Business Communication Chapter 11 Homework A graphic that enables writers to make emphatic visual comparisons by using horizontal and vertical bars of varying lengths

Instructor Manual

Guffey/Loewy, Business Communication: Process & Product, 10e, 2022, 9780357129234;

Chapter 11: Report Writing Basics

Table of Contents

Purpose and Perspective of the Chapter …………………………………………………………………………. 2

Cengage Supplements …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2

Chapter Objectives ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2

Complete List of Chapter Activities and Assessments ……………………………………………………… 3

Key Terms ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4

What’s New in This Chapter ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 7

Chapter Outline …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 8

Discussion Questions …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 20

Additional Activities and Assignments …………………………………………………………………………… 23

Purpose and Perspective of the Chapter

The purpose of this chapter is to explore the basics of report writing within the workplace.

First, we cover how to by apply the 3-x-3 writing process to create well-organized business

reports. Next, we identify the resources and methods used to conduct primary and

Cengage Supplements

The following product-level supplements provide additional information that may help you

in preparing your course. They are available in the Instructor Resource Center.

• Transition Guide (provides information about what’s new from edition to edition)

• Educator’s Guide (describes assets in the platform with a detailed breakdown of

activities by chapter with seat time)

Chapter Objectives

The following objectives are addressed in this chapter:

11-1 Apply the 3-x-3 writing process to create well-organized business reports.

11-2 Identify the resources and methods used in conducting primary and secondary

research.

Complete List of Chapter Activities and Assessments

For additional guidance, refer to the Teaching Online Guide.

Chapter

Objective

PPT

Slide

Activity/Assessment

Duration

Certification Standard

11-1

10

Writing Improvement

Activity in PPT

45 min

BUSPROG: Communication

DISC: Theory application

11-3

34

Knowledge Check Activity in

30 min

BUSPROG: Communication

DISC: Theory application

11-4

47

Writing Improvement

Activity in PPT

30 min

BUSPROG: Communication

DISC: Theory application

11-5

52

Knowledge Check Activity in

PPT

30 min

BUSPROG: Communication

DISC: Theory application

11-1–11-5

53

Grammar and Mechanics

Quiz in PPT

30 min

BUSPROG: Communication

DISC: Standard English

N/A

Grammar and Mechanics

Pre-Course Diagnostic*

60 min

BUSPROG: Communication

DISC: Standard English

N/A

Grammar and Mechanics

Tutorials*

N/A

BUSPROG: Communication

N/A

Grammar and Mechanics

Check-Up Activities*

N/A

BUSPROG: Communication

DISC: Standard English

Chapters

11–14

N/A

Why Do Reports, Proposals,

and Presentations Matter to

Me? (Unit 04 Reports,

Proposals, and

Presentations)**

5 min

N/A

11-1–11-5

N/A

Learn It: Chapter 11 Report

Writing Basics

40–50

min

N/A

11-1–11-5

N/A

Assignment: Chapter 11

Report Writing Basics

20 min

N/A

11-1–11-5

N/A

Video Presentation:

Gathering Data: Fortune

100 Best Companies to

Work For (Chapter 11

Report Writing Basics)

15 min

N/A

Practice Quiz: Chapter 11

Report Writing Basics

min

N/A

a Memo Report (Unit 04

Reports, Proposals, and

* These activities appear before the student will begin the course.

** This activity appears at the beginning of Unit 4.

*** This activity appears at the end of Unit 4.

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Key Terms

Analytical reports: Reports that provide data or findings, analyses, and conclusions; may

also provide recommendations and may intend to persuade readers to act or to change

their beliefs.

Bar chart: A graphic that enables writers to make emphatic visual comparisons by using

horizontal and vertical bars of varying lengths.

Citation formats: Documentation methods such as Modern Language Association (MLA)

or American Psychological Association (APA) used to direct readers to sources used with

parenthetical notes inserted into the text and with bibliographies or works-cited and

reference lists.

Copyright: The right to copy and reproduce or cite, a key provision in fair use.

Database: A collection of information stored digitally so that it is accessible by computer or

mobile electronic devices and searchable.

Documentation: Giving credit to information sources when writers borrow the ideas of

others.

Formal writing style: A writing style appropriate for lengthy, formal reports and

proposals; research studies; controversial or complex reports; external use reports; and

formal invitations. Characterized by objectivity and accuracy; third-person pronouns;

absence of contractions; passive-voice verbs; professional, respectful language; absence of

humor and figures of speech; and elimination of editorializing.

Infographic: Visual representation of data or information; short for “information graphic.”

Interview: A research tool used to collect primary data by conducting in-person,

telephone, or online conversations with in-house and outside experts.

Letter format: An appropriate format for short (usually eight or fewer pages) informal

reports addressed to recipients outside an organization; prepared on a company’s

letterhead stationery.

Natural language questioning: Powered by artificial intelligence, natural language

questions may be submitted to search engines as people speak them rather than relying

on keyword searching.

Organization chart: A graphic that shows the chain of command within an organization.

Paraphrasing: Restating an original passage in the writer’s own words and writing style.

Primary research: The collection of data from firsthand experience, experimentation, and

observation.

Problem statement: A written statement to clarify the task of a research project.

Public domain: Any document, image, or a similar resource that is free to be used by

anyone, without being protected by copyright.

Purpose statement: A statement that defines the focus of a report and provides a

standard that keeps the project on target.

Slide deck: Digital slideshows that many business writers use to deliver their report

information; these slides can be printed, sent by e-mail, embedded on the Web, or posted

on a company intranet.

Survey: A research tool used to collect primary data from groups of people.

Table: Graphic used to present quantitative or verbal information in systematic columns

What’s New in This Chapter

The following elements are improvements in this chapter from the previous edition:

• Reorganized chapter beginning with the writing process to help students follow the

natural sequence of report writing.

• Introduced new chapter-opening scenario featuring Seventh Generation, an eco-

friendly firm with the goal of transforming the world into a healthy, sustainable, and

equitable place for the next seven generations.

• Regrouped, expanded, and updated coverage of research, helping students better

understand primary and secondary research techniques.

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Chapter Outline

In the outline below, each element includes references (in parentheses) to related content.

“CH.##” refers to the chapter objective; “PPT Slide #” refers to the slide number in the

PowerPoint deck for this chapter (provided in the PowerPoints section of the Instructor Resource

Center); and, as applicable for each discipline, accreditation or certification standards (DISC).

Introduce the chapter and review learning objectives for Chapter 11. (PPT Slide 2).

I. Beginning With Basics: Applying the 3-x-3 Writing Process to Report Writing

(11-1, PPT Slides 3–10, DISC: Patterns; Purpose; Rhetorical considerations)

a. Business reports are systematic attempts to compile information, answer

questions, and solve problems.

b. The 3-x-3 writing process we learned about in earlier chapters is even more

necessary when preparing longer documents such as reports and proposals,

as the best reports are developed methodically.

c. When analyzing the problem and purpose:

i. A written problem statement clarifies the problem or assignment.

ii. A problem question is the specific question you will try to answer in

d. To anticipate the audience and issues:

i. Think carefully about who will read the report (primary and

secondary readers).

Report Writing Basics

(d) How will they react to this information?

memorable?

iii. Break the major investigative problem into subproblems, a process

called factoring.

(a) Prepare an outline with the initial problem and its breakdown

3. Complete (don’t skip significant issues)

e. A work plan provides a complete picture of a project and should include

(Model Document 11.1):

i. Statement of the problem

vii. Editing, proofreading, and evaluating

f. Writing Improvement Activity: 45 minutes total. Activity 11.1—Problem,

Purpose, and Scope Statements

Have students complete the writing improvement exercise found at the end

of the chapter.

a. Problem question: How can Foot Locker collect information on its

core customers regarding their shoe choices and how to connect

with them?

offers.

c. Problem question: Which social media platforms bring the most

revenue from targeted ads?

Purpose: To compare the revenue from targeted ads on selected

social media platforms to determine the best income-producing

locations

Scope: The report will examine the results of targeted ads on

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and Pinterest.

e. Problem question: Should Old World Bakery hire a laboratory or a

consultant to change its production process and rewrite its package

labels to meet the trans-fat requirements and deadline imposed by

the FDA?

Purpose: To investigate how potential trans-fat bans and FDA

regulations might affect Old World’s food production and package

labels, as well as whether a laboratory or a consultant is necessary

c. There are generally five categories of data (Figure 11.1):

i. Background information

ii. Expert opinion

d. Primary research is used for problems that require current information and

includes surveys, interviews, observation, and experimentation.

e. A survey is a method of gathering information from a sample of people,

usually with the goal of generalizing the results to a larger audience.

i. Businesses and researchers conduct surveys to help them answer

important questions.

ii. Surveys help researchers gather information economically, quickly,

and efficiently. To elicit the most accurate and useful survey

information, follow these steps (Figure 11.2):

(a) Choose the best media channel.

f. Interviews are a research tool used to collect primary data by conducting

in-person, telephone, or online conversations with in-house and outside

experts, particularly on topics about which little has been written.

i. Consider both in-house and outside experts for in-person, telephone,

or online interviews.

ii. To conduct an effective research interview, follow these steps:

g. Secondary sources can save time and effort as the data have already been

organized and stored.

h. Valuable secondary resources include books, library databases, periodicals,

and encyclopedias.

i. When using books and e-books for research:

i. Use the table of contents or index to find relevant information.

j. When searching library databases (a collection of searchable information

stored digitally so that it is accessible by computer or electronic devices),

provide bibliographic information and links to full-text documents.

(Figure 11.3)

k. Periodicals are publications that are produced on a set schedule.

l. Three kinds of periodicals may be helpful in your research:

i. Scholarly journals

iii. Newspapers, magazines, and other popular periodicals

m. When it comes to Wikipedia and other encyclopedias, follow these

guidelines:

i. Use general encyclopedia information only as a starting point for