miao 3p

profileslkdgha
ExecutiveSummaryPresentationMKT221andSBS220spring20183.ppt
Home>English homework help>miao 3p

Writing the
Executive Summary
for Research Reports

SBS220 Business Writing

2018

L. Czirjak

*

What is an Executive Summary?

  • Your job!!!
  • One of the most important reports you will write in the “real world”
  • Written for key executives who don’t have time to read the full report/listen to the full presentation
  • Condensed version of the report
  • “Greatest hits” or highlights
  • Written after the report is completed
  • Length is anywhere from one paragraph to two pages
  • Depends on the breadth of the report
  • May be your only chance for impact

What is an Executive Summary?

Elements Included in the Executive Summary

  • Why summary is written
  • What aspects of an issue/problem/ situation were considered
  • What the outcome is
  • What should be done

Tone for Business Reports

  • Rule of thumb: keep it formal
  • Audience expectation of a report
  • Complex or controversial information
  • May be sent outside or to other parts of the organization

  • Exceptions? Less formal tone?
  • If you know your audience well
  • Results will likely meet with approval
  • Audience requirement
  • If you are not sure, err on the side of formal

Executive Summary Structure

Objective of the report

Methodology to gather info

Major results

Conclusions

Recommendations for action

Objective of the Report

  • What is the purpose of the report?
  • What was the client trying to understand?
  • What problems are trying to be addressed?

2. Methodology

  • How was any research conducted? Primary? Secondary?
  • Other sources - where did the data come from?
  • Time periods included?
  • What topics were covered?

3. Major Results

  • Emphasis on the word “major”
  • Remember: it’s the “greatest hits”
  • Do not write about all of the details in the research/only the most important
  • Use phrases like:
  • Most importantly
  • Most significantly

4. Conclusions

  • What are the conclusions?
  • Should be fact based and unbiased

No opinion/no judgements

5. Recommendations

  • What actions should be taken based upon the results and conclusions
  • Use action verbs

EXAMPLE
Executive Summary

This is a

RESEARCH BASED

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

(Not exactly what you are doing for homework but will still be helpful)


Spring 2017 CLIENT:
Roche Bros.

TIPS FOR YOU

Tips on Writing an
Executive Summary

STEP 1: Create an outline

For every major point you want to make, create several support points that are backed up by hard data/statistics.

Support Point #1

Evidence/details/#’s (in order of priority)

Evidence/details/#’s

Support Point #2

Evidence/details/#’s

Evidence/details/#’s

Support Point #3 (if needed)

Evidence/details/#’s

Evidence/details/#’s

EXAMPLE ONLY

Your ideas may need more/less evidence than I show here.

All this goes in your

RESULTS section.

Tips on Writing your
Executive Summary

STEP 1: Create an outline

Include only the most important points

STEP 2: Write using outline as your guide

STEP 3: Tie “Conclusions” to the

objectives of the summary

STEP 4: Write “Recommendations”

that help address issues you identified in “Major Results”

Tips on Writing your
Executive Summary

In the past/in an essay, you would have written your Major Points in your Thesis Statement and then drilled down; each Major Point would have had numerous support points with evidence and examples throughout the body of your essay.

NOW…you are reversing your order…

You now start with your support points, each backed up by examples/data, and they build to your CONCLUSION, which are all your Major Points. (Do not include data in the Conclusion).

Tips on Writing your
Executive Summary

Recommendations Section:

  • Make them action oriented
  • Start with a verb if possible (but be consistent)
  • Try using bullets if you have more than one reco
  • If a detailed explanation is required, then maybe don’t use bullets
  • If only one reco, don’t use a bullet
  • Recommend major action, not details

Traditional Outline versus Executive Summary

Traditional Outline

Major Point #1

Support Point #1

Evidence/details/#’s

Evidence/details/#

Support Point #2

Evidence/details/#’s

Evidence/details/#

Support Point #3

Evidence/details/#’s

Evidence/details/#

Major Point #2

and so on

*

Your Executive Summary
Based on the ABC Company and the pottery
info you already have from your
charts & graphs assignment,
write a full executive summary.

Limit = 1 page.
MUST follow format provided.

DUE 6/28 next class: Outline ONLY
 see outline sample earlier in this PPT
(not full sentences/typed/APA format with title page, etc.)

This prelim outline will be graded on:
content, presentation, grammar, vocabulary, & visible effort.

HINT: If you were asked to make a chart/graph,
that is probably an important point. 

Questions?

*

*