Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Chapter 9
You can have brilliant ideas, but if you cant get them across, your ideas wont get you anywhere.
Lee Lacocca
Pg. 238
OBJECTIVES
Describe business report basics, including functions, organizational patterns, formats, and delivery methods. Follow guide lines for developing informal reports, including determining the problem and purpose, gathering data, using an appropriate writing style, composing effective headings, and being objective. Describe six kinds of informal reports. Write information and progress reports. Write justification/recommendation reports. Write feasibility reports. Write minutes of meetings and summaries.
Pg. 238
FUNCTIONS OF REPORTS
There are two categories of reports, Informative Reports and Analytical Reports. Informative Reports present data without analysis or recommendations. Analytical Reports provide data, analyses, conclusions, and if requested recommendations.
Pg. 239
ORGANIZATIONAL PATTERNS
Reports may be organized directly or indirectly. Direct Pattern has the purpose of the writing close to the beginning. Direct Pattern begins with an introduction, then facts, then a summary, and a complimentary close. Indirect Pattern has the conclusions and recommendations, if requested, appear at the end of the report. Indirect Pattern begins with an introduction, then followed by facts, and ends with a conclusion or recommendation. Most people prefer the Indirect Pattern because it follows the normal thought process.
Pgs. 239-240
FORMATS
Letter Format is used for short (usually eight or fewer pages) informal reports addressed outside an organization. Memo Format is used for short reports that stay within organizations. Manuscript Format are for longer, more formal reports. Printed Forms are used for repetitive data.
Pgs. 240-242
REPORT DELIVERY
Reports can be delivered:
In person By Mail By Fax By E-Mail Online
Pgs. 242-243
OVERVIEW
In conclusion there are six types of informal reports. Also this chapter discussed four formats for reports. All of the examples presented are examples of informal reports.
QUESTIONS?
REFERENCE
Guffey, M. E. (2007). Essentials of Business Communication. Ohio: South-Western.