Unit 2

Report writing
Content…
• Report writing
– Types of business report
– Layout of business report

• Practical report writing

– Individual report
– Committee report
 Introduction : Business Reports
• Scientific management is a characteristic feature
of a modern business.

• The inquiry of the study is entrusted to a

responsible individual or a committee with
specific terms of reference.

• The individual or the committee studies all

related aspects of the problem or the situations,
draft a report & submit it to the authorities
concerned.
• Routine inquiries & relatively simple problems
are entrusted to individual while those of a
complex are entrusts to committees.

• All depends on the actual situation & the

importance attached to it by the authorities.
Process to write a business report
1. Recognizing & defining a problem

2.Defining the purpose & scope of the study

3. Developing hypothesis

4. Defining terms clearly

5. Determining the audience

6. Collection of data

7. organizing, analyzing & interpreting

8. Making an outline
• There are various reports available for various
purpose. Now how the report will be developed is a
key question here. Following is the process of writing
a report:
1. Recognizing & defining a problem :
One must first realize what the problem is. Then
the problem should be defined by answering the
following 5 W questions:
 What to study?
 Why do we need such study?
 When we need such study?
 Where we need to investigated?
 Who will be investigated?
2.Defining the purpose & scope of the study:
What is the purpose of any study, the reason
are discussed here. Then for the convenience
of the study, the exact scope also be
determined.

3. Developing hypothesis:
For problem solving, research, a researcher
should develop hypotheses. A hypotheses is a
tentative statement or explanation of any
problem
• H 1 : there is a huge communication gap
between management & labors
• H 2 : management has always ignored job
satisfaction of the labors.

4. Defining terms clearly:

There may be various confusing term related
to study and require clear definition. So,
definition of various terms should be nicely
presented.
5. Determining the audience:
Reports are prepared for readers. So, who are
readers of the report should be considered
carefully.
For EX: report for cost, volume & profit
analysis is required for higher level
management. This report is not for factory
workers or outsider. Annual report is made for
higher level management and not for workers.
6. Collection of data:
To solve the problem we need some
reasonable basis & therefore we need to
collect data. Data are of 2 types:
(i) Primary data (ii) Secondary data
7. organizing, analyzing & interpreting:
Data which are collected is required to be
arranged orderly, i.e. data should be arranged
by some logical basis such as time, quantity &
place.
 After the data are organized & analyzed, now
it is time to interpret the data in term of
logical meaning.

8. Making an outline:
once the final pattern of the report has taken
shape in writer’s mind, he should prepare an
outline.
In this outline the problem is stated, the facts
are recorded, they are briefly analyzed & the
logical conclusions are made.
 Informal reports
• Informal report is short. Concluded in a couple
of pages
• Deals with routine matter
• Written for someone within the organization
• Written in memorandum & letter format
• Does not require extensive planning
• Follows deductive style
• Written in personal writing style
 Formal reports
• Formal report is long. Can never be Concluded
in a couple of pages
• Deals with major complex problems & issues
• Written for someone outside the organization
• Written in manuscript (narrative style)
• It requires extensive, careful & thoughtful
planning
• Follows inductive style
• Written in impersonal writing style
 Writing an informal report:
• Informal reports are the simplest & shortest,
they are also the most frequently used report
in a business. How to write an informal report
effectively is a very important for a effective
informal report.
• The length may vary from one to five page in
memorandum, letter or manuscript format.
Regardless of the length or format, all informal
reports have common elements.
The development process of informal
report:

Define the problem

Cite source of information

Establish a work plan

Collect & organize data

Analyze data
1. Define the problem:
• The problem can be defined as the answer to
the question “what do you want to know?” by
answering other questions, why? When? &
who?, the problem can be defined more
clearly.
• The answer of these five questions will
establish the scope of the study.
2. Cite source of information:
• Source of information can be any report,
person or other information, written or oral,
which will produce data to solve a problem.

• If you are given the task of finding out how

the employees would react to a certain
proposal, you would either interview each
employee or have each one fill up a short
questionnaire.
3. Establish a work plan:
• In establishing a work plan you must decide:
 What are the task to be done:
 Who is responsible for each task?
 When is each task to be competed?

• By answering these questions, you will establish a

working plan & will begin to solve the stated
problem.
• After the tasks have been determined, you must
decide how many tasks to assume personally &
how many to delegate to others.
4. Collect & organize data:
• The process of collecting data depends on the
source of information used. You will find it helpful
to use index cards to collect data from any
source. The index card should contain as much
information about the source as possible.
 Author
 Title of article, chapter or report
 Date of publication
 Page references
5. Analyze data:
• The final step in the development process is to
analyze data. After you have collect the data
on note cards, on a tally sheet or in graphic
form, you have all the information necessary
to solve the problem.
 Writing an formal report:

1. Organize material

2. Prepare a draft report

A. Preliminary / introduction parts
B. Body
C. Appended parts

3. Prepare the final report

1. Organize material:
• The data should be presented in an orderly
fashion. Determining who the readers are
there to help you to decide how much
information should be included. If the readers
are familiar with the problem, its background
& its purpose, you may not have to provide
much detail.

• You may present the information according to

the direct or indirect plan.
• The plan that is followed depends on the use
to be made of report & the preferences of the
readers.

• If the readers want to know immediately what

you found out, the direct plan will be used.

• However, if you are trying to persuade the

reader to accept the recommendation, use
the indirect plan.
2. Prepare a draft report:
• Next, you should begin to write a draft of the
report. In formal reports, it may be necessary
to use to follow such headings:
• Major heading, side heading, paragraph
heading
• With these 3 levels of headings to organize
material, the information is easier for the
readers to follow.
A. Preliminary / Introduction parts
• letter of transmittal
• Title page
• Table of contents
• Executive summary
B. Body
• Introduction
• Procedures
• Findings
• Conclusions
• Recommendations
C. Appended parts
• Bibliography
• Footnotes
• Appendices
3. Prepare the final report:
• After reviewing the draft copy to make sure
that the information is accurate & correct in
grammar, spelling & punctuations, you are
ready to review the steps in the development
process & to check the problem statement to
make sure that the information presented
what was requested.
Tips that have been presented throughout the
text:

• Present information objectively

• Use traditional words, phrases & sentences
• Define technical language
• Use short, simple sentences
• Double-space formal reports
• Use the active voice
• Use verb tenses correctly
 Business report writing methods
• The report is most important fact for decision
making in a business. So, report writing
methods are also important to write an
effective report.

• There are 2 methods that are widely used in

the modern world to draft report.
 Methods:

Inductive method

Deductive method
 1.Inductive method
• Here we determine first the subject matter
and then we try to find out the cause of the
subject matter. We follow the following
sequence in inductive method:

• Introduction facts Conclusion

Recommendation
 2. Deductive method
• Here we first determine the cause and then
we present the subject matter. We follow the
following sequence in deductive method:

• Recommendation Conclusion facts

Introduction
 Selecting a business report writing
method:
• If the report is short or small or daily report then
it is easy to follow deductive method.

• On the other hand, when long report is prepared

then it is better to follow inductive method.

• In general, deductive method is more scientific &

it is more reader oriented. However, which
method is better, it depends on the nature or
circumstances.
 Layout of a business report
C.JAMNADAS & COMPANY
C-18, Madhavpura Market,
Opp. Police commissioner Office,
Shahibaug, Ahmedabad
To : (name & title of target audience)
From : (name & titla of writter: remember to sign or initial if it is not in an
electronic submission)
Date :
RE:
CC: (Distribution list when necessary)
Introduction [No heading necessary]
Discussion Sections [Use headings provided in the outline attachment of the
syllabus]
Conclusion [Reflection is the content]

Signature
 Details of parts & process of an informal
report:
• Reports are written for many different reasons
& use 2 basic formats. One is the long or
formal report & the short or informal report.

• Every report, like every letter, essay or article

has three main parts: Introduction, Discussion
sections, Conclusion. These reports follow the
same format as the memo but are longer &
more comprehensive.
 Introduction:
• The introductory section includes 3 parts:

1. A statement of the problem or situations

2. The task assigned to the writer & the scope
of the project
3. Purpose of the report & forecasts for the
reader the topics of the report
 Discussion section:
• Most memos & reports have a target audience, but a
number of secondary audiences who must be
accommodated.

• In other words, the report, particularly the discussion

sections, may not be read in a linear way- from the
first word progressing to the last.

• Each section must work together as part of the

whole report, but a reader should be able to read
one section & understand the context.
 Conclusion:
• Finally, the conclusion of a report, depending
on its purpose, should remind the reader of
any action needed, ask for a response or
indicate a willingness to answer questions.

• This section may also provide contact

information for future communication.
 Proceeding the writing of a business
report:
1. Gather facts
2. Analyze the facts
3. Form your conclusion
4. Think of your suggestions/recommendations
5. Think of the presentation
– Details
– Language
– Organization
– Readability
 1. Gather facts:
• The report must be based on facts. These facts
can be gathered in various ways, depending
on the type of investigation.

• For the purpose of an inspection of the

working of a branch, for the selection of a new
site of building, for consideration of office
reorganization, you visit the branch, the place,
the building or the office, as the case may be.
• On the other hand, if you are looking into the
grievances of the workers of a factory or evaluating
the success of a programs, you undertake a survey by
way of visiting places & person that matter.

• During this visits & surveys, a number of facts are

gathered by direct observation.

• Your conversation with certain persons discovers yet

not another set of facts.

• In one situation you would interview the union

leader, in another an educationist.
 2. Analyze the facts
• You receive the information relevant to the
subject you are studying from various sources.
The information must be noted carefully &
systematically.

• It is also very important to determine

reliability of the information received. Wrong
information will be noted if the observation is
inaccurate or conclusion wrong.
• Facts received should be classified & noted in
convenient units from the beginning so as to
facilitate their presentation while writing the
report.
 3. Form your conclusion
• Facts are collected and studied with a view to being
able to form some conclusions relating to the given
situations.

• Sometimes you happen to have direct knowledge.

On a surprise visit you find a branch opening late
and/or closing up early

• You also identify a certain factor to be the cause of

certain effect. There is considerable work in the
accounts department but if does not have a
calculator. You may rightly relate this to a slow
disposal of work in the department.
 4. Think of your
suggestions/recommendations
• Are you expected to make suggestions or
recommendation as part of the job you have been
entrusted with ? In some cases, you might be
required to present only the facts relating to a
situation.

• If you have to make suggestions or recommendation,

think of them very carefully.
 5. Think of the presentation
• The presentation of a report is the most
important step of investigation. Especially
from the student point of view: there are 4
aspects of the presentation

(a) Details (b) Language

(c) Organisation (d) Readability
Details:

• Plan out the presentation well in time so that

no important detail remain unused.. Consider
the aspects of your report & prepare an
outline following which you will write out the
report.
• Without a thorough grasp of the subject, you
can not write a report on it & this grasp must
be reflected in it.
Language:

• When you think of the language of the presentation,

keep in view the reader, who is going to study the report
& act upon it. You communicate best when you are
simple & precise.

• Do not show off. Be simple & natural. When a simple

word can serve your purpose do not use a learned word.

• Facts as well as recommendation should be presented so

precisely that there is no scope for any
misunderstanding.
Organization:

• You have collected facts and are, now, relating

them to ideas. Mainly your observations,
conclusions and comments. They should be so
clear & specific that you can count them on your
finger tips.

• These ideas must be presented in a certain logical

order. The order must be meaningful & should
help you take the reader, step by step with you.
Paragraph:

• In a full report, several major ideas contribute

to the discussion of a problem. For each major
ideas, capable of elaboration, there should be
paragraph. Each sentence of the same
paragraph should be related to the major
idea.
• The sentences should be smoothly inter-linked
& arranged in the most appropriate sequence
of the thought.
• The sentence expressing the major idea in a
paragraph is known as the topic sentence. If
you examine a few powerful paragraph, you
will observe that most of them have a good
topic sentence.
Connectives:

• A sequence of thought is reflected in an easy

transition from one paragraph to another.
Certain connectives make this smooth.
Whenever appropriate they must, therefore,
to be used.
• And, besides, moreover, in addition, also,
even….(continuity of thoughts)
• But, now, however, even so….(contrast with
the foregoing thought)
• So, therefore, hence, thus, due to, because
of….(result)
• In order to, with a view to, in view
of….(purpose)
• Thus, in short….(conclusion)
• Secondly, finally, in fact, of course, fortunately,
indeed, as regards, in other
words….(miscellaneous)
Readability:

• You are writing the report for your reader, to

follow and take action on.

• Be clear as to what you want to say. Say it

clearly. Elaborate ideas where necessary. Use
concrete details & examples. Let your words,
sentence & paragraph come alive.
 Individual report:
• A report by an individual is written in the
form of a business letter.

• That is, it has all the regular parts of the

layout of a business letter- heading, the
date, the inside address, the salutation, the
body, compliment close & the signature.
 Following points should be considered sincerely:

• Details of the heading & inside address can,

sometimes largely be same
• Report is submitted to the authorities that is
individual to study a problem..’the directors of’
• Subject of report is mentioned beginning
with..’Report on’
• First paragraph..date on which instructions were
received
• Opening paragraph..procedure adopt by
individual
• Facts discovered through investigation &
presented in the paragraph
• Recommendations..if any. It is given after the
presentation of facts discovered.
• Designation of signatory is mentioned.
Manager, sales manager…
• Report is written in the first person singular
• Style of presentation is neither too formal nor
too informal.
Reports by committees & sub-committees:
• Style of presenting this report is rather formal. It is
intended to be impersonal in tone

• The impersonal tone is market by the use of the third

person singular with reference to the committee.
"the committee submits the report”

• The use of third person singular suggests that the

committee worked as one unit, & submit the report
with one voice.

• Report similar to committee reports are also written

consultants & research associates.
• The subject is beginning with the words.. ”Report
on”
• The first paragraph refers to the date on which
the committee was formed, & authorization.
• The opening paragraph may also briefly suggest
the procedure adopted by the committee to
arrive at the findings submitted
• Presents the data in an organized form
• Recommendation
• Committee is generally made up with 3 or 4
members