Writing the Report
General Instructions
Note: You can’t use Exam Express or Tel-Test for this exam.
Purpose
This examination will give you practical experience in writing
an informal report, using a memo format.
Preparation
First, review the information on outlines in Organizing,
Researching, and Illustrating Your Material. Next, review the
instruction on informal and formal reports and format in this
study unit. Then carefully reread the information about fieldinvestigation reports, pages 7–11. You’ll be building on the
background information, prewriting, memo, and letter about
Phoenix Advertising you prepared for the exams in Writing
Effective Communications and Organizing, Researching, and
Illustrating Your Material, so make sure you’ve completed
those exams already. Carefully review the background and
prewriting work on which you based your exam for Organizing,
Researching, and Illustrating Your Material.
Background
The following is the basic scenario, with which you’re familiar.
Phoenix Advertising, with its main headquarters in Charlotte,
North Carolina, serves clients that include banks, insurance
companies, and retail chains. You’re vice president of human
resources management at Phoenix and report directly to
Gregory S. Forest, the company president. Mr. Forest advises
you that in the last month, four clients have complained
about the advertising work produced by the Roanoke, Virginia
branch of the agency. He reminds you that the clients served
from the Roanoke branch are vital to the overall success of
Phoenix Advertising.
Mr. Forest also explains the little he’s been able to learn
about the situation at the branch: In the last three months,
two of the top management people—an art director and an
EXAMINATION NUMBER:
0500230052 Examination
account executive—have left the agency. Three of the graphic
designers and four of the copywriters are threatening to quit
because they feel their creative efforts are being rejected or
revised without consultation. They want to be part of a collaborative team, not to simply produce work that the art directors
and account executives can arbitrarily alter.
In an attempt to increase revenues, the branch is accepting
new clients without evaluating the effects of the new accounts
on the current project workload. As a result, without notice or
compensation for the additional hours, all salaried employees
are required to work long hours several days each week.
Employee morale and productivity are declining day by day.
Your investigative goals are to
• Identify and describe specifically the causes
(root issues underlying) each problem
• Show the impact of each problem on the business
and on employee morale
• Provide specific recommendations for resolving the problems to restore the Roanoke branch to full productivity
Process
Part A: Topic Outline
Prepare a topic outline (no sentences) using the four Roman
numeral points shown below. Organize all of your prewriting and
scenario information according to those four points. Subdivide
as needed. Your outline must show depth of detail, as well as
correct format. Remember, you’re preparing this outline after
you’ve finished your investigation of the site in order to organize
your thoughts for your report.
Your first Roman numeral point requires no subdivision; it
merely states the purpose of the field investigation and gives
the location. For the other points, add appropriate subdivisions
and a significant number of details beyond the scenario based
on your brainstorming. Remember that if you subdivide a point,
you must have at least two divisions. For example, if you subdivide to level 1, you must have at least a 2 as well. You can’t
subdivide something by one. The following partial outline
will guide you, but don’t be limited by the capital letters or
numbers. Subdivide each level more or less as necessary to
incorporate all your ideas.
Revise your outline for clarity and completeness. Make sureExamination 53
your points follow each other in logical order and address the
four Roman numeral points in the example. Make sure the
topics within the subdivisions (A, B, C or 1, 2, 3) are of equal
importance. Use parallel grammatical structure for each point.
Subdivide a point only if you can provide at least two subdivisions. Otherwise, don’t break down the point further.
• For Point I, did you state the purpose and branch
location without subdivision?
• For Point II, did you list a variety of specific investigative
methods-including with whom, where, when?
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING YOUR OUTLINE
When you write your outline, begin with the four points listed as Roman
numerals, then subdivide and add details.
I. Purpose for investigating, including the location, the branch, and general
nature of the problems
II. General approach to investigating the causes of each problem
A. One way you investigated the problem, such as interviews (subdivide two
or more levels as needed)
1. Four of the ten employees from the Graphics and Design Department
2. Head of the graphics department
3. All ten employees during a group meeting
B. Another way you investigated the problem [subdivide as needed]
C. Another way you investigated the problem [subdivide as needed]
III. Overall findings about the underlying issues (primary findings as capital
letters and specifics about that finding as numbers)
A. First primary issue matched with first investigation method
1. One cause of the problem and/or the impact on business/morale
2. Another cause/impact
3. If appropriate, another cause/impact
B. Second primary issue (i.e. lack of communication)
1. Cause/impact
2. Cause/impact
C. Third finding/issue subdivided as necessary
D. Continue to subdivide Roman numeral Point III to identify all your findings
IV. Overall recommendation for/approach to solving the issues you found
A. Recommendation 1 (match with issue identified in IIIA.)
1. Details
2. Details
B. Recommendation (issue IIIB)
C. Recommendation (issue IIIC)54 Examination
• In Point III, did you specify causes for each problem
and show the impact of the problem (effect) on morale
and productivity?
• In Point IV did you provide clear solutions that address
each cause in the same order as you listed in III?
Part B: Informal Field-Investigation Report
Begin a new page in the same Word document. Follow your
outline as you draft your informal report using the basic memo
format. Use the ABC method for developing paragraphs and the
headings shown in the sample field-investigation report in this
study unit. Your purpose is to inform the Phoenix executive
team about your investigation and recommend solutions for
the problems at Roanoke. After providing your purpose statement and location of the branch, use the following along with
your outline to write your report.
1. For the Description of Investigation section, describe in
complete sentences and paragraphs the ways you investigated the problems to find the causes of each problem
and their impact on business/morale. This section must
describe a variety of objective, specific methods used, such
as interviewing employees and management, survey,
attendance records, observation of office, budget review.
Use different methods to verify facts and causes—don’t
use just an employee’s word or feeling.
2. In the Results section, write a numbered list of findings
using complete sentences in which you fully identify the
source of the causes underlying each problem and show
the impact of each cause on employee morale/business.
Provide a clear analysis of each problem in the scenario—
identify the causes underlying each and describe the
impact on the company. Don’t merely summarize the
scenario. By showing the underlying issues connected
to specific impact/results, you establish a basis for your
recommendations and show you’re addressing the root
of the problems. You’ll probably need more than one
sentence for several of your findings.
3. For your Conclusions section, clearly summarize the
primary causes for the problems and their impact on
business/morale. Use complete sentences and one or
two paragraphs.
4. For the Recommendations section, list detailed solutions
connected to the root cause of each problem, which youExamination 55
identified in the Results section. Define specific procedures
or processes that Phoenix must undertake to boost morale
and profitability. List each recommendation in the same
order as the causes you defined in Results. You may use
imperative or declarative sentences.
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