formal report

 
Formal Report
For this assignment, you will write about 3 examples of one problem that real companies have had that could’ve been prevented with a diversity and inclusion plan. To get you started, here are some recent examples that you can use:
Sexual harassment and sexual misconduct:

Vice Media
American Apparel
Signet Jewelers (parent company of Kay and Jared Jewelers)
Uber

Racism:

H&M
The Los Angeles Clippers
Tesla 

You are not limited to these cases, and you are free to use a broader definition of diversity and inclusion. You are not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, sex, or sexual orientation. Feel free to incorporate cases that could’ve been prevented by blending different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to achieve cognitive diversity as well.
Your audience is the CEO of your company. In the introduction, you will complete a SWOT analysis to determine the current status of your company. In the body of your paper, you will analyze these cases. In the conclusion, you will make a list of recommendations to your CEO to prevent these issues from happening at your company.
You paper will include the following elements:

A memo of transmittal ( ½ a page to 1 page)
A cover page (see template)
An executive summary (no more than ½ a page)
The formal report (no more than 4 pages from the introduction to conclusion)
References (as long as they need to be)

The memo of transmittal will be a separate document from the rest of the report, and due to the limitations of Canvas will be placed in a separate dropbox. We will discuss what a transmittal memo must contain closer to the due date. MAKE SURE YOU’RE IN CLASS FOR THAT.
The cover page will follow the template posted below.
The executive summary is a short summary of the report itself. Because it is a summary, it cannot be written until you have finished your report. 
The formal report will contain an introduction, a body that contains an analysis of the three problems, and a conclusion that also includes recommendations to the CEO. The body must also contain one visual element, such as a graph or chart. 
Your references must contain at least 8 sources.
This paper must be single-spaced, in Times New Roman, font size 12. Any deviation from this will result in significant point deductions.
Cover Page Template.docx
Formal Report Outline.docx
2019 Formatted Formal Report.docx
Grading criteria
Assignment value: 200 points (20 percent of your semester grade)
The assignment requires several specific tasks and components listed in this document and italicized below. Grading is holistic. When your report is graded, elements missing or needing improvement will be indicated on the grading criteria or on the submitted documents.
Purpose (10%)

The report follows the directions given in the application exercise of the textbook.
The report presents relevant, strong industry research as the support for recommendations you will be making with your report.

Audience (10%)

The audience for your report will be based on which report you choose.
The report provides predominately new and useful information and clearly addresses the audience’s needs. 
The report and memo maintain your credibility. Your report has been reviewed for effectiveness and fairness.
The audience is addressed correctly. 

Structure: Organization and format (25%)
Organization

The report fulfills all requirements clearly, effectively, and strategically and includes the components mentioned in this document.
The organizational scheme is apparent and appropriate to the audience and problem or opportunity.
The report uses headings as well as topic sentences, and transitions to help readers navigate the report. Sections are accurately labeled; headings are balanced, clear, parallel, and descriptive of the contents.
The sources and methods used in the report are indicated in the introduction. This means that you clearly state how you found the information you used, as well as how you analyzed it.)
The body includes the relevant information needed for the type of report you choose to do.
The closing pulls together the report’s results or findings and interprets them in the light of its purpose, methods, and audience. 
The report includes ONLY ONE strong, effective, and persuasive visual; the visual is about one-third page and is present to communicate relevant data from the report. The visual is completely understandable and legible when printed.
The visual is introduced and its significance or main point explained in the text above the visual. It has a title or caption that appears above or beside the visual and which clearly describes the content of the visual. The source of the data presented in the visual or the visual itself is indicated by a source line under the visual.

Format

The documents meet the expectations for a formal report and a transmittal memo from you.
The report uses 1-inch margins, single-spacing, one blank line between paragraphs (with no indentation at the beginning of the paragraphs), and 12-point Times New Roman font. Format the body of your report using APA style for the section headings.
The report and memo look inviting and professional because they use white space well. This means that large paragraphs are broken up into smaller ones, and there are blank lines between paragraphs.
The headings and subheadings are clear, descriptive, and consistent. Page breaks are managed well with no orphan text or headings alone at the bottom of a page.
The report includes an attractive cover page, containing the title, audience, your name and title, and date. Page numbers appear on all pages of the report, except the cover page; the first page of the report is page 1.
The transmittal memo uses the format as shown in the textbook in Appendix B, Figure B.1. (This is located in the End Matter.) It uses 12-point Times New Roman font, single spacing in paragraphs and a blank line between paragraphs, with no indentation. The memo indicates (in the body and end notations) what is enclosed; the body briefly describes the enclosure and its contents. The memo closes with your hope for the report and an offer to provide more information.

Content and Support (25%)
The report uses appropriate and well-chosen sources effectively and correctly. ALL sources are credible.

The recommendations are specific, realistic, and relevant; they are clearly focused on the real problem or opportunity, and they present relevant, strong industry research. The recommendations also offer an effective solution(s) to a specific problem or provide ways to take advantage of an opportunity.
Source materials are sufficient in quantity (a minimum of eight sources) and quality (from appropriate business sources).
The report introduces sources textually and includes parenthetical citations. The relevance of source material is clearly explained.
All quoted, paraphrased, and summarized material is properly documented, both parenthetically and on the required references page, in correct APA style. You must list personal communication on the references page, but only if you used a personal communication as a source.
The references page is single spaced with a blank line between entries.
The report is four pages in length, plus a memo of transmittal, title page, executive summary, and references page.

Writing Standards (30%)
The report and memo are well written, readable, clear, concise, and error free.

The tone and style is appropriate, consistent, and businesslike, with an obvious attempt to maintain effectiveness and fairness; it is neither too formal nor too informal.
The report is free of repetition and extraneous words and phrases. Sentences are appropriately complex and varied, with the best and clearest word choices; there are no awkward, run-on, or incomplete sentences.
Verb tenses are used appropriately and correctly. Active and passive voice are used effectively.
Ideas are combined to create unified and focused paragraphs with clear claims or topic sentences and support.
The report and memo are entirely free of errors in grammar, usage, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.
The documents show improvement in avoiding trademark errors noted in earlier graded assignments.