Chapter 12

Preparing To Write
Business Reports

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication:

Process and Product, 5e

What Are Business Reports?

Business reports are systematic
attempts to answer questions and solve
problems. They include the following
activities.

Planning

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 2

What Are Business Reports?

Business reports are systematic
attempts to answer questions and solve
problems. They include the following
activities.

Planning

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 3

What Are Business Reports?

Business reports are systematic
attempts to answer questions and solve
problems. They include the following
activities.

Planning

Research

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 4

What Are Business Reports?

Business reports are systematic
attempts to answer questions and solve
problems. They include the following
activities.

Planning

Research

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 5

What Are Business Reports?

Business reports are systematic
attempts to answer questions and solve
problems. They include the following
activities.

Planning

Research

Organization

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 6

What Are Business Reports?

Business reports are systematic
attempts to answer questions and solve
problems. They include the following
activities.

Planning

Research

Organization

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 7

What Are Business Reports?

Business reports are systematic
attempts to answer questions and solve
problems. They include the following
activities.

Planning

Research

Organization

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 8

Presentation

Ten Truths About

Business Reports
1. Everyone writes reports.
2. Most reports flow upward.
3. Most reports are informal.

4. Three report formats (memo, letter,

and manuscript) are most common.
5. Reports differ from memos and
letters.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 9

Ten Truths About

Business Reports
6. Todays reports are written on
computers.
7. Some reports are collaborative
efforts.
8. Ethical report writers interpret facts
fairly.
9. Organization is imposed on data.
10. The writer is the readers servant.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 10

Report Functions
Informational reports
Analytical reports

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 11

Report Formats

Letter format
Memo format
Manuscript format
Printed forms

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 12

Writing Style
Formal
Informal

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 13

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization
If readers
are informed

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 14

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization
If readers
are informed

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 15

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization
If readers
are informed

Direct Pattern

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 16

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization
If readers
are informed

Direct Pattern

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 17

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization
If readers
are informed

Report

Direct Pattern

-----Main Idea --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 18

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization

If readers
are supportive

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 19

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization

If readers
are supportive

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 20

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization

If readers
are supportive

Direct Pattern

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 21

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization

If readers
are supportive

Direct Pattern

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 22

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization
Report

If readers
are supportive

Direct Pattern

-----Main Idea --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 23

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization

If readers
are eager to
have results first

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 24

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization

If readers
are eager to
have results first

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 25

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization

Direct Pattern

If readers
are eager to
have results first

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 26

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization

Direct Pattern

If readers
are eager to
have results first

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 27

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization
Report

Direct Pattern

If readers
are eager to
have results first

-----Main Idea --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 28

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization
If readers
are informed

If readers
are supportive

If readers
are eager to
have results first

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 29

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization
If readers
are informed

If readers
are supportive

If readers
are eager to
have results first

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 30

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization
If readers
are informed

If readers
are supportive

Direct Pattern

If readers
are eager to
have results first

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 31

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization
If readers
are informed

If readers
are supportive

Direct Pattern

If readers
are eager to
have results first

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 32

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization
If readers
are informed

If readers
are supportive

Report

Direct Pattern

If readers
are eager to
have results first

-----Main Idea --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 33

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 34

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 35

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated

Indirect Pattern

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 36

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated

Indirect Pattern

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 37

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated

Report

Indirect Pattern

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Main Idea ----

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 38

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization

If readers
need to be
persuaded

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 39

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization

If readers
need to be
persuaded

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 40

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization

If readers
need to be
persuaded

Indirect Pattern

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 41

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization

If readers
need to be
persuaded

Indirect Pattern

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 42

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization
Report

If readers
need to be
persuaded

Indirect Pattern

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Main Idea ----

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 43

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization

If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 44

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization

If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 45

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization

Indirect Pattern

If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 46

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization

Indirect Pattern

If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 47

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization
Report

Indirect Pattern

If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Main Idea ----

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 48

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated

If readers
need to be
persuaded

If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 49

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated

If readers
need to be
persuaded

If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 50

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated

If readers
need to be
persuaded

Indirect Pattern

If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 51

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated

If readers
need to be
persuaded

Indirect Pattern

If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 52

Audience Analysis and

Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated

If readers
need to be
persuaded

Report

Indirect Pattern

If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Main Idea ----

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 53

Applying the Writing Process

to Reports
Analyze the problem and purpose.
Anticipate the audience and issues.
Prepare a work plan.
Implement your research strategy.
Organize, analyze, interpret, illustrate
the data.
Step 6 Compose the first draft.
Step 7 Revise, proofread, and evaluate.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 54

Work Plan for a Formal

Report
Statement of problem
Statement of purpose
Sources and methods of data
collection
Tentative outline
Work schedule
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 55

Researching Report Data

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 56

Researching Report Data

Locating secondary print data
Books card catalog, online catalog
Periodicals print indexes, CD-ROM indexes

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 57

Researching Report Data

Locating secondary electronic data
Electronic databases
The Internet
World Wide Web search tools
Google
Ask Jeeves

MSN search
Yahoo!

Evaluating Web sources

How current is the information?
How credible is the author or source?
What is the purpose of the site?
Do the facts seem reliable?
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 58

Researching Report Data

Tips for searching the Web

Use two or three search tools.

Understand case sensitivity.
Prefer uncommon words.
Omit articles and prepositions.
Use wild cards.
Know your search tool.
Learn basic Boolean search strategies.
Bookmark the best pages.
Be persistent.
Repeat your search a week later.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 59

Researching Report Data

Researching primary data

Surveys
Interviews
Observation
Experimentation

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 60

Illustrating Report Data

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 61

Illustrating Report Data

Functions of graphics
To clarify data
To condense and simplify data
To emphasize data

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 62

Illustrating Report Data

Forms and objectives of graphics
Table
To show exact figures and values

Class

Agree

Disagree

Undecided

Seniors

738

123

54

Juniors

345

34

76

Sophomores

123

234

78

Freshmen

45

567

123

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 63

Illustrating Report Data

Forms and objectives of graphics
Bar chart
To compare one item with others
48
47
46
45

Enrollees

44
43
42
1st Qtr

2nd Qtr

3rd Qtr

4th Qtr

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 64

Illustrating Report Data

Forms and objectives of graphics
Line chart
To demonstrate changes in quantitative data over time
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Net ($M)
Gross ($M)

2001

2002

2003

2004

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 65

Illustrating Report Data

Forms and objectives of graphics
Pie graph
To visualize a whole unit and the proportion of its
components

Disagree
28%

Strongly
Disagree
38%

Agree
13%
Strongly
Agree
18%

No
Opinion
3%

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 66

Illustrating Report Data

Forms and objectives of graphics
Flow chart
To display a process or procedure

Receive

Test

Repair

Re-box

Re-stock

Floor

Shelves

Ship

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 67

Illustrating Report Data

Forms and objectives of graphics
Organization chart
To define a hierarchy of elements
Charles Eubank
President

William Dixon

Joan Williams

Wayne Lu

Vice President
Sales

Vice President
Design

Vice President
Production

Clarice Brown

John Deleuze

George LaPorte

Manager

Manager

Foreman

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 68

Illustrating Report Data

Forms and objectives of graphics
Photograph, map, illustration
To create authenticity, to spotlight a location, and to
show an item in use

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 69

Pie Graph
2006 MPM INCOME BY DIVISION

DVDs & Videos

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 70

Pie Graph
Use pie graphs to show a whole and
the proportion of its components.
Generally begin at the 12 oclock
position, drawing the largest wedge
first. Computer software programs,
however, may vary in placement of
wedges.
Include, if possible, the actual
percentage or absolute value for
each wedge.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 71

Pie Graph
Use four to eight segments for best
results; if necessary, group small
portions into one wedge called
Other.
Distinguish wedges with color,
shading, or crosshatching.
Keep all labels horizontal.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 72

Vertical Bar Chart

Figure 1

2006 MPM INCOME BY DIVISION

Scale
value

Figure number
Figure title

Millions of Dollars

40
$32.2

30

$24.3
$22.0

20
10
0
Theme
Parks

Motion
Pictures

Videos

Source: Industry Profiles (New York: DataPro, 2002), 225.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 73

Scale captions
Source note

Bar Charts
Bar charts make visual comparisons.
They can compare related items,
illustrate changes in data over time,
and show segments as parts of
wholes.
Bar charts may be vertical,
horizontal, grouped, or segmented.
Avoid showing too much
information, thus producing clutter
and confusion.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 74

Bar Charts
The length of each bar and segment
should be proportional.
Dollar or percentage amounts should
start at zero.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 75

Documenting Data

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 76

Documenting Data
Reasons for crediting sources
Strengthens your argument
Gives you protection
Instructs readers

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 77

Documenting Data
Learning what to document
Another person's ideas, opinions, examples, or
theory
Any facts, statistics, graphs, and drawings that
are not common knowledge
Quotations of another person's actual spoken
or written words
Paraphrases of another person's spoken or
written words

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 78

Documenting Data
Manual notetaking suggestions
Record all major ideas from various sources
on separate note cards.
Include all publication data along with precise
quotations.
Consider using one card color for direct quotes
and a different color for your paraphrases and
summaries.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 79

Documenting Data
Electronic notetaking suggestions
Begin your research by setting up a folder on
your hard-drive that will contain your data.
Create separate subfolders for major topics,
such as Introduction, Body, and Closing.
When on the Web or in electronic databases
you find information you may be able to use,
highlight (i.e., drag with your mouse) the
passages you want to save, copy them (using
control-c), paste them (using control-v) into
documents that you will save in appropriate
subfolders.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 80

Documenting Data
Be sure to include all publication data.
Consider archiving on a Zip disk the Web
pages or articles used in your research in case
the data must later be verified.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 81

Documenting Data
Learn to paraphrase
Read the original material carefully so that you
can comprehend its full meaning.
Write your own version without looking at the
original.
Do not repeat the grammatical structure of the
original, and do not merely replace words of
the original with synonyms.
Reread the original to be sure you covered the
main points but did not borrow specific
language.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 82

Documenting Data
Two Documentation Formats
Modern Language Association
Authors name and page (Smith 100) placed in text; complete
references in Works Cited.

American Psychological Association

Authors name, date of publication, and page number placed
near text reference (Jones, 2000, p. 99). Complete references
listed at end of report.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 83

End
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 84