d. Should the government grant more H-1B visas to foreign nationals in specialty occupations such as computer technology, as Microsoft and other tech companies demand?
Your instructor may suggest other topics or ask you to find a current business controversy on your own.
Your Task. Consider one current hot-button business topic and gather several-up to ten-highly relevant and informative sources, preferably articles reflecting a wide spectrum of opinions. List them in the MLA works-cited format and provide each with a brief (60 words maximum) summary, as shown in Activity 10.8.

Question 21

How are formal proposals different from informal proposals?

Question 22

Setting Up a Wiki to Complete a Group Project
Younger workers who grew up with digital technology are spearheading a new trend in business. They are bringing their tech savvy to the table, and as a result, wikis, blogs, and other new communication channels are being used in the workplace to manage projects and exchange information. When writing a team paper, for example, you could share graphics and other data along with report drafts or the articles you found.
If you would like to try collaborating online, you can set up a free wiki virtually in seconds. Two very popular free sites are PBwiki.corn ( http://Ipbwiki.com ) and Wetpaint ( http://www.wetpaint.com ). At PBwiki.com be sure to select Education as your purpose or you will be charged about $10 per month for premium membership.
As you register, you can select a variety of features-for example, to make your wiki accessible to anyone or only to invitees whom you choose. Templates and intuitive menus make creating a wiki simple and easy.
Your Task. Whether you create a wiki to share common interests online with friends or whether you use it to collaborate on a team project, becoming an experienced user of wikis will prepare you for the workplace Visit either PBwiki.com or Wetpaint and set up a wiki for yourself and your team. Be sure to invite your instructor as well, so that he or she can observe your online collaboration.

Question 23

How can business writers overcome writers block when setting out to write a proposal or report?

Question 24

Proposals: Comparing Real Proposals
Many new companies with services or products to offer would like to land corporate or government contracts. But they are intimidated by the proposal (RFP process). You have been asked for help by your friend Chloe, who has started her own designer uniform company. Her goal is to offer her colorful yet functional uniforms to hospitals and clinics. Before writing a proposal, however she wants to see examples and learn more about the process.
Your Task. Use the Web to find at least two examples of business proposals. Don't waste time on sites that want to sell templates or books. Find actual examples. Then prepare a memo to Chloe in which you do the following:
a. Identify two sites with sample business proposals.
b. Outline the parts of each proposal.
c. Compare the strengths and weaknesses of each proposal.
d. Draw conclusions. What can Chloe learn from these examples?

Question 25

Explain when documentation is required and when it is not required.

Question 26

Proposal: Solving a Workplace Problem in an Unsolicited Informal Proposal
The ability to spot problems before they turn into serious risks is prized by most managers. Draw on your internship and work experience. Can you identity a problem that could be solved with a small to moderate financial investment? Look for issues such as missing lunch or break rooms for staff; badly needed health initiatives such as gyms or sports club memberships; switching to high-gas-mileage, low-emission company vehicles; or encouraging recycling efforts.
Your Task. Discuss with your instructor the workplace problem that you have identified. Make sure you choose a relatively weighty problem that can nevertheless be lessened or eliminated with a minor expenditure. Be sure to include a cost-benefit analysis. Address your unsolicited letter or memo proposal to your current or former boss and copy your instructor.

Question 27

List four sources of secondary information, and be prepared to discuss how valuable each might be in writing a formal report about outsourcing your company's payroll function.

Question 28

Unsolicited Proposal: Working From Home
You have been working as an administrative/virtual assistant for your company since its inception in 2001. Every day you commute from your home, almost two hours round trip. Most of your work is done at a computer terminal with little or no human contact. You would prefer to eliminate the commute time, which could be better spent working on your programming. You believe your job would be perfect for telecommuting. With a small investment in the proper equipment, you could do all of your work at home, perhaps reporting to the office once a week for meetings and other activities.
Your Task. Research the costs and logistics of telecommuting, and present your proposal to your supervisor, Sidney Greene. Because this is an unsolicited proposal, you will need to be even more persuasive. Convince your supervisor that the company will benefit from this telecommuting arrangement.

Question 29

Name at least four commercial electronic databases useful to business writers and researchers.

Question 30

Unsolicited Proposal: Thwarting Dorm Room Thievery
As an enterprising college student, you recognized a problem as soon as you arrived on campus. Dorm rooms filled with pricey digital doodads were very attractive to thieves. Some students move in with more than $3,000 in gear, including laptop computers, flat-screen TVs, digital cameras, MP3 players, video game consoles, PDAs, and DVD players. You solved the problem by buying an extra-large steel footlocker to lock away your valuables. However, shipping the footlocker was expensive (nearly $100), and you had to wait for it to arrive from a catalog company. Your bright idea is to propose to the Associated Student Organization that it allow you to offer these steel footlockers to students at a reduced price and with campus delivery. Your footlocker, which you found by searching the Web, is extremely durable and works great as a coffee table, nightstand, or card table. It comes with a smooth interior liner and two compartments
Your Task. Working individually or with a team, imagine that you have made arrangements with a manufacturer to act as a middleman selling footlockers on your campus at a reduced price. Consult the Web for manufacturers and make up your own figures. However, how can you get the ASO's permission to proceed? Give that organization a cut? Use your imagination in deciding how this plan might work on a college campus. Then prepare an unsolicited proposal to your ASO. Outline the problem and your goals of protecting students' valuables and providing convenience. Check the Web for statistics regarding on-campus burglaries. Such figures should help you develop one or more persuasive "hooks." Then explain your proposal, project possible sales, discuss a timetable, and describe your stalling. Submit your proposal to Billie White, president, Associated Student Organization.

Question 31

What are blogs and how can they be used for research?

Question 32

Proposal: Starting Your Own Business
You and your buddies have a terrific idea for a new business ¡n your town. For example, you might want to propose to Starbucks the concept of converting some of its coffee shops into Internet cafes. Or you might propose to the city or another organization a better Web site, which you and your team would design and maintain. You might want to start a word processing business that offers production editing, and printing services. Often businesses, medical centers, attorneys, and other professionals have overload transcribing or word processing to farm out to a service.
Your Task. Working in teams, explore entrepreneurial ventures based on your experience and expertise. Write a proposal to secure approval and funding. Your report should include a transmittal letter, as well as a description of your proposed company, its product or service, a market analysis, an operations and management plan, and a financial plan.

Question 33

Pie charts are most helpful in showing what? Line charts are most effective in showing what?

Question 34

S. businesses are expanding into foreign markets with manufacturing plants and branch offices. Many Americans, however, have little knowledge of or experience with people from other cultures. To prepare for participation in the global marketplace, you are to collect information for a report focused on an Asian, Latin American, European, or African country where English is not regularly spoken. Before selecting the country, though, consult your campus international student program for volunteers from other countries who are willing to be interviewed. Your instructor may make advance arrangements with international student volunteers.
Your Task. In teams of three to five, collect information about your target country from electronic databases, the Web, and other sources. Then invite an international student from your target country to be interviewed by your group. As you conduct primary and secondary research, investigate the topics listed in Figure 10.26. Confirm what you learn in your secondary research by talking with your interviewee. When you complete your research, write a report for the CEO of your company (make up a name and company). Assume that your company plans to expand its operations abroad. Your report should advise the company's executives of the social customs, family life, societal attitudes, religious preferences and beliefs, education, and values of the target country. Remember that your company's interests are business oriented; do not dwell on tourist information. Compile your results and write the report.

Question 35

Formal Report: Is Vinyl Back?
Although you and fellow students were probably born long after the introduction of the CD in the early 1980s and download MP3 tracks from iTunes to an ¡Pod, something strange is afoot. Lately, sales of turntables and vinyl long-playing records (LPs) have been picking up. "Classic" bands such as the Beatles and Pink Floyd are not the only ones on vinyl. Contemporary artists such as R.E.M., the White Stripes, the Foo Fighters, and Metallica, have released their music on vinyl to enthusiastic audiences. Listeners even claim that music sounds better on vinyl than it does on a CD. Perhaps most Surprising, many vinyl fans are not nostalgic baby boomer parents but their teenage or twenty-something children.
Major music retailers caught on to the trend. Although Amazon.com has been selling vinyl records since its founding in 1994, it has recently begun to offer a vinyl-only section on its site. Now, your employer, Best Buy Company, is eager to test vinyl sales at some of its stores. Your manager, José Martinez, was asked by headquarters to explore the feasibility of offering a vinyl selection in his store, and he left this research job to you.
Your Task. This assignment calls for establishing primary data using a survey. Devise a questionnaire and poll young music consumers in your area to find out whether they enjoy and, more important, purchase vinyl records. Examine attitudes toward LPs in the populations and age groups most likely to find them intriguing. After collecting your data, determine whether your Best Buy store could establish a profitable vinyl business. Support your recommendation with conclusions you draw from your survey but also from secondary research detailing the new trend. To illustrate your findings, use pie charts for percent ages (e.g., how many LPs are sold in comparison to CDs and other media), line graphs to indicate trends over time (e.g., sales figures in various consumer segments), and other graphics. Prepare a formal report (or José Martinez, who will share your report with upper management.

Question 36

Formal Report: Fast-Food Checkup
The national franchising headquarters for a fast-food chain has received complaints about the service, quality, and cleanliness of one of its restaurants ¡n your area. You have been sent to inspect and to report on what you see.
Your Task. Select a nearby fast-food restaurant. Visit on two or more occasions. Make notes about how many customers were served, how quickly they received their food, and how courteously they were treated. Observe the number of employees and supervisors working. Note the cleanliness of observable parts of the restaurant. Inspect the restroom as well as the exterior and surrounding grounds. Sample the food. Your boss is a stickler for details; she has no use for general statements such as The restroom was not clean. Be specific. Draw conclusions. Are the complaints justified? If improvements are necessary, make recommendations. Address your report to Sandra M. Ross, President.

Question 37

Formal Report: Consumer Product Investigation
Study a consumer product that you might consider buying. Are you, or is your family or your business, interested in purchasing a flat-screen TV, DVD player, computer, digital camera, espresso machine, car, SUV, hot tub, or some other product?
Your Task. Use at least five primary and five secondary sources in researching your topic. Your primary research will be in the form of interviews with individuals (owners, users, salespeople, technicians) in a position to comment on attributes of your product. Secondary research will be in the form of print or electronic sources, such as magazine articles, owner manuals, and Web sites. Be sure Lo use electronic databases and the Web to find appropriate articles. Your report should analyze and discuss at least three comparable models or versions of the target product. Decide what criteria you will use to compare the models, such as price, features, warranty, service, and so forth. The report should include these components: letter of transmittal, table of contents, executive summary, introduction (including background, purpose, scope of the study, and research methods), findings (organized by comparison criteria), summary of findings, conclusions, recommendations, and bibliography. Address the report to your instructor. You may work individually, in pairs, or in teams.

Question 38

Formal Report: Communication Skills on the Job
Collect information regarding communication skills used by individuals in a particular career field (accounting, management, marketing, office administration, paralegal, and so forth). Interview three or more individuals in a specific occupation in that field. Determine how much and what kind of writing they do. Do they make oral presentations? How much time do they spend in telephone communication? Do they use e-mail? If so, how much and for what? What other technology do they use for communication? What recommendations do they have for training for this position?
Your Task. Write a report that discusses the findings from your interviews. What conclusions can you draw regarding communication skills in this field? What recommendations would you make for individuals entering this field? Your instructor may ask you to research the perception of businesspeople over the past ten years regarding the communication skills of employees. To gather such data, conduct library or online research.

Question 39

FormaI Report: All About Wikis
As discussed in this chapter on p. 262, wikis are becoming increasingly important to businesses that rely on teamwork across time zones and national borders. Some educators also use wikis for collaboration in their college-level classes. You are part of a group of interns from your college working at a large financial institution, Home Bank. Your intern team has collaborated on your finance-related research using a wiki. Your informal wiki has also been helpful when you worked together on a team project for college credit. Your internship supervisor is impressed and would like you to collect more hard data so he can pilot wikis for wider application in collaborative settings at the bank, Your preliminary research suggests that quite a few companies are using wikis, such as Best Buy's Geek Squad, Xerox, and IBM.
In fact, IBM conducted a massive online brainstorming session that took two 72-hour sessions and involved 100,000 employees, customers, and business partners in over 160 countries.18 Your boss is interested in reading about such cases to decide whether to pilot a wiki, and if so, what kind would work for Home Bank, Your team of three to five will investigate.
Your Task. Keep in mind that your boss, Irving E. Pound, will share your report with other managers who may be computer-literate users but no tech heads. Start with the brief definition of wikis earlier in this chapter. Expand the definition by searching the Web and electronic database articles. First explain what wikis are and how they work, which resources (cost, software, hardware) are needed, how much training is required, and so forth. Examine the use of wikis ¡n business today. How are large and small companies benefiting from collaboration facilitated by wikis? If your instructor directs, the report (or a section thereof) could discuss wikis in education and how instructors harness this new tool. After collecting a sufficient amount of information arid data, outline and then write a formal report with a recommendation at the end suggesting whether and how Home Bank would benefit from investing in wiki software.

Question 40

More Proposal and Report Topics
A list with over 90 report topics is available at www.guffey.com. The topics are divided into the following categories: accounting, finance, human resources, marketing, information systems, management, and general business/education/campus issues. You can collect information for many of these reports by using electronic databases and the Web. Your instructor may assign them as individual or team projects. All involve critical thinking in organizing information, drawing conclusions, and making recommendations. The topics include assignments appropriate for proposals, business plans, and formal reports.