ch09 Instructor

8e
COMMUNICATING IN
BUSINESS
Chapter 9
Planning the Report
Copyright © 2013 Cengage Learning

Planning the Report and Managing Data
Finding Collecting
Sources Data
Displaying
Interpreting
Quantitative
Data
Information

Finding Collecting
Sources Data
Displaying
Interpreting
Quantitative
Data
Information

Criteria for a Business Report
Organized
The reader can locate information quickly.
Well Supported
The reader can trust the information (facts and data).
Useful
The reader uses the report to make decisions and solve problems.
Finding Sources | Collecting | Displaying | Interpreting

[Click Plan
to edit
Your
Master
Approach
title style]
Determine what
Define the report Analyze the data is needed to
purpose intended audience solve the problem
or make a decision

[Click to Types
edit Master
of Data
title style]
Secondary Data Primary Data
Data collected by Data collected by

someone else for the researcher to
some other solve a specific
purpose problem

Types of Secondary Data
Published (widely disseminated)

• Internet resources
• Journal, magazine, and newspaper articles
• Books
• Brochures and pamphlets
• Technical reports
Unpublished (not widely disseminated)

• Company records (e.g., reports and emails)
• Legal documents (e.g., court records)
• Personal files (e.g., expense records)
• Medical records

Evaluating Internet Resources
Authority
Accuracy and
Reliability
Purpose/Objectivity
Coverage
Currency

Evaluating Research Studies
What was the

How was the
purpose of the
data collected?
study?
How consistent
How was the is the data with
data analyzed? that from other
studies?
How old is the

data?

Finding Collecting
Sources Data
Displaying
Interpreting
Quantitative
Data
Information

[Click
Whentotoedit
UseMaster
Questionnaires
title style]
The information can be provided

easily and quickly
The target audience is homogeneous
Sufficient time is available


Link to the full
story on the b
log.
Following Complaint Letter, No "Mystery Shopper" Study of Doctors

The Obama Administration had planned a survey to test how difficult it is for
Medicaid and Medicare patients to get appointments with doctors. But
following criticism about the cost of the study and the "proposed clandestine
method of collecting information from physician offices," the study has been
canceled.
For data collection, the study called for mystery shoppers, who would pose as
patients. In a letter, Senator Mark Kirk emphasized the "stealth" nature of the
plan and his belief that the purpose of the study—to prove a shortage of
doctors—has already been documented.

Constructing the Questionnaire
Content Organization
Format

[Click
Questionnaire
to edit Master
Content
title style]
• Ask for information that is not available elsewhere

• Have a purpose for each question
• Use precise wording
• Use neutrally worded questions
• Ensure that the response choices are exhaustive and
mutually exclusive
• Be careful about sensitive questions
• Pilot-test your questionnaire

What’s Wrong with These Questions?
1. What is your age? ___
2. Which of the following is most important to you when you
select housing?
___ Location
___ Proximity to school
___ Price
___ Size
___ Number of rooms
3. Do you think that companies should block employee access

to inappropriate websites that cause wasted time at work?
Yes or No

What’s Wrong with These Questions?
4. What percentage of new start-up companies failed in

Michigan last year?
5. Do you think it takes a long time for the average start-up
firm to secure financing?
6. Banks should set aside more funds for start-up companies
because they are so important to the economy.
__ agree __ no opinion __ disagree

[Click
Questionnaire
to edit Master
Organization
title style]
• Arrange the questions in some logical order

• Arrange the alternatives for each question in
some logical order
• Give the questionnaire a descriptive title

[ClickQuestionnaire
to edit MasterFormat
title style]
• Use an easy-to-answer format

• Ensure that your questionnaire
has a professional appearance

Finding Collecting
Sources Data
Displaying
Interpreting
Quantitative
Data
Information

Using Tables for Reports and Presentations
Why Tables Are Useful What Tables Cannot Do

Show numerical data in a Be presented on a screen
more efficient and (with dense data)
interesting way than with
narrative text
Provide more information Show trends as obviously as
than a chart does a chart does
Allow easy comparison of Capture attention as well as
figures a chart does

How to Format a Table
Cross-tabulations
Table Number Table 3
Title HASCO EMPLOYMENT LEVELS

Subtitle As of December 10, 2013
By Department Annual Column
Employee Type Total Admin Prod Sales Change
Headings
Full-time nonexempt 389 27 345 17 -3.0%
Full-time exempt 143 19 15 109 13.5%
Temporary 31 4 22 5 5.3%
Othera 21 13 0 8 -1.6%
Total 584 63 382 139 5.9%
Source
Source: Madison County Facts—2011, Metropolitan State University Press, St. Louis, MO, 2011, p. 183.
Footnote (optional)
a
Includes all special-project and work-for-hire employees.
(optional)

How Can You Improve This Chart?
Cost of Living Comparison: McLean, VA, and Beverly Hills, CA

800 773
700
600
Cost of Living Index
500
396
400
338
300
202
200
97 106 96 96 112 97 109 99 107

100 86
0
Food Housing Utilities Transportation Health Miscellaneous Overall
McLean, VA Beverly Hills, CA

Chart Types
Line charts
Bar charts
show
compare
trends
items
over time
Pie charts
show parts
of a whole

Finding Collecting
Sources Data
Displaying
Interpreting
Quantitative
Data
Information

Three Steps in Interpreting Data
Determine the meaning of each finding by itself, in conjunction with each other
finding, and in conjunction with all other findings.
Isolation
Context
Synthesi

[Click
Discuss
to Overall
edit Master
Findings
titleand…
style]
Trends
Unexpected findings
Data that reinforces or contradicts other data
Extreme values
Data that raises questions


Additional Video Suggestions

Video David McCandless
Example TED Talk: Creative Data Visualization
• What is the value of

presenting data for
business audiences in
more creative ways?
• In your opinion, which
example in the video
has the most impact?

Video Comparing Soft Drink Sizes
Example in Super Size Me
• What makes this

description of soft
drink sizes have more
impact than a bar
chart might have?
• What other ways could
the film maker have
made this point?


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8e

Copyright © 2013 Cengage Learning

Copyright © 2013 Cengage Learning

Copyright © 2013 Cengage Learning

Finding Sources | Collecting | Displaying | Interpreting

Finding Sources | Collecting | Displaying | Interpreting

Secondary Data Primary Data

Data collected by Data collected by

Finding Sources | Collecting | Displaying | Interpreting

Published (widely disseminated)

Unpublished (not widely disseminated)

Finding Sources | Collecting | Displaying | Interpreting

Finding Sources | Collecting | Displaying | Interpreting

What was the

How old is the

Finding Sources | Collecting | Displaying | Interpreting

Copyright © 2013 Cengage Learning

The information can be provided

The target audience is homogeneous

Sufficient time is available

Finding Sources | Collecting | Displaying | Interpreting

Following Complaint Letter, No "Mystery Shopper" Study of Doctors

Finding Sources | Collecting | Displaying | Interpreting

Finding Sources | Collecting | Displaying | Interpreting

• Ask for information that is not available elsewhere

• Pilot-test your questionnaire

Finding Sources | Collecting | Displaying | Interpreting

3. Do you think that companies should block employee access

Finding Sources | Collecting | Displaying | Interpreting

4. What percentage of new start-up companies failed in

Finding Sources | Collecting | Displaying | Interpreting

• Arrange the questions in some logical order

Finding Sources | Collecting | Displaying | Interpreting

• Use an easy-to-answer format

Finding Sources | Collecting | Displaying | Interpreting

Copyright © 2013 Cengage Learning

Why Tables Are Useful What Tables Cannot Do

Finding Sources | Collecting | Displaying | Interpreting

Table Number Table 3

Title HASCO EMPLOYMENT LEVELS

Finding Sources | Collecting | Displaying | Interpreting

Cost of Living Comparison: McLean, VA, and Beverly Hills, CA

97 106 96 96 112 97 109 99 107

McLean, VA Beverly Hills, CA

Finding Sources | Collecting | Displaying | Interpreting

Finding Sources | Collecting | Displaying | Interpreting

Copyright © 2013 Cengage Learning

Finding Sources | Collecting | Displaying | Interpreting

Data that reinforces or contradicts other data

Data that raises questions

Finding Sources | Collecting | Displaying | Interpreting

Copyright © 2013 Cengage Learning

• What is the value of

Finding Sources | Collecting | Displaying | Interpreting

• What makes this

made this point?

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