Module 09

Module 09: Proposals, Case Studies and Business Comminication
Posted by: Angelita P. Oblianda
Source: Interactive Technical Writing by P.C.Villamarzo
             http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/research/casestudy/

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 Introduction

           From the previous module, you have learned the skills on conducting and writing research reports. Some of the other technical papers that you may also be asked to write are the proposals, case studies and business communication.  All of these reports are formal and are written differently in terms of content, organization, and style.

The Technical Proposal or Business Proposal

          One of the most important formal reports that you should learn to write is the proposal. Knowing how to prepare a good proposal can spell SUCCESS for you, especially when you shall be practicing your profession. 

          To layman, a proposal could mean anything that is offered. It could be an offering of a suggestion, opinion, help, or service to a friend. In the field of technical profession, however, a proposal is a  " written offer to solve a technical problem in a particular way, under a specified plan of management, for a certain sum of money."This proposal is also known as business proposal. For a non-technical field of study, however, a proposal is a blueprint, a plan, or a particular technique to seek answers or solutions to research questions or problems. It is also known as a research proposal.

The acceptance and the rejection of the proposal will depend on certain factors such as:

1. Clarity

     

     The plan or solution offered is discussed in detail and leaves no doubt in the mind of the client as to how it will be implemented.

2. Practicality

     The solution offered is achievable and will not cause incidental burdens to the client. Often, alternative solution are proffered, too.

3. Efficiency

          The plan considers and explains what is to be done and needed at every stage of the proposal-labor, materials, time-frames, and costs.

         Companies put much importance on business proposals. Excellent proposals can mean bigger revenues or better market-ability of products. Poor proposals can result in disasters to companies. Many companies, therefore, solicit proposals from people they perceive as responsible and efficient; at times, they also receive unsolicited proposals.

         When you write a solicited proposal, realize that you are one among several proponents. You must therefore, adhere to all the requirements of your client such as length, coverage or scope, and number of copies, to name a few. Unsolicited proposals are more exacting, because you have to convince your client that you know and understand their need, and that you are qualified to answer that need.

        Proposals are vary in length. They can be as short as less than 10 pages or as voluminous as 100 pages or more. Whether long or short, in addition to the three factors that have been previously mentioned, all proposals should be factual, correct, courteous, logical, persuasive, and objective.

How will you write a Technical Proposals? The following are the suggested steps:

1. First, study the needs or the problem of the client.
2. Know their requirements such as deadlines, lengths, and scope of proposals, facilities or equipment you can provide, and budget limitations.
3. Draft your proposal and include your objectives, qualifications, and the methods of solving the clients problem.
4. Make it formal by using appropriate language.
5. Include the following parts:

     a. Front matters - title page, table of contents, list of tables and figures, abstracts

     b. Body of proposal - introduction, problem, objectives, procedures, methods of evaluating proposals,
         budget

     c. Additional parts - references, additional figures, tables, or graphs

6. Write the final copy.

The Research Proposal

         Using the scientific method, the researchers begin with a problem around which they formulate questions. Then, they develop hypothesis and predict the answers to their questions. To prove or disprove their hypothesis, they observe, experiment, and, depending on the results, they either accept or reject their hypothesis.

         Adopt this method when you write your research proposal. Begin with the statement of your problem and formulate your hypothesis. You may state you research problem in a series of questions that seek to identify or show the relationship between two or more variables, concept or phenomena related to the problem.

Your research should have the following parts:

1. Chapter 1 : The Problem

         This includes a background of the study that clearly and adequately describes the facts and theories supporting your study, the hypothesis, the significance and scope of your study, and your conceptual or theoretical framework. The conceptual framework differs from the theoretical framework in that the first discusses ideas, concepts and constructs and their relationship between and among variables, while the latter states the theory or the theories underlying the study.

2. Chapter 2 : The Review of Related Literature

        You should provide a summary of all reviewed and critiqued materials in a concise and comprehensive manner. Be sure also to include the latest developments that are related to your study.

3. Chapter 3 : Methodology

       This part explains the design of your study, the criteria, and the procedures to gathering data, the instruments that will be used in gathering data, and the treatment and the analysis of data. You are also required to justify your choice of design, criteria, and procedures, tools, and method of analyzing the data.

The Case Study

A case study is a research method common in social science. It is based on an in-depth investigation of a single individual, group, or event. Case studies may be descriptive or explanatory. The latter type is used to explore causation in order to find underlying principles. They may be prospective, in which criteria are established and cases fitting the criteria are included as they become available, or retrospective, in which criteria are established for selecting cases from historical records for inclusion in the study.

Case study refers to the collection and presentation of detailed information about a particular participant or small group, frequently including the accounts of subjects themselves. A form of qualitative descriptive research, the case study looks intensely at an individual or small participant pool, drawing conclusions only about that participant or group and only in that specific context. Researchers do not focus on the discovery of a universal, generalizable truth, nor do they typically look for cause-effect relationships; instead, emphasis is placed on exploration and description.

Rather than using samples and following a rigid protocol (strict set of rules) to examine limited number of variables, case study methods involve an in-depth, longitudinal (over a long period of time) examination of a single instance or event: a case. They provide a systematic way of looking at events, collecting data, analyzing information, and reporting the results. As a result the researcher may gain a sharpened understanding of why the instance happened as it did, and what might become important to look at more extensively in future research. Case studies lend themselves to both generating and testing hypotheses.

Another suggestion is that case study should be defined as a research strategy, an empirical inquiry that investigates a phenomenon within its real-life context. Case study research means single and multiple case studies, can include quantitative evidence, relies on multiple sources of evidence and benefits from the prior development of theoretical propositions. Case studies should not be confused with qualitative research and they can be based on any mix of quantitative and qualitative evidence. Single-subject research provides the statistical framework for making inferences from quantitative case-study data. This is also supported and well-formulated in (Lamnek, 2005): "The case study is a research approach, situated between concrete data taking techniques and methodologic paradigms."

Case studies typically examine the interplay of all variables in order to provide as complete an understanding of an event or situation as possible. This type of comprehensive understanding is arrived at through a process known as thick description, which involves an in-depth description of the entity being evaluated, the circumstances under which it is used, the characteristics of the people involved in it, and the nature of the community in which it is located. Thick description also involves interpreting the meaning of demographic and descriptive data such as cultural norms and mores, community values, ingrained attitudes, and motives.

Unlike quantitative methods of research, like the survey, which focus on the questions of who, what, where, how much, and how many, and archival analysis, which often situates the participant in some form of historical context, case studies are the preferred strategy when how or why questions are asked. Likewise, they are the preferred method when the researcher has little control over the events, and when there is a contemporary focus within a real life context. In addition, unlike more specifically directed experiments, case studies require a problem that seeks a holistic understanding of the event or situation in question using inductive logic--reasoning from specific to more general terms.

In scholarly circles, case studies are frequently discussed within the context of qualitative research and naturalistic inquiry. Case studies are often referred to interchangeably with ethnography, field study, and participant observation. The underlying philosophical assumptions in the case are similar to these types of qualitative research because each takes place in a natural setting (such as a classroom, neighborhood, or private home), and strives for a more holistic interpretation of the event or situation under study.

Unlike more statistically-based studies which search for quantifiable data, the goal of a case study is to offer new variables and questions for further research. F.H. Giddings, a sociologist in the early part of the century, compares statistical methods to the case study "on the basis that the former are concerned with the distribution of a particular trait, or a small number of traits, in a population, whereas the case study is concerned with the whole variety of traits to be found in a particular instance" (Hammersley 95).

Types of Case Study

1. Illustrative Case Studies

These are primarily descriptive studies. They typically utilize one or two instances of an event to show what a situation is like. Illustrative case studies serve primarily to make the unfamiliar familiar and to give readers a common language about the topic in question.

2. Exploratory (or pilot) Case Studies

These are condensed case studies performed before implementing a large scale investigation. Their basic function is to help identify questions and select types of measurement prior to the main investigation. The primary pitfall of this type of study is that initial findings may seem convincing enough to be released prematurely as conclusions.

3. Cumulative Case Studies

These serve to aggregate information from several sites collected at different times. The idea behind these studies is the collection of past studies will allow for greater generalization without additional cost or time being expended on new, possibly repetitive studies.

4. Critical Instance Case Studies

These examine one or more sites for either the purpose of examining a situation of unique interest with little to no interest in generalization, or to call into question or challenge a highly generalized or universal assertion. This method is useful for answering cause and effect questions.

Business Communication 

        Holy Steil (2000) says that learning the skills of good communication will be the deciding factor in your success or failure in your business as well as your personal relationships. To be understood requires that you take the time to listen to the person with whom you are communicating. Only then can you choose the language to suit the communication situation.

        Memos like letters are written for a variety of purpose such as responding to a request for specific information or action from someone, in relation to a project on which you are working. In addition, many internal reports, such as trip reports, progress reports, and short proposals, may be in memo form.

 For business communication, there are 9 Cs of effective communication (Murphy and Hilderandth, 1998) that you need to implement:

1. Completeness

          Complete message usually bring about desired results.

          Your business message is complete when it contains all the facts that the readers need. The complete information that the readers need not only brings satisfaction but also builds goodwill. Promoting goodwill, after all, is the ultimate purpose of any business communication.

EXAMPLE: 

      Class presidents shall have a meeting on June 16 at 10:00 am at the Dean's office.

 2. Conciseness

          A concise letter includes only the information that is necessary, without, of course, sacrificing clarity and completeness. To achieve conciseness, eliminate wordy expressions and unnecessary repetitions. As Stewart et al. (1999) says, " Beauty is desirable, but it must not be used at the expense of clarity and completeness." 

EXAMPLE:

     wordy: Upon receipt of this letter, I would like you to know that your order will be delivered on the date  

                 stated in your latter.

    concise: Delivery of your sofa and coffee table is set not later than 5 p/m. today, June 6, 2003.

3. Consideration

        This is adopting the "you" attitude in business messages. You have to convey an appreciation of your reader's position by writing information from the standpoint of how it will affect or interest your reader. By emphasizing your reader's standpoint of view, and the benefits of the information to your reader, you create a friendly, helpful tone in your message. Thus, focus in "you" instead of "I" and "we" in your correspondence.

EXAMPLE:

     we-attitude - I want to express my thanks for your participation.

     you-attitude - Thank you for your participation.

4. Concreteness

         Your message is concrete when it is specific, definite, and vivid rather than vague, abstract, and general. Concreteness in communication can be achieved by using specific facts and figures, by putting action in your verbs, and by choosing clear and image-building words.

EXAMPLE:

     abstract and general: This printer prints fast.

     concrete and vivid: This laser printer prints 15 copies per minute.

5. Clarity

        Clear transmission of message is the key to understanding the message you have conveyed. To make your messages clear, you have to do the following:

     1. Present only the idea in each sentence.

     2. Arrange your sentences in such a manner that it is easy for your readers to follow the flow of your 

        ideas. 

    3. Do not jump from sentence to sentence or from topic to topic.

    4. Include examples, illustrations, and other visual aids, when desirable.

EXAMPLE: 

     Confusing paragraph:

                  

         We have been advised that the alottment for the above-numbered policy was filed effective April 1, 2000, but in as much as the premium due March 1, 2000 of P490 has not been remitted and inasmuch as allotment payments are not applicable to premiums due and payable in advance on the effective date of allotment, we hereby request that you contact the insured directly and request payment of this premium date.

     Revision:

        Allotment payments can be applied only to premiums falling after the effective date of allotment. Since the allotment did not become effective on this policy until March 1, 2000, it cannot pay the March 1, 2000 premium of P490. May we ask you to collect it?

6. Courtesy

         Expressions like, "Thank You" and "Please" are always appreciated when they are used sincerely, not mechanically, in oral and written communication. Courtesy, in letter writing, consists in using those words and phrases that indicate a willingness to serve. It likewise means the avoidance of all statements that may offend the reader. It is also a mental attitude , which implies deference, respect, consideration, and helpfulness.

EXAMPLE:

     tactless: We are surprised you are not satisfied with our adjustment for your complaint.
     courteous: We are sorry you were not completely satisfied with the quality of the last shipment of ladies
                     shoes that we sent on January 8, 2003.
     discourteous: We know the difficult times of business nowadays, but we can no longer stretch your
                      credit line. Of course, we shall accept your orders on a cash basis.
     courteous: We appreciate your order and we want your business. We believe, however, that at present,
                      you should not stock up so heavily. It would be better if you place a smaller order and take
                      advantage of our cash discount.

7. Correctness

          Your messages are correct when they are free of all errors in grammar and sentence and paragraph structures. They are also correct if you use appropriate language and accurate facts and figures.

EXAMPLE:

     wrong: In quoting prices to your customers, they should be given your most favorable terms.
     correct: In quoting prices to your customers, you should give them your most favorable terms.

8. Character

         A business letter that has character reveals the individuality and the distinctiveness of the writer's personality. Your letter must, therefore, be free from worn-out and mechanical expressions.

EXAMPLE:

     hackneyed:

           Dear Sir:
   
           We have received your request of April 8 together with your order for 1000 of Italian tiles.
           We wish to state that we will make shipment on this order within a week.
           Hoping for a continuance of your future orders, we beg to remain.

     friendly and personal:

          Dear Mr. Dalisay:

          Thank you for your order of April 8 for one thousand pieces of white Italian tiles . We shall be able to
          make shipment within a week. You will find them to be of the same high quality as the others  we have
          sold you.

         Sincerely yours,

9. Cheerfulness

          The purpose of business communication is to build up, not to break up. Cheerfulness in the business message is writing positively rather than negatively, that is you have to show in your sentences a genuine willingness to serve your readers. Make them feel also that you are able and eager to help them. Regardless of the purpose of your latter, you can make them receptive to your plan by writing in a cheerful vein. Cheerfulness suggests friendliness.
To achieve cheerfulness, you should use positive and tactful language.

EXAMPLE:

     negative: We do not accept returned items with broken seals.
     positive: We accept any returned item with the seal intact.