This Executive Summary is the first part of a 2 part business writing assignment for this
course/semester. The following general directions apply to both parts of these assignments. Specifics
relative to the Executive Summary are then below…
1. The overall intent of this assignment is to assess the student’s ability to incorporate course
material in critical analysis of a fresh topic.
2. Students are to self-select their topic, but in light of the above, should ensure they have ample
space to engage course material.
3. Students may use an industry, company, technology, trend, social issue, sports/hobby, etc., as
long as they are able to connect to class.
4. Focusing on a published case study or single article will not typically provide enough
scope/material to adequately discuss.
5. Writing and format should be professional in competency and presentation, suitable for
submission in a business environment.
6. A single format guide was provided in Week 1 as an example, but should not be merely used as
a template.
7. Students should conduct cursory internet research into sample business reports, annual
shareholders reports, etc. for other examples.
8. The Bloch Communication Center and UMKC Writing Studio provide additional resources for
those desiring editing assistance.
9. At a minimum, this course assumes acceptable business writing to be 11-12 point font and
single-spaced, with average 1″ margins.
Additional thoughts on Executive Summary content and intent…
1. Bottom line, I am looking for you to show me you “get it” – that you’re digesting our course
material and can apply it to outside material.
2. General business writing philosphy is to keep it “tight” – be concise.
3. Lead with a brief, solid intro – tell me what you’ll tell me – what’s the intent of the document and
why should I read.
4. Then tell me – body of the document should logically follow your intro with historical context,
overview, problem, options, risks, analysis, your recommendation, etc.
5. Conclusion – close with a short summary – remind me what you told me – critical point(s).
6. That same above format/outline will apply to both the Executive Summary and the Final Paper.
7. Specifics of the outline will vary, based on your specific topic/paper. For instance, if you’re
submitting a business plan for a start-up, it’s going to look different than a risk analysis of supply
chains in post-disaster scenarios, or a comparison of design philosophies between Apple and
Samsung, etc., etc.
8. You will likely expand the framework of your Executive Summary into your Final Paper, but this
initial short draft gets you started, primes the pump, and gives us a chance to dialog, if needed,
on format/approach/topic.
9. I expect approximately 2 pages for this Executive Summary, which may also contribute to the 8-
10 page Final Paper deliverable.
10. Be objective, watch out for subjective claims! If you’re using a statistic, where did you find that
data? Cite your reference sources.
11. I typically expect an average of 1 source per page in quantity – for our final paper I expect a
minimum of 6 sources, plus our textbook, if/when relevant.
Lastly, remember to have fun with this assignment! Pick a topic you’re truly interested in. Your passion
for the topic will make it more enjoyable for you to research/write and form me to read/grade. Use this
as a chance to explore something that truly excites you!
Yes, the topic is truly wide open and that is intentional, but can make it a bit challenging to get
traction. Start with something that interests you, that you’re curious about. A new trend in technology
or products or services. Perhaps a company you’ve worked at, aspire to work at, or just respect in
general. Or an industry that fascinates you or that you enjoy. What is it that draws you to those
products/services/companies/industries? Now, ask yourself what areas/topics in this course interest
you more? Then look for intersections between those topics and the companies or industries you’re
investigating.
Picking an existing company can be fine, but make sure you’re looking at their operations and/or supply
chain. I don’t want just a mere history/financial report. What do they do well? What do they
not? What opportunities are there for them to improve? What risks should they be concerned
about? How do they compare to others in their industry? Perhaps compare 2 or 3 specific competitors
and how they reacted to the same challenge/crisis.
I’m not so much concerned with the exact outline/format of the executive summary, as using it as an
opportunity to give you feedback on your choice of topic, writing style, research approach/sources,
etc. By research approach, I mean where are you sourcing your info/data? Obviously wikipedia,
internet, and company websites are fine to get an idea, but I expect specific reference sources to be
cited.
I’ve broken this paper into 2 separate assignments, in large part to get everyone started, so these
questions over topic and format aren’t a stress at the end of the semester. Don’t stress too much on
this first part of the paper. The goal is just to get you thinking and writing!
– I did the first part which is the summary executive about the operation management of finance in business, and you will find it attached here. In the second part, I need you to extend this executive summary of this topic to 8-10 pages.
so you will include the two parts in one essay, the executive summary and the main one that you will write about (8-10 pages). this class is about operation management.