Assignment 2 Part 1,2,3 - Justification Report

Justification Report, Discuss in detail a problem at work, persuading and convincing the reader that it needs fixing.

Assignment 2.1: Justification Report – Part 1

In Assignments 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3, you will be building up a formal, researched justification report (one part at a time) that culminates in a recommendation to implement a particular product, service, or program in your place of employment. This recommended product, service, or program should resolve a problem that you identify in your workplace and should be directed to your employer (even if you do not actually plan to share it with your employer).

Use the basic outline below to draft Assignment 2. Organize your responses to each question under the following section headings:

·  Problem Statement (for Question 1)

·  Overview of Alternatives (for Question 2)

·  Criteria (for Question 3)

·  Methods (for Question 4)

Using the provided template, write Part 1 of a single-spaced report in which you:

1.  Discuss in detail a problem at work, persuading and convincing the reader that it needs fixing.

2.  Provide a detailed description of two (2) possible solutions (“alternatives”) that could be implemented to resolve the problem identified in Question 1.

3.  List and detail five (5) criteria that you will use to measure the worth of each alternative in Question 2. Note: The alternative that satisfies the most criteria to the highest degree will be the one you recommend later to your employer (in Assignment 2.3). Criteria are standards that the audience values and are therefore used to measure the worth of each alternative (common examples include cost, desirability, durability, efficiency, time it will take to implement, and practicality).

4.  Describe in detail how you will conduct the research needed to determine the best alternative to recommend to your employer. Note: This is a one to two (1-2) paragraph description of what research needs to be completed in order to evaluate the alternatives. This is not a detailed procedure for solving the problem.

Your assignment must:

·  Be typed, single spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

·  Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, your name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

·  Support ideas or claims in body paragraphs with clear details, examples, and explanations.

·  Organize ideas logically by using transitional words, phrases, and sentences.

·  Use sentence variety and effective word choice in written communication.

·  Apply writing process strategies to develop formal business reports and / or proposals.

·  Use technology and information resources to research issues related to selected topics.

·  Write clearly and concisely using proper writing mechanics.

Assignment 2.2: Justification Report - Part 2
In Part 1 of your Justification Report assignment, you built up the following sections: Problem Statement, Overview of Alternatives, Criteria, and Methods. In Part 2, you will revise Part 1 based on your instructor's suggestions and add to it the following sections: Evaluation of Alternatives, Findings and Analysis, and References.

Use the basic outline below to draft your paper. Organize your responses to each question under the following section headings:

·  Evaluation of Alternatives (for Questions 1-3)

·  Findings and Analysis (for Questions 4-5)

·  References (for Question 6)

Using the provided template, write Part 2 of a single-spaced report in which you:

1.  Include and revise the sections from Assignment 2.1 (Problem Statement, Overview of Alternatives, Criteria, and Methods) per instructor suggestions.

2.  Research the two (2) alternatives (i.e. possible solutions) that you've identified in your Part 1 Evaluation of Alternatives section. Record bibliographic information during research.

a.  Example: You might research other organizations that have attempted similar solutions to the problem you have identified and explore the results of those experiments. 

3.  Use what you discover in your research to evaluate each alternative by each of your five (5) criteria.

a.  Example: If your research revealed that four (4) companies similar to yours increased productivity after allowing their workers to telework from home three days per week, you might conclude that one of your suggested alternatives – in this case, the option to telework from home three days per week – satisfies one of your criterion of “Productivity” as a high-potential solution to a problem you’ve identified (of decreased worker morale and productivity at Doe’s Electronics). However, additional research might frustrate a recommendation of this alternative if it is found to fall short of other criteria while a second alternative fares better. For instance, a telework alternative might be found to be too costly to implement; too frustrating for consumers who prefer daily, in-person customer service; or too divergent from the company’s brand, “Always there for you!”

4.  Organize the assignment by your criteria. Explain in narrative form how each of your two (2) alternatives stacks up against your first criterion. Next, explain how each alternative stacks up against your second criterion, etc.

o  Example: An abbreviated outline of what this longer section might look like based on the above example is below (Note: Only the first two [2] of five [5] required criteria are included to give you a feel for the structure). Your researched findings, represented as circled bullets below, should be explained in two to five (2-5) sentences. Include in-text citations and follow up with References in APA style):

Evaluation of Alternatives
Productivity

b. 

o  Alternative A: Telework from home three (3) days per week

o  {narrate findings based on research article 1 here}

o  Alternative B: Offer two (2) extra Floating Holidays to each employee per year

o  {narrate findings based on research article 2 here}

o  Cost

d. 

o  Alternative A: Telework from home three (3) days per week

o  {narrate findings based on research article 1 here}

o  Alternative B: Offer two extra Floating Holidays to each employee per year

o 

o  {narrate findings based on research article 2 here}

5.  Briefly summarize in narrative form the major discoveries that emerged from the Evaluation of Alternatives section.

6.  Include a chart like the ones below to illustrate at a glance:

Figure 1: Alternatives Analyzed by Criteria

7. 
*Feasability = Capability of an alternative being carried out with success

8.  Include an APA style (6th edition) References page that documents the two (2) sources (minimum) that you used and cited in-text in your Evaluation of Alternatives section. You may use secondary resources, or you may include one primary source and one secondary source. Remember that both in-text citations and References must be included (to avoid plagiarism) whenever you are directly quoting, summarizing, or paraphrasing researched material.

Your assignment must:

·  Be typed, single spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

·  Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, your name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

·  Support ideas or claims in body paragraphs with clear details, examples, and explanations.

·  Organize ideas logically by using transitional words, phrases, and sentences.

·  Use sentence variety and effective word choice in written communication.

·  Apply writing process strategies to develop formal business reports and / or proposals.

·  Use technology and information resources to research issues related to selected topics.

·  Write clearly and concisely using proper writing mechanics.

Assignment 2.3: Justification Report – Part 3 (Final)

In Assignments 2.1 (Part 1) and 2.2 (Part 2) of the Justification Report, you built up the major parts of your formal, researched justification report (Problem Statement, Overview of Alternatives, Criteria, Methods, Evaluation of Alternatives, Findings and Analysis, and References). For Part 3 you will begin by inserting your revisions of Parts 1 and 2 based on your instructor’s suggestions. Then, you will include a few new sections. Note: Some sections presented below are out of order so pay attention to where the section should go (for instance, the Transmittal should be the second page of your report based on the provided template). It is essential that you present the final report in the correct section order.

Use the basic outline below to draft your paper. Organize your responses to each question under the following section headings:

• Preliminary Parts (for Question 1)
• Introduction (for Question 2)

· 

• • Problem Statement (for Question 2b)
  • Terminology (for Question 2c)
  • Major Sections of the Report (for Question 2d)
  • Scope and Limitations of the Research (for Question 2e)
• Recommendation (for Question 3)
• References (for Question 4)

Using the provided template from Week 7, write Part 3 to complete a single-spaced report in which you:

1. Create the preliminary parts of the report that precede the Introduction (after reading Chapter 11 in the textbook). Each element (1a to 1d) appears on a separate page (1a should be page 1, 1b should be page 2, etc.). The preliminary part includes:
   1. Title Page
   2. Transmittal (stand-alone business letter)
   3. Table of Contents
   4. Executive Summary
2. Create an introduction that tells what your report is about. The introduction includes:
   1. Begin with a general introduction paragraph that gives the reader any needed background information on the company or problem.
   2. Include the Problem Statement that you already created and revised in Part 1.
   3. Include terms that readers will need to know in order to understand the report.
   4. Briefly summarize the major sections and findings of the report developed in Parts 1 and 2. Note: This is in addition to including the revised sections not instead of including the revised previous sections from Parts 1 and 2.
   5. Discuss what your report will cover and what it will not (including limitations such as research, time, information, or any other factors the reader should consider when reading the report).
3. Create the Recommendation section of the Report.
   1. Provide a one to two (1-2) sentence recommendation based on what your Evaluation of Alternatives and Findings and Analysis sections have determined is the most feasible alternative (i.e., solution) to the problem in the Problem Statement.
4. Create the References section, which goes at the end of the Report by pasting in your revised References page.

Note: Remember to organize the report by the section headings. The report should reflect a style and format appropriate for business; single spacing and bullet points are acceptable for formal business reports.

Your assignment must:

• Be typed, single spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, your name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Support ideas or claims in body paragraphs with clear details, examples, and explanations.
• Organize ideas logically by using transitional words, phrases, and sentences.
• Use sentence variety and effective word choice in written communication.
• Apply writing process strategies to develop formal business reports and / or proposals.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues related to selected topics.
• Write clearly and concisely using proper writing mechanics.