Writing a business report

Writing a business report

A report is written for a clear purpose and to a particular audience. Specific information and evidence are presented, analysed and applied to a particular problem or issue. The information is presented in a clearly structured format making use of sections and headings so that the information is easy to locate and follow.

When you are asked to write a report you will usually be given a report brief which provides you with instructions and guidelines. The report brief may outline the purpose, audience and problem or issue that your report must address, together with any specific requirements for format or structure. This guide offers a general introduction to report writing; be sure also to take account of specific instructions provided by your department.

What makes a good report?

Two of the reasons why reports are used as forms of written assessment are:

• to find out what you have learned from your reading, research or experience;
• to give you experience of an important skill that is widely used in the work place.

An effective report presents and analyses facts and evidence that are relevant to the specific problem or issue of the report brief. All sources used should be acknowledged and referenced throughout, in accordance with the Harvard Referencing style.

A well written report will demonstrate your ability to:

• understand the purpose of the report brief and adhere to its specifications;
• gather, evaluate and analyse relevant information;
• structure material in a logical and coherent order;
• present your report in a consistent manner according to the instructions of the report brief;
• make appropriate conclusions that are supported by the evidence and analysis of the report;
• make thoughtful and practical recommendations where required.

Writing the report: the essential stages

All reports need to be clear, concise and well structured. The key to writing an effective report is to allocate time for planning and preparation. With careful planning, the writing of a report will be made much easier. The essential stages of successful report writing are described below. Consider how long each stage is likely to take and divide the time before the deadline between the different stages. Be sure to leave time for final proof reading and checking.

Stage One: Understanding the report brief

This first stage is the most important. You need to be confident that you understand the purpose of your report as described in your report brief or instructions. Consider who the report is for and why it is being written. Check that you understand all the instructions or requirements, and ask your tutor if anything is unclear.

Stage Two: Gathering and selecting information

Once you are clear about the purpose of your report, you need to begin to gather relevant information. Your information may come from a variety of sources, but how much information you will need will depend on how much detail is required in the report. You may want to begin by reading relevant literature to widen your understanding of the topic or issue before you go on to look at other forms of information such as questionnaires, surveys etc. As you read and gather information you need to assess its relevance to your report and select accordingly. Keep referring to your report brief to help you decide what is relevant information.

Stage Three: Organising your material

Once you have gathered information you need to decide what will be included and in what sequence it should be presented. Begin by grouping together points that are related. These may form sections or chapters. Remember to keep referring to the report brief and be prepared to cut any information that is not directly relevant to the report. Choose an order for your material that is logical and easy to follow.

Stage Four: Analysing your material

Before you begin to write your first draft of the report, take time to consider and make notes on the points you will make using the facts and evidence you have gathered. What conclusions can be drawn from the material? What are the limitations or flaws in the evidence? Do certain pieces of evidence conflict with one another? It is not enough to simply present the information you have gathered; you must relate it to the problem or issue described in the report brief.

Stage Five: Writing the report

Having organised your material into appropriate sections and headings you can begin to write the first draft of your report. You may find it easier to write the summary and contents page at the end when you know exactly what will be included. Aim for a writing style that is direct and precise. Avoid waffle and make your points clearly and concisely. Chapters, sections and even individual paragraphs should be written with a clear structure. The structure described below can be adapted and applied to chapters, sections and even paragraphs.

• Introduce the main idea of the chapter/section/paragraph
• Explain and expand the idea, defining any key terms.
• Present relevant evidence to support your point(s).
• Comment on each piece of evidence showing how it relates to your point(s).
• Conclude your chapter/section/paragraph by either showing its
  significance to the report as a whole or making a link to the next chapter/section/paragraph.

Stage Six: Reviewing and redrafting

Ideally, you should leave time to take a break before you review your first draft. Be prepared to rearrange or rewrite sections in the light of your review. Try to read the draft from the perspective of the reader. Is it easy to follow with a clear structure that makes sense? Are the points concisely but clearly explained and supported by relevant evidence? Writing on a word processor makes it easier to rewrite and rearrange sections or paragraphs in your first draft. If you write your first draft by hand, try writing each section on a separate piece of paper to make redrafting easier.

 

Stage Seven: Presentation

Once you are satisfied with the content and structure of your redrafted report, you can turn your attention to the presentation. Check that the wording of each chapter/section/subheading is clear and accurate. Check that you have adhered to the instructions in your report brief regarding format and presentation. Check for consistency in numbering of chapters, sections and appendices. Make sure that all your sources are acknowledged and correctly referenced. You will need to proof read your report for errors of spelling or grammar. If time allows, proof read more than once. Errors in presentation or expression create a poor impression and can make the report difficult to read.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6003LBSAF MANAGING PEOPLE & ORGANISATIONS

COURSEWORK – 20% Weighting

 

Business Report – online submission via Turnitin Monday 16^th November 4pm.

2,000 Word limit (additional 10% allowance to max 2,200 words – excluding references and appendices).  Marks and feedback are available via Canvas within 15 working days.

Coursework Brief

Produce a corporate appraisal report for one of the following companies:

• Dyson Ltd
• Gymshark Ltd
• Deliveroo (RooFoods Ltd)
• Trailfinders Ltd

Your analysis should show evidence of recent research and use relevant models to assess the internal and external environment within which the organisation operates.  The results of this research should be presented as a SWOT analysis.

Through your analysis above, recommend a potential area for change that the organisation could pursue to develop competitive advantage.

COURSEWORK MARKING SCHEME

I am looking for a piece of work which:

• Uses appropriate models to conduct a corporate appraisal that analyses the company’s business environment and its internal capabilities.
• Based on the corporate appraisal, identifies a current trigger for change and makes recommendations to the company how this may be developed strategically to aid competitive advantage.
• Includes evidence of relevant research using current journals, textbooks, news sources, industry reports etc.
• Includes discussion of the limitations of the study (critical analysis of models used, information available etc).
• Includes your own analysis and opinion.
• Is well structured, uses good vocabulary and has accurate grammar and punctuation.
• Is fully and accurately referenced using Harvard Referencing.

 

Allocation of Marks

• Structure and presentation of report – 10%
• Clarity and application of relevant models and analysis – 50%
• Depth of content and research – 25%
• Spelling, punctuation and grammar – 5%
• Relevance and quality of references – 5%
• Use of Harvard Referencing – 5%

 

Marking of assignment:-

A mark of 70%+ is likely to represent work which:

• Contains a thorough and in depth analysis of the company selected.
• Uses a range of appropriate models to conduct a detailed corporate appraisal and to underpin discussions of competitive advantage.
• Has comprehensive and wide-ranging research into the subject matter using a range of credible sources to support points made.
• Has detailed recommendations which are fully supported by your research and include your own opinion.
• Is well presented and has a logical and coherent structure and is in an appropriate format
• Demonstrates excellent report writing skills with very few errors.
• Has been fully referenced using the Harvard referencing style.

A mark between 60 – 69% is likely to represent work which:

• Contains a good analysis of the company selected.
• Uses appropriate models to conduct a detailed corporate appraisal but these may have some omissions.
• Has significant research into the subject matter using credible sources to support points made.
• Has recommendations supported by your research and contains some of your own opinions.
• Is well presented and has a logical and coherent structure and is in an appropriate format.
• Demonstrates good writing skills with some errors.
• Has been fully referenced using the Harvard referencing style.

A mark between 50 – 59% is likely to represent work which:

• Contains only a partial analysis of the company selected.
• Uses a limited number of models to conduct the corporate appraisal which may have some omissions.
• Has evidence of some research but this may be limited and lack depth.
• Has sensible recommendations which are drawn from what has been written earlier, but may lack detail.
• Is adequately presented and has a structure which lacks some coherence but is in a suitable format.
• Demonstrates good writing skills in places, but with some errors.
• Has been referenced using the Harvard referencing style in places.

A mark between 40 – 49% is likely to represent work which:

• Contains a limited analysis of the company selected.
• Limited use of relevant models to conduct the corporate appraisal.
• Displays little evidence of research or further reading.
• Has recommendations which are weak and not necessarily supported by what has been written earlier.
• Has a weak structure and poor presentation.
• Demonstrates writing skills of a reasonable standard but with several errors.
• Is poorly referenced.

A mark below 40% (i.e. a fail mark) is likely to represent work which:

• Demonstrates poor understanding of the requirements of the assignment.
• Contains very little analysis of the company selected, failing to use relevant models to conduct the corporate appraisal.
• Displays little or no further reading.
• Has inadequate recommendations which are not supported by what has been written earlier.
• Is poorly presented and lacks structure and coherence.
• Demonstrates poor writing skills.
• Fails to reference materials used