CH 21

ch21
Student: ___________________________________________________________________________
1. In some organizations, a report is a long document or a document that contains numerical data.
True False
2. Reports should never contain analysis of the information it presents.
True False
3. Informal reports typically contain elements such as a title page, a transmittal, a table of contents, and a list
of illustrations.
True False
4. A sales report is an example of a recommendation report.
True False
5. Audit reports are examples of analytical reports.
True False
6. A report can be as simple as a series of PowerPoint slides printed out and bound together and submitted
for people's review.
True False
7. Memos cannot be used as reports.
True False
8. A proposal can only be drafted after the research is fully complete.
True False
9. Once the problem is defined for the report, a purpose statement can be written.
True False
10. A purpose statement must be written before the problem is defined.
True False
11. The purpose statement goes only in the final report and not in the proposal.
True False
12. A good purpose statement makes the organizational problem or conflict clear.
True False
13. Proposals suggest a method for finding information or solving a problem.
True False
14. RFP is the acronym for Reasons for Funding the Program.
True False
15. You should follow the RFP exactly when you respond to a proposal.
True False
16. Using charts will help to organize your work schedule while writing a proposal.
True False
17. A good work schedule provides both the total time you plan to spend on and the date when you expect to
finish each activity.
True False
18. In a proposal for a class research project, for the Call to Action section, you should avoid welcoming
any suggestions your instructor may have, as those issues would have already been covered in the
proposal.
True False
19. In a proposal to a corporation for funding, stress the needs your project will meet and show how your
project helps fulfill the goals of the organization you are asking to fund it.
True False
20. It is critical to have a good budget to make a winning bid with a funder.
True False
21. Hot buttons refer to issues to which your audience has a strong emotional response.
True False
22. Hot button issues are always the same for all members of an audience.
True False
23. A chronological progress report can include summaries of work to be completed.
True False
24. In a task progress report, information is organized under the various tasks one has worked on during the
period.
True False
25. A progress report acts as an assurance for the funding agency or employer that you’re making progress
and allows you and the agency or employer to resolve problems as they arise.
True False
26. Progress reports cannot be used to make recommendations.
True False
27. Progress reports are only used for projects that will take more than a year to finish.
True False
28. All progress reports should use a chronological pattern of organization.
True False
29. In a recommendation progress report, one should use the direct request pattern of organization if the
recommendations are easy for the readers to accept.
True False
30. The direct request pattern of organization is typically used in recommendation progress reports where the
recommendations are likely to meet resistance from its readers.
True False
31. Which of the following kinds of reports does not provide information plus analysis?
A. Annual reports
B. Sales reports
C. Audit reports
D. Make-good reports
E. Pay-back reports
32. You receive a report that provides a detailed description of the data collected for a recent project. The
writer makes observations about the data but offers no recommendation. This is an example of a(n) _____
report.
A. audit
B. annual
C. advisory
D. analytical
E. quarterly
33. You decide to write a make-good report for your supervisor, who wants to better understand how a
project will be financed. Should you recommend action at the conclusion?
A. No, because pay-back reports are not recommendation reports.
B. No, because your supervisor needs to make the recommendation, not you.
C.
Yes, because make-good reports always provide recommendations.
D. Yes, because there's no reason to read the report if no recommendation appears.

E.
Yes, because make-good reports are non-analytical reports and require recommendations.
34. A good purpose statement makes all of the following clear except:
A. the organizational problem or conflict.
B. the specific technical questions that must be answered to solve the problem.
C. the rhetorical purpose the report is designed to achieve.
D. the audience the report has been written for.
E. B and C.
35. Which of the following is an example of a report that only provides information and not analyses or
recommendations?
A. Audit reports
B. Problem-solving reports
C. Feasibility reports
D. Quarterly reports
E. None of the above
36.
Which of the following is an example of a report that provides information and analyses but not
recommendations?
A. Problem-solving reports
B. Sales reports
C. Audit reports
D. Feasibility reports
E. Quarterly reports
37. Which of the following is an example of a report that provides information, analyses, and
recommendations?
A. Audit reports
B. Pay-back reports
C. Problem-solving reports
E. Sales reports
38. Which of the following is not needed in the purpose statement of a report?
A. The rhetorical purpose of the report
B. The problem as the organization experiences it
C. The specific technical questions, which must be solved
D. The psychological barriers, which must be overcome to make the report persuasive
E. Only A and B are not needed
39. You are writing a purpose statement for a report on the lack of volunteers for faculty-student committees
on campus. All of the following are necessary components of the statement except:
A. the definition of the problem.
B. specific questions which need to be answered.
C. whether the report is a recommendation, a request, a proposal, or an explanation.
D. extensive research work on specific alternatives mentioned in the report.
E. recommendation on how to handle the problem.
40. Which of the following questions would be answered in the feasibility section of a proposal for a class
research project?
A. What organizational problem exists?
B. Who in the organization would have the power to implement your recommendation?
C. How much will you charge?
D. Are you sure that a solution can be found in the time available?
E. What published sources will you use?
41. Which of the following sections of a class research project would give the answer for the amount of time
you would take and the date on which you plan to finish the different activities in the report?
A. Qualifications
B. Feasibility
C. Work schedule
D. Audience
E. Problem
42. Which of the following would not be typically included in the audience section of a proposal for a class
research project?
A. Who in the organization has the power to implement your recommendation?
B. What audiences would be affected by your recommendation?
C. How much does the audience know about the topic of your report?
D. When you will interview your primary audience?
E. Will anyone serve as a gatekeeper, determining whether your report is sent to decision makers?
43. You receive a Request for Proposals (RFP). Although it says to include budget information with your
proposal, you're reluctant because that information could be used to bargain with your competitors. Is it a
good idea to leave the budget information out?
A.
No, because withholding information will lower your score.
B No, because chances are your competitor will take the same strategy, and you will seem more
. customer-service-oriented by comparison.
C. Yes, because taking the initiative to create your own proposal sections shows you're a leader and not a
follower.
D. Yes, because most organizations expect the proposals to differ somewhat from what the RFP specifies.
E.
Yes, because evaluators don't look under specific headings of an RFP.
44. In which of the following sections of a proposal for a class research project would you most likely
explain why you are certain that a solution can be found in the time available?
A. Work schedule
B. Feasibility
C. Problems
D. Topics to investigate
E. Qualifications
45.
In which of the following sections of a proposal for a class research project would you most likely
include the bibliographic references of your proposal?
A. Methods
B. Topics to investigate
C. Problem
D. Call to action
E. Qualifications
indicate the amount of time you expect to spend on gathering information?
A. Methods
C. Work schedule
D. Feasibility
E. Qualifications
47. When working up a budget for a project, it's best to:
A. aim low in computing costs, as readers will expect to see low numbers.
B. inflate costs higher than the market provides.
C. use a figure that is the going rate, even if you can get the work done for less.
D. take an educated guess, as most projects are over budget and organizations know that.
E. offer your services for free and hope that the organization provides funds on its goodwill.
48. While creating the budget for your proposal to paint dorm rooms, you used the going rate for your area,
or $25 an hour. However, as you're preparing to fax the proposal by the 5 p.m. deadline, you're told there
may be students looking for summer employment and willing to work for $17 an hour. With this new
information, which of the following would be ideal regarding the budget in the proposal?
A. Revise your proposal's budget to reflect the lower rate because this will make your proposal more
competitive.
B. Leave the budget at $25 an hour, even though you might be able to charge less.
C. Submit the average of $17 an hour and $25 an hour.
D. Hold up submitting the proposal until you can get a definitive answer.
E.
Quote an amount that is lower than $17.
49. Which of the following is the best reason to use positive emphasis in a progress report?
A. To hope your teacher doesn't notice that you really haven't done any work yet
B. To create an image of yourself as a capable, confident worker
C. To keep your boss from realizing until the project is complete that you have completely changed the
direction of your project
D. To deemphasize the fact that you have already used up all the money allocated to the project
E. All of the above
50. Which of the following cases is the direct request of organization used in a recommendation progress
report?
A. When the recommendations are easily acceptable to its readers
B. When the recommendations are likely to meet resistance from its readers
C. When there are multiple recommendations
D. When the recommendations do not include budgetary information.
E. Both B and C
51. What is a report? What are the different kinds of reports?
52. Mention the three aspects that a good purpose statement must make clear.
53. List the seven questions a proposal must answer convincingly.
54. Mention the activities that should be listed in the work schedule of a class research project.
55. Provide tips on how to organize a cover letter for sales proposals.
56. Mention the sections that must be included in a proposal for a student report.
57. What are the points to remember when formulating the budget for a project?
58. Explain the role of hot buttons in a proposal.
59. List and explain the three functions of progress reports beyond reporting progress.
60. Mention the three ways in which progress reports can be organized.
61. A _____ report is a type of report that typically contains elements such as a title page, a transmittal, a
table of contents, and a list of illustrations.
________________________________________
62. _____ reports interpret data but do not recommend action.
________________________________________
63.
________________________________________
With regard to proposals, government agencies and companies often issue _____, also known as RFPs.
64. _____ refer to the issues to which your audience has a strong emotional response.
________________________________________
65. If the recommendation in the progress report is likely to meet strong resistance, the _____ pattern is more
effective.
________________________________________
ch21 Key
1. In some organizations, a report is a long document or a document that contains numerical data.
(p. 365) TRUE
In some organizations, a report is a long document or a document that contains numerical data.
AACSB: Communication
Blooms: Remember
Learning Objective: 21-01 Define reports in the workplace.
Level of Difficulty: 1 Easy
Locker - Chapter 21 #1
Topic: What is a "report"?
2. Reports should never contain analysis of the information it presents.
(p. 365) FALSE
Reports can just provide information, both provide information and analyze it, or provide information
and analysis to support a recommendation.
Blooms: Remember
3. Informal reports typically contain elements such as a title page, a transmittal, a table of contents, and a
list of illustrations.
FALSE
Formal reports contain formal elements such as a title page, a transmittal, a table of contents, and a list
of illustrations.
Blooms: Remember
4. A sales report is an example of a recommendation report.
FALSE
A sales report is an example of an information report. They collect sales figures for the week or
month.
Blooms: Remember
5. Audit reports are examples of analytical reports.
TRUE
Audit reports are examples of analytical reports. They are interpretations of the facts revealed during
an audit.
Blooms: Remember
6. A report can be as simple as a series of PowerPoint slides printed out and bound together and
(p. 365) submitted for people's review.
TRUE
In some organizations, a report is a long document or a document that contains numerical data. In
others, one- and two-page memos are called reports. In still others, reports consist of PowerPoint
slides printed out and bound together.
Blooms: Understand
7. Memos cannot be used as reports.
(p. 365) FALSE
others, one- and two-page memos are called reports.
Blooms: Understand
8. A proposal can only be drafted after the research is fully complete.
(p. 365) FALSE
Before you draft a proposal, you not only need to do the analysis that you’d do for any message, but
you also need to complete part of your research—usually about one-fourth of the total research you’ll
need to do for a class project.
Blooms: Remember
Learning Objective: 21-02 Estimate time for business proposal writing.
Topic: What should I do before I write a proposal?
9. Once the problem is defined for the report, a purpose statement can be written.
(p. 365) TRUE
Once the problem is defined for the report, a purpose statement can be written.
Blooms: Remember
10. A purpose statement must be written before the problem is defined.
(p. 366) FALSE
Defining the problem accurately is essential to finding an effective solution. Once you’ve defined your
problem, you’re ready to write a purpose statement.
Blooms: Remember
11. The purpose statement goes only in the final report and not in the proposal.
(p. 365) FALSE
The purpose statement goes both in the proposal and in the final report.
Blooms: Remember
12. A good purpose statement makes the organizational problem or conflict clear.
(p. 366) TRUE
A good purpose statement makes three things clear:

• The organizational problem or conflict.
• The specific technical questions that must be answered to solve the problem.
• The rhetorical purpose (to explain, to recommend, to request, to propose) the report is designed to
achieve.
Blooms: Remember
13. Proposals suggest a method for finding information or solving a problem.
(p. 367) TRUE
Proposals suggest a method for finding information or solving a problem.
Blooms: Remember
Learning Objective: 21-03 Identify sections for business proposal organization.
Topic: What should go in a proposal?
14. RFP is the acronym for Reasons for Funding the Program.
(p. 368) FALSE
Government agencies and companies often issue Requests for Proposals, known as RFPs.
Blooms: Remember
15. You should follow the RFP exactly when you respond to a proposal.
(p. 368) TRUE
Follow the RFP exactly when you respond to a proposal. Evaluators look only under the heads
specified in the RFP. If information isn’t there, the proposal gets no points in that category.
Blooms: Remember
16. Using charts will help to organize your work schedule while writing a proposal.
(p. 369) TRUE
You can use a chart or a calendar to organize your work schedule while writing a proposal.
Blooms: Remember
17. A good work schedule provides both the total time you plan to spend on and the date when you expect
(p. 369) to finish each activity.
TRUE
A good work schedule provides both the total time you plan to spend on and the date when you expect
to finish each activity. A good schedule provides realistic estimates for each activity, allows time for
unexpected snags, and shows that you can complete the work on time.
Blooms: Remember
18. In a proposal for a class research project, for the Call to Action section, you should avoid welcoming
(p. 369) any suggestions your instructor may have, as those issues would have already been covered in the
proposal.
FALSE
In Call to Action section, indicate that you’d welcome any suggestions your instructor may have for
improving the research plan. Ask your instructor to approve your proposal so that you can begin work
on your report.
Blooms: Remember
Level of Difficulty: 2 Medium
19. In a proposal to a corporation for funding, stress the needs your project will meet and show how your
(p. 374) project helps fulfill the goals of the organization you are asking to fund it.
TRUE
If you need money for a new or continuing public service project, you may want to submit a proposal
for funding to a foundation, a corporation, a government agency, or a religious agency. In a proposal
for funding, stress the needs your project will meet and show how your project helps fulfill the goals
of the organization you are asking to fund it.
Blooms: Remember
20. It is critical to have a good budget to make a winning bid with a funder.
(p. 374) TRUE
A good budget is crucial to making the winning bid. Ask for everything you need to do a quality job.
Asking for too little may backfire, leading the funder to think that you don’t understand the scope of
the project.
Blooms: Remember
21. Hot buttons refer to issues to which your audience has a strong emotional response.
(p. 374) TRUE
Hot buttons are the issues to which your audience has a strong emotional response.
Blooms: Remember
Learning Objective: 21-04 Identify “hot buttons” for business proposal strategies and beyond.
Topic: Identifying "hot buttons"
22. Hot button issues are always the same for all members of an audience.
(p. 374) FALSE
Study your audience’s preferences and motivations. They may have different hot buttons than the
typical ones.
Blooms: Apply
23. A chronological progress report can include summaries of work to be completed.
(p. 374) TRUE
A chronological progress report can include summaries of work to be completed. It is put under the
heading "Work To Be Completed.”
Blooms: Remember
24. In a task progress report, information is organized under the various tasks one has worked on during
(p. 375) the period.
TRUE
In a task progress report, organize information under the various tasks you have worked on during the
period.
Blooms: Remember
Learning Objective: 21-05 Identify sections for progress report organization.
Topic: What should go in a progress report?
25. A progress report acts as an assurance for the funding agency or employer that you’re making
(p. 375) progress and allows you and the agency or employer to resolve problems as they arise.
TRUE
A progress report reassures the funding agency or employer that you’re making progress and allows
you and the agency or employer to resolve problems as they arise.
Blooms: Remember
26. Progress reports cannot be used to make recommendations.
(p. 375) FALSE
Recommendation progress reports recommend action: increasing the funding for a project, changing
its direction, canceling a project that isn’t working.
Blooms: Remember
27. Progress reports are only used for projects that will take more than a year to finish.
(p. 375) FALSE
When you’re assigned to a single project that will take a month or more, you’ll probably be asked to
file one or more progress reports. A progress report reassures the funding agency or employer that
you’re making progress and allows you and the agency or employer to resolve problems as they arise.
Blooms: Remember
28. All progress reports should use a chronological pattern of organization.
(p. 376) FALSE
Progress reports can be organized in three ways: to give a chronology, to specify tasks, or to support a
recommendation.
Blooms: Remember
29. In a recommendation progress report, one should use the direct request pattern of organization if the
(p. 378) recommendations are easy for the readers to accept.
TRUE
its direction, canceling a project that isn’t working. When the recommendation will be easy for the
reader to accept, use the direct request pattern of organization.
Blooms: Remember
30. The direct request pattern of organization is typically used in recommendation progress reports where
the recommendations are likely to meet resistance from its readers.
FALSE
When the recommendation in the recommendation progress reports will be easy for the reader to
accept, use the direct request pattern of organization.
Blooms: Remember
31. Which of the following kinds of reports does not provide information plus analysis?
(p. 365) A. Annual reports
B. Sales reports
C. Audit reports
D. Make-good reports
E. Pay-back reports
Sales reports (sales figures for the week or month) presents only information and not analysis.
AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
32. You receive a report that provides a detailed description of the data collected for a recent project. The
(p. 365) writer makes observations about the data but offers no recommendation. This is an example of a(n)
_____ report.
A. audit
B. annual
C. advisory
D. analytical
E. quarterly
Reports can be called analytical reports if they interpret data but do not recommend action.
AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
33. You decide to write a make-good report for your supervisor, who wants to better understand how a
(p. 365) project will be financed. Should you recommend action at the conclusion?
A. No, because pay-back reports are not recommendation reports.
B. No, because your supervisor needs to make the recommendation, not you.
C.
Yes, because make-good reports always provide recommendations.
D. Yes, because there's no reason to read the report if no recommendation appears.

E.
Yes, because make-good reports are non-analytical reports and require recommendations.
Make-good or pay-back reports (calculations of the point at which a new capital investment will pay
for itself) are analytical reports and hence do not recommend action.
AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Apply
34. A good purpose statement makes all of the following clear except:
(p. 366) A. the organizational problem or conflict.
B. the specific technical questions that must be answered to solve the problem.
C. the rhetorical purpose the report is designed to achieve.
D. the audience the report has been written for.
E. B and C.

achieve.
Blooms: Remember
35. Which of the following is an example of a report that only provides information and not analyses or
(p. 366) recommendations?
A. Audit reports
B. Problem-solving reports
C. Feasibility reports
E. None of the above
Quarterly reports are an example of reports that only provide information and not analyses or
recommendations.
Blooms: Remember
36.
(p. 366)
Which of the following is an example of a report that provides information and analyses but not
recommendations?
A. Problem-solving reports
B. Sales reports
C. Audit reports
D. Feasibility reports
E. Quarterly reports
Audit reports are an example of reports that provide information and analyses but not
recommendations.
Blooms: Remember
37. Which of the following is an example of a report that provides information, analyses, and
(p. 366) recommendations?
A. Audit reports
B. Pay-back reports
C. Problem-solving reports
E. Sales reports
Problem-solving reports are an example of reports that provide information, analyses, and
recommendations.
Blooms: Understand
38. Which of the following is not needed in the purpose statement of a report?
(p. 366) A. The rhetorical purpose of the report
B. The problem as the organization experiences it
C. The specific technical questions, which must be solved
D. The psychological barriers, which must be overcome to make the report persuasive
E. Only A and B are not needed

achieve.
Blooms: Understand
39. You are writing a purpose statement for a report on the lack of volunteers for faculty-student
(p. 366) committees on campus. All of the following are necessary components of the statement except:
A. the definition of the problem.
B. specific questions which need to be answered.
C. whether the report is a recommendation, a request, a proposal, or an explanation.
D. extensive research work on specific alternatives mentioned in the report.
E. recommendation on how to handle the problem.

achieve.
AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Apply
40. Which of the following questions would be answered in the feasibility section of a proposal for a class
(p. 368) research project?
A. What organizational problem exists?
B. Who in the organization would have the power to implement your recommendation?
C. How much will you charge?
D. Are you sure that a solution can be found in the time available?
E. What published sources will you use?
Questions like—Are you sure that a solution can be found in the time available?—will be answered in
the feasibility section of the class research project.
Blooms: Remember
Blooms: Understand
41. Which of the following sections of a class research project would give the answer for the amount of
(p. 368) time you would take and the date on which you plan to finish the different activities in the report?
A. Qualifications
B. Feasibility
C. Work schedule
D. Audience
E. Problem
The "work schedule" section of the class research projects lists both the total time you plan to spend
on and the date when you expect to finish each of the activities in the report.
Blooms: Remember
42. Which of the following would not be typically included in the audience section of a proposal for a
(p. 368) class research project?
A. Who in the organization has the power to implement your recommendation?
B. What audiences would be affected by your recommendation?
C. How much does the audience know about the topic of your report?
D. When you will interview your primary audience?
E. Will anyone serve as a gatekeeper, determining whether your report is sent to decision makers?
The question—When will you interview your primary audience?—is not included in the audience
section of a proposal for a class research project.
AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
43. You receive a Request for Proposals (RFP). Although it says to include budget information with your
(p. 368) proposal, you're reluctant because that information could be used to bargain with your competitors. Is
it a good idea to leave the budget information out?
A.
No, because withholding information will lower your score.
B.No, because chances are your competitor will take the same strategy, and you will seem more
customer-service-oriented by comparison.
C. Yes, because taking the initiative to create your own proposal sections shows you're a leader and
not a follower.
D. Yes, because most organizations expect the proposals to differ somewhat from what the RFP
specifies.
E.
Yes, because evaluators don't look under specific headings of an RFP.
Follow the RFP exactly when you respond to a proposal. Competitive proposals are often scored
by giving points in each category. Evaluators look only under the heads specified in the RFP. If
information isn’t there, the proposal gets no points in that category.
AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Apply
(p. 368) explain why you are certain that a solution can be found in the time available?
A. Work schedule
B. Feasibility
C. Problems
D. Topics to investigate
E. Qualifications
In the "feasibility" section of a class research project you have to answer the following
questions: Are you sure that a solution can be found in the time available? How do you know?
Blooms: Remember
45.
(p. 368)
In which of the following sections of a proposal for a class research project would you most likely
include the bibliographic references of your proposal?
A. Methods
C. Problem
D. Call to action
E. Qualifications
In the methods/procedure section the following types of questions will be answer: How will you get
answers to your questions? Whom will you interview or survey? What published sources will you
use? What websites will you consult? All bibliographic references are mentioned here.
Blooms: Apply
(p. 368) indicate the amount of time you expect to spend on gathering information?
A. Methods
C. Work schedule
D. Feasibility
E. Qualifications
List both the total time you plan to spend on and the date when you expect to finish gathering
information in the work schedule.
Blooms: Remember
47. When working up a budget for a project, it's best to:
(p. 368) A. aim low in computing costs, as readers will expect to see low numbers.
B. inflate costs higher than the market provides.
C. use a figure that is the going rate, even if you can get the work done for less.
D. take an educated guess, as most projects are over budget and organizations know that.
E. offer your services for free and hope that the organization provides funds on its goodwill.
Without inflating your costs, give yourself a cushion. For example, if the going rate for skilled
transcribers is $20 an hour, but you think you might be able to train someone and pay only $12 an
hour, use the higher figure. Then, even if your grant is cut, you’ll still be able to do the project well.
Blooms: Remember
48. While creating the budget for your proposal to paint dorm rooms, you used the going rate for your
(p. 368) area, or $25 an hour. However, as you're preparing to fax the proposal by the 5 p.m. deadline, you're
told there may be students looking for summer employment and willing to work for $17 an hour. With
this new information, which of the following would be ideal regarding the budget in the proposal?
A. Revise your proposal's budget to reflect the lower rate because this will make your proposal more
competitive.
B. Leave the budget at $25 an hour, even though you might be able to charge less.
C. Submit the average of $17 an hour and $25 an hour.
D. Hold up submitting the proposal until you can get a definitive answer.
E.
Quote an amount that is lower than $17.
Without inflating your costs, give yourself a cushion. For example, if the going rate for skilled
transcribers is $20 an hour, but you think you might be able to train someone and pay only $12 an
hour, use the higher figure.
AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Apply
Level of Difficulty: 3 Hard
49. Which of the following is the best reason to use positive emphasis in a progress report?
(p. 375) A. To hope your teacher doesn't notice that you really haven't done any work yet
B. To create an image of yourself as a capable, confident worker
C. To keep your boss from realizing until the project is complete that you have completely changed the
direction of your project
D. To deemphasize the fact that you have already used up all the money allocated to the project
E. All of the above
Use positive emphasis in progress reports to create an image of yourself as a capable, confident
worker.
Blooms: Remember
50. Which of the following cases is the direct request of organization used in a recommendation progress
(p. 375 report?
to 378)
A. When the recommendations are easily acceptable to its readers
B. When the recommendations are likely to meet resistance from its readers
C. When there are multiple recommendations
D. When the recommendations do not include budgetary information.
E. Both B and C
its direction, canceling a project that isn’t working. When the recommendation will be easy for the
reader to accept, use the direct request pattern of organization. If the recommendation is likely to meet
strong resistance, the problem-solving pattern.
Blooms: Remember
51. What is a report? What are the different kinds of reports?
(p. 365)
others, one- and two-page memos are called reports. In still others, reports consist of PowerPoint
slides printed out and bound together. A short report to a client may use a letter format. Formal
reports contain formal elements such as a title page, a transmittal, a table of contents, and a list of
illustrations. Informal reports may be letters and memos or even computer printouts of production
or sales figures. Reports can just provide information, both provide information and analyze it, or
provide information and analysis to support a recommendation. Reports can be called information
reports if they collect data for the reader, analytical reports if they interpret data but do not
recommend action, and recommendation reports if they recommend action or a solution.
Blooms: Remember
52. Mention the three aspects that a good purpose statement must make clear.
(p. 365)

1. The organizational problem or conflict.
2. The specific technical questions that must be answered to solve the problem.
3. The rhetorical purpose (to explain, to recommend, to request, to propose) the report is designed to
achieve.
Blooms: Remember
53. List the seven questions a proposal must answer convincingly.
(p. 368)
The seven main questions that a proposal must answer are: What problem are you going to solve?;
How are you going to solve it?; What exactly will you provide for us?; Can you deliver what you
promise?; What benefits can you offer?; When will you complete the work?; How much will you
charge?
Blooms: Remember
54. Mention the activities that should be listed in the work schedule of a class research project.
In a work schedule, list both the total time you plan to spend on and the date when you expect to finish
each of the following activities:
• Gathering information
• Analyzing information
• Preparing the progress report
• Organizing information
• Writing the draft
• Revising the draft
• Preparing the visuals
• Editing the draft
• Proofreading the report
Organize your work schedule either in a chart or in a calendar. A good schedule provides realistic
estimates for each activity, allows time for unexpected snags, and shows that you can complete the
work on time.
Blooms: Remember
55. Provide tips on how to organize a cover letter for sales proposals.
To sell expensive goods or services, you may be asked to submit a proposal. Use language appropriate
for your audience. With long proposals, provide a one-page cover letter. Organize the cover letter in
this way:
1. Catch the reader’s attention and summarize up to three major benefits you offer.
2. Discuss each of the major benefits in the order in which you mentioned them in the first paragraph.
3. Deal with any objections or concerns the reader may have.
4. Mention other benefits briefly.
5. Ask the reader to approve your proposal and provide a reason for acting promptly.
Blooms: Remember
56. Mention the sections that must be included in a proposal for a student report.
Proposal for a student report must include the following sections:
• Problem
• Feasibility
• Audience
• Topics to Investigate
• Methods/Procedure
• Qualifications/Facilities/Resources
• Work Schedule
• Call to Action
Blooms: Remember
57. What are the points to remember when formulating the budget for a project?
(p. 374)
When formulating a budget, ask for everything you need to do a quality job. Asking for too little may
backfire, leading the funder to think that you don’t understand the scope of the project. Find out what
is and isn't fundable; if the RFP doesn't explain it, talk to the program officer and read successful
past proposals to find out. Make the basis for your estimate specific, but build a little cushion into the
amount to prepare for unforeseen changes like increasing fuel costs or changing labor charges.
Blooms: Remember
58. Explain the role of hot buttons in a proposal.
In a proposal, as in any persuasive document, it’s crucial that you deal with the audience’s “hot
buttons.” Hot buttons are the issues to which your audience has a strong emotional response. Study
your audience’s preferences and motivations. For instance, older, or nontraditional, college students
may have different hot buttons than typical 18-to-22-year-old students. Hot buttons sometimes cause
people to make what seems like an “illogical” decision—unless you understand the real priorities.
Blooms: Remember
59. List and explain the three functions of progress reports beyond reporting progress.
(p. 375)
Progress reports can do more than just report progress. You can use progress reports to:
a) Enhance your image. Provide details about the number of documents you’ve read, people you’ve
surveyed, or experiments you’ve conducted to create a picture of a hardworking person doing a
thorough job.
b) Float trial balloons. Explain, “I could continue to do X [what you approved]; I could do Y instead
[what I’d like to do now].” The detail in the progress report can help back up your claim. Even if the
idea is rejected, you don’t lose face because you haven’t made a separate issue of the alternative.
c) Minimize potential problems. As you do the work, it may become clear that implementing your
recommendations will be difficult. In your regular progress reports, you can alert your boss or
the funding agency to the challenges that lie ahead, enabling them to prepare psychologically and
physically to act on your recommendations.
Blooms: Remember
60. Mention the three ways in which progress reports can be organized.
The three types of organizational patterns of progress reports are: chronological progress reports; task
progress reports; and recommendation progress reports.
Blooms: Remember
61. A _____ report is a type of report that typically contains elements such as a title page, a transmittal, a
(p. 367) table of contents, and a list of illustrations.
formal
Formal reports contain formal elements such as a title page, a transmittal, a table of contents, and a list
of illustrations.
Blooms: Remember
62. _____ reports interpret data but do not recommend action.
(p. 368) Analytical
Reports can be called analytical reports if they interpret data but do not recommend action.
Blooms: Remember
63.
(p. 368) Requests for Proposals
With regard to proposals, government agencies and companies often issue _____, also known as
RFPs.
Government agencies and companies often issue Requests for Proposals, known as RFPs.
Blooms: Remember
64. _____ refer to the issues to which your audience has a strong emotional response.
(p. 368) Hot buttons
Hot buttons are the issues to which your audience has a strong emotional response.
Blooms: Remember
65. If the recommendation in the progress report is likely to meet strong resistance, the _____ pattern is
(p. 369) more effective.
problem-solving
If the recommendation in the progress report is likely to meet strong resistance, the problem-solving
pattern is more effective.
Blooms: Remember
ch21 Summary
Category # of Questions
AACSB: Analytic 7
AACSB: Communication 56
Blooms: Apply 6
Blooms: Remember 53
Blooms: Understand 7
Learning Objective: 21-01 Define reports in the workplace. 13
Learning Objective: 21-02 Estimate time for business proposal writing. 12
Learning Objective: 21-03 Identify sections for business proposal organization. 23
Learning Objective: 21-04 Identify “hot buttons” for business proposal strategies and beyond. 5
Learning Objective: 21-05 Identify sections for progress report organization. 12
Level of Difficulty: 1 Easy 45
Level of Difficulty: 2 Medium 19
Level of Difficulty: 3 Hard 1
Locker - Chapter 21 65
Topic: Identifying "hot buttons" 5
Topic: What is a "report"? 14
Topic: What should go in a progress report? 12
Topic: What should go in a proposal? 23
Topic: What should I do before I write a proposal? 12

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D. Yes, because there's no reason to read the report if no recommendation appears.

53. List the seven questions a proposal must answer convincingly.

58. Explain the role of hot buttons in a proposal.

A good purpose statement makes three things clear:

Proposals suggest a method for finding information or solving a problem.

D. Yes, because there's no reason to read the report if no recommendation appears.

A good purpose statement makes three things clear:

A good purpose statement makes three things clear:

A good purpose statement makes three things clear:

A good purpose statement makes three things clear:

3. Deal with any objections or concerns the reader may have.

4. Mention other benefits briefly.

Proposal for a student report must include the following sections:

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