REPORT WRITING: DRAFTING Week 5 · REPORT WRITING: DRAFTING ... take legal actions because of the perceived unfairness of the package can be burdensome

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N a t i o n a l U n i v e r s i t y o f S i n g a p o r e

REPORT WRITING: DRAFTING

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

To understand and appreciate the different languages of report writing To understand the different key considerations in drafting the report

NTRODUCTION You are now ready to draft your report. In the earlier stage, you organized your report by gathering relevant material for it and mapping out the structure of presentation of content or ideas in it. If you have done all that consistently and logically, then you now have a mental map of your report, and your task now is to fill up the map with words, graphics and other visuals that complete the entire report. In this set of notes, you will be introduced to some important considerations in the drafting of your report. These are:

1. Use the appropriate languages of report writing 2. Use appropriate style and tone 3. Incorporate charts and tables in the texts 4. Use in‐text citations 5. Write an executive summary for the report 6. Edit and proofread the report

se the appropriate languages of report writing The report is a complex writing challenge because the language you use must be consistent in some sense and appropriate in another sense. That is, while tone must be consistent, the type of report language to be used varies from one section to another. In the Findings section, you use interpretive language; in the Conclusions section, you use evaluative language. In the Recommendations section, imperative (or command) language is preferred. Interpretive language in the Findings section

The Findings section must aim for an objective presentation of data through appropriate words and phrases, texts, charts and tables. For example, you should report on what your data says or what your respondents or what experts say.

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Being objective is tricky, though. In the Findings section, we are mainly concerned with the

following question: “What does this information or data mean?” But this question requires your

interpretation, not someone else’s. This goes without saying that if someone else is interpreting

the data, it may be a different take on the facts or information.

Nevertheless, objectivity here means an approach to reading facts, data and other kinds of

information. This further means two things: (1) your interpretation requires a logical

presentation of facts but (2) it does not ask you to explain why particular facts mean the way

they do. Find out more about appropriate (and inappropriate) interpretation below (Note: Use

these examples for Mini Lecture 3).

√ A great majority of respondents believe that the retrenchment package is unfair. Sixty‐

eight percent (68%) of all respondents perceive the package to be unfair because it only

provides three legal days for management to inform employees of possible

retrenchment. An additional 23% percent of respondents also believe that the package is

unfair because remuneration is not comparable to the length of years served by

retrenched employees. Only 9% of the respondents say that the package is generally fair.

If you look at the italicized words – a great majority, because, only – you will realize that the analysis is not

100% objective. However, this is really the nature of interpretation. The important thing is that you lead the

reader through your own logical way of presenting the facts. In other words, you must convince the reader

that your interpretation is feasible, and even correct. In the analysis above, the first sentence is the

interpretation. The succeeding sentences present the facts that support that interpretation.

Why is because acceptable in the analysis above? After all, the word does provide an explanation too. The

answer is simple. The explanation is not your. It is the respondents who made the connection between

ideas. Also, notice the word only in the last sentence. This is also subjective because 9% of, say, 10,000

respondents is still 900 people. Can you say only if 900 people are involved? In the analysis above, it is

possible that only is used in comparison with the great majority of respondents who say otherwise.

So why not take out all these subjective words? That is one possibility, but remember that in the Findings

section, your aim is to persuade your reader that your interpretation is right. If the reader is not convinced,

then it is highly likely that you will also not persuade the reader with your conclusions and

recommendations.

× Sixty‐eight percent (68%) of all respondents perceive the package to be unfair because it

only provides three legal days for management to inform employees of possible






This is referred to as the literal description of data. There is no interpretation going on here. The analysis

merely put into words what probably could have been showcased in a table or graph. Many writers fall into

this trap of literal description. There must be a general interpretation; otherwise you may end up with the

question, ‘so what?’ In the Findings section, make sure that you have generalizing statements that

showcase your interpretation of the data or facts. Without such interpretive statements – such as A great

majority of respondents believe that the retrenchment package is unfair – you will have nothing to put

together in your Conclusions. In a sense, you can call these statements Big Statements or Key Findings. They

usually appear at the beginning of a paragraph or section to be followed by the presentation of facts and

data.

× A great majority of respondents believe that the retrenchment package is unfair. Sixty‐



retrenchment.

The interpretation is certainly not supported by a logical presentation of facts. The reader may ask, “Why

does 68% mean ‘great majority’?” In other words, there is a loophole in the analysis. Even if ‘great majority’

is changed to ‘most’, what happened to the rest of the respondents? The interpretation is there (in the first

sentence), but it is not convincing because of the loophole in the presentation.

× The retrenchment package is unfair because sixty‐eight percent (68%) of all respondents

say it only provides three legal days for management to inform employees of possible




Look at the first sentence whose main ideas are connected by the linking word because. Is this what the

data is saying? It is one thing to say that the package is unfair and another thing to say that most

respondents believe that it is unfair. The interpretation and presentation of facts are mixed up.

× A great majority of respondents believe that the retrenchment package is unfair. Sixty‐






This could be because this minority has been provided with financial support for

relocation.



With the italicized sentence, you are no longer interpreting the data here; you are providing an explanation.

This is already part of evaluative language which belongs to the Conclusions section.

× An unbelievable majority of respondents believe that the retrenchment package is unfair.

Sixty‐eight percent (68%) of all respondents perceive the package to be unfair because it

only provides three legal days for management to inform employees of possible



unhappily retrenched employees. An awfully small 9% of the respondents say that the

package is generally fair.

Interpretive language in the Findings section must avoid deeply personal and emotionally‐charged

language. As soon as you write unhappily retrenched employees, you are making a stand in the issue by

making clear that you are siding with the retrenched employees. This is not a good strategy. Even if you

have a point, the reader may begin to question your objectivity in the report. Your interpretation must play

out the logic of your analysis, and not the use of words which can distract the reader from truly

understanding and accepting your interpretation.

There are also other important considerations in making sure that your interpretation is clear,

correct and logical.

Begin the Findings section with a short paragraph on what the readers should expect in the section. This includes brief information on the structure of the section and the areas or topics being discussed.

Your interpretative statements must appear in a predictable way in your Findings section. This means that your statements must be easily found. The best place for such statements to appear is at the beginning of a paragraph or section to be followed by your presentation of facts or data.

Whenever appropriate, present your data using appropriate graphics. All charts and data should be neatly and clearly presented, with a label and title.

Draw explicit connections between ideas, words, sentences, paragraphs and sub‐sections using linking words or linguistic signposts such as First, Second, Third, Moreover, Therefore, and In addition. This is critical in achieving coherence in your analysis.

End with a summary of key findings and an invitation for the reader to read the conclusions in the next section.



To summarize, use interpretive language in the Findings section. This involves drawing up

statements that showcase your interpretation of a particular set of data, facts or information.

Such statements, which must be easily found in the paragraphs or sections, must also be

backed up by a logical presentation of data, facts, or information. Interpretative language, to be

clear and persuasive, must make full use of appropriate graphics and linking words. Above all, it

appeals to the reader’s sense of logic, not emotion, although good interpretation does not

discount the possibility that it can also touch the reader’s heart.

Evaluative language in the Conclusions section

Your main task in the Conclusions section is to provide explanations for and elaborate more on key findings or trends in the Findings section. Your explanations can take various forms:

Draw up connections between two or more key findings

Highlight the importance (or lack of it) of particular findings

Identify possible causes and/or effects of particular findings Provide support (e.g., more evidence, research by others) for particular findings

Establish the need for action on particular findings These various ways of explaining constitute the evaluative language of your Conclusions section. (Note: Use the examples below for Mini Lecture 3)

√ (1) One of the key findings of the report concerns most respondents’ belief that the

retrenchment package is unfair. (2) This relates to another important finding which

indicates that respondents are very willing to take legal actions against the company

should the terms of the package remain unchanged. (3) Although the legality of the

package can be affirmed by the lower courts, the sheer number of respondents willing to

take legal actions because of the perceived unfairness of the package can be burdensome

to the company. (4) In a recent similar case involving TransLingual Inc. (Chua, 3 March

2010, p. 5), the company won the case in court but only after it gained negative publicity

and spent S$18 million dollars the defend the case both in court and in the media. (5)

There is a need for the company to take these findings seriously to avoid facing more

problems in the future.

This conclusion exemplifies evaluative language. Sentence 1 presents one key interpretation of data or facts

from the Findings section. Sentence 2 evaluates Sentence 1 by relating it to another key finding. Sentence 3

emphasizes the importance or urgency of the problem presented by the two interrelated findings. Sentence



4 makes a case for Sentence 3 by providing evidence of a similar issue faced by another company. Sentence

5 evaluates the findings further by emphasizing the need for the company to seriously look into the

problem.

The conclusion above begins with a presentation of a particular key finding. Each sentence that comes after

uses evaluative language to build a case for the conclusion to be taken seriously by the company.

× One of the key findings of the report concerns most respondents’ belief that the

retrenchment package is unfair. Another important finding shows that respondents are

very willing to take legal actions against the company should the terms of the package

remain unchanged despite calls for it to be reviewed.

This ‘conclusion’ simply lists down one key finding after another. Sadly, this is what many writers do in the

Conclusions section. They may, in fact, add a few more important findings to fill up the Conclusions section.

But where is the evaluation? How important are these key findings? In the first place, why are they ‘key’

findings?


retrenchment package is unfair. As earlier shown, 68% of all respondents perceive the

package to be unfair because of the short time given to employees to be served out a

notice of retrenchment. Additionally, 23% percent of respondents also believe that the

package is unfair because remuneration is not comparable to the length of years served

by retrenched employees. Only 9% of the respondents say that the package is generally

fair.

This is another common example of inappropriate evaluation. It simply repeats what has been said in the

Findings section. In principle, you do not need to re‐introduce the same facts in the Conclusions section.

They have been ‘processed’ in the Findings section already so your job is to ‘bring down’ to the Conclusions

section only the key findings or general statements made on the data or facts using the principle of

interpretation. In other words, the ‘evaluation’ above does not extend the interpretation.


retrenchment package is unfair. This relates to another important finding which indicates

that respondents are very willing to take legal actions against the company should the

terms of the package remain unchanged despite calls for it to be reviewed. Although the

legality of the package can be affirmed by the lower courts, the sheer number of

respondents willing to take legal actions because of the perceived unfairness of the

package can be burdensome to the company. In a recent similar case involving

TransLingual Inc. (Chua, 3 March 2010, p. 5), the company won the case in court but only

after it gained negative publicity and spent S$18 million dollars the defend the case both

in court and in the media. The company must establish a formal forum for employees who



take issue with the retrenchment package. For this purpose, the company should form a

crisis management task force composed of members from different departments of the

company.

Notice that the italicized sentences are no longer simply establishing the need for the company to do

something about the problem. They provide possible solutions to the problem or issue identified. These

sentences are no longer evaluative. They are now imperatives or commands which belong to the next

section of the report, the Recommendations section.

In writing your Conclusions section, it also important to bear in mind a few other points to

consider:

Begin the section by connecting it to the Findings section (e.g., “Based on the findings in

the earlier section…”)

Write an introductory paragraph which gives the reader an idea of things to come in the

Conclusions section (e.g., “Based on the findings in the earlier section, we will now

discuss some key findings and provide some plausible explanations for their

emergence.”).

Indicate the main areas or topics in your conclusions (e.g., “Based on the findings in the

earlier section, we will now discuss some key findings and provide some plausible

explanations for their emergence. In particular, we will discuss the respondents’ plan to

take legal actions against the company, ….. , …..”).

Just like in all other sections of the report, use linking words to connect your ideas,

words, sentences, paragraphs and so on.

End with a summary of your conclusions and an invitation to the reader to read the

report’s recommendations.

Imperative language in the Recommendations section

Recommendations are your ideas on what should be done based on your conclusions but they

must also be a logical outcome of the findings and conclusions drawn. If you want to strengthen

the persuasiveness of your recommendations, use imperatives. These are commands. Bear in

mind the following points:

Make a strong case for your recommendations using imperative language.

Indicate or highlight the conclusions upon which the recommendations are based.

Concretize the recommendations.



Explain briefly the feasibility of the recommendation.

Make a strong case for the company (or the reader) to take action on the

recommendations.

Study various versions of a sample recommendation below to learn more about imperative

language (Note: Use the examples below for Mini Lecture 3)

√ Establish a forum for retrenched employees

(1) This recommendation is based on the fact that respondents are willing to take legal

actions against the company because of their belief that the package is unfair. (2) More

specifically, the company should form a crisis management task force composed of

members from all six departments of the company. (3) The main work of the task force is

to meet with respondents who may have valid views about the package and propose a

course of action for the company to address the problem.

(4) The formation of the task force may add more stress to those who are asked to be

part of it, but given the fact that the appraisal process ends in October 2010, those

involved in the process may be asked to join the task force. (5) In addition, prospective

members may include the work in the next appraisal year, thus raising their chances of

receiving higher bonuses.

(6) The formation of the task force is a critical step towards addressing concerns about

retrenchment in the company. (7) It may also save the company money and energy in

pursuing the employees’ legal cases.

This is an example of a recommendation which aims to persuade the reader to take up the

recommendation. It uses an imperative – Establish – thus strengthening the call for action. In Sentence 1,

the recommendation indicates the conclusion upon which it is based. Sentences 2 and 3 concretize the

recommendation by giving details of the nature of the suggested work to be done. Sentences 4 and 5

explain why the recommendation is feasible. Sentence 6 and 7 urge the company to take up the

recommendation because of the relevance or urgency of the problem to be addressed.

× Establish a forum for retrenched employees

This recommendation is based on the fact that respondents are willing to take legal

actions against the company because of their belief that the package is unfair. It will be

recalled that 68% of all respondents perceive the package to be unfair because of the



short time given to employees to be served out a notice of retrenchment. Additionally,

23% percent of respondents also believe that the package is unfair because remuneration

is not comparable to the length of years served by retrenched employees. Only 9% of the

respondents say that the package is generally fair.

The problem here should now be self‐evident. It repeats the same facts which have been interpreted in the

Findings section and evaluated in the Conclusions section. Leave the specific facts, data and information out

of the Recommendations section and focus on your suggested solutions to specific problems. If the reader

questions a particular recommendation, she may go back to the Findings and Conclusions sections to find

out more about how you presented and argued your case.

× Recommendation 1

It will be noted that respondents are willing to take legal actions against the company

because of their belief that the package is unfair. This is an urgent matter for the

company to attend to because it may require millions of dollars, as well as energy and

effort, to pursue the legal cases of many retrenched employees. In this connection, the

company may consider establishing a forum for retrenched employees in order to address

this problem. More specifically, the company could form a crisis management task force

composed of members from all six departments of the company. The main work of the

task force is to meet with respondents who may have valid views about the package and

propose a course of action for the company to address the problem.

The problem with this recommendation is its inability to make a strong impact on the reader. First of all, the

heading does not say anything at all. Secondly, the key recommendation is lost in the midst of many

sentences. If it is not italicized, it will take time to find it. Thirdly, the key recommendation is weak because

of its use of ‘may’. It has been established in the earlier sentence that the matter is ‘urgent’ so a stronger

imperative is needed such as ‘should’.

The Recommendations section also requires a few other important considerations for it be

well‐written. These are:

Connect the section to the Conclusions section (e.g., “Based on the conclusions in the

earlier section…”)

Write an introductory paragraph which gives the reader an idea of things to come in the

Recommendations section (e.g., “Based on the conclusions in the earlier section, four

key recommendations will be proposed. These are…”)



Just like in all other sections of the report, use linking words to connect your ideas,

words, sentences, paragraphs and so on.

End with a summary of your recommendations and an appeal or urgent call for the

company (or reader) to take up the report’s recommendations. You may also include

implications of inaction on the part of the company.

Over‐all Conclusion

This section is the last section of the report. In this section, you conclude the entire report by

doing the following:

Re‐visit your PPQ

Explain briefly how your PPQ has been addressed (e.g. answered, solved) through a summary of your key findings, conclusions and recommendations.

Make a general call for action for the company (or reader). se appropriate style and tone Unless specified in the instructions or it follows a particular workplace culture which privileges informality in communication, the report is essentially a formal document. As such, the language to be used must be formal as well. Thus:

Write in complete sentences. Instead of “The company is expected to undertake a massive rehiring of retrenched workers. Because the Bureau of Workers’ Rights has found the company’s policies on retrenchment unfair”, write “The company is expected to undertake a massive rehiring of retrenched workers because the Bureau of Workers’ Rights has found the company’s policies on retrenchment unfair”.

Avoid contractions. Some examples are We’re, there’s, wanna, kinda, gotta, and gonna. Contractions are usually used in conversations or in written forms which attempt to capture the conversational style of speaking of a particular interviewee or story character. There are, however, published reports now which use contractions to make the content of the reports less daunting or overwhelming, and to establish a clear distance between the reports and the readers. You must be familiar with the culture of writing in the company for which you are writing the report.

Use the first person subject “we”, third person subjects like “the company” and “The authors…”, or self‐referential demonstratives like “This writer…” (when you are referring

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to yourself). These strategies help you establish a more formal and objective stance towards your topic or reader. As soon as you use “You” and “I”, the reader‐writer relationship tilts towards a very informal distance which may impact the reader’s perception of you as the interpreter and evaluator of evidence in the report.

ncorporate charts and tables in the text

You need to ensure your visual aids are integrated appropriately with the text of the report.

Some report writers refer to all visual aids as exhibits and number them consecutively

throughout the report, while others number tables and figures (charts) separately. Integrating

the visual aids with the text can be done through the following means:

Introduce the visual aids in the text

Help the readers understand the significance of any visual aids by referring to the visual aids.

For example, “In Table 1, it can be seen that…” This reference helps readers understand why

the chart or table is important. When describing the data shown in your visual aids, be sure to

emphasize the main point you are trying to make, such as the critical information or trend.

Do not make the mistake of simply repeating all the data.

Place visual aids near their in‐text references

Preferably, place each visual aid directly next to the text that refers to and explains the visual

aid. Ideally, each visual aid and its relevant text should be on the same page so that readers

can consult both the visual aid and the explanation at the same time.

se in‐text citations

In drafting your report, it is necessary to acknowledge, through citations, the data or

information that you incorporate into your report from secondary sources. Two common ways

of handling citations are the author‐date system and the superscript system.

Author‐date system

When using the author‐date system to make a reference citation in text, insert the author’s last

name and the year of the publication within parentheses. You can add a page number when

necessary:

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… reflected the most comprehensive approach (Lee, 2000, p. 67).

Alternatively, the name of the author can be integrated into the text:

According to Lee (2000), the solution was definitely …

When there is no author for the publication, use a short form of the title of the work: … because of the slowdown in exports (New Plans for Trade Stimulation, 2001, p. 13).

The author‐date system requires a reference list at the end of the report. This list contains pertinent information about the publication such as the name of the author, title of the article or book, date of publication, etc. Superscript system

Another method of in‐text citation is the superscript system. In this system, Arabic numerals

are placed just above the line of type at the end of the section of information taken from

secondary sources. The superscript lets the reader look for source information either in a

footnote (at the bottom of the page) or in an endnote (in the supplementary parts section of

the report). The sets of notes which you have been reading for this course have used this

system too.

… represented a 12% decrease in exports compared to the previous year. 1

Citations and bibliography in Word

In a sense, work on citing sources in all written work has become less tedious because recent

versions of Word can now help you organize your sources’ information in the correct way. Look

at a print screen below to find out where you can find help for your citations and bibliography.



The important point to remember, however, is this: you must know the preferred citation style

of the company for which you are writing the report and use it consistently. There are many

choices: APA (American Psychological Association), Chicago, MLA (Modern Language

Association), Turabian, and many more. For your report, use the APA in both in‐text citation

and bibliography.

rite an executive summary

An executive summary is a brief and factual overview of a report designed to give readers a

quick preview of its contents enabling them to assess the significance of the material.

Consolidating the principal points of a report in a few paragraphs, the executive summary can

be said to be a capsule form of the report. Other common names for an executive summary

are summary, abstract, overview and synopsis.

The value of an executive summary

Given the increased volume of information that managers must review, the executive summary

saves readers time by providing an overview of the report’s content. After reading your

summary, your readers should understand the main points you are making and your evidence

for those points without having to read every part of your report in full.

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Positioned before the first page of the report, an executive summary is very useful for readers

who have neither the time nor the inclination to read a lengthy report but who want to scan

the primary points quickly and then decide whether they need to read the entire version.

How to write an executive summary

Since the executive summary is the part of the report that is read first, you will want to write it

in such a way that will give your readers the impression that the rest of your report is worth

reading. To this end, it is important for you to:

Select your content carefully. Include only key points likely to be viewed as relevant and/or significant by the readers. Do not introduce any new information that is not in your report.

Present information in an effective and convincing manner. Organize the selected content in a way that is logical and easy for readers to relate to. Present your ideas convincingly.

One way of organizing the content of your report for the executive summary is to present the

information in the same order in which it appears in the report, with statements of problem

and purpose coming first, followed by an indication of the methodology used and, if necessary,

the scope of the report. A summary of your key findings, important conclusions and

recommendations will then come later.

An executive summary should be short enough to be economical and long enough to be clear

and comprehensive. As a rough guide, the executive summary is approximately 10% of the

length of the report.

The writing style of an executive summary should be formal. When writing the executive

summary, you should also avoid making evaluative comments about the report itself such as

"This report is very interesting". In addition, the executive summary should communicate

independently of the report so avoid making references to the report such as “The

recommendations will be explained in greater detail in the report”.

When you have drafted your executive summary, go over it with the following questions in

mind:



Has the summary captured the report in miniature? Have key ideas been highlighted? Could someone read the summary and tell the

essence of the report? Is the organization of information effective? Does the summary give the impression that the rest of the report is worth reading? Has the significance of the material to the readers been highlighted? Has the summary been written convincingly? Does language conform to the 3 C’s?

(Below is a sample of an executive summary – this must be used as part of Mini Lecture 4)

diting and proofreading the report

Editing and proofreading the report is the last stage of the report writing process. When

editing your report, consider how you can improve the clarity and conciseness of your writing.

You may need to rewrite or even delete entire sections if you find them unclear, illogical, wordy

or redundant. Other areas that you will need to review are the coherence, appropriateness of

the writing style and completeness of the report.

Eventually, in your editing process you will reach a point when you proofread the report,

primarily looking for grammatical, spelling or typographical errors.

Use spell or grammar checkers first, but be aware that a spell checker is not foolproof. The

following passage has been through a spell checker:

My Spelling Chequer

Eye halve a spelling chequer

It came with my pea sea

It plainly marques four my revue

Miss steaks eye kin knot sea

Eye have run this poem threw it

I am shore your please two no

Its letter perfect awl the weigh

My chequer tolled my sew.

‐‐‐ Sores unknown ‐‐‐

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Many also rely on Grammar Check in Word when they proofread their

work. However, grammar checks are also unreliable. The best that they can

do is to alert you to some potential grammatical errors and provide

alternative forms which could be the correct ones. Nevertheless, not all

highlighted parts in grammar checks are wrong, and not all suggestions for

corrections are right.

Some suggestions for proofreading are to proofread the report several times, not just once.

Also, get a friend or fellow student to proofread your report. Others are likely to catch mistakes

that you continually fail to miss. If you have the time, set the document aside and proofread it

the next day.

With respect to the presentation of your report, ensure that it is neat, attractive, and

professional. For effective design, be consistent in the use of design elements such as margins

and type styles and balanced in the use of white space, text, and graphs. White space, blank

space free of text and artwork, provides contrast and gives readers a resting point.

Finally, and very importantly, check again that you have followed all instructions given on any

required format for your reports.

UMMARY (for this set of notes) Drafting the report is no easy task. You must be reminded again that a good draft is, first of all, based on a well‐formulated PPQ. However, it is also important to learn more about the actual process of drafting your report because it involves specific conventions which may need time to practice (and perfect). More specifically, make sure you are able to generate a persuasive report through interpretation, evaluation and recommendation which require different ways of using or strategizing your language. Additionally, you must always work towards a coherent report, both for the entire report and for the specific sections and sub‐sections of the report. A coherent report will make reading smooth and easy. The executive summary must be written after your draft has been written. You must remember that the executive summary is usually the reader’s first ‘contact’ with the rest of the report. If it is not well‐written, chances are the reader may not want to continue reading the rest of the report. Note too that the executive summary may be the only part in the report which the reader will read. After all, your reader may be an extremely busy business executive who does

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not have the time to read all of the report. The summary, therefore, should be written as if it is the entire report. Lastly, you must edit and proofread your report. Do not submit your draft without going through this stage. If you are writing the report as a team, get everyone to read the draft again and look for possible typographical or grammatical errors, missing graphs and other information, or possibly inconsistent use of appropriate language. A well‐edited and proofread report demonstrates a high level of professionalism.



SAMPLE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

As mothers have become a large part of the workforce and fathers

have begun to share in the family’s caregiving responsibilities, work

demands and family responsibilities have increasingly come into

conflict. This problem needs to be looked into as working parents

make up a significant proportion of the workforce at XYZ Company. A

study was therefore undertaken to determine employees’ child care

needs and gauge their impact on the company as well as propose a

feasible solution to alleviate childcare related problems.

Research data was gathered through: (1) a survey of 50 employees,

and (2) interviews with 2 managers.

The report concludes that childcare needs are indeed coming

increasingly into conflict with the work demands of the employees

resulting in higher employee absenteeism and loss of productivity at

XYZ Company. Over half of the employees surveyed have children

under 12 and usually need childcare during working hours. Childcare

needs have resulted in many respondents missing full days of work and

difficulty with child care is in fact considered to be the third largest

cause of absenteeism in the company. Problems with child care have

also affected workers’ ability to do their job well due to stress and lack

of focus.

Childcare programs have been shown to be an effective management

tool that serves the goals of both the company and the program

participants. Such a program, if developed at XYZ Company, will

benefit working parents by making it easier for them to balance their

work and family responsibilities. The company will in turn benefit by

lower absenteeism and higher productivity.

It is therefore proposed that a childcare program be implemented at

XYZ Company through the setting up of a daycare facility onsite

managed by a non‐profit organization with a board of directors

consisting of parent and company representatives.

Adapted from: Christensen, J.G. Executive summaries complete the report. 1997. Online. Available: http://www.csun.edu/~vcecn006/summary.html 6 February 2003

Description of the problem.

The need for the study

highlighted to show its

significance.

Clear purpose statement.

Brief description of research

methodology

Important conclusions

highlighted with a summary of

the key findings.

Benefits of proposed

recommendation highlighted.

Proposed action by the

company.



TUTORIAL EXERCISES ACTIVITY 1 List down all your key findings (use a separate sheet if necessary). 1. ___________________________________________________________________________

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2. ___________________________________________________________________________

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3. ___________________________________________________________________________

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4. ___________________________________________________________________________

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5. ___________________________________________________________________________

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6. ___________________________________________________________________________

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ACTIVITY 2

Based on your key findings, list down your key or most important conclusions (use a separate sheet if necessary).

1. ___________________________________________________________________________

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2. ___________________________________________________________________________

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3. ___________________________________________________________________________

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5. ___________________________________________________________________________

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6. ___________________________________________________________________________

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ACTIVITY 3

Based on your key conclusions, write down your main recommendations (use a separate sheet if necessary).

1. ___________________________________________________________________________

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2. ___________________________________________________________________________

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3. ___________________________________________________________________________

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4. ___________________________________________________________________________

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5. ___________________________________________________________________________

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6. ___________________________________________________________________________

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Documents

REPORT WRITING: DRAFTING Week 5 · REPORT WRITING: DRAFTING ... take legal actions because of the perceived unfairness of the package can be burdensome