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Writing a Business Report
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Focused analysis
Organized reporting
Clear communication
Collaborative planning and revision
Demonstrating Analysis
Understanding Business Reports
In the business world, reports are useful tools with which
organizations to evaluate strategies, understand problems, and
plan for change. Students of business are required to practice
professional skills, like report writing, so they are familiar with
the form and function of this essential business communication
tool.
A report is very different from an essay. An essay is organized
around an argumentative thesis and supported by an analysis of
relevant evidence. In contrast, a report is a detailed examination of
current issues, such as organizational opportunities, departmental
challenges, or industry trends, which often include
recommendations for their readers, who are colleagues or clients.
The analysis presented in a report is organized by categories and
informed by observation, data, practice, and scholarly research.
Successful reports demonstrate your understanding of significant
concepts and themes in your courses as well as your ability to
interpret data in a clearly organized and articulated way. The
Academic Skills Centre recommends four key strategies for
successful report writing:
Academic Skills, Trent University
Peterborough, ON Canada
Maintain a clear focus in your report. In a course on marketing,
identify and assess the marketing strategy and how it could be
applied in a particular organization. For accounting, explain the
financial situation of the business, how their finances affect their
short-term planning, and what actions they should make to improve
their situation. Only discuss ideas that are relevant or important to
your report. If you aren’t sure, consider the purpose of the report,
the audience, and the objectives of the course (which are laid out in
the assignment instructions and course syllabus).
Ground your analysis in research. Gather information from
organizational records (public reports, corporate websites). Find
market or industry information (demographics and economic
indicators). Look to academic sources (like peer-reviewed articles)
and professional sources (like publications from professional
associations) to develop your interpretation of issues you identify
from organizational and industry data.
Establish context for your report by describing the business,
explaining current organizational measures, or outlining market
trends. Define important terminology or concepts that are useful to
understanding the topic of the report. This information helps your
reader to understand the importance (and value) of your message.
Clearly discuss the relevance of your research by connecting it to
current information about the organization or the issue. Be specific
when you explain how theories and strategies can be applied or
adapted.
www.trentu.ca/academicskills
© 2014
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Organizing Ideas and Analysis
Organization is important in report writing. Your reader should
easily identify the sections of your paper and understand how these
sections inform each other. Headings offer important markers for
the organization of your report, so label them to accurately reflect
the content of your report’s sections.
The introduction is also important for establishing organization; it
should explain the topic, establish the scope of the topic, describe
the purpose of the report, identify the key points of the report, and
map out the order of these points.
The structure of reports may vary based on the assignment
instructions and the course context, but many require you to
include sections on the main issues, relevant theories, and
recommendations for action (or applications). In these sections you
should report your findings, with a focus on the key issue (which
may be the challenges or opportunities faced by an organization or
industry). Be accurate and direct, and include specific evidence
(such as sales data or turnover rates) to demonstrate your points.
Figures or tables may be useful to illustrate categories or data you
report. Note that all figures and tables must be clearly labelled and
cited; refer to all tables or figures within your text. The following
passage provides an example of how you might make reference to a
figure within the text of your report.
For Example
Increased competition in the local dessert market has had a
significant impact on Mary-Ellen’s Cupcakes Inc. In the last two
quarters, sales have decreased by 25% (see Figure 1). During this
time three competitors have been established in the downtown
core.
Academic Skills, Trent University
Peterborough, ON Canada
Your analysis of the issue should be supported by further research,
including relevant business theories (from marketing, organizational
theory, ethics, etc.), industry data, and applicable examples and
case studies. Integrate examples and concepts effectively by
introducing the source of information and/or explaining its
relevance to the current issue. Carefully consider your evidence
within the specific contexts of your paper and the issue you are
examining; demonstrate your critical thinking by explaining how this
theory can be applied within your particular context – and how it
may need to change.
For Example
According to Singh and Smith (2011), customer loyalty programs
have a significant impact on retaining existing customers and
gaining new customers. Further, Thompson and Chow (2012)
suggest that social media is an important tool to manage, promote,
and build successful loyalty programs for small business in the
hospitality and food industry.
Reports often require students to make recommendations for
action – to solve a problem, take an opportunity, or tackle a
challenge. Recommendations should be explained clearly and
should be appropriate for the specific organization or industry or
issue that is the focus of the paper. Offer rationale for the
recommendations you make; explain why they are appropriate
within this context. Offer specific actions as part of general
recommendations.
For Example
We recommend that Mary-Ellen’s Cupcakes Inc. should use social
media to improve local exposure and advertise special promotions.
A weekly plan should be established for posting to Facebook and
www.trentu.ca/academicskills
© 2014
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Twitter, including campaigns to attract followers, to introduce new
products, to promote special sales, and to advertise a new loyalty
campaign. Social media use is quickly growing amongst 25-45 year
old women, a key demographic for this particular business. Regular
exposure via social media – through direct and indirect followers –
will attract new customers.
Revision is an important multi-step process in report writing. Revise
your work several times, reading first for your overall message, use
of evidence, and organization. Next, read for the clarity of your
writing, focusing on sentence structure, style, and grammar. Finally,
closely proofread your work for typos, formatting, and referencing
errors. Read more about approaches to revision in our essay-writing
guide, Thinking it Through.
For longer and more complex reports with multiple sections and
recommendations, a clear executive summary can engage your
reader from the beginning of the report. Like an abstract, an
executive summary briefly discusses the purpose, scope, methods,
findings, and recommendations of the report. It is best to write this
summary after you have written your report.
Collaborative Research and Writing
Clear Communication
The best way to showcase your good ideas is to clearly
communicate them. Write clear and direct sentences, and maintain
a formal tone in writing. Be consistent in your use of terminology
about managers, staff, clients, accounts, or processes. Finally, avoid
jargon or clichés; instead, use concrete and accurate language. For
example:
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Write “increase” not “positively impact”
Write “connect to” not “synergize”
Write “creative solutions” not “outside the box”
Before you choose words or phrases such as “critical mass,”
“coopetition,” or “right-sizing,” consider the meaning of these
words, and then choose more appropriate language to improve the
clarity of your message.
Academic Skills, Trent University
Peterborough, ON Canada
Much of the work in business is completed in teams; therefore,
professors require students to work in teams for assignments,
including writing reports. To be successful as a research and writing
team, you must find common goals and be willing to share the final
product. Each member has equal responsibility and must make a
contribution. Poorly written team reports read as if they are
separate pieces; this product is indicative of a lack of collaboration.
Have several meetings with your group to plan, discuss, analyse,
organize, and develop a cohesive message. You may all compose
parts of the report, but you should all know how those parts inform
the others and how to clearly discuss your team’s ideas.
Your team should plan to complete the final report a few days
before the deadline, so all members can read it for content, style,
and grammar. Every member of the team should be accountable for
the information presented in the report, and its academic integrity.
It is important to know that if there is evidence of plagiarism in the
report, all team members are assessed the same penalty, even if
they did not write the problematic section. One final edit should be
completed by one student who will look for consistency in format,
terminology, citations, and style.
www.trentu.ca/academicskills
© 2014