Reports

Reports are used in every area of administration, and may announce, explain, or recommend policy. They may initiate and begin a sequence of events to start new schemes, introduce fresh approaches, or develop new methods of operations. They may also be the result of events that need investigation and explanation.

Reports can come from external agencies which have been called in by the firm to review problems, e.g. Organization and Management Consultants, or business associates, e.g. surveyors' reports or credit investigation agencies (see 8.8.6).

Reports may also come from internal sources, when management are asked to investigate the possibilities of increasing efficiency in the company.

15.3.1

Guide to contents

The length of a report depends on the complexity of the subject it deals with, but all reports follow a similar pattern, as follows:

Title

The title of the report always explains its contents. Here are three examples of titles which immediately tell you what the report is about.

'The development of small industries in Nigeria'

'The limitations of the Consumer Protection Act 1989'

'The problems of English-language teaching in London Colleges of Further Education'

Introduction

The introduction might be a summary of the report and the circumstances or conditions that initiated it. It could also lay out the objectives and limitations of the enquiry.

Background

All reports, regardless of whether they are specialized or not, must give a background to the subject of the study. This allows the reader to see how the situation arose, and how it can be corrected, improved on, or changed.

Facts

This section is essential to all reports as it explains the situation that exists and offers evidence to support the statements that the writer is making. If the reader is to be convinced that changes in a situation are necessary, well-selected and well-presented facts will influence him.

Conclusions

Conclusions are the ideas you have formed from the evidence you have looked at. Whereas facts are objective statements, conclusions draw together all aspects of the situation as you see it.

Recommendations

These follow from conclusions and are the suggestions that you are making to improve, or change, the current situation.

15.4

Specimen reports

15.4.1

This report from the Sales Director suggests that his company should enter the mail order business. Notice that this is a summary of a much larger report containing statistical data which it refers to throughout the report.

Questions

1. How long has the research into the project taken?

2. Why do they believe there is a potential market in mail order?

3. Which is the best market for the company to enter?

4. What would be the problem with other areas of mail order selling?

5. How much would the company have to invest to go into the mail order market?

6. Where will the company get the money from to invest in the project?

7. When should the board meet to discuss the project?

8. Which words in the report correspond to the following: because of; buying; breakdown of figures; garments; yearly account; money which cannot be recovered; future; information'?