| Course | MAN-3730 Managerial Communications |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 2 |
| Paper type | Written assignment 2: writing effective managerial reports |
| Length | About 842 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Thomas Edison State University |
| Program | Bachelor of Science in Business Administration |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for MAN 3730 Module 2
The Recommendation on Page Eleven: Restructuring a Managerial Report for Busy Readers
Student Name
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Thomas Edison State University
MAN-3730: Managerial Communications
Mentor Name
Month Day, Year
The Recommendation on Page Eleven: Restructuring a Managerial Report for Busy Readers
Introduction
A managerial report succeeds when its readers can understand and act on it quickly. Veltsos and Hynes (2022) emphasize that effective reports begin with the writer's purpose and the reader's needs and then choose an organization, a level of detail and a style to fit both. This report evaluates a draft recommendation report written by the operations manager of Tri-State Foodservice, a composite distributor of food and supplies to restaurants and schools in Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky, and proposes a restructured version.
The Draft Report
The draft runs 14 pages. It opens with three pages on the history of the company's delivery operations, continues with descriptions of four software products, presents a long narrative on fuel costs and driver hours, and states the recommendation, to purchase a route-planning system for about $96,000 a year, on page 11. The expected savings appear in a paragraph on page 12 without a table. Sentences average more than 30 words, and the text uses phrases such as 'operationalize synergistic routing efficiencies.' The report goes to the company's two most senior executives, its president and its finance chief, who will decide at a monthly leadership meeting.
Evaluation Against Report-Writing Principles
Purpose and audience come first. The draft's purpose is a decision, and its readers are senior executives with little time and no need for operational history. Veltsos and Hynes (2022) recommend direct organization for such readers when they are likely to be receptive: the conclusion and recommendation first, then the support. The draft uses an indirect, chronological order suited to a narrative, not a decision.
Style compounds the problem. Oppenheimer (2006), in a series of experiments, found that needlessly complex vocabulary led readers to judge both the text and its author less favorably, including as less intelligent, compared with simpler versions of the same content. Inflated phrasing therefore undermines the credibility the writer is trying to build. Rogers and Lasky-Fink (2023), drawing on field experiments with busy readers, argue for fewer words, easy navigation through headings and formatting, a clear statement of why the reader should care and an easy way to respond. The draft violates nearly all of these.
The Restructured Report
A restructured report should be about two pages plus appendixes and follow a direct order.
| Section | Content | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Executive summary | Recommendation, cost, savings, payback and decision requested | One paragraph |
| Problem | Fuel and overtime rising; late deliveries at 9 percent of stops | One paragraph with two figures |
| Options considered | Four products compared on cost, fit and support | One table |
| Recommendation and financial case | Chosen product, $96,000 a year, savings about $210,000, payback under six months | Two paragraphs and a table |
| Risks and implementation | Driver adoption, data setup, 90-day pilot on two depots | Bulleted list |
| Decision requested | Approve a one-year contract with a 90-day exit clause | One sentence |
| Appendixes | Product details, route data, fuel analysis | As needed |
The executive summary, the most important element, would read: 'Tri-State should license a route-planning system at about $96,000 a year. A pilot at two depots and vendor estimates suggest savings of about $210,000 a year in fuel and overtime and a drop in late deliveries from 9 percent to under 4 percent. We request approval of a one-year contract with a 90-day exit clause.' A reader who stops there has what is needed to decide.
Style Revisions
Sentences should average under 20 words. Jargon should be replaced with plain terms: 'operationalize synergistic routing efficiencies' becomes 'plan shorter routes.' Headings should state content, such as 'Savings of About $210,000 a Year,' rather than labels such as 'Financial Analysis.' Figures should appear in tables, not paragraphs, so the chief financial officer can check them quickly.
Trade-offs
A shorter report omits detail that the operations manager worked hard to gather, and some readers may want it. Moving that detail to appendixes keeps it available without blocking the decision. A direct opening also carries a risk if the executives were skeptical, in which case an indirect order that builds the case first might persuade better; here, rising costs make them likely to be receptive.
Applying the Same Test to Other Reports
The principles used here apply to any managerial report. A useful test is to give the first page to a colleague unfamiliar with the project and ask three questions: what is being recommended, what will it cost, and what must the reader do. If the colleague cannot answer all three within two minutes, the report needs restructuring before it reaches a decision maker. The operations manager can use this test on future proposals, such as the planned warehouse expansion, and the leadership team could adopt it as a standard for all reports submitted to its meetings.
Conclusion
The draft contains the information the executives need but hides it behind history and inflated language. Restructuring the report around the reader's decision, with the recommendation first, figures in tables and plain sentences, applies the course's principles and the research on readability, and gives the proposal a fair chance of approval.
References
Oppenheimer, D. M. (2006). Consequences of erudite vernacular utilized irrespective of necessity: Problems with using long words needlessly. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 20(2), 139-156. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.1178
Rogers, T., & Lasky-Fink, J. (2023). Writing for busy readers: Communicate more effectively in the real world. Dutton.
Veltsos, J. R., & Hynes, G. E. (2022). Managerial communication: Strategies and applications (8th ed.). SAGE.
What the MAN 3730 Module 2 instructions ask for
The second MAN-3730 written assignment is tied to Module 2 on writing effective managerial reports. Expect a prompt that asks you to write a report or to evaluate and improve one. Start with the purpose and the readers, then choose direct or indirect organization deliberately and explain why. Show structure in a table or outline, include sample passages such as an executive summary, and revise style for sentence length, jargon and headings. As always in this course, write objectively in the third person, use APA format and support claims with research beyond the textbook. Keep the report itself an example of the principles it discusses. Show at least one rewritten passage so the improvement is visible.
How this MAN 3730 Module 2 example is built
The paper evaluates the draft against principles before proposing changes, so each revision has a reason. It cites the textbook for organization and two outside sources for style and readability, meeting the syllabus's research requirement. The restructured report appears as a table of sections with content and length, followed by the full executive summary, which lets a mentor see the improvement rather than read about it. Style revisions give before-and-after examples. A short trade-offs section considers when an indirect order would be better. Notice that this paper also follows a direct structure, stating its purpose in the first paragraph. The report practices the economy it recommends.
MAN 3730 Module 2 rubric: what earns full marks
Mentors score MAN-3730 written assignments from 0 to 100 against the course rubric. For report-writing assignments the rubric rewards correct handling of ideas such as purpose, audience analysis and direct and indirect organization, and for revisions that demonstrate the principles. Research beyond the textbook is required where the prompt calls for it, with correct APA citations. The paper should model professional writing: objective third person, consistent tense, no vague pronouns, clear headings. Examples such as a rewritten executive summary or revised sentences earn more than general advice. A paper that criticizes wordiness while being wordy itself undermines its own argument. Before-and-after examples make the strongest case for each revision.
MAN 3730 Module 2 help from the desk
Students often describe what a good report should contain without showing it, or revise a report's wording while leaving its structure unchanged. Our writers can prepare MAN 3730 report-writing assignments based on your prompt or the report you need to improve. Start by writing, in one sentence, what the reader must decide or know. Put that sentence first, then list the evidence the reader needs and nothing else. Move background and detail to appendixes, turn figures into tables and shorten sentences. Finally, ask whether a reader who stopped after the first paragraph could act, and revise until the answer is yes. Read the final draft aloud to catch long sentences.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Thomas Edison State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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MAN 3730 Module 2 questions, answered
Where can I find a free MAN 3730 Module 2 sample paper?
The second Managerial Communications written assignment is shown above: an evaluation and restructuring of a composite distributor's recommendation report for busy executive readers.
When should a managerial report use direct organization?
When readers are likely to be receptive or need to decide quickly, the report should state the conclusion and recommendation first and then give the support.
Does complex vocabulary make a report more persuasive?
No; experiments by Oppenheimer found that needlessly complex words led readers to judge the writing and its author less favorably.
What belongs in an executive summary?
The recommendation, its main costs and benefits, and the decision requested, written so a reader who stops there can act.
What is MAN-3730's Module 2 about?
Writing effective managerial reports: purpose, audience, organization, evidence and style for readers who must act.