Business writing
Here is an example of a short report and executive summary I created during my time at the University of Calgary. The excerpt includes a brief description of the intended audience and purpose. Part of the assignment was to create an imaginary audience and purpose that would necessitate writing a ten page report. For my focus, I decided to use an environmental narrative, with emphasis on research, and a sales tone.
Taking a course focused on writing in the workplace helped to reinforce the importance of writing with concrete and direct language. Learning to effectively and efficiently communicate—whether for a sales letter, a proposal, a memo, or even an intercompany email—while understanding the needs of the audience, were skills I was furtunate to develop.
Below are excerpts from the short report and executive summary I drafted during this course.
Short report
Hertzog, Peterson & Associates is an American firm that owns and oversees several offices in metropolitan cities. They are a multisector organization, with a portfolio that includes some production contracts and some service contracts.
The executive board has decided to implement company-wide environmental changes, in the form of an environmental management system (EMS). The reasoning behind this change is primarily business-oriented, though an altruistic and environmental responsibility is present in the core values of the company.
The company has organized a subcommittee to perform research into EMS options, and then to draft a proposal with conclusions and recommendations. The executive board is expecting to receive this short report
The purpose of this short report is threefold:
- To provide research into the importance of an EMS, specifically paying attention to business outcomes.
- To provide background and history of the proposed option, ISO 14000.
- To provide conclusions and recommendations for the adoption (or not) of ISO 14000 for the firm Hertzog, Peterson & Associates.
Executive summary
