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15: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals 15-1
[LO-2] AACSB: Analytical thinking
15.1. Message Strategies: Analytical Reports
Students should get creative with this one and identify as many ways as possible to increase poetry sales.
However, the report should be more than just a list of ideas; it should summarize the research findings and
[LO-1] [LO-5] AACSB: Analytical thinking
15.2. Message Strategies: Informational Reports
Students should be able to identify a variety of methods employers are using to contain rising health care
costs. They should look at both direct financial savings (e.g., switching to higher-deductible insurance
[LO-1] AACSB: Written and oral communication
15.3. Message Strategies: Analytical Reports
This report will require students to compare multiple sources of information on a fairly complicated topic,
so organization and clarity of presentation will be critical. When they find differences of opinion, students
[LO-1] AACSB: Analytical thinking
15.4. Message Strategies: Informational Reports
Students have two creative challenges in a report involving this much data (of course, many business
reports have many times this much): presenting the data (in graphical or tabular format), and providing
narrative summaries of the data. Although tables do present all the necessary data, other types of visuals
would make the most compelling points more instantly recognizable. For instance, the data in Case Tables
For the second challenge, interpreting the data and providing concise narrative summaries, students
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15: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals 15-2
Table 15.6 (carpool habits): Only a third of the workforce carpools regularly, so this option might yield
Table 15.8 (impact of improvements to public transportation): Subsidized fares and improved safety (both
of which are potentially costly options) are the two most important ways to improve employees’ use of
Table 15.9 (distance traveled): Only 17 percent of employees live within three miles of work, so walking
and bicycling are not viable options for most of the workforce.
[LO-1] [LO-4] AACSB: Written and oral communication
15.5. Message Strategies: Analytical Reports
These research and reporting tasks vary in terms of both complexity and the degree of speculation
required to answer the questions, so you may want to consider assigning a specific question that matches
[LO-1] [LO-5] AACSB: Analytical thinking
15.6. Message Strategies: Analytical Reports
Students might find it helpful to plot the history of Apple’s product launches over the past decade or two
to discern how the company has changed its course and how it either helped initiate or responded to shifts
[LO-1] AACSB: Analytical thinking
15.7. Message Strategies: Informational Reports
With Microsoft’s pending acquisition of LinkedIn (as of late 2016), you might want to select a different
pair of companies, such as Facebook and Twitter.
Copyright © 2018 Bovée and Thill LLC
15: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals 15-3
[LO-1] AACSB: Analytical thinking
15.8. Message Strategies: Analytical Reports
The content of these reports can vary widely, depending on the companies students choose. No matter
which five franchises students choose, however, thorough research is the key to success in this exercise.
They need to identify not only the franchising requirements but the nature of the work as well—to make
[LO-1] AACSB: Written and oral communication
15.9. Message Strategies: Proposals
Students will need to make up some of the data for this case, but they should be able to leverage a lot of
[LO-1] AACSB: Written and oral communication
15.10. Message Strategies: Proposals
Students may need to use their imaginations to put themselves in the shoes of traveling sales reps in order
to craft realistic answers to the three questions. They should also be sure to do some research on current
[LO-3] AACSB: Written and oral communication
15.11. Message Strategies: Proposals
Note: Below is a completed solution to this case. This email proposal will go to the landlord, who is
surely as frustrated as the tenant, so students can assume the reader is interested. The purpose of the
message is to inform the reader of areas that need improvement or change, and the benefits of making
To: roger.greenberg@gmail.com
From: h.lockie@uchicago.edu
Copyright © 2018 Bovée and Thill LLC
15: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals 15-4
Of late, the living conditions at Cedarwood Apartments have undergone a noticeable decline. Residents
often litter the common areas and spill food and beverages there; at times they damage common property
One long-term solution to these problems is to foster a sense of shared ownership and community among
residents in the building. I believe this can be done by converting the little-used storage area in the
basement into a small community center.
A community room can be used in various ways. For instance, you could:
Not only will the residents enjoy having a common space to relax in, but also get to know each other well.
While I cannot offer researched evidence of the benefits of creating a community center, I have a strong
conviction that this initial investment will give you long-term returns. You would benefit by having:
Given the increasing availability of rented apartments in this neighborhood, having a community room
Heather Lockie
D-21, Cedarwood Apartments
Copyright © 2018 Bovée and Thill LLC
15: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals 15-5
[LO-3] AACSB: Written and oral communication
15.12. Message Strategies: Proposals [LO-1] [LO-3]
The proposal for a presentation workshop involves two key challenges: communicating the value of an
intangible product, and tailoring the pitch to make it relevant to the specific target buyer. Thorough
For instance, if the focus is on making sales presentations, a company that sells a large number of
relatively simple and low-cost products or services has different presentation needs than a company that
sells a small number of complex, expensive products or services every year. The former probably doesn't
have the time to customize every sales presentation, whereas the latter might invest days or weeks in
Since the case didn't indicate that a company had requested the proposal, students should proceed on the
Students can gain insight into the necessary content and structure for this proposal by following the chain
of questions that a typical target customer is likely to ask upon receiving a proposal such as this:
1. Do we really need help with our presentation skills? (If the prospect doesn't already sense the need or
2. Assuming we have a need, is a workshop the right solution? (The prospect might believe that
self-paced video training, Toastmasters, or some other alternative is the way to go instead. Again, if
3. If a workshop is the right solution, how do we know that this particular trainer is the right person to
By following this chain, students can quickly see that it’s futile to sell the trainer’s qualifications before
the potential client is aware of the need or in agreement that a workshop is the right solution. Using this
[LO-1] [LO-3] AACSB: Written and oral communication
15.13. Message Strategies: Proposals
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15: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals 15-6
Most school boards should be keenly aware of the controversy over junk food and unhealthy beverages in
One good way to organize the proposal is by constituency. Here’s a sample outline, starting with a
description of the program and followed by benefits to three major groups of people:
[LO-1] [LO-3] AACSB: Written and oral communication
15.14. Message Strategies: Proposals
This scenario is an effective reminder that finding good ideas usually isn’t the problem in today’s business
world—it’s turning these good ideas into reality amidst the many competing demands for time, energy,
and money. Mentoring is a wonderful idea, but it takes time and energy away from other important
activities.
Some points for students to keep in mind:
Copyright © 2018 Bovée and Thill LLC
15: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals 15-7
[LO-1] [LO-3] AACSB: Written and oral communication
15.15. Message Strategies: Proposals
Students will have two key challenges here, understanding what services their businesses would be
willing to pay for and how to adapt their skills and interests to those needs. In particular, look for how
[LO-1] AACSB: Analytical thinking
ASSISTED GRADING QUESTIONS (ACCESSED ON MYBCOMMLAB)
15.16. Previews and reviews work nicely in tandem to help readers because they help establish a mental
15.17. The close of a report or proposal is important because it is often the last part readers see—and in some
thinking
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