China Joint Venture Cultural Differences Report

Business Report PromptDeveloping proposals or solutions to workplace issues is a vital career skill, but equally
important is the ability to communicate those ideas to your colleagues. In this course,
you learned about the uses of informational reports and how to create them. For this
assignment, please create an informational report on one of the following scenarios:
1. Your supervisor is planning a trip to China to discuss a joint venture to get your
company’s product into the Chinese market. Provide your supervisor with
information about cultural differences to be aware of such as greetings, business
cards, and gift giving in business situations.
2. Your company has been hearing a lot about ergonomics and wants to create an
ergonomically appropriate work environment. Research a variety of ergonomic
strategies and create a proposal for implementing the most beneficial.
Your report should be 1,500 to 2,000-words long and follow APA format. It should include
a title page, a table of contents, an executive summary, an introduction paragraph that
explains the issue, body paragraphs with supporting evidence for your report or
proposal, a conclusion that summarizes your recommendations, and reference or
appendix sections if necessary. If you need help writing a report of this nature,
Grading Rubric
Your report will be graded on the following rubric:
Good (4)
Excellent (5)
Total
Possible
Points
Disorganized
Structure
and illogical
and
structure
Organization
hinders
(x2)
understanding
Somewhat
disorganized,
but structure
does not
detract from
understanding
Structure is
logical and
organized and
supports
understanding
Organization is
logical;
structure
enhances
clarity and
delivery of
material
10
Necessary
content,
sources, and
elements are
missing or
irrelevant to
overall purpose
Most or all
necessary
content,
sources, and
elements are
insubstantial or
not thorough
All required
All required
content,
content,
sources, and
sources, and
elements are
elements are
present, clear,
present and of
and support the exceptional
overall purpose quality
10
Category
Content (x2)
Unacceptable
(0-1)
Needs
Improvement
(2-3)
Mechanics
(x2)
Incorrect
spelling,
punctuation,
capitalization,
and use of
standard
English
grammar
hinders
understanding
Several
instances of
incorrect
spelling,
punctuation,
capitalization,
and usage of
standard
English
grammar
Writing style is
Style and tone
unengaging;
are
tone is not
Style & Tone inappropriate
consistently
(x1)
or unsuitable
suitable for
for business
appropriate
communication business
communication
Formatting
(x1)
Not
appropriately
formatted for
specified
assignment
type
Frequent and
significant
errors in
formatting, but
follow general
guidelines
Few instances
of incorrect
spelling,
punctuation,
capitalization,
and usage of
standard
English
grammar
No or very few
instances of
incorrect
spelling,
punctuation,
capitalization,
and usage of
standard
English
grammar
Writing style is
sufficiently
engaging; tone
is generally
professional
and
appropriate for
business
communication
Writing style is
compelling;
tone is
consistently
professional
5
and
appropriate for
business
communication
Formatting is
generally good
with a few
minor errors
Formatting is
accurate and
consistent with
no errors
10
5
Sources & Formatting
Please provide at least two sources to support the claims and/or recommendations in your
report, and submit a works cited page in APA format along with your report.
Parts of a Business Report
Let’s say Michael wanted to share with his principal information he has accumulated regarding
best practices for teaching Latin. He could write a business report which may include some of
the following fairly standard sections:
Executive Summary
Michael would likely start his report with an executive summary. Think of it as the Cliff’s Notes
of the business report. Michael would summarize the main points of the report, such as the
report topic, the data obtained, the data analysis methods, and recommendations based on the
data. The summary could be as short as a paragraph or as long as four pages, depending on
the length of the full report. If Michael’s principal is short on time, Michael would provide the
executive summary to him so that he doesn’t have to read the entire report. While the
executive summary comes first in a report, it is written after the main part of the report has
been written.
Table of Contents
If the report is lengthy, Michael will include a table of contents. The table of contents lists the
main topics the report covers and the page on which that information may be found. If
Michael’s principal is looking for specific information, he can go straight to the page that
contains it.
Introduction
When it comes to writing the report, Michael will probably start with the introduction. The
introduction sets the stage for what is included in the report. It highlights the major topics that
are covered and provides background information on why the data in the report was collected.
For example, Michael might state that the report describes the two most common teaching
philosophies when it comes to teaching Latin and why he felt there was a need for a change
from the teaching style usually supported by administration.
Body
Michael is now ready to address the body of the report. The body of the report describes the
problem, the data that was collected, how the data was collected, and discusses the major
findings. The body may be broken into subsections, with subheadings that highlight the
specific point to be covered in that subsection. Michael could use headings such as ‘How Do We
Acquire Language’ or ‘Input Versus Output.’ This additional structuring will make the report
easier to read and understand.
Conclusion
Finally Michael will bring it all together with the conclusion. The conclusion explains how the
data described in the body of the document may be interpreted or what conclusions may be
drawn. The conclusion often suggests how to use the data to improve some aspect of the
business or recommends additional research. For example, Michael may recommend that the
principal allow him to remove the desks from his room, based on his research that suggested
taking notes can sometimes detract from the language learning process.
Reference
If Michael used other sources of information to help him write his report, such as a federal
database, he would include that in the references. The references section lists the resources
used to research or collect the data for the report. References provide proof for your points
and enable readers to review the original data sources themselves.
Appendix
Lastly, Michael may want to include an appendix. The appendix is optional and may include
additional technical information that is not necessary to the explanation provided in the body
and conclusion but supports the findings, such as charts or pictures, or additional research not
cited in the body but relevant to the discussion.
If Michael isn’t sure how to structure his report, he may want to investigate the wide variety of
reports that many businesses use. Business reports generally fall into two categories:
informational and analytical.
Informational Reports
Informational reports provide factual information and do not include any analysis or
recommendations.
There are many examples of informational reports:
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Financial reports include cash flow statements, balance sheets, or the annual financial
report required for publicly traded corporations, so stockholders can see how the
company is fairing financially.
Business management reports include reports about labor expenses, web traffic, or
customer satisfaction survey responses.
There are also compliance information reports. In these reports, a company
demonstrates it is complying with required regulations, for instance those regarding
financial management.
Present research from a study: This report generally summarizes a research study
that has information or findings that relevant to the business.
Situational reports are generally written to a supervisor regarding a business situation,
including what it was, how it was handled, and how it impacted the business.
Improve polices or processes: These are periodic reports such as employee
handbooks that provide employees with guidelines and procedures for their
organization.
Analytical Reports
Analytical reports provide data as well as an analysis or interpretation of what the data means.
Analytical reports may also include recommendations.
Here are some examples of analytical reports:
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First we have SWOT analysis: SWOT stands for Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities,
and threats. These reports analyze the business in light of what it does well, what it does
poorly, and what outside influences can be seen as opportunities for improvement or
might threaten the success of the business.
Then there are justification reports. These reports are created to justify a proposed
change in business processes or purchase of new equipment.
And then there are feasibility reports. This kind of report takes the next step after the
justification report. It investigates whether a proposed idea will work. For example, it
could discuss the production of a prototype that has been tested.
As for Michael, he’ll probably be writing an analytical report since he’s trying to convince his
principal of something.
The Writing Process
Now that Michael knows what type of report to write, where does he start?
Here is a checklist he can use to walk through the steps for writing his business report:
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First, Michael must determine the objective of the report – or what the purpose of the
report is.
Then he must know who the audience will be, or who will be reading his report.
Then he must determine what type of report in needed, an analytical report or an
informational report.
Once he decides that, he needs to figure out what information he will need to write the
report.
Once all that is known, Michael can start working on collecting the actual data he will
need to write the report.
Once the data is collected, it’s time to organize the information and write the report.
Michael must draw conclusions from the data. Once he does that, he can begin writing
the executive summary.
After that, it’s time to create any necessary graphics and list his references.
Then he must proofread, and then proofread again.
Then he must create the table of contents.
Finally, he must get the report ready to be delivered to the proper audience.