MODULE 4

Shruthi M
Assistant Professor
Bapuji B - Schools
 Reports
A report can be defined as a communication in which the writer gives
information to some individual or organization because it is his or her
responsibility to do so.
It is a logical and coherent structuring of information, ideas and concepts
which are already brought into actions.
•They have structured format
•They use language that is concise and concrete
•They contain recommendations and conclusions
•They make use of tables and graphs
•They are usually preceded by a summary
•They can also be oral but essays are only written
 Business Report
• Business Report is an impartial, objective, planned presentation of
facts to one or more persons for specific, significant business purpose.

• The report facts could relate to events, conditions, qualities, progress,

results, products, problems, or suggested solutions.
 Purpose of Report
• To give information about a company’s activities, progress,
plans and problems.
• To record events for future reference in decision making.
• To recommend specific action.
• Tojustify and persuade readers about the need for action in
controversial situations.
• Topresent facts to the management to help decide the direction
the business should choose.
 Objectives of the Report
• To inform about the progress.
• To communicate the changes.
• To analyze the inputs against the outputs.
• To share the information with others.
• To analyze the recommendations.
• To be prepared for risk reduction.
• To plan accordingly for up-coming period.
 Kinds of Reports
• Routine Reports
• Progress report
• Inspection report
• Performance appraisal report
• Periodical report

• Special Reports
• Investigation report
• Survey report
• Project report

• Informational Report
• Analytical report
LONG, FORMAL REPORTS
PARTS OF THE REPORT
 Overview
•The organization & content of long reports

•The components of a long report

•Structural coherence in a long report

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 Organization and Content
• Prefatory components
✓Title Fly

✓Title Page

✓Authorization Message

✓Transmittal Message, Preface or Foreword

✓Table of Contents & List of Illustrations

✓Executive Summary

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 MIDWESTERN RESEARCH, INC.
1732 Midday Avenue
Chicago, IL 60607
Telephone: 312.481.2919
April 13, 2005

Mr. W. Norman W. Bigbee

Vice President in Charge of Sales
Allied Distributors, Inc.
3131 Speedall Street
Akron, Ohio 44302

Letter of Dear Mr. Bigbee:

Here is the report on the four makes of subcompact automobiles you asked me to compare last January 3.
Transmittal To help you in deciding which of the four makes you should buy as replacements for your fleet, I gathered what I
believe to be the most complete information available. Much of the operating information comes from your own
records. The remaining data are the findings of both consumer research engineers and professional automotive
analysts. Only my analyses of these data are subjective.
I sincerely hope, Mr. Bigbee, that my analyses will help you in making the correct decision. I truly appreciate this
assignment. And should you need any assistance in interpreting my analyses, please call on me.
Sincerely,
George W. Franklin
George W. Franklin
Associate Director

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 Table of Contents
Part Page
TABLE OF CONTENTS B. Gamma Gives Best Ride....................................……........11
Part Page C. Gamma Is Judged Most Durable........................................11
Executive Summary..................................................................................vi
I. THE FLEET REPLACEMNT PROBLEM......................................1 V. RECOMMENDATION OF GAMMA.....................................12
A. The Authorization by Vice President Bigbee.............................1
B. Problem of Selecting Fleet Replacements..................................1 LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS
C. Reports and Records as Sources of Data...................................2 TABLES
D. A Preview to the Presentation...................................................2 I. ORIGINAL COST OF FOUR BRANDS
II. THE MAJOR FACTOR OF COST.................................................2 OF SUBCOMPACT CARS IN 2005.........................................3
A. Initial Costs Favor Beta.............................................................3 II. COMPARISON OF REPAIRS AND RELATED LOST
WORKING TIME FOR FOUR MAKES OF CARS FOR
B. Trade-in Values Show Uniformity............................................4 TWO YEARS....................................................................….....5
C. Operating Costs Are Lowest for Gamma..................................4 III. COST-PER-MILE ESTIMATE OF OPERATION...................5
D. Cost Composite Favors Gamma...............................................6 IV. LIST OF STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES..........................7
III. EVALUATION OF SAFETY FEATURES....................................6 V. COMPARATIVE WEIGHT DISTRIBUTIONS,
A. Delta Is Best Equipped with Safety Devices.............................7 BRAKING DISTANCES, AND CORNERING
ABILITIES.............................................................................….9
B. Acceleration Adds Extra Safety to Delta...................................8
VI. COMPARATIVE COMFORT AND RIDE.........................….11
C. Weight Distribution Is Best in Alpha and Gamma...................9
D. Gamma Has Best Braking Quality..........................................10 CHARTS
IV. RIDING COMFORT AND OVERALL CONSTRUCTION ........10 1. Estimated Total Operating Cost.............................................….6
A. Gamma Ranks First in Handling.............................................10 2. Comparison of Acceleration Times........................................….8

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 Executive Summary
The recommendation of this study is that Gamma is the best buy for Allied Distributors, Inc.
Authorized by Mr. Norman W. Bigbee, Vice President, on January 3. 2005, this report is submitted on April 13, 2005.
This study gives Allied Distributors an insight into the problem of replacing the approximately 50 two-year-old
subcompact cars in its present sales fleet. The basis for this recommendation is an analysis of cost, safety, and
construction factors of four models of subcompact cars (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta).
The four cars do not show much difference in ownership cost (initial cost less trade-in allowance after two years). On
a per-car basis, Beta costs least for a two-year period--$3,216. Compared with costs for the other cars, Beta is $370
under Gamma, $588 under Alpha, and $634 under Delta. For the entire sales fleet, these differences become more
significant. A purchase of 50 Betas would save $18,500 over Gamma, $29,400 over Alpha, and $31,700 over Delta.
Executive
Operation costs would favor Gamma. Cost per mile for this car is $0.13970, as compared with $0.14558 for Alpha,
Summary $0.14785 for Delta, and $0.15184 for Beta. The totals of all costs for the 50-car fleet over the two-year period show
Gamma to be least costly at $385,094. In second place is Alpha, with a cost of $400,208. Third is Delta with
$406,560, and fourth is Beta with a cost of $417,532.
On the qualities that pertain to driving safety, Gamma is again superior to the other cars. It has the best brakes and is
tied with Alpha for the best weight distribution. It is second in acceleration and is again tied with Alpha for the
number of standard safety devices. Alpha is second overall in this category, having the second best brakes of the
group. Beta is last because of its poor acceleration and poor brakes.
Construction features and handling abilities place Gamma all by itself. It scores higher than any other car in every
category. Alpha and Delta are tied for second place. Again Beta is last, having poor steering and handling qualities.
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 The Report Format
• Introduction

• Report Body

• Ending of the Report

• Appended Parts

• The Structural Coherence Plan

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 Introduction
• Origin of the Report
• Problem and Purpose
• Scope
• Limitations
• Historical Background
• Sources and Methods of Collecting Information
• Definitions, Initialisms and Acronyms
• Report Preview
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• Origin of the report – The facts of authorization

• Problem and Purpose –

✓Problem- what prompted the report
✓The problem is commonly stated in infinitive, question or declarative form
✓The Purpose is the reason for the report

• Scope – The boundaries of the problem

• Limitation – Anything that limits the report’s treatment of the problem

• Historical Background – How the problem developed and what is known about it

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• Sources and methods –
✓How the information is got

✓Sometimes it is necessary to cite sources

✓More complex research requires thorough description

• Definitions, Initialisms and Acronyms- Definitions of unfamiliar words, acronyms

or initialisms used

• Report Preview – A description of the route ahead

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 The Report Body
• The report body presents and analyzes the information gathered

• Preparing this part will require virtually all the organizing, writing and
formatting skills

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 The Ending of the Report
• Ending Summary –
➢Informationalreports usually end with a summary of the major findings
➢The ending summary is not as complete as the executive summary

• Conclusions -
➢Reports that seek an answer end with a conclusion
➢Structure of the conclusion varies by problem

• Recommendations – Include recommendations when the readers want or

expect them

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 Appended Parts
• Appendix –
✓The appendix contains information that indirectly supports the
report
✓Information that directly supports the report belongs in the text of
the report
• Bibliography– A biography should be included if heavy use of published
sources is made

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The Structural Coherence Plan

• Longer reports need extra structural coherence devices

• There are a network of explanations, introductions, summaries and conclusions
• The coherence plan begins with the preview, which describes the route ahead

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Diagram of the Structural Coherence Plan of a Long,
Formal Report (1 of 2)
The first part of the structural coherence plan is
the introduction preview. Here the readers are
told how the report will unfold. Specifically, they
are told what will be covered, in what order it
will be covered, and the reasons for this order.

Because the report is long and involved,

introductions are needed at the beginnings of the
major sections to remind the readers where they are
in the plan outlined in the preview. These parts
introduce the topics to be discussed, point the way
through the sections, and relate the topics of the
sections to the overall plan of the report.

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Diagram of the Structural Coherence Plan of a Long,
Formal Report (2 of 2)
Conclusions and summaries for each
major report section help readers to
gather their thoughts and see the
relationships of the report topics.

Completing the plan, a final conclusion

or summary section brings the report to
a head. Here, previously drawn section
summaries and conclusions are brought
together. From these a final conclusion
and recommendation may be drawn.

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ANALYZING A CASE
STUDY
 What Is Case Study Analysis?
• To provide students with experience of the strategic management problems
that actual organizations face.
• A casestudy presents an account of what happened to a business or industry
over a number of years.
• It
records the events that managers had to deal with, such as changes in the
competitive environment.
• Thecases in Strategy cover a wide range of issues and problems that
managers have had to deal with.
• Some cases are about finding the right business-level strategy to compete in
changing conditions.
• Theunderlying threat in all cases, however, is the use of strategic
management techniques to solve business problems.
Question for u!
• What is case study ?
• A case
study is a collection of facts and data based on real or
hypothetical business situation.
• Thegoal of case study is to enhance ability to
solve_________________?
• Business problems
 CHARACTERISTIC OF A CASE METHOD
OF LEARNING
Characteristics of case method learning
• critical management issues
• ordinary and familiar environment
• Think and Relevant information.
• provide solutions to problems.
 PROCESS OF
ANALYZING A CASE
• Study the case – note important issues, facts and ideas

• Identify the problem – problems and factors responsible for it

• Define the problem – clear & concise to limit the scope of the problem

• Identify the causes of the problem – facts : Problem logical relationship. State assumptions
clearly, if any

• Develop alternatives – list out alternative solutions

• Evaluate alternatives – evaluate & compare all the listed solutions to take ultimate decision

• Develop plan of action – work out a plan of implementation

 Suggested structure to write a Case
• Title of the case – reflects objective/central problem
• Statement of the problem – states objective – what is to be
achieved
• The case – very brief narration of the entire situation / problem
• Scope of the analysis – define clearly the limits of your
analytical study
• Alternative solutions and their evaluation – merits & demerits
• The best solution – mention the recommended solution
• Conclusion
• Executive summary
TYPES OF CASE
• Theoretical case
• Factual case
• Illustrative case
• Exploratory case/pilot case
• Cumulative case
• Critical instance case
Cumulative case
• Collection of past studies
• Aggregate information
• No additional cost or time
• Possibly repetitive study
 Difficulties of the case method

• Results might not generalize to others

• Not useful to the larger population.
• Insufficient information can lead to inappropriate
results
• Reading the whole Case
• preparing a List of the major opportunities before the
company, and the problems faced by the company
 Overcoming the difficulties of the case method
• Conquering a different learning
• Overcoming the fear of writing
• Developing your personal system of case analysis.
• Multiple solutions might be possible
• Telling how to implement the solution
• SWOT – Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threats
 Reading a case properly

• Previewing – what it is about

• Skimming – reading quickly
• Reading – detailed focused study
• Scanning – seeking specific words and phrases
 Case analysis approaches
• Systems approach
According to this approach an organisation is viewed as a system which transforms
input into output.as one evaluates the problem, opportunities and actions he/she tries to
get information on all the components of the system and the way they interact with each
other
Systems are patterns of cause and effect relationships.
• Behavioral approach
Behavioral learning is done mostly through on-the-job training and experience the
learning of attitudes and behavior could be enhanced by supplementing the case method.
This approach focuses mainly on the attitude of people within an organisation because
an organisation is a artificial entity, created by law and it cannot think or act. Employees
in the organisation are the real agents of the behavioural action
• Decision theory approach
It can mean examining the accessible components of decision making—which decisions need to be
made, what information is supplied, key roles in the process, and so on.
The decision approach makes use of one or more decision making models or tools that help in
identifying and evaluating the alternatives.
Smart organizations make multifaceted interventions—addressing technology, information,
organizational structure, methods, and personnel. They can improve decision making in three steps
Identification.
• Managers should begin by listing the decisions that must be made and deciding which are most
important—for example, ―the top 10 decisions required to execute our strategy to meet our goals.
Inventory.
• In addition to identifying key decisions, you should assess the factors that fits the goals. Who plays
what role in the decision? How often does it occur? What information is available to support it? How
well is the decision typically made? Such an examination helps an organization understand which
decisions need improvement and what processes might make them more effective.
3. Intervention.
Having narrowed down the list of decisions and examined what‘s involved in making each,
you can design the roles, processes, systems, and behaviors your organization should be
using to make them.
The key to effective decision interventions is a broad, inclusive approach that considers all
methods of improvement and addresses all aspects of the decision process—including
execution of the decision, which is often overlooked.
• Strategy approach
The strategy approach is most often used in with longer and formal cases. The learning
objective of such courses is to help managers in developing strategic thinking abilities to
prepare business plans and marketing plans for an organisation to achieve objectives.
• Most often it is needed to read the case several times - once to grasp the overall picture
of what is happening to the company. Generally, detailed analysis of a case study
should include eight areas:
1. The history, development, and growth of the company over time
2. The identification of the company's internal strengths and weaknesses
3. The nature of the external environment surrounding the company
4. SWOT analysis
5. The nature of the company's business-level strategy
6. The company's structure and control systems and how they match its strategy
7. Recommendations
8. Solution to business problems
 Do’s for case preparation
1. Learn to slice through the stuff and make decisions.

2. Identify personality and behavioral characteristics of the Professors and

then conduct different type of analyses, how they want.

3. Follow a logical, clear and consistent path through the case analysis.

4. Recognize the difference between facts and inferences or suppositions,

strive to base the analysis on facts whenever possible.

5. Take a stand in the analysis and support it. The stronger and better
supported the stand, the better you will look.
 don’ts for case preparation
1.Do not expect a right conclusion to be available following the study of a case.
2. Do not tell the instructor that you lack information before arriving at a decision.
3. Do not expect cases to cover a single discipline.
4. Do not expect the instructor to give you clear instructions.
5. Do not decide on a conclusion early in the analysis and become locked into that
conclusion
6. Do not feel that you have to solve all the problems in the cases.
 Discussing and Presenting a Case Study
• Leave sufficient time to prepare the written report, as grade is based upon
it.
• Devote ample time to writing and developing ones ideas.
Organize the material in a very concise and direct manner.
The suspense format report follows a three step progression:

1) Identify the strategic issues and problems.

2) Analyze and evaluate the possible solutions to these issues.
3) Make recommendations.
COMMON ERRORS IN
ANALYZING CASE
STUDIES
 Common Errors
• Not understanding and accepting the facts of the case
• Not explaining exactly what the problems are and why they have
occurred.
• Making wrong assumptions to try to simplify the case
• Sticking to generalities, such as example “they must try to improve
communication”
• Not using theories and concepts currently being studied in the
course.
• Seeking ways out of the situation (such as “fire them all”) rather
than trying to solve the problems
• Ignoring practicalities