Your last writing assignment will be areport to a
decision-maker on a problem and solution in an organization or community.
In the report, you will do the
following:
·
define the problem persuasively and
accurately
·
propose a solution or solutions to
the problem or issue
·
present that solution to a
decision-maker or group of decision-makers who can implement
the recommendation.
The report will include the following
components:
·
executive summary
·
transmittal letter or memo to the
decision-maker
·
table of contents
·
introduction
·
body of the report to include headings
and subheadings
·
conclusion stated as a recommendation for
implementation of the solution
·
References page, with references listed
in APA format
oInstructions on
how to list an interview in APA format can be seen at the following url:https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/11/
The complete report should be 2200-3000
words, not including the list of references.
The complete report should alsocite at least
seven sources. At least three of them should come from peer-reviewed, scholarly
journals. As noted above, your sources can also
include interviews. The sources will be integrated into the paper to explain
the problem, provide evidence of the problem, and support the solution.
You might have taken WRTG 393 at .
In WRTG 393, the final paper is a white paper. This assignment is different
from the white paper in WRTG 393. In this paper for WRTG 394, you are writing
to a specific decision-maker about a specific problem in your workplace or
community. The audience is much more focused than that for the white paper in
WRTG 393.
Defining
the Specific Problem
In preparing to write this assignment,
please be aware of the following cautions in fulfilling the assignment
instructions:
·
If you write a report to your manager
at work suggesting that more teleworking options be given to employees at your
workplace, you cannot simply prepare a report on teleworking. You must show
that teleworking willsolve a specific problem or problems in your organization.
·
If you are proposing that email be
used less frequently for communication at your workplace and that another
application be used to improve communication, you cannot simply write a report
on the problem with having too much email. You mustshow that
the use of email at your current workplace presents problems and that the use
of another means of communication would solve the problem.
·
If you write a report to your manager
at work suggesting that your office become paperless, you cannot simply prepare
a report on the benefits of a paperless office. You mustshow that
your specific office can go paperless and indicate the benefits of your
specific office going paperless.
·
If you write a report to the board of
directors at your townhouse community to argue that the playground area in your
community should be renovated, you cannot simply prepare a report on the
benefits of a playground for a neighborhood. You mustshow that
your specific neighborhood will benefit from renovations in its playground.
·
If you write a report to the manager
of your unit at work noting that recycling facilities in the workplace should
be improved, you cannot simply prepare a report on the benefits of recycling or
of good recycling facilities in offices. You mustshow that
your specific work environment lacks adequate recycling facilities and show how
it will benefit from improved recycling facilities.
A
Reminder about the Role of Primary Research in Supporting the Argument
For your report, you will very likely
find it beneficial to conduct some primary research. Please refer to the
material from Markel and from Bovee and Thill for strategies in conducting and
including primary research.
For writing assignment #3, you gathered
some primary research. For writing assignment #4, you want to fill in any gaps
needed by conducting additional primary research if necessary. Some suggestions
for primary research were given in the instructions for writing assignment #3.
They are as follows:
·
For a report on teleworking, you
might conduct interviews with fellow workers on the topic to see how and why
they might benefit from teleworking.
·
If you are proposing that email be
used less frequently for communication and that another application be used to
improve communication, you might interview fellow employees on the situation,
and you might take screen captures of alternative communication tools to
illustrate how they work and would improve communication in your office.
·
For a report on transitioning to a
paperless office, you might take pictures of your office environment showing
the clutter or unsafe environment that hard-copy files create.
·
For a report on building a playground
area in the community, you might take pictures of the community area to show
where such a playground could be built, and you might interview residents who
have children.
·
For a report on recycling facilities,
you might take pictures of the office environment to show that current
recycling facilities are inadequate, and you might interview fellow workers
about whether they find it easy to recycle materials at your office.
Please note that, if you interview
people for your research, you must cite the interviews in your paper. In the
paper, you cannot simply write that you “spoke with employees.” A url on how to
cite an interview in APA citation style is provided in the list of components
for the report.
Length
of your paper:
Your report should be 2200-3000 words
in length. Again, you are required to use at least seven sources, with at least
three of them being acquired through Library OneSearch.
Graphics:
Your report might benefit from
graphics. As mentioned above, pictures of your workplace or community situation
might help illustrate the problem you are trying to address. Graphs, tables, or
charts might help show trends that will persuade your decision-maker that the
problem exists.
Please do not incorporate a graphic for
the sake of incorporating a graphic. Include a graphic only if it helps
communicate a message in your report.
Due
Date:
Your instructor will notify you of the
due date. You will write a first draft, your instructor will comment on the
first draft, and you will submit a second draft using the comments as your
guide.
Strategies to Consider for this Assignment:
·
Victoria University of Wellingtonhas a thorough outline and review of
the components of this type of business report.
·
Queen Margaret Universityhas an excellent guide for this type
of report.
·
Murdoch Universityhas an excellent guide for this type
of report.
·
Colorado State Universitypresents excellent tips in organizing
the report.
