BBA_Module 2_Report Writing.pptxbgghhbbgg

### The Evolution and Impact of Cricket: A Comprehensive Analysis

#### Introduction

Cricket, a sport that began as a pastime in the fields of England, has grown into a global phenomenon that captivates millions. Its evolution from a rudimentary bat-and-ball game to a sophisticated sport played in various formats reflects the dynamic nature of its history. This essay delves into the historical development, cultural significance, economic impact, and contemporary issues facing cricket, providing a thorough understanding of this beloved sport.

#### Historical Development

##### Origins and Early Development

Cricket's origins are somewhat obscure, but it is widely accepted that the game began in the south-east of England during the 16th century. Early references to the game, then known as "creckett," suggest it was initially played by children. By the 17th century, cricket had gained popularity among adults, and village matches became common.

The 18th century marked a significant period in cricket's development. The establishment of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in 1787 and the formulation of the Laws of Cricket provided a structured framework that facilitated the sport's standardization and growth. These laws, albeit with numerous amendments over the centuries, still govern the game today.

##### Expansion and Globalization

The 19th century was pivotal for cricket's expansion beyond England. The British Empire played a crucial role in spreading the sport to its colonies, including India, Australia, the Caribbean, and South Africa. Cricket became a symbol of British culture, often associated with the ideals of sportsmanship and fair play.

Test cricket, the longest form of the game, emerged during this period. The first officially recognized Test match was played between England and Australia in 1877. This format established cricket as a serious and strategic sport, requiring not only physical skill but also mental resilience and tactical acumen.

The 20th century witnessed further global expansion and the birth of international competitions. The Imperial Cricket Conference (now the International Cricket Council or ICC) was founded in 1909 to oversee international cricket relations and competitions. The establishment of the ICC World Cup in 1975 introduced the One Day International (ODI) format, which significantly increased the game's appeal by offering a more concise and dynamic version of cricket.

#### Cultural Significance

##### National Identity and Unity

Cricket has played a substantial role in shaping national identities, particularly in countries where it is the dominant sport. In India, for instance, cricket transcends regional, linguistic, and religious differences, acting as a unifying force. Icons like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli are not merely sports figures but national heroes who symbolize aspiration and excellence.

In the Caribbean, cricket has been a critical element of post-colonial identity. The success of the We

1. Report Writing Module 2

2. INTRODUCTION Reports are facts and arguments on a specific subject presented in an orderly and systematic manner. Reports assist in decision-making. Some present a review of background information that aids in deciding on a future course of action, while others provide solutions to actual business problems.  Organizing a report requires a thorough understanding of the purpose for which the report is required, the audience that will read the report, and the context or backdrop against which the report is set.

3. How Reports help the managers? Reports are assigned and written to enable managers to make decisions when they cannot directly observe the materials, personnel, and other factors involved in running an organization.  Managers must rely on the observations and reports of others when:  ❚ They are too far removed from a particular operation to observe it directly.  ❚ They do not have time to supervise an operation directly.  ❚ They do not have the technical expertise to make accurate observations.

4. QUALITIES OF AN IDEAL REPORT Reports must be accurate, reliable, and objective for effective decision-making to occur.  Good reports do not merely inform; they give the readers ideas, direction, and answers to pressing problems. It is also said that the recipients of reports, who are usually higher up in the chain of command, assess the credibility of the writer by the quality of the report. Writers need to be free of biases and prejudice. They need to honestly assess whether all the relevant information pertaining to the subject of the report has been included.

5. To achieve accuracy and objectivity in Report Writing  Differentiate between facts and opinions—avoid hasty and ill-conceived generalizations that are not supported by evidence.  Use correct sources of information that are regularly updated. Also cite these wherever necessary. Do not rely solely on one source.  Avoid unfair comparisons and analogies.  As far as possible, test for things which have been assumed. Generalizing hypotheses and stating these to be a norm without accurately testing them makes the research subjective in nature.  Use logic to support arguments. Emotional statements and the excessive use of adjectives and weak verbs make the writing ineffective.  Focus on people and not on the ideas in framing sentences. In essence, make the subject of the sentence the person or the organization, not the idea that one has proposed. The idea then becomes the object of the subject’s focus. For instance, the sentence “* Rightsizing can result in motivating officers who are sincere in their jobs” should ideally be rephrased to “ Sincere officers benefit the most from the proposed rightsizing.” *reduce the size of the company by shedding the staff.

6. DIRECT AND INDIRECT REPORTING STYLES A thumb rule to follow when selecting a reporting style is to select the direct style when: ❚ The writer is sure that the audience will react positively to the direct tone.  ❚ The writer knows the audience well.  ❚ What is written has a positive feel to it.  ❚ The matter is routine The indirect style should be chosen when:  ❚The writer is unsure about the reaction of the audience to the direct tone.  ❚ The writer does not know the audience (when in doubt, it is better to use the indirect style).  ❚ What is written has a negative feel to it.  ❚ The writer wants to build up his or her case.

7. 5 Ws and 1 H A report can only be considered complete if it answers these questions starting with an interrogative word: Who   is it about? What   happened? When   did it take place? Where   did it take place? Why   did it happen? How   did it happen?* * "how" can also be covered by "what", "where", or "when"

8. Reports can be classified according to their requirement in the organization

9. Format/Structure The elements (parts) of a full report, in the order of their sequence in a long, formal report are: Cover Title page Acknowledgements Table of contents Executive summary Introduction Discussion/description Conclusions Recommendations Appendix List of references Bibliography Glossary Index Front Matter Main Body Back Matter

10. In the normal arrangemen t, the conclusions and recommendations are positioned after the discussion. However, business executives are usually short of time and are, therefore, more interested in knowing the conclusions and recommendations of the study. Alternative arrangement follows the below order: Alternative Arrangement: Order of Elements in a Formal Business Report

11. Parts of a Formal Report

12. The Title Page The title page includes the following: The heading (title of the report), which should be short, clear, and unambiguous. The name and affiliation of the author(s). The department and date of issue.

13. Acknowledgements The writer of the report should thank everyone associated with the assignment and preparation of the report. Sample: I thank my organization, PPL Feedback Packaging Limited, for giving me the opportunity to conduct this research project. A special word of thanks to Mr. Suresh Kumar (Director and Chief Executive), Mr. Nitin Khanna (DGM), and the executives of PPL Feedback Packaging Limited for giving me the necessary guidance and help. I also thank all the respondents of the survey, who gave me valuable information to carry out the study. Finally, I wish to thank my colleagues in the marketing department, whose inputs were invaluable to the research.

14. Letter of Transmittal Although the letter of transmittal is usually placed after the title page, it functions as a greeting to the reader. The letter summarizes the findings, conclusions, and recommendations and gives an idea of what is in the report.

15. Table of Contents Long reports must have a table of contents placed after the acknowledgements and before the executive summary. It identifies the topics and their page numbers in the report (or any long document). It indicates the hierarchy of topics and their sequence and mentions the main sections of the report exactly as they are worded in the text.

16. Abstract and Executive Summary An abstract or executive summary comes immediately after the list of tables in the table of contents or on/after the title page itself. A report has either an abstract or an executive summary, based on the length of the report and expectations of readers. A company practice may be to have both an abstract and an executive summary with long reports. A summary: ■ Should give the context of the report ■ Should provide the most important findings, conclusions, and recommendations ■ Should act as a time-saver for busy management executives Management reports use executive summaries instead of abstracts. An abstract is a summary of a report’s most important points. It can be either descriptive or informative and is generally written in about 200 words and in one paragraph. An executive summary gives a more detailed overview of a report than an abstract does. It can run into one or two pages. It presents the reader with a preview of the report’s findings, conclusions, recommendations, and impact on the company. Management executives sometimes need to know just the main contents of a report, especially its conclusions and recommendations, and a detailed synopsis in the form of an executive summary serves this purpose. DIFFERENCE

17. Executive Summary’s Content An executive summary covers all the major elements of a report’s content: 1. Background of the problem 2.Major topics 3.Important details 4.Main conclusions 5.Recommendations 6.Discussion of how implementation of the recommendations would affect the company .

18. Discussion and Analysis of Findings This is the main body of the report, and the collected information is developed in one of the following ways: Chronological development Subject-wise development Concept-wise Development

19. Discussion and Analysis of Findings Chronological development: The information can be arranged in the order in which the events happened. This is the simplest method of presenting information—as a story with a beginning, middle, and end. It requires relatively little planning and organizing. The writer selects and arranges the major topics in the order of their occurrence. Nonsignificant events are left out. This method is usually used for writing short reports, progress reports describing the status of a project, and investigative reports that discuss investigations conducted over a long time and at different places. By discussing each event step by step, the cumulative effect of a variable (factor/ thing) can be seen through the conclusions drawn at suitable intervals.

20. Discussion and Analysis of Findings Subject-wise development The information can also be arranged according to the subjects or topics discussed within the report. The subjects are grouped in a predetermined order to make the presentation of information coherent and logical. When writing a report with several variables, the author should arrange the discussions according to the subjects, explain how each variable affects each subject, calculate the cumulative effect, and then record the cumulative effect in a chronological order. The writer must select a sequence based on the variable they want to recommend or emphasize, either in increasing or decreasing suitability order. They must clearly indicate whether ascending or descending order is being followed before structuring the information.

21. Discussion and Analysis of Findings Concept-wise Development The information can be organized ‘concept-wise’, which means that the writer develops his or her argument and reasoning on the lines of his or her thoughts and can arrange the report by following the logical sequence of the investigation. The writer organizes a report by describing each step in sequence, guiding the argument and forming a complete concept through a well-linked procession of ideas. The concept-wise method involves the writer explaining their reasoning and conclusion in a complex topic, ensuring the reader understands the various concepts used in the conclusion.

22. Glossary A glossary is a list of technical terms used in a report or paper, placed at the end of the report before the index. It explains usage, rules for compounding, abbreviating, and writing difficult words. Commonly confused words due to similar meanings or spellings include diplex and duplex, ground floor and first floor, postpone and cancel, and imply and infer. Common errors in usage include using "many times" instead of "many times", replacing "one of the best options" with "one of the best options", and "comprises of" instead of "for comprises". Words often misspelled, such as agism (age-ism), accomodation (instead of accommodation), and seprate (should be separate), are examples of incorrect spelling. Words with multiple acceptable spellings, like program and programme, are listed in the glossary, with a choice indicated for those like symposiums and symposia. The glossary provides a comprehensive explanation of the usage of words like data, which are often mistakenly used as singular or plural. Data is plural, but also treated as singular in scientific, philosophical, and general use.

23. Appendix The appendix is used to give a variety of information separately when its inclusion in the main body could interfere with the smooth reading of the report. It usually includes the text of questionnaires or other instruments of survey like tables, flow charts, maps, summaries of raw data, and details of mathematical formulation. Each appendix is numerically or alphabetically labelled to help the reader identify the material. The word ‘annexure’ is sometimes used for the appendix. The appendix may also include the distribution list. When a report is sent to several persons, it will contain a list of all the persons who receive a copy. A short distribution list can appear at the foot of the table of contents

24. Bibliography and References The bibliography lists all sources used in preparing a report, including reference documents, previous reports, books, periodicals, and letters. Report writers must cite sources as footnotes (wherever acceptable) or endnotes to avoid plagiarism. Cross-references should be documented without disrupting the argument's flow. Writers can use footnotes or endnotes to provide references, allowing readers to check accuracy and consult original sources. Endnotes are preferred as they are easy to refer to and avoid spacing issues. Each reference to be cited in the endnotes is numbered consecutively as 1, 2, 3, and so on. Accordingly, each reference should have the same number when mentioned in the body of the discussion (In-Text Citation).

25. Index An index (plural indexes or indices) is an alphabetical list of subjects, names, and so on, with references to page numbers where they occur in the report or book. It is usually placed at the end. It should not be confused with the table of contents, which always appears at the beginning of the report or book. In long reports and voluminous works, an index helps the reader locate a subject easily wherever it has been mentioned or discussed in the text.

26. Using Diagrams and Visual Aids in Reports Report writers use tables and graphics such as bar charts, line charts, and pictograms to explain ideas briefly and vividly. Diagrams, like all visual aids, communicate information clearly and effectively with the help of the following: Use of Tables Use of Graphics

27. Use of Tables

28. Use of Graphics Bar Charts A bar chart can be simple or complex. A simple bar chart is used to compare quantities that can be depicted on a scale. A bar chart can be broken up when the quantities are too large to be covered by the chart.

29. Segmented Bar Chart Sometimes bar charts represent more than one item and include several components, which are depicted by segmenting the bars into different parts shown in different colors or cross-hatchings. The labels to identify different parts can be given separately if there is inadequate space along the bars. The segmented bar chart is also known as the component bar chart or subdivided bar chart.

30. Line Charts/Graphs Line charts are useful for showing changes in quantitative data spread over some time. Use the vertical axis to represent amount and the horizontal axis for time. Begin the vertical axis at zero and divide the scale according to the size of the amount to be shown on it. Make both vertical and horizontal gradations equal. That is, all spaces on the amount (vertical) axis should be the same, and all-time scales should be the same. But it is not necessary that the time space and amount divisions be equal. Use proper proportions in the sizes of the vertical and horizontal measures so that the lines drawn are marked by natural slopes

31. Pie Charts A pie chart presents a whole that is divided into various parts. The pie represents the whole, and its segments represent parts of the whole. A pie chart is used to show the relationship among parts only when there are more than two parts forming the whole.

32. Histograms A histogram is a graph of frequency distribution. When drawing a histogram, the variable is always shown on the x-axis and the frequency is determined on the y-axis. A histogram consists of a series of adjacent rectangles, each having a class-interval distance as its width and the frequency distance as its height. The area of the histogram represents the total frequency distribution across the classes

33. *The Art and Science of Business Communication Skills, Concepts, Cases, and Applications -Fourth Edition- P.D. Chaturvedi & Mukesh Chaturvedi