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Chapter 11 LECTURE NOTES
Reporting in the Digital-Age Workplace
CHAPTER SYNOPSIS
An effective flow of information is the life blood of business organizations. Reports serve multiple
purposes ranging from simply keeping superiors updated and creating a record to complex studies
that are designed to facilitate problem solving and decision making in the organization. Chapter 11
discusses the functions, strategies, writing style, and formats of typical business reports. Students
are introduced to collecting data, documenting sources, and integrating data ethically in reports.
Since most research today is conducted electronically, this chapter focuses on online databases,
the Web, and other resources for business writers. The chapter addresses primary and secondary
sources, and much attention is devoted to avoiding plagiarism. Useful paraphrasing exercises are
designed to train students to give credit to sources where credit is due. The chapter also provides
tools for creating meaningful and interesting report graphics.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Explain report functions and types used in the digital-age workplace, understand direct and
indirect organizational strategies, and describe report-writing style as well as typical report
formats.
2. Apply the 3-x-3 writing process to contemporary business reports to create well-organized
documents that show a firm grasp of audience and purpose.
WHAT’S NEW IN THIS CHAPTER
• Provided a new opening scenario showcasing research powerhouse Pew Internet to illustrate
the need for and use of statistical research.
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• Included a discussion of how designers tell stories with infographics to familiarize students
with this contemporary trend in data visualization.
• Added a model infographic to reflect current practices in graphic design and in the
presentation of data.
LECTURE OUTLINE
I. Reporting in the Digital-Age Workplace (p. 373)
PowerPoint slides 1-7
A. Basic Report Functions and Types
Informational reports present data without comment or recommendations.
Analytical reports provide data, analysis, and conclusions.
B. Organizational Strategies
Figure 11.1 Dashboard Showing Key Performance Indicators in Sales
Figure 11.2 Audience Analysis and Report Organization
PowerPoint slides 8-10
1. Direct Strategy
The direct strategy places conclusions and recommendations at the beginning of
the report.
Informational reports are usually arranged directly.
Figure 11.3 Informational Report—Letter Format
Figure 11.4 Analytical Report—Memo Format
2. Indirect Strategy
The indirect strategy places the conclusions and recommendations at the end of
the report.
Chapter 11 Lecture Notes 147
C. Report-Writing Style
Use a formal writing style for theses, research studies, and controversial or complex
reports.
Use an informal writing style for short, routine reports; reports for familiar audiences;
noncontroversial reports; and most reports for company insiders.
Figure 11.5 Report-Writing Styles
D. Typical Report Formats
Letter format—for short, informal reports addressed outside an organization
PowerPoint slides 11-16
II. Applying the 3-x-3 Writing Process to Contemporary Reports (p. 380)
PowerPoint slides 17-19
Step 1: Analyze the problem and purpose.
A. Analyzing the Problem and Purpose
Scope: What issues or elements will be investigated?
Significance: Why is the topic worth investigating at this time?
B. Anticipating the Audience and Issues
1. What do my readers need to know about this topic?
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C. Preparing a Work Plan
• Statement of the problem (based on key background/contextual information)
• Statement of the purpose including scope, significance, and limitations
Figure 11.6 Work Plan for a Formal Report
PowerPoint slide 20
III. Identifying Secondary Sources and Conducting Primary Research (p. 384)
Figure 11.7 Gathering and Selecting Report Data
A. Print Resources
1. Books
2. Periodicals
The Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature offers an index of general-interest
magazines.
Electronic indexes, stored in digital databases, include references, abstracts, and
full-text articles from magazines, journals, and newspapers.
B. Research Databases
Begin secondary research with online databases.
A database is a collection of information stored electronically so that it is accessible
Figure 11.8 ABI/INFORM Complete (ProQuest) Search Result
PowerPoint slides 21, 22
C. The Web
• Specialized search tools are divided into two types: subject (or Web) directories
and search engines.
Chapter 11 Lecture Notes 149
D. Evaluating Web Sources
Ask these questions as you examine a site:
1. How current is the information?
Figure 11.9 Business.com
Figure 11.10 Useful Internet Search Techniques
PowerPoint slides 24-29
IV. Conducting Primary Research (p. 392)
A. Surveys
Select the survey population carefully.
Explain why the survey is necessary.
Consider incentives.
Figure 11.11 Preparing a Survey
PowerPoint slide 30
B. Interviews
Locate an expert or crowdsource your question to social media.
Prepare for the interview.
C. Observation and Experimentation
1. Observations
Plan ahead.
Arrive early to introduce yourself and set up equipment.
Request permission beforehand.
Take notes on the events, actions, and setting.
2. Experimentation
Valid experiments require research designs and careful attention to matching
experimental and control groups.
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V. Documenting Information (p. 396)
Definition: Documentation is giving credit to your information sources.
PowerPoint slides 31, 32
A. The Purposes of Documentation
A properly documented report:
B. Intellectual Theft: Plagiarism
• Avoid charges of plagiarism as well as add clarity to your work by knowing what
to document and by developing good research habits.
C. Academic Documentation and Business Practices
College term papers and other academic writing require careful documentation.
Business reports do not require the same level of documentation as academic writing.
D. What to Document
• Another person’s ideas, opinions, examples, or theory
• Any facts, statistics, graphs, and drawings that are not common knowledge
E. Good Research Habits
1. Paper Note Cards
Record all major ideas on separate note cards.
Include all publication information and quotations.
Use one card color for direct quotes and another for paraphrases and summaries.
Put the original source material aside when you are summarizing or paraphrasing.
2. Digital Records
Set up a new folder on your hard drive, USB flash drive, CD-RW, or cloud drive
such as Dropbox..
Create subfolders for major sections.
F. The Fine Art of Paraphrasing
• Read the original material intently to comprehend its full meaning.
• Write your own version without looking at the original.
Chapter 11 Lecture Notes 151
PowerPoint slide 34
G. When and How to Quote
H. Copyright Information
What is fair use?
I. Citation Formats
Common citation formats are those presented by the Modern Language Association
(MLA) and the American Psychological Association (APA). See Appendix C.
PowerPoint slide 35
VI. Creating Effective Graphics (p. 402)
A. Matching Graphics and Objectives
Figure 11.12 Matching Graphics to Objectives
PowerPoint slides 39-45
1. Tables
Place titles and labels at the top of the table.
Arrange items in a logical order.
152 Chapter 11 Lecture Notes
2. Bar Charts
• Keep the length and width of each bar and segment proportional.
• Include a total figure in the middle of the bar or at its end if the figure helps
the reader and does not clutter the chart.
3. Line Charts
• Begin with a grid divided into squares.
• Arrange the time component horizontally across the bottom.
4. Pie Charts
• Make the biggest wedge appear first.
• Include the actual percentage or absolute value for each wedge.
• Use four to six segments for best results.
• Draw radii from the center.
• Distinguish wedges with color, shading, or cross-hatching.
• Keep all the labels horizontal.
Figure 11.21 Pie Chart
5. Flowcharts
Ovals designate the beginning and end of a process.
Chapter 11 Lecture Notes 153
Figure 11.22 Flowchart
6. Organization Charts
Organization charts show the chain of command and may illustrate a company’s
7. Photographs, Maps, and Illustrations
Photos add authenticity and provide a visual record.
Maps depict activities or concentrations geographically.
Illustrations indicate how an object looks or operates.
B. Incorporating Graphics in Reports
• Evaluate the audience, considering the reader, content, schedule, and budget.
• Use restraint and don’t overuse color or decorations.
• Be accurate and ethical.
Answers to Chapter Review Questions
1. In terms of analysis, what are the two broad report functions or types? (Obj. 1)
Informational reports present data without analysis or recommendations. Writers collect
2. Explain the rationale behind the direct and indirect strategies when organizing
reports. (Obj.1)
Readers’ expectations and the content of a report determine its development strategy.
154 Chapter 11 Lecture Notes
3.Name five common report formats. (Obj. 1)
Five commonly used report formats include:
1. Letter
4. List the seven steps in the report-writing process. (Obj. 2)
Seven steps in the report-writing process include:
1. Analyzing the problem and purpose
5. What is a problem statement, and what function does it serve? (Obj. 2)
A problem statement is a written statement that clarifies the report task. Defining the
6. What is a work plan, and why is it used? (Obj. 2)
A work plan gives a complete picture of a project. It provides a tentative outline, a work
7. Compare primary data and secondary data. Give an original example of each. (Obj. 3)
Primary data are generated from firsthand experience, observation, and experimentation.
8. Name at least two of the top four business databases and identify their chief strengths.
(Obj. 3)
The four best resources for business writers that you can find in most libraries are, in this
Chapter 11 Lecture Notes 155
9. List four major sources of primary information. (Obj. 3)
1. Surveys
4. Experimentation
10. How can you ensure that your survey will be effective and appeal to as many
respondents as possible? (Obj. 3)
a. Explain why the survey is necessary.
11. Describe what documentation is and why it is necessary in reports. (Obj. 4)
Documentation means revealing and crediting sources of information. Careful
12. In what way is documentation of sources different in colleges and universities than in
business? (Obj. 4)
Establishing solid research and documentation habits is important, but in business writing
13. How can you ensure that you do a good job of paraphrasing? (Obj. 4)
1. Read the original material intently to comprehend its full meaning.
156 Chapter 11 Lecture Notes
14. Briefly compare the advantages and disadvantages of illustrating data with charts
(bar and line) versus tables. (Obj. 5)
Bar and line charts provide a visual overview or impression of trends, but they lack
15. Name five techniques you can use to ensure that visual aids do not distort graphic
information. (Obj. 5)
Researchers must not misrepresent data or distort the graphics they create. To provide
Answers to Critical Thinking Questions
1. Explain why good research habits are important and how they relate to personal
integrity and ethics. (Obj. 4)
Establishing sound research procedures is a practical issue and an ethical issue. It’s easy to
become overwhelmed when searching for information, whether in research databases or on
2. Howard Schultz, Starbucks president and CEO, has been described as a “classic
entrepreneur: optimistic, relentless, mercurial, and eager to prove people wrong.”
Before Starbucks’ latest stumbles, Schultz successfully followed his gut instinct, not
established management practices. Unlike other executives, until recently he was not
interested in cost control, advertising, and customer research. “I despise research,” he
said. “I think it’s a crutch. But people smarter than me pushed me in this direction,
and I’ve gone along.” Starbucks continues to be the most followed company on
Facebook. It made $300 million in profit last year. What do you think Howard
Schultz meant when he called consumer research a “crutch”? Can you explain why
the corporate maverick hates it so much? (Obj. 3)
Chapter 11 Lecture Notes 157
Schultz has been called an iconoclast for going against the grain of established business.
His unconventional strategy worked as long as Starbucks was expanding at an astounding
3. Is information obtained on the Web as reliable as information obtained from
journals, newspapers, and magazines? How about information derived from
Wikipedia and blogs? (Obj. 3)
Information obtained from professional journals and reputable newspapers and magazines
has generally been authenticated, edited, and reviewed. Professional journals are also
4. Some people say that business reports never contain footnotes. If you were writing
your first report for a business and you did considerable research, what would you do
about documenting your sources? (Obj. 4)
Although some people do assert that business reports never contain documentation, it’s
dangerous to avoid revealing your sources. The best plan is to check with your supervisor
5. Ethical Issue: Consider this logical appeal under the heading “Reasons Students Hate
Writing Essays or Term Papers” and evaluate its validity and ethics:
Three term papers due tomorrow with three major tests from three of the classes as well
as a long math assignment. What should a student do? This problem while in [sic]
exaggeration often happens to students. It is like all the teachers decide to overwhelm the
students in their classes with not only tests on the same day but also term papers, essays,
or other writing assignments. This is the reason most students hate writing term papers
or other types of writing. Other reasons for disliking writing assignments are poor
English classes in high school, often instructors fail to explain different writing styles,
158 Chapter 11 Lecture Notes
unsure of topics to write, and instructors fail to read the writing assignments.[. . .] Don’t
be afraid to reach out and get help if it’s needed! CustomPapers.com can assist you.
The poor, suspicion-inducing prose aside, the anonymous writer of the passage from the
website of a paper mill is making a sophisticated unethical argument. The logic goes like
this: Teachers are overwhelming students, creating boring assignments, failing to explain,
ZOOMING IN: Digging Into Research at Pew
Critical Thinking
• What function does a detailed table of contents play in long reports such as those that
Pew produces?
A detailed table of contents helps readers focus on specific topics. The headings clearly
• Why do you suppose “top-notch copy editing and proofreading skills” are critical to
Pew?
Any document that will be seen by an audience should be impeccably edited and proofread.
• Why do reports such as How Much Protection Does a College Degree Afford? contain
graphics?
Chapter 11 Lecture Notes 159
Effective graphics in long reports serve several functions. They break up long text, draw
ZOOMING IN
Your Turn: Applying Your Skills at Pew Research Center
The following is an unsolicited job request letter that uses the AIDA persuasive organizational
strategy and ask to be considered for an internship.
[Current date]
Ms. Erin Currier
Director, Pew Economic Mobility Project
901 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Ms. Currier:
As a college student about to enter the workforce, I was heartened by your recent publication of
How Much Protection Does a College Degree Afford?
The report’s findings confirmed that my decision to attend college was the right decision. But I
was particularly impressed by the engaging way the report was written. From the Table of
Sincerely,
160 Chapter 11 Lecture Notes
Discussion Material for ETHICAL INSIGHTS:
Making Ethical Charts and Graphics
Any good business researcher knows that statistics can lie. Statistics on charts and graphs can
be skewed to present data so that it is interpreted in a specific way. This activity will give
students a chance to interpret and analyze data presented in graphics. Most importantly, it
gives students a chance to question the data. Consider having students complete this activity in
small groups to discuss their findings.
Ethics Check Solutions
Ethics Check, p. 389
Over two decades, the Japanese anesthesiologist Yoshitaka Fujii fabricated 172 papers. An
investigating panel found no records of patients or of any medication given. Among the 172
bogus papers, 126 studies of randomized, double-blind, controlled trials were total
fabrications. Fujii parlayed his high productivity into new jobs, research funding, and
speaking fees. He even applied for prizes although he never won. Discuss this case.
Like other infamous cases of medical fraud, this hoax has legal and ethical ramifications.
Researchers acting against good clinical practice are usually fired, stripped of their academic
titles, and investigated for scientific misconduct. Even if no patients are permanently injured or
Chapter 11 Lecture Notes 161
Ethics Check, Page 396
Cribbing From References?
Doing last-minute research for a class or work project, you are in a hurry; therefore, you
decide to copy some sources from the list of references that you found in an article on your
topic to boost your number of works cited. Is it unethical to list sources you have not
actually read?
Opinions may vary on whether copying someone else’s sources without reading them constitutes
cheating. In any case, it is lazy scholarship and shows poor study habits. By relying on
Photo Essay Solutions
Photo Essay, p. 386
Chicago is the “Windy City” and New Orleans is the “Big Easy,” but what is Glendale,
California? Boring. That’s what municipal branding firm North Star Destination
Strategies found after conducting a yearlong study on the inconspicuous neighbor of
Pasadena and Burbank. To improve Glendale’s image, North Star recommended that city
council leaders adopt “Your Life. Animated,” a marketing-and-development campaign
designed to rebrand Glendale as the home of DreamWorks Animation, the creative studio
behind such delightful movies as Shrek and Kung Fu Panda. Which type of research data
would be best at helping cities evaluate their strengths and weaknesses?
Data fall into two broad categories: primary and secondary. Primary data result from firsthand
experience and observation. Secondary data come from reading what others have experienced or