Ch. 10-1

1
Chapter 10

• Proposals and Formal Reports

2
Informal Proposals

• Introduction must provide "hook" to capture
  reader's interest.
• Background section identifies problems and goals
  of project.
• Proposal discusses plan for solving existing
  problem. Include a schedule of activities.

3
Informal Proposals

• Staffing section describes credentials and
  expertise of project leaders.
• Budget indicates project costs.
• Authorization asks for approval to proceed.

4
Formal Proposals

• Much larger than informal proposals
• Organized into many parts.

5
Preparing to Write Formal Reports

• Begin with a definition of the project.
• Use outlines and headings.

6
Researching Secondary Data

• Electronic Databases
• Magazine, newspaper, and journal articles
• Newsletters, business reports,company
  profiles, government data, reviews, and
  directories

7
Researching Secondary Data

• The Web
• Product data, mission statements, staff
  directories, press releases, current
  company news, government information, article
  reprints, scientific reports, and
  employment information

8
Internet Search Tips and Techniques

• Use two or three search tools.
• Understand case sensitivity in keyword searches.
• Understand Boolean searching.
• Be specific.
• Omit articles and prepositions.

9
Internet Search Tips and Techniques

• Use wild cards (e.g., cent will retrieve center
  and centre).
• Know your search tool use FAQs and "How to
  Search" sections.
• Bookmark the best.
• Be persistent.

10
Generating Primary Data

• Surveys
• Interviews
• Locate an expert.
• Prepare for the interview.
• Make question objective and friendly.
• Watch the time
• End graciously.
• Observation and Experimentation

11
Documenting Data and Plagiarism

• Plagiarism is the act of not documenting your
  sources, of taking another persons ideas or
  published words and not acknowledging that fact.

12
Documenting Data and Plagiarism

• In a business report, documenting serves three
  purposes
• 1. Strengthens your argument.
• 2. Protects you.
• 3. Instructs the reader.

13
Illustrating Report Data

• Reasons for using visual aids
• To clarify data
• To summarize important ideas
• To emphasize facts and provide focus
• To add visual interest

14
Illustrating Report Data

• Most common types of visuals aids
• Tables
• Charts
• Graphs
• Photographs, maps, illustrations

15
Matching Visual Aids With Objectives

• Table
• To show exact figures and values

16
Matching Visual Aids With Objectives

• Bar Chart
• To compare one item with others

17
Matching Visual Aids With Objectives

• Line Chart
• To demonstrate changes in quantitative data over
  time

18
Matching Visual Aids With Objectives

• Pie Chart
• To visualize a whole unit and the proportions of
  its components

19
Matching Visual Aids With Objectives

• Flow Chart
• To display a process or procedure

20
Matching Visual Aids With Objectives

• Organization Chart
• To define a hierarchy of elements or a set of
  relationships

21
Matching Visual Aids With Objectives

• Map, Photograph, or Illustration
• To achieve authenticity, to spotlight a
  location, or to show an item in use

22
Tips for Effective Use of Visual Aids

• Clearly identify the contents of the visual aid
  with a meaningful title and appropriate labels.
• Refer the reader to the visual aid by discussing
  it in the text and mentioning its location and
  figure number.
• Locate the visual aid close to its reference in
  the text.

23
Tips for Effective Use of Visual Aids

• Strive for vertical placement of visual aids.
• Give credit to the source if appropriate.

24
Organizing Report Data

• Deductive strategy (main ideas first)
• Inductive strategy (facts and discussion first)
• Chronological sequence (historical data)

25
Organizing Report Data

• Geographical or spatial arrangement (e.g.,
  East, West, South, North, etc.)
• Topical or functional arrangement (e.g., duties
  of CEO, duties of general manager, etc.)
• Component or criteria arrangement (e.g.,
  comparing two or more solutiontwo cities on a
  call centre short list)

26
Presenting the Final Report

• Prefatory Parts
• Title fly
• Title page
• Letter or memo or e-mail of authorization
• Letter or memo of transmittal
• Table of contents
• Executive summary or abstract

27
Presenting the Final Report

• Body of report
• Introduction or background
• Discussion of findings
• Summary, conclusions, or recommendations

28
Presenting the Final Report

• Supplementary parts of a formal report
• Footnotes or endnotes
• Bibliography
• Appendix

29

• End