Chap 9 Informal Reports

Lecture 10
Informal reports
Instructor: Mr. Vu Tuan Anh,
CMA, MSA
Understanding Report Basics
Functions Patterns
 Informational  Direct
 Analytical  Indirect
© 2013 Cengage Learning ● All Rights Reserved
Formats Report Delivery

 Letter  In person
 Memo/E-Mail  Mail
 Manuscript  Fax
 Preprinted forms  E-mail
 Digital  Online
Chapter 9, Slide 2
Report Functions
Present data without

Informational analysis or
recommendations
Present data or
findings, analyses,
Analytical conclusions, and
recommendations
Chapter 9, Slide 3
DO IT !
Dena, who manages a team in her company's social
media department, wants to consider changing the layout
of her team's workspace to include more collaborative
workspaces. She wants to know if this will cause any
employee dissatisfaction or cause team members to feel
as if they don't have time to focus on personal projects.
Dena has asked her assistant, Angela, to conduct a focus

group of seven employees to talk about the impact of this
possible change. Which type of informal report would
Angela most likely write?
A. Meeting minutes
B. Feasibility report
C. Conference repott Chapter 9, Slide 4
Report Formats
Letter For informal reports sent to outsiders
For informal reports sent within

Memo/E-Mail
organizations
Manuscript For longer, more formal reports.
Preprinted For routine activities, such as expense

forms reports.
Useful for collaboration and for posting
Digital
online
Chapter 9, Slide 5
DO IT !
Angela has finished her report about the potential
change in workplace layout and now needs to share the
report with Dena, who asked for the report. Angela
should ________.
A. Send an email with the report as the body

B. Print a copy of the report and put it in Dena’s in-
basket
C. Print a copy of the report and have it bound at a print
shop
Chapter 9, Slide 6
DO IT !
Sophia has noticed that the customer check out lines at her store
have been much longer than they used to be on Sundays during the
typical quiet “church time.” While there have been no ugly scenes,
there have been some disgruntled customers. Sophia asks her
morning manager, Valerie, to track the number of customers at
each checker stand for the next 30 days and compare it to last
year’s numbers. Sophia wonders if this new change is due to the
performance of the local football team or due to population growth

in this suburb. Valerie collects the checker stand data and starts her
outline for the short report. Which major sections should she start
with?
A.Introduction, support, summary

B.Introduction, support, recommendations, summary
C.Opening, body, close
Chapter 9, Slide 7
Report Patterns
The Direct Strategy
If readers If readers If readers are

are informed are supportive eager to have
results first
Direct Strategy
Chapter 9, Slide 8
Direct Strategy
Informational Report Analytical Report

Introduction/Background Introduction/Problem
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
CONCLUSIONS/
Facts/Findings _________________
__________________________________
RECOMMENDATIONS
__________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________ Facts/Findings
Summary ______________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
Discussion/Analysis ____________
__________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________
Chapter 9, Slide 9
DO IT !
Chris’s boss, Yasmin, wants to consider changing the work schedule
from 40 hours over five days a week to 40 hours over four days a
week. She wants to know if this will cause any employee
dissatisfaction or increase the cost of overtime. Yasmin tells Chris
that other institutions are doing this, and she expects that Chris’s
research will find that this change makes sense. Chris expects to
write an informal analytical report that Yasmin can use to support the
decision to make this change. If Chris finds support for this change,
which organization makes the most sense for his report in this
situation?
A. Introduction, recommendation, conclusion

B. Introduction, recommendation, support/reasons, conclusion
C. Introduction, support/reasons, recommendation, conclusion
Chapter 9, Slide 10
Report Patterns
The Indirect Strategy

If readers If readers need If readers may
need to be to be persuaded be disappointed
educated or hostile
Indirect Strategy
Chapter 9, Slide 11
Indirect Strategy
Analytical Report
Introduction/Problem
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
Facts/Findings _________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
Discussion/Analysis
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
CONCLUSIONS/
RECOMMENDATIONS____________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
Chapter 9, Slide 12
Developing Informal Reports
Chapter 9, Slide 13
Developing Informal Reports
 Determine problem
and purpose.
 Gather data.
 Organize data.
 Write first draft.
 Edit and revise.
Chapter 9, Slide 14
Gathering Data for Reports
 Company records
 Printed materials (books, newspapers,
and periodicals)
 Electronic resources (Web, electronic
databases, online resources)
 Personal observation and

experience
 Surveys, questionnaires,
and inventories
 Interviews
Chapter 9, Slide 15
Typical Informal Reports
 Information reports
 Progress reports
 Justification/recommendation
reports
 Feasibility reports
 Minutes of meetings
 Summaries
Chapter 9, Slide 16
Information Reports
What do they do?

• Collect and organize information
• Provide findings without analysis

or persuasion
Chapter 9, Slide 17
Progress Reports
What do they do?

• Explain the progress of continuing
projects
• May be internal or external
Chapter 9, Slide 18
Justification/Recommendation
Reports
What do they do?

Justify or recommend something
(buying equipment, changing a

procedure, hiring an employee, etc.)
Chapter 9, Slide 19
Feasibility Reports
What do they do?

• Examine the practicality and
advisability of a course of action
• Ask: Will this plan or proposal work?
Chapter 9, Slide 20
Informal Report Writing Style
Uses Characteristics
 Short, routine reports  Use of first-person pronouns (I,
aimed at familiar we, us)
audiences  Use of contractions (can’t,
 Noncontroversial reports don’t, I’ll)
 Most reports to company  Emphasis on active-voice
insiders verbs (I conducted the study)

 Shorter sentences, familiar
words
Effect
 Occasional use of humor,
Feeling of warmth, personal metaphors
involvement, closeness
 Acceptance of author’s
opinions, ideas
Chapter 9, Slide 21
Formal Report Writing Style
Uses Characteristics
 Theses  Absence of first-person
 Research studies pronouns; use of third person
 Controversial and complex (the researcher, the writer)
reports, especially to  Absence of contractions
outsiders (cannot, do not)
 Use of passive-voice verbs (the
Effect study was conducted)

 Impression of objectivity,  Complex sentences, long
accuracy, professionalism, words
fairness  Absence of humor, colorful
 Distance created between adjectives, adverbs
writer and reader  Elimination of author’s
“editorializing”
Chapter 9, Slide 22
Being Objective in Writing Reports
 Present both sides of

an issue.
 Separate fact from
opinion.
 Be sensitive and
moderate in language.
 Cite sources carefully.
Chapter 9, Slide 23
Report Headings
Benefits
 Serve as an outline of the report
 Highlight major ideas and categories
 Act as guides for locating information
 Provide resting points for the

mind and the eye
 Organize data into meaningful
blocks
Chapter 9, Slide 24
Report Headings
 Functional headings
describe functions or general topics
Background, Findings, Benefits, Costs
 Talking headings
describe content and provide more information
Benefits of Offering a Wellness Program
Chapter 9, Slide 25
Effective Report Headings
 Use appropriate heading levels.

 Strive for parallel construction within levels.
 Use first- and second-level headings for
short reports.
 Capitalize and underline carefully.

 Keep headings short but clear.
 Include at least one heading per report page.
Chapter 9, Slide 26
A quick comparison: using
headings
No Headings Using headings
General Store is opening a new Background
location in Q4 of this upcoming General Store is opening a new
year. There are three potential location in Q4 of this upcoming year.
locations for this new store. There are three potential locations for
this new store.
In my research, I found that
Findings
location one is in a poorly trafficked

area, but is more affordable. Location one is in a poorly trafficked
Location two is in a highly trafficked area, but is more affordable. Location
area, but is out of the current two is in a highly trafficked area, but is
budget. Location three is just right. out of the current budget. Location
three is just right.
After this research, I can conclude
that General Store should open its Recommendation
new store at location three General Store should open its new
store at location three.
Chapter 9, Slide 27
END

Chap 9 Informal Reports

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Chap 9 Informal Reports

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Available Formats

Lecture 10

Formats Report Delivery

Present data without

Dena has asked her assistant, Angela, to conduct a focus

Letter For informal reports sent to outsiders

For informal reports sent within

Manuscript For longer, more formal reports.

Preprinted For routine activities, such as expense

A. Send an email with the report as the body

performance of the local football team or due to population growth

A.Introduction, support, summary

The Direct Strategy

If readers If readers If readers are

Informational Report Analytical Report

A. Introduction, recommendation, conclusion

The Indirect Strategy

 Personal observation and

What do they do?

• Provide findings without analysis

What do they do?

What do they do?

(buying equipment, changing a

What do they do?

• Ask: Will this plan or proposal work?

insiders verbs (I conducted the study)

Effect study was conducted)

 Present both sides of

 Provide resting points for the

 Use appropriate heading levels.

 Capitalize and underline carefully.

location one is in a poorly trafficked

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