ch. 11

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

Email report

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.

True or false: Short reports require a detailed road map to help readers know exactly where they are in the report and where to go.

False

Which of the following should progress reports be sure to do?

Focus on the positive.

Siddhara is working on a report about a sensitive and complex issue. Her report will be distributed to the top executives and board members of her company. Which type of report is she most likely to write?

Formal report

Which of the following describes the correct usage of page numbers in a business report?

Using Arabic numerals for body text

Which of the following are examples of shorter reports that do not need introductory material because the nature of the reports explains their purpose?

Weekly sales reports Inventory reports

When should you use the indirect order for your report?

You have to explain to your client why it will be better for them to tear down their warehouse and build a new one than for them to follow their preferred option of repairing the existing building.

What are some pointers to consider when using report templates?

You need to be sure to use a template that is appropriate for your audience. Changing the template elements may separate items that work well together. There are many good templates available free of charge.

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

If you begin your short report by stating your recommendations, you should ______ at the end of the report.

revisit those recommendations

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

When a short report is written for an internal audience, the direct order is generally used except in cases where ______.

the audience is likely to disagree or be unhappy with the conclusions

The following statements about the letter report are true except ______

the letter report is typically around twenty pages and has a bibliography

The main reason shorter business reports are usually written in the direct order is because ______.

they usually cover everyday issues that do not require a lot of preliminary explanation

All of the more formal levels of a report include the ______, but the letter report and email report exclude it.

title page

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

to make the report as formal as possible

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

What type of business report should contain headings?

All business reports should have headings.

Which of these is a trait of a good title page?

Being informative

Which of the following actions exhibit proper formatting in headings?

Heading levels should be discerned by font, size, and placement. Links should be underlined.

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

Headings Title page Visuals Footnotes

When should a business report generally include a table of contents?

When the report is longer than five pages

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

prefatory pages

The type of short report that informs recipients about how a task or project is advancing and moving toward its completion is a ______ report.

progress

The type of business report that is most common in business is the ______.

shorter report form

Both the title fly and the title page contain ______.

the report title

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

title fly

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 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.

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

prepare the recipients to receive the report

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

1. Title fly 2. Title page 3. Transmittal message 4. Table of contents 5. Executive summary 6. Report proper

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

A shorter report does not require introductory material when ______.

it is obvious what the purpose of the report is

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

False

The letter report should conclude with ______.

a pleasant, forward-looking statement

Which of the following characterizes a typical problem statement?

Descriptive

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.

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

Which of the following are traits of meeting minutes?

They are an organized summary of a meeting. They are objective and factual.

True or false: A short report should contain a title page.

True

How do you get a report template?

You can search for it on Google. You can open Word, click "New," and type "reports" in the search field.

The letter report must always include ______.

a short, concluding paragraph

Hiroshi states in the introduction to a long, formal report that the survey he distributed was sent only to upper-level management in the Pacific Northwest region due to various constraints. Hiroshi is explaining the ______ of his report.

limitations

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

1. Identification of topic and purpose 2. Explanation of research method involved 3. Presentation of findings 4. Recommendations for action

Which of the following are components of the transmittal message?

A summary of the research and key findings A description of who authorized the report A forward-looking comment

Where would you place the page numbering for a report printed back-to-back?

At the top of the page, even with the outside margin

Match each type of report binding with the location of the page numbering typically used with it.

Bound at the top - At the bottom of the page, two or three lines below the body, in a footer Left-sided binding - In the upper-right corner, two or three lines above the top line, usually in the header, and right justified Printed back-to-back - At the top of the page, even with the outside margin

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

Brief transitions Brief introductory overview Clear headings

Which of the following are components of the short report, as represented by the fourth and fifth levels of formality in the report-components grid?

Combined transmittal message/summary Title page

Typical meeting minutes will include preliminary items, body items, and closing items. Preliminary items would likely include which of the following?

Date of the meeting Names of attendees

What are the four principles that must be observed when using headings?

Headings on the same level must be grammatically parallel within their sections of the report. You should place text between all headings. All headings of the same level must have the same placement on the page and the same formatting. If you use one of any heading level, you must have a second one within that section of the report.

The direct order would be most appropriate in which of the following instances?

If the reader needs to take quick action and is basing a decision on the report If the topic is uncontroversial and the report writer is a trusted employee

Which of the following statements about the transmittal message is true?

In most cases it should be conversational in tone.

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 statements about the 5-15 report are accurate?

It includes information about employee morale. It includes suggestions for how to improve operations.

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 best defines the 5-15 report?

It is designed to be read in 5 minutes and written in 15 minutes.

How does the lack of a personal stake and the presence of a willing audience affect problem-solving reports?

It keeps them from being true persuasive messages.

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 title of a report are true?

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

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

It should make use of economical wirting.

Ipolo is writing a problem-solving report about 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 state the purpose and topic at the beginning of the report. It should reveal Ipolo's recommendations at the end of the report.

Which of the following statements about the short report is true?

It uses headings but fewer subheadings than more formal, longer reports.

What is the scope of an investigation?

Its boundaries

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

Length Degree of formality

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

Page numbers Headings

Which of the following items are data-based visuals?

Pie charts Bar and column charts

Which of the following actions will simplify the process of preparing meeting minutes?

Prepare a list of attendees before the meeting begins

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

Prepare set parts of the meeting minutes in advance, such as date, location, and participants Get the meeting agenda before the meeting

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?

Provide a description of the types of sources used Use footnotes to cite the sources as you mention them

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

Report title Report author Date Intended recipient

Johan distributes weekly internal reports about his department's sales targets to the management team. He has a standardized template he uses in which he inputs current data. Which of the following types of short report is Johan creating?

Routine operational report

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

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

How should you number the pages in a report?

Start numbering on the second page. Use a header or footer if the report is more than one page.

What do the writers of a feasibility study do?

Study several courses of action and then propose the most feasible, desirable one

Which of the following must be included in a one-page memo report?

Subject line

Which of the following statements about prefatory pages of a formal report are true?

The contents of the prefatory pages can vary from report to report. The most common components include title fly, title page, transmittal letter, table of contents, and executive summary.

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.

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

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

Which of the following should you keep in mind about the audience as you prepare the introduction of a long, formal report?

The recipients may not be very familiar with the problem addressed in the report. There will likely be a large number of readers.

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

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

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 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.

How are data-based visuals related to reports?

They are more likely to be used in reports than in other genres.

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.

Which of the following statements about external progress reports are true?

They report progress made. They may speculate on future progress.

Which of the following statements about letter reports is true?

They should include a salutation.

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

Title

Which of the following is included in the most formal of reports and is generally not a component of other reports?

Title fly

Why should you use headings in a business report?

To break up the text

True or false: A short research report for helping solve a company problem may need to include a good analysis but not a recommended course of action.

True

Email reports are generally intended for ______.

an internal audience

Jaime has worked in the head office of Donut Delight for five 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

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

The purpose of meeting minutes is to ______.

provide a record