Business Report Assignment Overview This assignment 100 points and is designed to provide you with an opportunity analyze, visualize, and report data in the form of a typical business report. Instructions You have already completed two writing assignments and received written feedback; however, it’s important that we review my expectations once again: ? Students will familiarize themselves with the assignment’s instructions, referenced textbook pages, evaluation criteria, deadlines, and submission requirements. ? Assignments will be prepared using a business writing style as outlined in your textbook. This material has already been assigned and you have been tested on the content. As you know, unlike SMS text messages (text-speak) which use phrases, abbreviations and lack capitalization, business writing requires attention to detail, format, grammar, capitalization, style, and spelling. ? Assignments will be free of significant grammar, punctuation, capitalization, organization, and format errors. Please proofread your assignment before submitting it for evaluation. ? Assignments will be the original work of the student enrolled in the course. Please review the syllabus and the University’s Honor Code for clarification. Preparation Materials Before attempting this assignment, please take time to prepare yourself by reviewing the following materials: Review the assignment. ? Routine Report (Business Report) Instructions Below Review your textbook. Review how to create and embed chart in MSWord: ? MSWord 07: Description of how to use MSWord 07 and Excel 07 to create graphs. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word/HA100997391033.aspx Report Assignment’s Instructions 1. Read the University’s Academic Honor Code. Conduct that violates the University’s Academic Honor Code will result in a failing grade for the entire course. This policy will be strictly enforced. 2. Create your assignment in MSWord. You may use either MW Word 07 or higher. You must use MSWord. 3. Save the assignment and include your last name in the title of the file (e.g. REPORT-GARCIA) 4. Upload (do not copy and paste) the saved file in the correspondingly named “Assignment Drop Box” at Turnitin.com by the posted due date. Late Assignment Policy ? Assignments not submitted by the originally posted due date are considered late and may be submitted into the late drop box.
? Assignments not submitted according to the posted instructions are also considered late. ? Late submissions must be uploaded in the appropriately labeled “Late Drop Box” at Turnitin.com by the posted “Late Assignment Deadline.” ? Late submissions are only eligible for a maximum of 50% of the assignment’s original point value. Late Submission Instructions for Partial Credit (Maximum 50%) 1. Review submission instructions above. 2. Upload (do not copy and paste) the saved file in the correspondingly named “Late Assignment Drop Box” at Turnitin.com by the posted due date.
Routine Report Assignment
Scenario: Your company is rapidly expanding and your original startup team of 500 employees has skyrocketed to 4,200 employees in the last five years. In an effort to encourage team member collaboration and improve office morale, your CEO has asked you to implement a 3-part Office Community Initiative (OCI) to be launched in the next fiscal year. The three categories of the OCI will be; Team Member Morale (TMM- the value the employee feels he/she gets from his/her job), Inter-Office Relations (IOR- the way in which employees communicate with one another), and Office Community Outreach (OCO- ways for the office to give back to the community it serves). Your finished report should have elements that address each of these three parts.
The CEO, Ms. Suarez, has assigned you the task of analyzing the workforce’s communication habits and attitudes as a first step towards identifying potential solutions. She is willing to consider funding anything from office festivities to guest speakers, but the decision requires a thorough understanding of employee relational needs. Figures 1 – 4 summarize data you have collected in an employee survey.
Figure 1: Employee Attitudes
? Current Attitude Towards Position: Enjoyment/morale levels
? I love my job: 462 (11%)
? I like my job: 2,688 (64%)
? My job is alright: 966 (23%)
? I do not enjoy my job: 84 (2%)
Figure 2: Employee Relationships
? Frequency of Interaction: Amount of time collaborating with others
? Every day, every week: 546 (13%)
? Certain days, every week: 1,176 (28%)
? Randomly: 2,268 (54%)
? Never: 210 (5%)
Figure 3: Effect of Potential Improvements to Office Engagement Which of the following would you encourage you to use engage/collaborate with other employees more frequently? (Check all that apply) Portion of Respondents. Employees can check more than one.
? Open floorplan work space: 756 (18%)
? Improved break/lounge areas: 852 (5%)
? Voluntary employee events/functions: 1,176 (28%)
? Mandatory employee events/functions: 252 (6%)
? Employee incentive programs (such as employee of the month, etc): 1,722 (41%)
? Sub-committees or projects with teams from different departments: 1,302 (31%)
? Nothing could encourage me to engage more than I have to: 210 (5%)
Figure 4: Community Engagement
? Frequency of Activity: Volunteering/working in the community
? Every month, at least: 336 (8%)
? Every few months: 840 (20%)
? Once or twice a year: 1,806 (43%)
? Never: 1,218 (29%)
Task: Write a recommendation memo report to your supervisor, Ms. Suarez illustrating the data you have collected and recommending your three part Office Community Initiative (OCI).
This is a short report; therefore, your report will not include a title page, a table of contents, or appendices. The visualized data must be within the text (body) of the report; do not place the data at the end of the report.
Organizational Guidelines:
TO: Ms. Suarez, CEO
FROM: Insert Your Name
DATE: Month Day, Year
SUBJECT: Office Community Initiative (OCI)
Begin your report memo with a brief introductory statement outlining the background, problem/opportunity/purpose, scope, and organization of the report. Refer to your text for assistance; especially Chapter 10 (pg. 248-267) and parts of Chapter 9 (pg. 222-236), as a proposal can be seen as a form of persuasive messaging.
In the body of your report, you are required to illustrate each set of data with figures. Keep in mind this portion of the report requires an appropriate heading, and each of the four figures requires a reference statement, a caption, and if applicable, a legend. Do not place the data in a bulleted/numbered list or in a table.
For example:
APPROPRIATE SECTION HEADING
Precede the graph with a reference statement explaining what the graph illustrates. For example, Figure 1 illustrates the employee attitudes.
Figure 1: Employee Attitudes
Create the figure. Determine which figure best illustrates the data. Should you use a pie chart, a bar chart or a line chart? Once you have decided which chart to use, review your text for format requirements. How large should the chart be? Should the data be an ascending or descending order? Where should you place the labels? Does the chart require a legend? Is the visual clear, complete, concise, connected, and compelling (see textbook for guidelines)?
Note: If you are not familiar with how to create chart using MSWord or importing them from Excel and embedding them into MSWord, you should consult the Help function in MSWord or you may also find it useful to review the following webpages:
Immediately following the chart, explain the significance of the data. This is referred to as the illustration’s caption.
For example, As you can see from Figure 1,..
After all four chart are completed, offer your three part Office Community Initiative (OCI). Be sure to address; Team Member Morale (TMM- the value the employee feels he/she gets from his/her job), Inter-Office Relations (IOR- the way in which employees communicate with one another), and Office Community Outreach (OCO- ways for the office to give back to the community it serves). Each proposed section should be logically constructed from the data and must be adequately explained in detail. This section of the report also requires an appropriate heading. There should only be one proposal for each section. For example, when discussing the community outreach do not offer the option of partnering with a Boys & Girls Club and building a house with Habitat for Humanity. Choose one solution and fully develop the plan.
For example:
APPROPRIATE SECTION HEADING
Introduce this section of the report with a paragraph previewing your recommendations.
Team Member Morale: XXX
Explain your solution and why it is a logical option.
Inter-Office Relations: XXX Explain your solution and why it is a logical option.
Office Community Outreach: XXX Explain your solution and why it is a logical option.
Close your report with a summary of the key points as they appeared in the report body. Do not introduce new facts into your closing paragraph. End by inviting Ms. Suarez to contact you to discuss the report’s recommendations.
Evaluation Criteria
Outstanding: (90-100%) The report demonstrates superior application of business communication concepts and principles outlined in the readings and exercises. The assignment does not contain errors in content, grammar, spelling, punctuation, format, and/or the visualization of the data. All four of the data sets are illustrated properly.
Above Average: (80-89%) The report demonstrates above average application of business communication concepts and principles outlined in the readings and exercises. The assignment has a few minor errors in content, grammar, spelling, punctuation, format, and/or the visualization of the data. All four of the data sets are illustrated properly.
Satisfactory: (70-79%) The report demonstrates satisfactory application of business communication concepts and principles outlined in the readings and exercises. The assignment has a moderate number of errors in content, grammar, spelling, punctuation, format, and/or visualization of the data. Three of the data sets are illustrated properly.
Poor: (1-69%) The report has an inconsistent application of business communication concepts and principles outlined in the readings and exercises and/or has frequent and serious errors in content, grammar spelling, punctuation, format, and/or the visualization of the data that distorts the meaning. At least two sets of data are not illustrated properly.
Incomplete: 0 points (0%) The memo was not submitted before the due date and/or was not completed according to the published instructions.
Conduct that violates the University’s Academic Honor Code will result in a failing grade for the entire course. Please review the University’s Honor Code and your syllabus for additional details. If you have questions regarding the policy, please speak with your instructor and/or your academic advisor. This policy will be strictly enforced.