Ch 12 Creating the Right Type of Report

Which of the following statements about the ending of a long, formal report are true?

-It should be clearly formatted to highlight main points -It should state the main takeaways of the report -The type of ending you write depends on the purpose of the report.

Executive summary

-is part of the prefatory materials -reviews the entire report

Ending summary

-reviews the major findings of the report -is part of the report text

IN a short report, the section that follows the opening statement that describes the primary findings or recommendations should

provide a more detailed description of the problem and purpose.

Which of the following statements about problem-solving reports are true?

-External problem-solving reports are usually authored by consulting companies. -They include recommendations for action.

Which of the following are general characteristics of the letter report?

-It is created for an external audience -It is composed in a personal style

Which of the following statements about the report body are true?

-It should be easy to understand and interesting. -Sources should be accurately documented.

Ipolo is writing a problem-solving report increasing efficiency in the company's manufacturing process. After careful analysis, Ipolo has reached the conclusion that the company is overstaffed on all levels and that efficiency and revenue would increase with automation and a significant reduction of the workforce. He realizes this conclusion will be met with resistance and likely displeasure. Ipolo's report should do which of the following?

-It should reveal IPolo's recommendations at the end of the report. -It should state the purpose and topic at the beginning of the report.

Why do most shorter, informal reports require little, if any, introductory material?

-Recipients are generally aware of and awaiting delivery of the report. -The topic and purpose can be summed up in the title or even the subject line.

Which of the following statements about email reports are true?

-They are usually written in a personal style. -They can include headings and visual support.

List the components of the transmittal message of a formal report in the order each component should appear, with the first component at the top.

1) recipient's name 2) identification of the report's purpose and contents 3)details about main points of the report 4)forward-looking comment

List the components of an executive summary written in the indirect order, with the first component at the top.

1-indentification of topic and purpose 2-explanation of research involved 3-presentation of key points, discoveries, and analysis 4-recommendations for action

List the components of the most formal type of report, with the first component at the top.

1-title fly 2-title page 3-letter of transmittal 4-table of contents 5-executive summary 6-report proper

True or false: Problem-solving reports must include recommendations for solving the problem.

False

True or false: The executive summary is intended to be enticing and motivate readers to read the whole report.

False: It is intended to reflect the report's main points and may be the only part of the report read by some recipients.

Which of the following statements about the short report, as represented by the fourth and fifth levels of the formality stairway, is true?

It can be organized in either the direct or indirect order.

Which of the following best defines the title fly?

It has the title of the report.

Which of the following is a common characteristic of the shorter report form?

It is a frequently produced working report.

Which of the following best defines the transmittal message?

It is a message that delivers the report to the recipient.

A shorter report does not require introductory material when

It is obvious what the purpose of the report is.

Why is it important for the executive summary to be informative and self-explanatory?

It may be the only part of the report the recipient reads.

Which of the following statements about the executive summary is true?

It must be concise and cover each part of the report.

Which of the following statements about the title of a report are true?

It should convey what the report is about. It should be concise but informative.

A table of contents is likely to include which of the following?

Page numbers headings

Samira is working on the introduction to a long, formal report. She and her team faced a number of limitations during the research phase, and she is wondering how to address these in the introduction. Which of the following should she do?

Samira should explain the limitations honestly.

A problem-solving report would be most appropriate for which of the following situations?

Staff turnover has been very high for the last three years and is affecting the bottom line as well as morale.

Which of the following is the main difference between the third and fourth levels of a business report, according to the report-components grid?

The fourth level does not include a table of contents.

Which of the following distinguishes the internal progress report from a routine operational report?

The internal progress report is produced as needed.

Which of the following is indicative of the third and fourth levels of formality of a business report, according to the report-components grid?

The transmittal message and executive summary are combined.

Which of the following components of a report is challenging to compose and, on a per-word basis, is likely to take more time than other parts of the report?

Title

The letter report must always include

a short, concluding paragraph.

The short report, as represented by the fourth and fifth levels of the report-components grid, is most suitable for which type of issue?

a straightforward but somewhat formal issue

The item that comes attached at the end of the main report and includes supplementary information is the

appendix

The title page should

be informative

Jaime has worked in the head office of Donut Delight for 5 years. He has had the same manager for the duration, and they have a congenial working relationship. Jaime is writing a weekly sales report that he will email to his manager. Jaime's report is most likely to

be written in a personal style.

Most shorter reports will divulge key points such as the conclusion and recommendations for action before providing details about the research conducted and the findings. These reports are thus written in the _______ order.

direct

Which of the following is the least formal type of report?

email report

The type of problem-solving report in which the writer investigates various options for dealing with a problem and then suggests the most appropriate option is the ____________ study.

feasibility

The pages in a formal report that come before the main part of the report are collectively known as

prefatory pages

The main purpose of the introduction of a long, formal report is to

prepare the recipients to receive the report.

Busarakham works at a factory that makes embroidered patches for the fashion industry. One of the custom embroidery machines, a critical piece of equipment continually breaks down, slowing production and causing the factory to fall short of quotas and delivery deadlines. Busarakham needs to write a short report to the management team about the faulty machine. Which type of report would be most appropriate?

problem-solving report

The purpose of meeting minutes is to

provide a record.

The type of short report that is regularly produced, uniformly formatted or uses a prescribed format, and designed to keep relevant internal employees up-to-date on company actions and activities is the

routine operational report.

The following statements about the letter report are true except

the letter report is typically around twenty pages and has a bibliography. One that are true: -the personal style is the norm for letter reports -the standard recipient for the letter report is someone outside the organization -the report can be composed in either the direct or indirect order

The first component to be eliminated from a report as it decreases in level of formality is the

title fly

The main reason for using a title fly in a report is

to make the report as formal as possible.

Considering what the reader needs to know in order to understand the information in a shorter business report will help you determine

what introductory material to include.

A report that introduces and describes a particular issue, discusses various options for dealing with the issue, and offers some suggestions for how to act on the issue is most likely

a problem-solving report.

Which of the following statements about the portion of a long, formal report's introduction that explains the sources and methods of collecting information are true?

-The section can be brief if published research was used. -The purpose is for the reader to view the research as competent and thorough.

Which of the following statements about the use of special terms and acronyms in long, formal reports are true?

-They should be defined for the audience. -THey can be defined in the text or as a footnote upon first appearance.

Which of the following navigational aids are required in short reports?

-clear headings -introductory overview -brief transitions

A report writer must first consider which of the following when planning a report that meets the reader's needs?

-degree of formality -length

Which of the following features are used in both the short report and the longer, more formal report?

-footnotes -headings -title page -visuals

Which of the following are reasons why the writing in shorter reports is likely to be more personal than in longer reports?

-generally cover routine, everyday issues that do not require formality -usually distributed to staff who are familiar with one another -generally handled not by teams but by individuals who are expected to express their opinions.

Which of the following should you do to make the task of putting together meeting minutes easier?

-get the meeting agenda before the meeting -prepare set parts of the meeting minutes in advance, such as date, location, and participants.

Which of the following should be included on the title page?

-intended recipient -date -report title -report author

The ending of a long, formal report can take which of the following forms?

-summary -recommendations section -conclusions section

A problem-solving report is not a true persuasive message for which of the following reasons?

-the writer was likely assigned to write the report and thus has no emotional connection to the outcome -the recipients are likely expecting the report and thus receptive to any recommendations.

WHich of the following are traits of good meeting minutes?

-they are clear and concise and easy to review -they list appropriate identification information, such as attendees, the date, and agenda items.

When describing the sources and methods used to collect information in the introduction of a long, formal report, which of the following should you do if you used a large number of sources?

-use footnotes to cite the sources as you mention them -Provide a description of the types of sources used.