Business Writing: Reports
In the business world, reports are useful tools with which
organizations to evaluate strategies, understand problems, and plan
for change. Students of business are required to practice professional
skills, like report writing, so they are familiar with the form and
function of this essential business communication tool.
A report is very different from an essay. An essay is organized around
an argumentative thesis and supported by an analysis of relevant
evidence. In contrast, a report is a detailed examination of current
issues, such as organizational opportunities, departmental challenges,
or industry trends, which often include recommendations for their
readers, who are colleagues or clients. The analysis presented in a
report is organized by categories and informed by observation, data,
practice, and scholarly research. Successful reports demonstrate your
understanding of significant concepts and themes in your courses as
well as your ability to interpret data in a clearly organized and
articulated way. The Academic Skills Centre recommends four key
strategies for successful report writing:
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Focused analysis
Organized reporting
Clear communication
Collaborative planning and revision
Demonstrate analysis
Maintain a clear focus in your report. In a course on marketing,
identify and assess the marketing strategy and how it could be applied
in a particular organization. For accounting, explain the financial
situation of the business, how their finances affect their short-term
planning, and what actions they should make to improve their
situation. Only discuss ideas that are relevant or important to your
report. If you aren’t sure, consider the purpose of the report, the
audience, and the objectives of the course (which are laid out in the
assignment instructions and course syllabus).
Ground your analysis in research. Gather information from
organizational records (public reports, corporate websites). Find
market or industry information (demographics and economic
indicators). Look to academic sources (like peer-reviewed articles)
and professional sources (like publications from professional
associations) to develop your interpretation of issues you identify
from organizational and industry data.
Establish context for your report by describing the business,
explaining current organizational measures, or outlining market
trends. Define important terminology or concepts that are useful to
understanding the topic of the report. This information helps your
reader to understand the importance (and value) of your message.
Clearly discuss the relevance of your research by connecting it to
current information about the organization or the issue. Be specific
when you explain how theories and strategies can be applied or
adapted.
Organized reporting and analysis
Organization is important in report writing. Your reader should easily
identify the sections of your paper and understand how these sections
inform each other. Headings offer important markers for the
organization of your report, so label them to accurately reflect the
content of your report’s sections.
The introduction is also important for establishing organization; it
should explain the topic, establish the scope of the topic, describe the
purpose of the report, identify the key points of the report, and map
out the order of these points.
your critical thinking by explaining how this theory can be applied
within your particular context – and how it may need to change.
The structure of reports may vary based on the assignment
instructions and the course context, but many require you to include
sections on the main issues, relevant theories, and recommendations
for action (or applications). In these sections you should report your
findings, with a focus on the key issue (which may be the challenges
or opportunities faced by an organization or industry). Be accurate
and direct, and include specific evidence (such as sales data or
turnover rates) to demonstrate your points. Figures or tables may be
useful to illustrate categories or data you report. Note that all figures
and tables must be clearly labelled and cited; refer to all tables or
figures within your text. See the example below.
According to Singh and Smith (2011), customer loyalty programs
have a significant impact on retaining existing customers and gaining
new customers. Further, Thompson and Chow (2012) suggest that
social media is an important tool to manage, promote, and build
successful loyalty programs for small business in the hospitality and
food industry.
Increased competition in the local dessert market has had a
significant impact on Mary-Ellen’s Cupcakes Inc. In the last two
quarters, sales have decreased by 25% (see Figure 1). During this
time three competitors have been established in the downtown core.
Your analysis of the issue should be supported by further research,
including relevant business theories (from marketing, organizational
theory, ethics, etc.), industry data, and applicable examples and case
studies. Integrate examples and concepts effectively by introducing
the source of information and/or explaining its relevance to the
current issue. Carefully consider your evidence within the specific
contexts of your paper and the issue you are examining; demonstrate
Reports often require students to make recommendations for action –
to solve a problem, take an opportunity, or tackle a challenge.
Recommendations should be explained clearly and should be
appropriate for the specific organization or industry or issue that is the
focus of the paper. Offer rationale for the recommendations you
make; explain why they are appropriate within this context. Offer
specific actions as part of general recommendations.
We recommend that Mary-Ellen’s Cupcakes Inc. should use social
media to improve local exposure and advertise special promotions. A
weekly plan should be established for posting to Facebook and
Twitter, including campaigns to attract followers, to introduce new
products, to promote special sales, and to advertise a new loyalty
campaign. Social media use is quickly growing amongst 25-45 year
old women, a key demographic for this particular business. Regular
exposure via social media – through direct and indirect followers –
will attract new customers.
For longer and more complex reports with multiple sections and
recommendations, a clear executive summary can engage your reader
from the beginning of the report. Like an abstract, an executive
summary briefly discusses the purpose, scope, methods, findings, and
recommendations of the report. It is best to write this summary after
you have written your report.
Clear communication
The best way to showcase your good ideas is to clearly communicate
them. Write clear and direct sentences, and maintain a formal tone in
writing. Be consistent in your use of terminology about managers,
staff, clients, accounts, or processes. Finally, avoid jargon or clichés;
instead, use concrete and accurate language. For example:
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Write “increase” not “positively impact”
Write “connect to” not “synergize”
Write “creative solutions” not “outside the box”
Before you choose words or phrases such as “critical mass,”
“coopetition,” or “right-sizing,” consider the meaning of these words,
and then choose more appropriate language to improve the clarity of
your message.
Revision is an important multi-step process in report writing. Revise
your work several times, reading first for your overall message, use of
evidence, and organization. Next, read for the clarity of your writing,
focusing on sentence structure, style, and grammar. Finally, closely
proofread your work for typos, formatting, and referencing errors.
Read more about approaches to revision in our essay-writing guide,
Thinking it Through:
http://www.trentu.ca/academicskills/thinkingitthrough/revising.php
Collaborative writing and research
Much of the work in business is completed in teams; therefore,
professors require students to work in teams for assignments,
including writing reports. To be successful as a research and writing
team, you must find common goals and be willing to share the final
product. Each member has equal responsibility and must make a
contribution. Poorly written team reports read as if they are separate
pieces; this product is indicative of a lack of collaboration. Have
several meetings with your group to plan, discuss, analyse, organize,
and develop a cohesive message. You may all compose parts of the
report, but you should all know how those parts inform the others and
how to clearly discuss your team’s ideas.
Your team should plan to complete the final report a few days before
the deadline, so all members can read it for content, style, and
grammar. Every member of the team should be accountable for the
information presented in the report, and its academic integrity. It is
important to know that if there is evidence of plagiarism in the report,
all team members are assessed the same penalty, even if they did not
write the problematic section. One final edit should be completed by
one student who will look for consistency in format, terminology,
citations, and style.
The Academic Skills Centre at Trent University
www.trentu.ca/academicskills
acdskills@trentu.ca
705-748-1720