Formal Written Report Assignment

ENGL/MNGT 239 Formal Written Report Assignment

Due dates for this assignment are in the course schedule calendar and inside the relevant course module assignment folder.

Submission Directions

When you finish your assignment, proofread again for grammatical errors, and upload the report in Microsoft Word or pdf format only to the assignment link located in the assignment folder in Module Five. Important note: I grade all formal written work holistically (see the holistic grading chart, posted in Bb) with a grade rubric which explicitly outlines the qualities and expectations for assessing the assignment, tailored to match the assignment directions (posted in the grade rubric folder in the Course and Grading Policies tab). Your graded work for this assignment will be posted in Bb (MyGrades) within seven-ten business days after the due date. See syllabus for an explanation of how much each assignment in this course is worth in terms of grade percentages. If you have questions about particular parts of your assignment grade beyond the rubric assessment I post, please let me know as soon as possible.

Your Rhetorical Situation: Scenario, Audience, Purpose

Assignment Scenario: For this assignment, you are now in your new management/supervisory position at the CGC office in the country you selected previously in the course. You have just been asked to write a formal written report—an informative report—because this is what is often expected of people in your position. See the “Scenario and specific steps for completion” section for the details.

Audience: Your audience for this assignment is your new direct manager or supervisor at the CGC office in the country you previously selected. Because this is your first official report, you would really like to impress your new manager/supervisor. Purpose and Goals for the Formal Written Report Assignment: The purpose for this assignment is to give you practice developing the skills and techniques which are considered standard for solving complex business problems and preparing specific types of business communications: in this assignment, you will learn how to research, shape, and format information appropriately into the informative formal written report format. In addition to following the directions in the Scenario and specific steps for completion section, you must read and comprehend the content of Chapter Ten to be successful at this assignment.

Grading and Details Scenario and specific steps for completion: Directions: First, read and/or review Chapter Ten very carefully. Ensure that you understand the basics of preparing formal written reports. Also, note that there are different styles and organizations in accordance to different purposes and report types. Make sure you understand how to correctly incorporate parenthetical documentation into an informative formal written report format, which means including direct quotes into your report when needed and as appropriate. Document your sources with a References or Works Cited page that you include as the final page of your report. All in- text citations and the bibliographic content must adhere consistently to either MLA or APA style. The rest of the report must be formatted exactly as indicated below. In-text citations are mandatory; any submission without them results in a failing grade for the assignment. 1. Choose one of the following topic options (A, B, or C) for your formal report. Let the topic description/questions for development guide you (you don’t have to answer all questions) to select the appropriate research/creation and placement of infographics/format for purpose/format for report type/methods of content organization, accordingly. Option A: What should a U.S. manager know about dealing with workers from ____? (you fill in the country). What factors do and do not motivate people in this group (eg., the workers from another country)? How do they show respect and deference? Are they used to strong hierarchy or to an egalitarian setting? Do they normally do one thing at once or many things? How important is clock time and being on time? What factors lead them to respect someone—Age? Experience? Education? Technical knowledge? Wealth? Or what? What conflicts or miscommunications may arise between workers from this culture and other workers due to cultural differences? Are people from this culture similar in these beliefs and behaviors, or is there significant variation? Option B: What benefits do companies offer? To get information, check the web pages of three companies in the same industry. Information about benefits is usually on the page about working for the company—or on a related HR link within the company. Option C: Describe an ethical dilemma encountered by workers in a specific organization (a real dilemma, not an imaginary one—requires research). What is the background of the situation? What competing loyalties exist? In the past, how have workers responded? Have whistle-blowers been rewarded or punished? What could the organization do to foster ethical behavior?

2. Once you choose an option, you will then need to select between three-five (three min. for a C, four for a B, and five for an A in the sources section of the assignment assessment) relevant, credible, and reliable sources from which to gain the information you need to address the option you select.

• For Option A, this means you need sources that can answer the questions listed in the text: you can research the same country you did for Module Three if you want to, and even include some of the same sources if the sources are appropriate.

• For Option B, this means that three of your sources will have to be websites from three companies in the same industry. You choose the companies, and you decide upon the industry: CGC is curious about other corporate benefit offerings; they do not care what industry you select.

• For Option C, this means that you will need to locate credible sources which explain, discuss, and describe an actual ethical dilemma faced by workers in a specific organization. News articles and the organization’s website are both good places to start.

3. Once you understand your option and have gathered research, organize your report into the required sections listed here (the textbook covers more sections than I require of you), and covered explicitly in Chapter Ten in section 10-6. Required Front Matter Components (see pp. 308-309 for descriptions, 10-6a)

• Title page

• Table of Contents

• List of Figures, and/or List of Illustrations (as needed only)

• There is no need to write an executive summary for this report, but please feel free to do so if you want the practice.

Required Body Components: Introduction (see descriptions on page 310, 10- 6b)

• Background

• Problem or purpose

• Significance

• Scope

• Organization

• Sources and methods

• Key terms Required Report Body: Findings and Analyses (see descriptions on page 328, 10-6b continued)

• Content of the report goes here

• This section is organized into main categories, with clear headings that explain each major section. Headings may be functional or talking.

• Conclusions and recommendations. Summarizes main points of the report, explains what your findings mean/refer directly to problem or purpose of the report, and offers suggestions based on this information for actions CGC and perhaps even your manager/supervisor or your own team can take now that you have given this information. Your imagination will be needed here; if you chose Option C, for instance, you could now suggest ways for CGC to avoid similar issues with its own employees. This section can be presented in a numbered or bulleted list.

Back Matter Components (see descriptions on pp. 310-311, 10-6c)

• Works Cited or References page, formatted perfectly in MLA or APA style.

• One or more appendixes, as needed.

4. Report manuscript formatting: Select MLA or APA style, and integrate along with the following specifications formatting your report document:

• 3+ pages, approximately (min. of 3; the max. number is up to you), for the report body, and note this page number requirement does not refer to the References or Works Cited page, or the title page, or the table of contents.

• Double-spaced writing throughout the entire document. This assignment requirement isn’t always or even often “standard” for formal reports in the business world, because not everything is written in MLA or APA style, but it’s much easier for me to read and grade.

• 1 inch margins on all four sides of each page

• Include page numbers and place them according to the style you use (MLA or APA)

• Include a running header in the upper left corner of each page in the report body if you use APA style

• Include sections, headings, and subheadings as explained and shown in Chapter Ten

Basic Writing Standards for the Assignment:

Ideas/Content: This assignment must satisfy assignment objectives and all formal writing criteria. The report must be organized well and in accordance with the instructions here in this document, and it must achieve unity and coherency. Your work should be professional, clear, focused, formatted correctly, and appropriate: follow the guidelines for writing an informative formal written report, etc. as listed in your reading assignment for this module. Finally, the quality of your writing and depth/detail/development of all portions of this assignment will be evaluated as well.

Grammar, Mechanics, and Documentation: Errors in grammar, mechanics, and documentation will lower your final assignment grade significantly. Edit very carefully. Note: assignments which fail to meet the basic standards listed here will not be graded. This statement means that an automatic “F” will be assigned to your work. ***At the end of your document, include the following statement if it is true: “I have abided by CCBC’s academic honor code on this assignment, and I attest that I have neither cheated in any way nor have I failed to give proper credit to all other sources of ideas and materials.”