Deck 9: Informal Reports

Question 1

Define primary research and give three examples.

Answer 1

Reports are drawn by the respective personal by analyzing the problems, fining alternatives and arriving to final procedures to solve the first and formats aspect of the art of report writing is to gather primary information of the concept. This process of acquiring initial information is termed as primary research.Definition of primary research:
"An art of extracting basic and initial information or data by research through various sources for a specific purpose".
Examples of primary research:
• Observation of certain concept
• Initial experience tec.

Question 2

What technology trends do you think will affect business reporting and delivery in the future?

Answer 2

Technology plays its prominent role in business reporting and its delivery from many decades. It definitely plays an even greater role in this aspect in the future business arena. They are:
Websites:
Immense information about business houses is available in a systematic manner in the web sources. They make business reports and its delivery even more easy and profitable.Social websites:
Social media such as face book, blog posts, twitter provide information to the researchers with digital slide decks.
Online resources:
Online resources are also being used extensively to extract data and for designing business reports and deliveries

Question 3

Great news! MegaTech, the start-up company where you work, has become enormously successful. Now the owner wants to support a philanthropic program. He wants you to conduct research on philanthropic opportunities and recommend one. The owner is highly interested in projects that ease poverty and increase education in high-poverty regions. He is also interested in knowing what projects other companies are supporting. Based on this information, what projects can you recommend to the owner?
Your Task. The owner wants you to investigate the philanthropic projects at 20 high-profile companies of your choice. Visit their websites and study programs such as volunteerism, matching funds, and charitable donations. In a recommendation report, discuss five of the best programs and recommend one that could serve as a philanthropic project for your company.

Answer 3

Date: October 25, 2016
To: JG, Owner
From: AVK, Executive assistant
Subject: Report on philanthropic programs
At your order, I have examined and analyzed about various philanthropic programs of different companies and recorded information. I hereby recommend one particular program that could serve us to improve our success rate.The report presents data describing the significance of five best philanthropic programs and recommendations based on my investigation.
The best five programs:
Many organizations have adopted philanthropic projects and acquired a good reputation worldwide which in turn advertises about their products and services to reflect ultimate success in the business.
• A company has matched over $25 million donations for charities and promised to expand its donations.
• G Inc, joined in philanthropic programs with donations of over $21 million and includes services like bay area giving, code for US, Roberta, providing pi computers etc.• MS raised $17,000 for nonprofit organization and $1 billion to charitable organizations.
• PepsiCo Company organizes number of programs to improve communities which includes Pepsi Corps., construction of water purification towers, nutritious food to inner-city children etc.• Shell provides to support community by donating $25 million to the university in US.
Conclusions and recommendations:
Some companies just get it. They understand that non profits are out there fighting to make the world a better place, so they institute corporate giving programs that provide more funds, in the ways, to more organization.
Therefore, I recommend that we begin to implement a donation program for charity and services for the under prevailed children and adults which helps them to acquire basic education and skills to achieve employment. Services include providing clothing and shelter with nutritious food.JG
October 25, 2016

Question 4

With the explosive popularity of data visualization, visual media such as infographics will be around for a long time. Infographics share complex information quickly and clearly: they are readable, visually appealing, and content rich. As you examine excellent examples of infographics, you'll see how engaging they can be for presenting business-related information.
Your Task. Find an infographic that visualizes intriguing business-relevant data. Look for the sources of the information (usually near the bottom in small print), and check to see that they are reliable. Answer the following questions, and prepare a short presentation on your findings: How much statistical information is provided in the infographic? Is the purpose of the infographic clear? Is the information clearly presented, easy to read, visually appealing, and insightful? Show your infographic and share your findings orally or in writing.

Question 5

What topics or sections should be included in a progress report?

Question 6

How can report writers ensure that they present their information objectively and credibly?

Question 7

Your instructor wants to learn about your current or former employment. Select a position you now hold or one that you have held in the past. If you have not been employed, choose a campus, professional, or community organization to which you belong. You may also select an internship or a volunteer experience.
Your Task. Write an informational memo report to your instructor describing your current or former employment, an internship or volunteer experience, or your involvement in a professional or community group. Introduce the report by describing the company and its products or services, the organization's history and leadership, and its primary location. In the body of the report, add your title and job responsibilities, including the skills you need or needed to perform the job. Then describe the value and skills you gained from this experience. Your memo report should be single-spaced and 1 1/2 to 2 pages long. Add a meaningful subject line and descriptive headings for each section of the report.

Question 8

A social media usage policy is a set of rules developed by organizations to regulate the use of social media by employees. As a manager in a midsized engineering firm, you see the need to draft such a policy. You have received reports that employees are using the Internet and social media sites during work hours to check Facebook and Twitter, look for jobs on LinkedIn, shop on eBay, and even play games online. You have also received reports that some employees have posted inappropriate comments about the company on Facebook. You have reason to worry about appropriate behavior, declining productivity, security problems, and liability issues. The executive council now wants to establish a social media policy, in addition to the already existing Internet policy, to clarify their policies on social media use and acceptable behavior. You are aware that the executive council needs to know that acceptable use of social media pertains to employees at work and at home. You decide to talk with other managers about the problem and to look at other companies' social media policies. You'll report your findings in a justification/recommendation report.
Your Task. As a team, discuss the need for comprehensive social media use policies in general. Search for information about other firms' social media policies. Read about companies that are currently facing lawsuits over employees' inappropriate messages on social media networks. Find out what areas your policy should cover. Should the policy include guidelines for behavior on Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and wikis? Each member of the team should present and support his or her ideas regarding what should be included in the policy. Individually or as a team, write a convincing justification/recommendation report in memo format to the executive council based on the conclusions you draw from your research and discussion. Because you are recommending action, decide whether your approach should be direct or indirect.

Question 9

A list of over 90 report topics is available at www.cengagebrain.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 writing projects. All require critical thinking in collecting and organizing information into logical reports.
Your Task. As directed by your instructor, select a topic from the report list at www.cengagebrain.com.

Question 10

What is the difference between informational and analytical reports? Give an example of each.

Question 11

What is a feasibility report? Are such reports generally intended for internal or external audiences? Explain your reasoning.

Question 12

Participating in group presentations and collaborating on written reports are good ways to develop teamwork skills. However, working with other people on team projects is often challenging and frustrating, particularly when team members don't carry their weight or when conflict occurs. Team projects can be productive and rewarding when members establish ground rules at the outset and adhere to guidelines such as those presented here.
Preparing to Work Together
Smaller teams with two to five members tend to be more successful and have fewer challenges than larger teams. Before beginning the project, meet as a team and establish roles and ground rules.
• Select a team leader to coordinate and manage the project and a recorder to write and distribute the ground rules and take notes on each meeting's accomplishments.
• Decide how to distribute the workload. Perhaps certain team members have areas of expertise on the topic. Try to divide the workload equally.
• Decide whether your team will be governed by consensus (everyone must agree) or by majority rule.
• Compare team members' schedules, gather contact information, and agree on meeting times. Regularly held face-to-face team meetings are more beneficial than virtual meetings when collaborating on group projects. The group can decide how to involve those who miss a meeting.
• Discuss the value of sharing diverging opinions. When multiple viewpoints are shared, a better product results. Talk openly about conflict and how it should be focused on the issues, not on the people.
• Discuss how you will deal with members who are not meeting deadlines or doing their part.
Planning the Document
Once you have established ground rules, you are ready to discuss the project and resulting document.
• Establish the document's specific purpose and identify the main issues involved.
• Discuss the audience(s) for the document and what appeal would help it achieve its purpose.
• Write a detailed outline of the report. What parts will be assigned to each team member? What graphics and visuals will be included in each part?
• Develop a work plan. Set deadlines for submitting the first drafts, for integrating the parts into one document, and for proofreading the final draft.
• Decide how the final document will look. What fonts and format will be used? What software will be used to create the report? Will the report need a cover sheet, a table of contents, or a list of citations?
Collecting Information
The following suggestions will help teams gather accurate information:
• As a group, brainstorm ideas for gathering relevant information.
• Establish deadlines for collecting information from primary and secondary sources.
• Discuss ways to ensure the accuracy and currency of the information collected.
Organizing, Writing, and Revising
As the project progresses, your team may wish to modify some of its earlier decisions.
• Review the proposed outline of your final document, and adjust it if necessary.
• Share the first drafts and have all members review them. Make sure all writers are using the same format, heading styles, and font sizes.
• Appoint the strongest writer to integrate all the parts, striving for a consistent voice. The report should read as if it were written by one person.
Editing and Evaluating
Before submitting the document, meet and review the final copy.
• Review the document's overall design, format, and heading levels. Is the report's organization easy to follow?
• Although all members should review and suggest edits to the final document, assign a strong writer to copyedit the report for grammar and punctuation errors.
• Evaluate the final document. Discuss whether it fulfills its purpose and meets the needs of the audience.
Using Online Collaboration Tools
Hosting companies such as PBWorks (http://pbworks. com/content/edu+overview) offer easy-to-use, free wiki accounts to educators to run in their classes without involving the IT department. Other writers prefer using Google Docs, a free document management solution that is popular in the workplace. Some writers prefer to create drafts in Microsoft Word and use the Track Changes feature to gather comments from multiple readers. Search online or ask educators and project managers what documentsharing platforms they prefer.
Career Application. Select a report topic from this chapter or Chapter 10. Assume that you are preparing the report as a team project. If you are working on a long report, your instructor may ask you to prepare individual progress reports as you develop your topic.
Your Task
• Form a team of two to five members.
• Prepare to work together by following the suggestions in this workshop.
• Plan your report by establishing its purpose, analyzing the audience, writing a detailed outline, developing a work plan, and deciding how you want the final document to look.
• Collect information, organize it, and write the first draft.
• Use the same formatting, heading styles, and font sizes as other team members.
• Offer to proofread and make suggestions to the drafts of team members.
Your instructor may assign grades not only for the final report but also for team effectiveness and your individual contribution, as evaluated by fellow team members.

Question 13

Your company is considering adding some health and wellness perks that will interest current and future employees. Perks are benefits that are added above and beyond the normal medical coverage and sick pay. These wellness perks help in recruiting and retaining talented employees. You work for a smaller company that cannot compete with the great perks offered by giant companies such as Google and Amazon. However, small- and medium-sized companies are now adding health and wellness perks at little or no expense. You've been assigned to research and select three health and wellness perks that could be incorporated into your company's culture immediately. The company has a training room on-site for classes and a large lunchroom for lunchtime activities. You might consider the following options: a company-sponsored softball league, lunchtime walking groups, weekend hikes and bike trips, lunchtime classes on health and nutrition, or weekly yoga and cross-training classes. Search online for other possibilities, and be ready to suggest three company perks to your supervisor. Estimate the approximate costs associated with these perks, including administration costs. Then suggest an appropriate time frame for implementation.
Your Task. Select three health and wellness perks that can be offered to employees at little or no cost. Write a memo report investigating the feasibility of adding the three perks. Begin by stating the decision to add the three perks. Then discuss the background leading up to the decision and the benefits of such programs. Estimate the approximate costs associated with each option, including administration costs, if any. Then suggest an appropriate time frame for implementation.

Question 14

Review Sections 2.16-2.19 in the Grammar/Mechanics Handbook. Then study each of the following statements. Insert any necessary punctuation. Use the delete sign to omit unnecessary punctuation. In the space provided, indicate the number of changes you made and record the number of the G/M principle(s) illustrated. (When you replace one punctuation mark with another, count it as one change.) If you make no changes, write 0. This exercise concentrates on semicolon and colon use, but you will also be responsible for correct comma use. When you finish, compare your responses with those shown at the end of the book. If your responses differ, study carefully the principles shown in parentheses.

______________________ 1. "Green" technologies are gaining a strong following consequently many industries are beginning to produce green products and recycling programs.
______________________ 2. Cash resulting from holiday product sales does not arrive until January therefore our cash flow becomes critical in November and December.
______________________ 3. We must negotiate short-term financing during the following months October November and December.
______________________ 4. The largest American corporations offering financial services are: Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase.
______________________ 5. Although some firms rarely need to borrow short-term money many businesses find that they require significant credit to pay for current production and sales costs.
______________________ 6. A supermarket probably requires no short-term credit a seasonal company such as a ski resort however typically would need considerable short-term credit.
______________________ 7. We offer three basic types of short-term lines of credit commercial paper and single-payer credit.
______________________ 8. Speakers at the conference on credit include the following businesspeople Teresa Moore financial manager American International Investments Patrick Coughlin comptroller NationsBank and Margie Mullis legal counsel Fidelity National Financial.
______________________ 9. The prime interest rate is set by one or more of the nation's largest banks and this rate is offered to a bank's best customers
______________________ 10. Many methods are used to calculate finance charges for example average daily balance adjusted balance two-cycle average daily balance and previous balance.
______________________ 11. Hot Topic which is a small clothing retailer with a solid credit rating recently applied for a loan however Union Bank refused the loan application because the bank was short on cash.
______________________ 12. When Hot Topic was refused by Union Bank its financial managers submitted applications to: Chemical Bank, Washington Mutual, and Wells Fargo.
______________________ 13. The cost of financing capital investments at the present time is very high therefore Hot Topic's managers elected to postpone certain expansion projects.
______________________ 14. Apple earns most of its income from the following: Macs, iPads, and iPhones.
______________________ 15. Several investors decided to pool their resources then they could find attractive investments for large-scale projects.

Question 15

Describe a situation in which a yardstick report would be appropriate. .

Question 16

You are interested in exploring your career options to make sure you have the right skill set for your chosen field and that the future in that field looks promising. One of the best places to search is the latest Occupational Outlook Handbook compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Search the Handbook for your desired occupation using the Search box or find a career using the A-Z Index. This is a valid resource whether you are choosing a career or changing careers.
Your Task. Write an informational memo report to your instructor that describes your desired career. In the report, summarize the information found in the Handbook about the nature of the work, working conditions, necessary qualifications, and the outlook for this career. Also summarize relevant information about typical salary ranges for this occupation. Add an appropriate introductory paragraph that describes the purpose of the report, and conclude with a brief paragraph summarizing what you learned from this investigation. For instance, after this investigation, do you still feel this career is a good fit for you? State your reasoning.

Question 17

Attend an organized meeting at your school, in your community, in city government, or for a professional organization. Take notes and record the proceedings as if you were covering the meeting for a non-attender.
Your Task. Write the meeting minutes using either a formal or informal format. Include all the data necessary, following the textbook instructions. Focus on committee reports, old and new business, motions and votes, decisions made, and action items for future meetings. Include the organization's name and the date, time, and location of the meeting in the heading.

Question 18

What factors determine whether a report should be written directly or indirectly?

Question 19

What is the advantage of using a slide deck to report information and statistics?

Question 20

You are intrigued by Fortune's annual list of the 100 best companies to work for. You want to work for one of them. You read the good news that many of them are hiring, so you begin searching for a company that has possibilities for you. After narrowing the list, you hone in on one that seems like the best fit.
Your Task. Select a company from Fortune's list of 100 best companies to work for. Note the reasons Fortune added this company to the list, and note the company's ranking out of 100. Then review the company's website and gather information about the company's mission and goals, history, products and services, and current news releases. Find out where the home office is located, who leads the company, and how many employees work there. After researching the company, list your reasons for wanting to work there. In a memo report to your instructor, summarize your research findings. State the purpose, add appropriate section headings, and conclude with your thoughts on why you think this company is a good employment choice.

Question 21

When working on a formal report with a team, volunteer to take notes at a team meeting and be prepared to share the meeting minutes with your instructor, if requested. Follow the textbook instructions for meeting minutes.
Your Task. Record the proceedings of a team meeting for a group project. Record the date and time of the meeting, the attendees' names, discussion items, decisions made, and the date of the next meeting.

Question 22

What are the main report formats and when are they used?

Question 23

Under what circumstances would a recommendation report be written directly? Give an example.

Question 24

Businesses see value in increasing the cultural competence of their employees. The makeup of the American population has changed, and diverse populations exist within organizations. Increasing intercultural awareness also helps employees understand those who have different perspectives and ways of doing things. It also lessens misunderstandings in terms of business etiquette, values, and behaviors when traveling to other countries.
Your company's HR director wants to build a curriculum for an in-house intercultural training class. You have been asked to search for websites that offer excellent information on intercultural business etiquette and communication. In your search you may discover the informative etiquette guides for specific countries by Kwintessential Ltd. (http://www.kwintessential.co.uk) and Executive Planet (www.executiveplanet.com).
Your Task. Write a short memo report to Jeff Abrams, Director of Human Resources, listing at least five resources that offer excellent information on intercultural business etiquette and communication. List each site and the information it provides. You may also recommend the sites you found most helpful. If your instructor suggests, write this report as a feasibility study in memo format, describing the need for such a class, the benefits to employees, the costs associated with offering the class (workbooks, handouts), any anticipated problems, and a possible time frame for implementation. You may need to address hiring a knowledgeable presenter or an intercultural panel, scheduling a training room, and selecting suitable times-perhaps two-hour sessions during working hours. Other considerations: Will the training be mandatory or optional? How many sessions will be offered to accommodate most employees? What times of day work best for most employees? What credentials should the presenter have?

Question 25

As an intern for a midsized online marketing company that sells outdoor and recreational clothing and equipment, you are anxious to comply with a request from the vice president of marketing. He wants to add a live chat feature on the company website to improve customer service with online shoppers. He is aware that online shoppers frequently accept invitations to chat live when they need help or have questions. What's more, they often turn into buyers. He asks you to research the most popular live chat software options, compare the features and monthly costs, and recommend one that the company could implement quickly.
Your Task. Write a memo yardstick report to Vice President of Marketing Jon Stokes that compares the options. Search online for live chat support software, and look at several sources that list the most popular options for small and midsized companies. Choose five of the most frequently mentioned options, and compare them in terms of (a) monthly or yearly costs, (b) main features, and (c) ratings or reviews. Follow the instructions in the textbook for writing yardstick reports. Briefly discuss the background for the report, list the live chat alternatives, and compare them using the established criteria. Your comparison data may work best in a table. Draw conclusions and recommend a live chat solution that you believe will best meet the needs of the company.

Question 26

What are the advantages of using forms and templates for recurring business reports?

Question 27

Do you think informational reports should be written directly or indirectly? For what reasons would an analytical report be written with a direct or an indirect approach? State your reasoning.

Question 28

Think about someone who supports your decision to pursue your education and earn a degree. You want to let that person know how you are doing on your journey to complete your education. You decide to write a report describing your progress.
Your Task. Prepare a progress report in letter format to a relative or friend who is supportive of your educational pursuits. You may organize the report as follows: (a) Describe your progress toward your educational goal; (b) summarize the work you have completed thus far; (c) discuss the work currently in progress, including your successes and challenges; and (d) outline your plans to accomplish your goal.

Question 29

With the rise of social media in business, your supervisor wants to stay abreast of the latest social media marketing trends. He asks you to research this topic and list the current trends with a brief explanation of each. You will format this document as an article summary.
Your Task. Search for an article or infographic that addresses current or future social media marketing trends. In a memo report addressed to your boss, Jin Le, summarize the main ideas presented in the article or infographic. Be sure to identify the author, article title, publication name, and date of the article. If your source is an infographic, follow a similar procedure and identify the title, sponsoring website, source, and date, if available. Conclude with your overall opinion of the article or infographic.

Question 30

Describe functional and talking headings and give an example of each.

Question 31

What heading guidelines should you follow when writing a report?

Question 32

If you are working on a lengthy formal or informal report for either this chapter or in the upcoming Chapter 10, you may want to keep your instructor informed of your progress and record any setbacks.
Your Task. Send your instructor an e-mail report detailing the progress you are making on your long report assignment. Discuss (a) the purpose of the report, (b) the work already completed, (c) the work currently in progress, (d) problems encountered, (e) future activities, and (f ) your schedule for completing the report.

Question 33

Like many executives, your boss is too busy to sift through all the articles describing current technology trends and predictions for the future. She has a ssigned the task to you. She asks you to search for articles about future technology trends and write a summary of two of the best articles you found.
Your Task. Write an article summary in memo format to Sandra Ellington that addresses two articles on future technology trends. Include an introduction, such as As you requested, I am submitting two article summaries.... Identify the author, article title, journal or website name, and date of publication for each article. Explain the purpose of each article and summarize three or four of its most important findings. Include an appropriate subject line and add meaningful headings. Your boss would also like a concluding statement indicating your overall reaction to the articles.