Office Administration

1. Office Administration Chapter 8: Writing Business Documents

2. Positive Letters • Types include orders, granting a refund or adjustment, response to an inquiry, or goodwill message • Direct approach is used • Opening paragraph begins with goodwill and information • Body paragraphs provide details • Closing paragraph includes positive statement and request for action

3. Routine or Neutral Letters • Types include requests for information and responses to information requests • Direct approach is used • Opening paragraph presents the main point • Body paragraphs include facts to support the need for information • Closing paragraph emphasizes the main point, asks for action, and provides contact information

4. Negative Letters • Types include refusal to send information or assistance, problem with an order, or refusal to grant action • Indirect approach is used • Opening paragraph is a buffer setting the stage for the negative news • First body paragraph includes the rationale for the refusal • Next body paragraph conveys the bad news • Closing paragraph asks for action and a pleasant close

5. Combination Letters • Types include a partial order being filled or a partial response to an information request • Letter should begin with the positive aspects of the message • Opening paragraph is the “yes” response • Body paragraphs support the positive and negative aspects, be logical • Closing paragraph should be positive, forward-looking, include contact information

6. Persuasive Letters • Types include special requests for assistance or information and marketing goods, services, or ideas • The Attention-Interest-Desire-Action (AIDA) approach is used • Opening paragraph gets the reader’s attention • Body paragraphs emphasize the reason the reader should respond positively • Closing paragraph explains action and appeals to reader’s interest

7. Merged Letters • Correspondence with some identical parts sent to more than one person or company • Personalized repetitive letters are the same letter sent to different people with their own address and personal information • Letters with variable information inserts personalized information throughout the letter • Letters from form paragraphs combine standard paragraphs to make different letters

8. Memoranda • Internal communication, sent within the organization • A favorable memorandum is written using the direct approach for reasons similar to letters • An unfavorable memorandum carries a “no” response, use an indirect approach • A persuasive memorandum seeks a positive response from the reader, AIDA approach

9. Informal or Short Report • Internal document to transmit information: a proposal, feasibility study, or progress report • Fewer pages better, no more than 4–7 • Use a memorandum format, letter format, or manuscript • Approach may be direct or indirect, depends on message

10. Electronic Mail • Becoming typical way of sharing information inside and out of an organization • Should be concise, correct, complete, and courteous • Subject line should describe the content of the message • Include a salutation (formal or informal) and message

11. Types of Business Reports • Textual material is presented in narrative reports; numeric information in statistical reports • Scheduled reports are sent at specific time intervals, special reports are prepared on demand • A vertical report is sent to upper-levels, horizontal reports to those on the same level, and external reports outside the organization • Nontechnical reports are sent to those without a background; technical reports go to those in the field • Informational reports present facts, analytical reports present the facts and an interpretation of them • Information can be presented chronologically, logically, and psychologically

12. Defining a Research Problem • Determine specific research questions • Define at least three subproblems • Perform preliminary research for background • Set limitations for the study, narrow the topic • Set the scope of the study and what will not be studied • Identify the independent variables, dependent variables, and other factors

13. Collecting Data • Secondary research gathers information from what others have written • Primary research is conducted through experiments, observation, and surveys • Data collection methods must be carefully planned and monitored • Question formats should be selected to make data analysis easy—closed, open, or scaled

14. Analyzing Data and Reporting Findings • Organize data for further evaluation and interpretation • Evaluate and interpret data related to the problem that was defined • Report findings in narrative format following the data presentation • Conclusions and recommendations may follow

15. Preparing the Report • Organize the report sequence and approach, outline each section • Writing the report includes preliminary documents (letter of transmittal, title page, table of contents), the body of the report (introduction, data analysis, and conclusions), and supplementary parts (bibliography, works cited, appendices, glossary)