Contents
Introduction
to Assignment Reports
Objective. The term project is a written report (case study) on the management
practices of an organisation with the main emphasis on highlighting
exceptional or excellent management practices and techniques. It
is an individual report, but if several individuals wish to form
a team that is a good alternative.
Choice
of organisation.If the company you select
is one of your choosing, it should be one that has displayed exemplary
practices or achieved excellence in some way. The company may be
large or small; for profit (dot.com), not-for-profit (dog.org),
or public (dot.gov). It could be a fairly new startup or a long-established
company, but there must be enough information available about the
company to provide data for you to prepare a thorough report.
You
may wish to select a company from lists such as the Fortune 500
list or Fortune's List of America's Most Admired Companies, or you
could choose a company of some size you are more familiar with and
for which you may have better access to information.
Content
of Report. The report may be thought of as
a short case study of the organisation's management plans, strategies,
accomplishments, etc., and how and why they have succeeded (or failed!)
as a result of management. (Hint: Examine a few of the case studies
in the textbook for ideas about how to write up the results of an
organisation's management.) This is not a comprehensive report about
the entire workings of the company or a report on its products.
The emphasis is on the management.
Research
Methods. In order to gather the information,
you will want to use the World Wide Web, the Libraries and their
databases, financial data, the organisation's Annual Report, and
interviews with key management personnel (via phone, e-mail, or
in person). You will most likely gather more information than you
can put in the report, so you will be expected to take only the
best and most relevant data for the report (do not include material
to "pad" the length).
Once
you narrow down your data, organise it into a logical report (beginning,
body, and ending) which has a summary and logical conclusions. Because
this is not a long, comprehensive report you must concentrate on
the most important key aspects (attributes) of the company's management
practices and outcomes. Therefore, you should delimit your information
to one or two key areas of management (e. g., manufacturing, marketing,
organisation, planning, communications, leadership style, quality
control, technology) and how this area or areas make the company
excellent.
Length
and Format. The body of the report
must be a minimum of five pages (double-spaced) per person ; however,
it may be longer if you find it necessary for a full explanation.
(A team of 4 would have a 20-page report with the identify of the
author of each page indicated in the header.)
The report must include these parts:
- Cover
Page
Title of report, name of organisation studied, name of preparer,
date, and course. - Research
Methods
How
you gathered your information and how you organised and analysed
it to come to your conclusions. (Library, interviews, www, etc.)
- Body
a.) Short introduction and background information on the organisation
and its management.
(b.) Description of the management practices and attributes that
make the company unique or excellent (fairly long and detailed).
(c.) Concise Summary of Findings and Conclusions you have reached based on your research.
- References
A list of the sources you used to gather the data to write the
report, including names of those interviewed and dates you interviewed
them (whether by phone, fax, e-mail, or in person). Be sure to
DOCUMENT with a full notation, in the body of the report, which
of these references was used, including author, title, dates,
page, etc.
- Attachments
Attach materials you find particularly helpful in explaining the
company's management practices and outcomes, but do not attach
materials merely to pad the report
Use
double-spacing and one-inch margins all around, with 10- or 12-point
type. Use headings and subheadings for each of the main divisions
or paragraphs of the report (such as in this document). This is
a technique of good report organisation and makes it easier for
the reader to identify and refer to the various parts. Carefully
proof-read and spell check your work. Use a cover page with the
company, your name, class, and date on it.
Resources
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