Importance of short reports needs not to be overemphasized. Managers mostly use short reports for their internal communication. Some points highlighting the significance of short reports are presented below:
Importance of Short Report in Communication
Internal communication: Short reports are very useful in communicating internal operational information. Management always collects reports from various departments and divisions to carry out organizational activities.
Preparation and execution of plans: Through short reports, organizations internally exchange information. It helps in preparing up to date plans and execution of those plans.
Routine reporting: There is no alternative to short report for routine reporting. Short reports are frequently and periodically prepared concerning sales, production, inventories, finance, and maintenance and so on.
Performing day to day activities: Through short reports, an organization provides necessary information, guidelines, and instructions to the members of the organization. As a result, they can perform their assigned duties effectively and efficiently.
Talking routine decisions: For taking decisions, people require information. Short report supplies that information to the concerned persons. Hence, making routine decisions become easier.
Integrating various departments and divisions: Another important role of short reports is that they ensure popper integration among the various departments and divisions by building communication network within the whole organization.
Keeping the employees aware: Short reports are also useful to keep the employees aware of organizational affairs. Such reports supply detailed information on various organizational aspects to almost every internal participant.
Increasing employee efficiency: By keeping the employees informed of their duties, responsibilities, and performance, short report makes the employees conscious. It ultimately increases their efficiency.
Enhancing employee satisfaction: Continuous communication with the employees through short reports increases their level of job satisfaction.
Differences between short Report and Long Report
Although short reports and long reports are common in many respects, still some differences exist between them. Some of their differences are highlighted below:
Short Reports
- Need for introductory element: Short reports need little introductory material.
- Dominance of order: Usually shorter reports begin directly with
- Conclusions and recommendations.Writing style: Writing style is more personal in short reports.
- Need for coherence plan: Coherence plan is less important in short report.
- Personal Relationship: In short report personal relationship may exist between the writer and reader.
- Degree of formality: Short reports are informal in nature.
- Nature of problem: It is written for routine and recurring problems.
Long Report
- Need for introductory elements: Long reports contain some introductory materials in sequence.
- Dominance of order: Long report begins with prefatory contents highlighting the problem statement, objectives, scope, methods followed etc.
- Writing style: In a long report, writing style is formal and impersonal.
- Need for coherence plan: Well-designed coherence plan is very important.
- Personal relationship: Personal relationship is unlikely to exist between the writer and reader.
- Degree of formality: Long reports are usually forma in nature.
- Nature of problem: Long report is suitable for complex and non-recurring problems.
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