Deck 14: Planning Reports and Proposals

Question 1

The ________ for a report describes what you plan to accomplish and outlines the boundaries of your work.

A)mission brief
B)purpose statement
C)outcome forecast
D)intention statement
E)summary statement

Answer 1

B

Question 2

In addition to offering information and analysis,________ can also include recommendations.

A)indirect reports
B)analytical reports
C)informational reports
D)directive reports
E)direct reports

Answer 2

B

Question 3

A public corporation filing a quarterly tax report would be providing

A)a progress report.
B)a compliance report.
C)a justification report.
D)a periodic operating report.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

When selecting the right medium for a report

A)you should choose the one that is most convenient.
B)you should choose the one that is most economical.
C)your decisions should reflect your audience's expectations.
D)you should always present your report in writing.
E)you should choose the one that allows you to cut and paste data from other sources.

Question 5

All of the following EXCEPT ________ are elements in the planning phase of the three-step writing process.

A)analyzing the situation
B)adapting to your audience
C)gathering information
D)selecting the right medium

Question 6

Which type of report offers data and facts without any analysis or recommendations?

A)Proposals
B)Informational
C)Internal
D)Analytical
E)Persuasive

Question 7

Which of the following is an advantage to using the three-step writing process when creating reports?

A)The report can be used for internal and external audiences
B)An analytical report can be easily converted to a proposal
C)The purpose will be easier to define
D)There will not be a need to develop a statement of purpose
E)Less time is needed to write an effective report

Question 8

Which of the following is a customized,highly summarized online presentation of business information and reports?

A)An executive dashboard
B)A working outline
C)A formal work plan
D)A statement of purpose
E)An analytical report

Question 9

The CEO of a pharmaceutical company asks you assess the company's adherence to laws governing television ads for prescription drugs.The CEO has requested a

A)personal activity report.
B)work plan.
C)compliance report.
D)policy report.

Question 10

When you're outlining your report,using ________ requires you to really think through the content,whereas using ________ simply requires you to identify topic areas.

A)prescriptive headings; parallel headings
B)effective headings; ineffective headings
C)informative headings; descriptive headings
D)multilateral headings; unilateral headings
E)parallel headings; descriptive headings

Question 11

Which aspect of the formal work plan describes what you plan to accomplish and defines the limits of your work?

A)Statement of the purpose and scope of your investigation
B)Statement of the problem and opportunity
C)Discussion of tasks to be accomplished
D)Working outline
E)Statement of the products or activities that will result from the investigation

Question 12

Which of the following steps will help ensure nothing is overlooked when determining a schedule for the production of a report or proposal?

A)Identify the information the audience will be most interested in
B)Know the goal of the report or proposal
C)Determine the timeframe and scope of the project
D)Create a work plan
E)Gather all relevant data before beginning

Question 13

The best way to phrase the purpose statement of a report is with

A)complex language.
B)an infinitive phrase.
C)a controversial statement.
D)jargon.
E)definitive statements.

Question 14

Which of the following is the most common purpose of creating analytical reports and proposals?

A)As a response to a perceived problem or opportunity
B)To address predetermined needs of the organization
C)To provide expected information in a predetermined format
D)To monitor the response to progress of a corporate activity
E)As part of a government compliance effort

Question 15

If using the direct approach to organize a report or proposal,which of the following should be used to begin the report?

A)Background information that created the issue
B)A general outline as to how the report or proposal is structured
C)Key findings and conclusions
D)An indication of each main topic addressed
E)A logical argument structure

Question 16

How can informative headings in an outline help the collaborative writing process?

A)By reducing ambiguity about topics
B)By identifying general content areas
C)By introducing general topic areas
D)By indicating the need for an indirect or direct approach
E)By allowing writers to identify areas of expertise

Question 17

When should you consider using the indirect approach for a report or proposal?

A)When the message is exceptionally long
B)When the audience will be most focused on recommendations
C)When you wish to sound more forceful and confident
D)When you wish to save the audience time
E)When the audience is skeptical or hostile

Question 18

The basic purpose of informational reports is

A)to persuade the audience to act.
B)to present recommendations and conclusions to a superior for how to solve a particular problem.
C)to present data,facts,feedback,and other types of information without analysis or recommendations.
D)to convince the reader of the soundness of your thinking.
E)to solve a problem with well-researched alternatives.

Question 19

When you're preparing a formal work plan,include a ________ to clarify the problem you face and a ________ to describe what you plan to accomplish.

A)statistical analysis; hypothesis
B)problem statement; purpose statement
C)yardstick; problem statement
D)descriptive standard; goal analysis
E)summary statement; conclusion

Question 20

Answering the question,________,will help you define the problem you need to address in an analytical report.

A)What needs to be determined?
B)Why is this issue important?
C)Who is involved in the situation?
D)All of the above

Question 21

An analytical report always ends by presenting recommendations.

Question 22

The statement of purpose for analytical reports will usually need to be more comprehensive than one for informational reports.

Question 23

Compliance reports are generally required by

A)parent companies.
B)accounting departments.
C)government agencies.
D)marketing departments.
E)customers.

Question 24

The problem-factoring process involves

A)looking at a problem from multiple perspectives.
B)considering how to allocate blame for a problem.
C)creating problems instead of solving them.
D)dividing a complex problem into a series of logical,connected questions.
E)assigning various team members specific aspects of the problem to solve individually.

Question 25

An employee who describes the data she collected from six different plant managers without drawing any conclusions is preparing

A)an analytical report.
B)an informational report.
C)a proposal.
D)a work plan.
E)a series of recommendations.

Question 26

When outlining the content of your report

A)it is preferable to use informative headings as opposed to descriptive ones.
B)you should use complex language for all headings.
C)keep in mind that you will have to use this same outline for your final report.
D)incorporate headings that will generate interest because they are fun and vague.
E)you should use headings that indicate how you want the reader to feel about the information.

Question 27

A justification report is an internal report designed to persuade top management to approve a proposed investment or project.

Question 28

Discuss how to define your purpose when using the three-step writing process for informational and analytical reports and proposals.

Question 29

List and describe the seven elements that usually are part of a formal work plan.

Question 30

Whereas ________ reports focus on facts,________ reports offer interpretation and can also include recommendations.

A)internal; external
B)assessment; documentation
C)solicited; unsolicited
D)informational; analytical

Question 31

Internal reports are more likely to be misinterpreted than external reports.

Question 32

Operating reports establish expectations and guidelines to direct future action.

Question 33

Discuss the differences in information reports,analytical reports,and proposals.

Question 34

List three types of reports commonly used to monitor and control operations in business.

Question 35

Unlike proposals,justification reports

A)are designed to affirm decisions after they have been made.
B)are internal as opposed to external reports.
C)are always in memo format.
D)do not require a great deal of supporting data.
E)act as requests for proposals.

Question 36

The direct approach and the indirect approach ________; therefore,businesspeople ________.

A)are unrelated; use them randomly
B)are both inadequate; never use them
C)both have merit; often combine them
D)both have merit; never combine them

Question 37

Describe several benefits and one potential drawback of organizing business reports using the direct approach.

Question 38

The statement of purpose for an analytical report is often more comprehensive than for an informational report.

Question 39

An executive dashboard is a customized online presentation of highly summarized business information.

Question 40

Breaking down a problem into a series of specific questions is called

A)problem factoring.
B)solution development.
C)deconstruction.
D)systematic inquiry.
E)hypothesis testing.

Question 41

Which type of report is written to convey information on sales calls,conferences,trips,and other activities?

A)Operating
B)Personal activity
C)Plans
D)White papers
E)Backgrounders

Question 42

Which type of report is an annual tax report?

A)Monitor
B)Operating
C)Activity
D)Compliance
E)Policy

Question 43

Which of the following would typically be found in the Mission and Objectives section of a business plan?

A)The purpose and goals of the business
B)The origins and structure of your venture,and the industry
C)What distinguishes you from the competition
D)Projections on sales volume and market share,and how they will be achieved
E)Facilities,equipment,and personnel

Question 44

When you're writing a business plan,you must include a ________ section to explain the purpose of your business and what you hope to accomplish.

A)mission and objectives
B)design and development
C)products and services
D)financial projections and requirements

Question 45

Which category of reports includes an outline of an organization's position on issues that will affect the company's success?

A)Compliance papers
B)Reports to document progress
C)Reports to monitor operations
D)Position papers,also known as white papers
E)Reports to control operations

Question 46

Which of the follow explains how investors can profit from investments in an organization?

A)Design and development plan
B)Operations plan
C)Critical risks and problems
D)Financial projections
E)Exit strategy

Question 47

All ________ are written in response to regulations of one sort or another.

A)compliance reports
B)operating reports
C)white papers
D)position papers
E)marketing strategies

Question 48

All of the following EXCEPT ________ are categories of informational reports.

A)reports to monitor and control operations
B)reports to demonstrate compliance
C)reports to document progress
D)reports to assess opportunities

Question 49

Which of the following should be developed when a company wants to convince outsiders to invest in the firm?

A)A compliance plan
B)A control-and-monitor plan
C)A business plan
D)A policy report
E)White papers

Question 50

A writer who wants to use a ________ to build an informational report can choose from a number of arrangement patterns,such as geography,sequence,chronology,category,or importance.

A)talking pattern of organization
B)topical pattern of organization
C)demonstrative pattern of organization
D)representative pattern of organization
E)white paper outline of organization

Question 51

Briefly explain problem factoring.

Question 52

Which topical organizations discusses advantages and disadvantages between two or more entities?

A)Comparison
B)Importance
C)Sequence
D)Chronology
E)Category

Question 53

A ________ is written to validate a decision that has already been made.

A)project proposal
B)progress report
C)compliance report
D)justification report
E)strategy analysis

Question 54

Which type of topical organization would be used to explain a chain of events?

A)Geography
B)Chronology
C)Importance
D)Sequence
E)Category

Question 55

As it relates to a formal business plan,the ________ defines how the company will generate revenue and produce a profit.

A)marketing strategy
B)business model
C)action forecast
D)financial projection
E)white paper forecast

Question 56

When arranging an informational report to shows the steps in a process,which type of organization is being followed?

A)Comparison
B)Importance
C)Sequence
D)Category
E)Chronology

Question 57

Which category of informational reports establishes expectations and guidelines for future actions?

A)Operating reports
B)Plans
C)Policy reports
D)Position papers
E)Compliance reports

Question 58

Where could an employee find information on the organization's official position on issues that affect the company's success?

A)Policy reports
B)Compliance reports
C)Position papers
D)Topical reports
E)Category papers

Question 59

Which part of a business plan looks at significant factors that could affect the company negatively?

A)Critical risks and problems
B)Financial projections and requirements
C)Design and development plans
D)Operations plan
E)Exit strategy

Question 60

Which type of document describes a company's mission,objectives,structure,and operations?

A)Topical report
B)Compliance report
C)Operating report
D)Business plan
E)Summary

Question 61

A company's mission statement,structure,and objectives can be found in its business plan.

Question 62

Identify and describe six ways to use topical organization when writing an informational report.

Question 63

Which of the following is a method of dividing a complex problem into a series of logical,connected questions?

A)Problem factoring
B)Forming a hypothesis
C)2 + 2 approach
D)Market analysis
E)Due diligence

Question 64

A ________ outlines an organization's official position on issues that affect its success.

A)policy report
B)position paper
C)feasibility report
D)business plan

Question 65

Describe the elements of a formal business plan.

Question 66

How does the term "topical organization" pertain to informational reports?

Question 67

What are the four general categories of informational reports?

Question 68

What is the difference between a solicited and an unsolicited proposal?

Question 69

For long,complex reports,the indirect approach tends to be less effective than the direct approach.

Question 70

Which type of problem solving report should be used to study negative events that happened in the past so they are not repeated?

A)Justification
B)Due diligence
C)Market analysis
D)Failure analysis
E)Feasibility

Question 71

Informational reports are used when employees and managers need to make decisions or take action.

Question 72

Plans provide feedback on a wide variety of an organization's functions.

Question 73

Topical organization strategies for informational reports include all of the following EXCEPT

A)complexity.
B)sequence.
C)importance.
D)comparison.

Question 74

Business reports don't require a work plan.

Question 75

Which types of information should be included when writing a summary for a business plan?

Question 76

In business reports,it is never appropriate to combine the direct and indirect approaches by revealing conclusions and recommendations as you go along.

Question 77

Which of the following is one of the reasons analytical reports are more challenging to write than informational reports?

A)You need to ensure your analysis is complete
B)You will have to find and define the problem or opportunity yourself
C)Most readers will not be interested in reading about problems
D)There must be a strong hypothesis established in order to begin the writing process
E)You must present conclusions to problems or opportunities identified,in addition to informational summaries

Question 78

Which of the following is the process of examining financial aspects of a proposed decision in an analytical report?

A)Troubleshooting
B)Feasibility reporting
C)Due diligence
D)Failure analysis
E)Market analysis

Question 79

Which type of report is used to judge the likelihood of success when launching new products?

A)Troubleshooting
B)Feasibility
C)Market analysis
D)Failure analysis
E)Due diligence

Question 80

Topical organization is rarely used when creating informational reports.