Items to be Discussed

• Report

• Definition

• Characteristics

• Types

• Importance

• Flow

Definition

Origin

Latin “Reporto”

A communication from someone who has information to someone who wants to use that information.

C.A. Brown

A report is like a bathing suit. It covers everything that has to be covered but nothing more.

Shearring and Christian

A report is a formal communication written for a specific purpose; it includes a description of procedures followed for collection and analysis of data, their significance, the conclusions drawn from them and recommendations, if required.

Characteristics of a Report

• Formal elements

• Presented in a conventional form

• Written for specific purpose

• Includes information about the procedure of data collection and significance of such data.

• Contains conclusions

• Contains recommendations if required.

Differences between Report writing & Literary Writing

• Conventional

• Specific Need

• Objective

• Based on Facts

• Well defined audience

• Data Collection

• Precise Clear

• Plain Formal

Contd.

Well defined audienceWell defined audience Demanded by circumstancesDemanded by circumstances Data collectionData collection Precise, clearPrecise, clear Plain, formalPlain, formal

Literary writing

Unconventional, spontaneousUnconventional, spontaneous Subjective, fictitiousSubjective, fictitious No specific audienceNo specific audience Inner feelingsInner feelings VagueVague Warm, abstractWarm, abstract

• Helps in Planning

•Evaluating men & materials

•Creates Awareness

•Making Decisions

Importance of reports

Contd.

• Improving production and distribution of its processes

• Trains planning procedures and logical presentation of ideas and information

• Reveals gaps in reasoning

• Helps in establishing harmony

Types

Oral

Written

Informal Formal

A report is a professional’s only tangible product.A report is a professional’s only tangible product. It presents his investigation,his testing and It presents his investigation,his testing and

experimentation.If his efforts are to count in the experimentation.If his efforts are to count in the judgement of his superiors,he must describe judgement of his superiors,he must describe clearly what he has done.He must show the clearly what he has done.He must show the significance of his work.And often the engineer’s significance of his work.And often the engineer’s written report is his only contact with the written report is his only contact with the management.management.

Formal Reports Informative ,Analysis & Routine

Informative Reports

Periodic

Progress

Policy Statements

Employee booklets

Readership surveys

Report on sales

Credit Reports Committee Reports Production Reports

Analytical Analytical Routine Rep Routine Rep

Advertising Advertising Project Project

Examination Examination Lab Lab

Accounting Accounting Inspection Inspection

Statistical Analysis Statistical Analysis Stock Verification Stock Verification

Market Surveys Market Surveys Confidential Confidential

Informational Reports help integrate management employees and the company

Informational Report serves as a record of data; facts are organized and presented to the readers to use as he sees fit or to retain as a part of his knowledge.

Interpretive / Analytical

Interprets and analyzes facts or results and recommendations

• Presents facts

• Analyzes facts

• Recommends action

•Presents a solution to the problem

Annual Reports

It can be a mere compilation of figures that only an accountant can readily understand but it can also be an informative and analytical report of status and progress of a company expressed in terms readily comprehensible to all its readers.

It should present a broad coverage of topics for an extensive readership.

How to Write Reports

Steps involved

•Define your purpose & Super

•Determine your audience

•Collect the material

•Organize the material

•Make an outline

Define your purpose with the help of terms of Reference.

It gives you clear instructions

Recognize the problem

Spend time in working out the scope of your report

In case instructions are not clear,seek clarification before making a start

Determine your audience

• Superior officers

• Colleagues / counterparts

• Subordinate employees

• Other Organizations

• Share holders

• Customers and Members of public

Much depends upon the attitude of the readers ask yourself:

If the reader is

•Favourable

•Antagonistic

•Familiar

Data Collection

Methods

•Personal observation

•Telephonic Interviews

•Personal Interviews

•Questionnaires

How to assess reader’s knowledge?

• Primary reader

• Secondary Reader

• Business relationship

• His knowledge on the particular topic

• Expectations about report

Observation – to see with a purpose

• To study people’s Non-verbal behavior

• First hand knowledge

• Investigate behavior

Observation can be controlled/ uncontrolled

Decide

•How it will help in data collection

•Whom to aim at

•Identify the information you want to gather

•Take notes

•Beware of biases

Disadvantages of Observations

•Limited method

•Thinks it occurs frequently

•Costlier /slower

Observation reports behaviour rather than interprets it

Telephonic Interview

Disadvantages :

Detailed data not available

• No observation

• Age, Nationality, Income hidden

• Not much time to orient

• Difficult to secure privacy

Personal Interview

Process of seeking information directly through a conversation with an individual.

• Conversation with a purpose

• Direct exchange of information

• Voice, Facial Expression and General behaviour overt.

Why do we have it?

• To gather information about people’s attitudes & feelings

• To learn from people with intimate knowledge of a problem

• To supplement information gathered from questionnaire.

Advantages of Interview

• Interviewer can control the situation

• Interpret questions

• Clear up misunderstandings

• Can secure fully and accurately most representative replies

• Can receive first hand impressions which will throw light on the data procured by his questions.

Hints on how to conduct interviews:

• Clarity about time and information

• Standardize your questions

• Bring the interviewee back to the point

• Be unobtrusive in note taking

Contd.

• Avoid arguing

• Assume a subordinate role

• Listen attentively

• Avoid embarrassing questions

• Seek appointment in advance

• Be courteous and tactful

• Take advantage of immediate feedback.

Questionnaires

• To survey large number of people

• Mail a questionnaire to all members

• Save times

•Seek clarifications

Advantages • Convenient for the respondent

• Chance to deliberate and look up information

• Bias of interviewer is eliminated

• Reach a specific segment of population.

• Respondent need not be identified

• Questions can be standardized.

Disadvantages of Questionnaire

•Difficulty in securing replies in the nature of questions.

•In case response is small, data not to give a true picture.

•Representative sample not to be obtained.

•Uncertainty in getting return

Contd.

• Inadequate answer

• Answers of some questions meaningless or some left unanswered.

• Complex and confidential information not readily given

• Cost per mailing low but the cost per return high.

Sources of data

Internal recordsInternal records LibraryLibrary InternetInternet Evaluation of materialsEvaluation of materialsNote makingNote making

Evaluation of the material

Author’s credibilityAuthor’s credibility Author’s material original or based on others’ Author’s material original or based on others’

experienceexperience Reputation of the publisher– high and specializedReputation of the publisher– high and specialized Information supported by facts and figures?Information supported by facts and figures? Purpose similar or not?Purpose similar or not? Opinion of other specialistsOpinion of other specialists Time of data collection?Time of data collection?

Contd.

Information supported by facts and figures?Information supported by facts and figures? Purpose similar or not?Purpose similar or not? Opinion of other specialistsOpinion of other specialists Time of data collection?Time of data collection?

Note-making

While reproducing an author’s words, use While reproducing an author’s words, use quotation marksquotation marks

Make a summary of opinionsMake a summary of opinions Use abbreviations Use abbreviations Note cardsNote cards Write notes clearlyWrite notes clearly

Organize your materials

Principles of organizationPrinciples of organization Logical orderingLogical ordering CoordinatingCoordinating SubordinatingSubordinating NumberingNumbering PhrasingPhrasing DividingDividing

Contd.

Making outlineMaking outline Think of possible organizational patternsThink of possible organizational patterns Jot down topics and sub topicsJot down topics and sub topics Arrange themArrange them Prepare a tentative outlinePrepare a tentative outline Examine and make changes,if anyExamine and make changes,if any Write out the final outline.Write out the final outline.

Phrasing

Use parallel grammatical constructionUse parallel grammatical construction 2.Advantages of nationalization2.Advantages of nationalization 2.1 Mobilization of national resources2.1 Mobilization of national resources 2.2 Promotes agricultural production2.2 Promotes agricultural production 2.3 Encouragement of new classes of 2.3 Encouragement of new classes of

entrepreneursentrepreneurs 2.4 Channelizing people’s saving towards 2.4 Channelizing people’s saving towards

productive purposes productive purposes

FLOW OF REPORTS

Reports flow vertically, horizontally and Reports flow vertically, horizontally and radiallyradially

Internal reports move vertically and Internal reports move vertically and horizontallyhorizontally

Vertically---- through organizational Vertically---- through organizational channelschannels

Horizontally--- between Horizontally--- between departments/individuals on the same leveldepartments/individuals on the same level

Radially reports are distributed throughout Radially reports are distributed throughout the company to reach everyone and the company to reach everyone and frequently sent outside the company.frequently sent outside the company.

Check the effectiveness of your report

Meet the needs of situation, audience and purposeMeet the needs of situation, audience and purpose Well planned and organized?Well planned and organized? Proper format and adaptation?reflect good, clear Proper format and adaptation?reflect good, clear

thinking?thinking? Material for easy and quick comprehension?Material for easy and quick comprehension? Use of visual aid?Use of visual aid? Solve the problem?Solve the problem?