Business report 5W

1
Business report 5W

• 5 appendices large amount of data all relevant
  to varying degrees
• Important to read whole thing- gain an overview
  look for the underlying/critical issues/themes.
  (Dont forget the introductory paragraph-
  important scene setter)
• But thenselectivity important pick the key
  data i.e. pick the data where you can develop an
  argument
• Define explain points develop them avoid a
  list approach. Less points in depth is better
  than more points undeveloped. Students should
  practice e.g. writing a paragraph on one issue to
  learn how to develop arguments effectively.
• The recommendations are key- this is what the
  report is leading to. Get the balance right
  between the body of the report and the
  recommendations.

2
Report advice 1

• Read and use the introduction- these have been
  getting longer recently to provide more context
  what size/type of business? what are market
  conditions? what are the aims of the
  owners/managers?
• For application it is important to do more than
  just explain the numbers- need to think about
  industry/objectives/constraints/objectives..
• ACTIVITY read the introduction to last
  summers report. What information is useful here
  in terms of helping you to apply or evaluate?

3
Report Advice 2

• Read the appendices and develop an overview.
  Do not start writing immediately by analysing
  Appendix A then B then C etc
• Activity read last summers report.
• What do you think are the key underlying
  issues/themes raised by the data?

4
Report Advice 3

• Identify the key data to analyse define
  terms, explain data and develop argument
• e.g. linking data, showing the consequences of
  something going up, going down, staying the
  same.
• Activity
• Select 2 strengths of Regal Britain you think
  are important explain their significance in
  context
• Select 2 weaknesses of Regal Britain you
  think are important explain their significance
  in context

5
Report Advice 4

• Make justified recommendations that build on
  your analysis
• Activity
• What are two key recommendations about what
  Regal Britain should do?. Why have you chosen
  these?

6
Reflections on the report

• THE GOOD
• The majority (but not all) candidates now adopt
  the report format and organise arguments under
  relevant headings
• Less candidates waste time on unnecessary report
  format sections (e.g. introduction, executive
  summary, conclusions)
• There is some sense that candidates are getting
  better at developing points (but still some very
  descriptive responses)
• THE BAD
• Lack of explanation e.g. of relevant concepts
• Too much time on undeveloped analysis
• Too little time/thought on the recommendations

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Types of report set

• Has been a variety e.g.
• strengths/weaknesses of firms position leading
  to a recommended strategy. Good answers may build
  a coherent plan related to e.g. the strengths
  analysed previously.
• case for and against leading to a judgement e.g.
  how effective is the management/the plan? whether
  to go ahead with a project Good answers may
  recognise the importance of perspective/ issues
  such as short term/long term/ question of scale
  (e.g. the plan works but is it enough?)

8
The future (at least until 2008!)

• Continued variety in type of report being asked
  for e.g. in terms of scenario (shoes, theme
  parks, oil company, fitness equipment), structure
  (e.g. strengths/weaknesses v case for and
  against) task (e.g. producing strategy v ranking
  of performance), author e.g. journalist v
  management consultant
• Continued high volume of data
• Introduction of limited about of non-numerical
  data within appendices e.g. information on
  structure, people and their careers in theme park

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Essays

• Recently more of a move to real
  firms/industries. Context come from the
  business/industry itself e.g. McDonalds, PC
  market, supermarkets
• There is sometimes a key word in the title
  priority, desirable, essential, critical,
  radical
• Evaluate/To what extent questions have worked
  better than discuss so more of a move towards
  these.
• Broad, strategic questions still the approach

10
Activity

• Choose an essay title from last summers paper
• Identify the key context factors e.g. the
  industry, the firms, the type of firms
• Brainstorm anything that might be
  relevant/useful about this context e.g. what
  factors are particularly important/key/significan
  t in this industry?

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Look at the wording

• Are there are adjectives/key words that you might
• be able to hang your arguments around
• Large?
• Major?
• Rapid?
• Radical?
• Essential?
• Desirable?
• How might these be of use in your answer?

12
Define, Identify, explain, analyse.

• Is there anything you can/need to define?
• Identify and analyse three relevant
  factors/arguments/consequences/implications/causes
  .

13
Evaluate

• With each of the three arguments you have
  written- how true are they? What makes them more
  or less relevant? More or less significant?
• Overall what are the key issues in this answer?
  What would you answer depend on?

14
Observations on essays

• The essay is often more of a discriminator than
  the report- students must leave time for it
• Greater tendency to make big mistakes compared
  to report e.g. answers that discuss consequences
  for the firm or its customers rather than its
  suppliers applying to farmers not manufacturers
  focusing on causes not consequences,
• Content usually reasonable (but greater/more
  precise use of business terminology welcomed!)
• Application- disappointing. Needs more mental
  effort to think about the industry (this would
  often help with evaluation as well)
• Analysis- varies in quality as you might expect
• Evaluation- disappointing. Tremendously important
  on this paper (40) yet clearly neglected. Too
  many candidates still seem to see essays as
  content questions not evaluative questions.
  Too many throwaway general final paragraph
  conclusions e.g. it depends on X,Y and Z rather
  than real, developed evaluation. Need to think
  more about the industry and the situation to
  apply and evaluate

15
Essay advice

• Candidates should read carefully so they pick the
  one that they can apply and evaluate effectively
  (not necessarily the one they know about)
• be careful of choosing on one on a business they
  know lots about (e.g. McDonalds)- danger of
  being very descriptive.
• Allocate appropriate time and energy to
  evaluation. Critical thinking is the key not
  content led thinking.

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Advice

• Demonstrate understanding of three or four key
  points
• Apply candidates need to think carefully about
  how to apply their answer if they think
  carefully about the particular situation it is
  usually easier to evaluate, make judgements and
  conclude as well
• Analyse and try to use relevant analytical
  concepts e.g. breakeven, investment appraisal,
  price elasticity, contribution etc
• Evaluate e.g. significance of each point made,
  key issues in the argument, relative importance
  of options/factors

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Why choose 5W?

• No new content
• Develops invaluable skills that transfer well to
  other papers/questions (and the business world!)
• REPORT
• Useful even if you do 5C-e.g. good
  homework/classroom activities
• Helps students structure their arguments (e.g.
  for, against, recommendation) provides a useful
  framework
• Requires actual decisions to be made (rather than
  general it depends) builds real evaluative
  skills based on prior analysis rather than
  textbook evaluation
• Good test of whether they actually understand key
  concepts e.g. can ask student to explain the data
  in any given appendix- often revealing!
• Helps understand the interrelationship between
  data
• Useful exercise is to check whether
  recommendations flow from the analysis helps
  develop planning logic
• ESSAY
• Develops ability to produce an extended argument-
  useful for other papers good discriminator
• Highlights clearly highlight the individual
  skills development- you cant hide on an essay!
• Many titles can be attempted relatively early on
  in the course (although as the course progresses
  you would expect more sophisticated answers)- can
  be a way of varying homework
• (but essay technique does require practice- they
  wont just write a good essay/report without
  working on this skills)