3. – “To determine the causes of decreasing sales at Company
X…”
• Question (interrogative) statement (purpose):
– “What are the causes of decreasing sales at Company X?”
11-4
State Problem and Purpose
Three types of factors:
• Subtopics cover important topic areas in informational and
some analytical reports
• Hypotheses explore possible explanations or solutions in
problem-solving situations
• Bases of comparison are used to evaluate alternatives using
common criteria
11-5
Determine Factors and Purpose
Purpose statement:
To review operations of IBM from 01 January 2018 to 31
December
2018.
4. Subtopics:
1. Production
2. Sales and promotion
3. Financial status
4. Computer systems
5. Product development
6. Human resources
11-6
Sample Purpose and Subtopics
Purpose statement:
To find out why sales at the XYZ store have declined.
Hypotheses:
1. Activities of the competition have caused the decline
2. Changes in the economy of the area have caused
the decline
3. Merchandising deficiencies have caused the decline
4. Changes in the environment (population shifts,
political actions, etc.) have caused the decline