MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION

1. FIVE Ws & ONE H OF
REPORT WRITING
A well written report contains five W’s & one H, these
are Who, What, When, Where, Why & How.

2. WHO
• ‘Who was involved?’.
This could take into account both the reader(s) & the writer. In case a
third party is involved, it would account for that too.
Who is going to be my reader?

3. WHAT
• ‘What happened (what’s the story)?’.Clarity along these lines helps in
eliminating any redundancies that might crop up.
• Identification of the genesis of the problem helps in streamlining the
approach.
• E.g. What's the cause of decrease in sales?

4. WHEN
• ‘When did it take place?’. In case it is an analytical report, one would
also need to address oneself to the source & time of the problem
before reaching any conclusion.
• E.g. When am I going to write the report?

5. WHERE
• ‘Where did it take place?’.
• Where would be the reader be at the time when he receives the
report?

6. WHY
• Why did it happen?
• Why should the problem be analyzed?

7. HOW
• How did it happen?
• How it should be done?

8. TYPES OF REPORTS
1. On the basis of Legal Requirement:
I.
Statutory Reports
II. Non-statutory Reports
2. On the basis of Formality
I.
Formal Reports
II. Informal Reports :
a. Short Reports, b. Progress Reports, c. Staff Reports,
d. Justification Reports

9. 3. On the basis of Function :
I.
Informational Reports
II. Interpretive Reports
4. On the basis of Frequency :
I.
Routine Report
II. Special Report
5. On the basis of the nature of the Subject :
I.
Reports by individual
II. Reports by committee or Sub-committees

10. 7. On the basis of Subject Matter :
I.
Marketing Report
II. Accounting Report
III. Production Report
8. On the basis of Length :
I.
Short Report
II. Long Report