MGT 305: Organizational Communication
Sources for Formal Report Assignment
This assignment guide was created to assist students in locating sources to complete reports on a local area industry.
The guide focuses on suggested strategies and best places to begin research efforts. For information & assistance in using any of the sources, please contact library staff:
Assignment:
An unnamed international corporation is seeking input from the Mobile Chamber of Commerce to determine if it will locate a manufacturing facility in Mobile County. You are one of several contractor researchers who will be reporting on an existing area industry. You will investigate one of a number of companies (listed below) and write a formal informational business report to the Vice President of Economic Development at the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce.
Research should include information regarding the company in general: an overview of
the company background, annual sales, market share, sources of revenue, number of employees, customers, competitors, locations, products and/or processes, and important decisions that have affected the company.
This is an informational report and will not require an analysis of the data. You will be highlighting information you find out about the various aspects of the company.
In addition, you will need to include local information, based on press releases and media articles, future projects, workforce issues, personnel changes, crisis events, and community involvement.
Back To Top
Company Home Page:
Most companies provide information via their virtual storefront or Web page including annual reports, product information, company history, webcasts, and news releases. Look for a link to 'Investor Relations' or 'About Our Company'.
Most company websites follow this URL format: http://www.companyname.com
Note: Contact the company for more information or set up an interview to speak to someone.
Back To Top
Company Profiles & News
Business & Company Resource Center
A comprehensive database for industry and company information including company profiles, company brand information, rankings, investment reports, company histories, chronologies, and periodicals. Search this database to find detailed company and industry news and information. Coverage is from 1980 to the present.
- Click on the 'Company' graphic from the database home page.
- Enter a company name, choose 'ultimate parent', then click on 'Search'.
- From the results list, click on the specific company.
- Review the tabs across the top of the screen for all the types of information provided on this company within this database including news, company history, investment reports, financials and products.
- Review the tabs across the top of the screen and click on 'Rankings' for access to sources such as Business Rankings Annual and Market Share Reporter.
- Click on the 'Company Profile' tab at the top of the screen and look to the left of the screen for company news broken down by topic/functional area (products & services, sales & marketing, statistics, strategy and planning).
Proquest Newspapers (Includes Barron's and the Wall Street Journal)
For Company News:
- Click on the 'Advanced Search' tab at the top of the search page.
- In the first search box, use the pull-down menu and select 'Company/Org' and enter a company name.
- In the remaining search boxes, use 'Citation and Abstract' and enter any additional keywords that will help narrow your results such as marketing, human resources, strategy, etc.
- If you want the articles to come from a specific publication such as the Wall Street Journal, enter the publication title in the form under 'More Search Options'.
- Click the gold 'search' button.
- After viewing results, click on 'Refine Search' at the top of the screen to modify or add terms to your search or click on any of the 'Suggested Topic' links.
Back To Top
Local Business Sources
AlaWeb: the Official Alabama homepage
Business in Alabama
City of Mobile
County of Mobile
Visit the Mobile Chamber of Commerce in person or on the web. See the link to Economic Development for a wealth of resources and data such as an economic overview, demographic and statistical data, international trade leads, as well as business information.
Alabama Business
MCOB Business Library, Magazine Area (Current 2 Years Only)
Alabama Dept. of Industrial Relations
Business View (Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce)
MCOB Business Library, Magazine Area (Current 2 Years Only)
Mobile Bay: An Economic Overview
NewsBank (Mobile Register)
For Company News from the Mobile Register Newspaper:
- Click on Press-Register from the home page.
- In the first search box type the name of your company and use the pull-down menu to select Lead/First Paragraph.
- Click the red 'search' button next to the search box.
Statistical Abstract: Mobile Bay Area (Mobile Chamber of Commerce)
Back To Top
Industry Sources
Business & Company Resource Center
A comprehensive database for industry and company information including company profiles, company brand information, rankings, investment reports, company histories, chronologies, and periodicals. Search this database to find detailed company and industry news and information. Coverage is from 1980 to the present.
- Click on the 'Industry' graphic from the database home page
- Enter the SIC Code or NAICs Code or Industry Description and click on 'Search'
- From the results list, click on specific industry overview sources.
- Review the tabs across the top of the screen for further information including news, investment reports, rankings, etc.
Standard & Poor's Industry Surveys via S&P NetAdvantage
Hundreds of industries are profiled and analyzed. Current trends are discussed and leading companies identified. Discussions are illustrated with graphs and tables. Other sources of information are listed for each industry.
- At the top right of the screen, see the Publication Search box .
- Select 'Industry Survey' from the Select Publication drop-down menu.
- Select ticker or company name from the Search By drop-down menu.
- Enter your company's name or ticker symbol in the text box and click on the gold arrow.
- When the Industry Survey section appears on the screen, choose PDF format from the left menu bar.
- Also review other industry sources listed at the bottom of the left menu bar.
Note: If you do not find your industry using the company or ticker symbol search, go to the S&P NetAdvantage home page and look to the right side of the page for 'Quick Links'. Use the drop-down menu to select an industry description.
Back To Top
APA Citation Style Manuals
[For assistance in writing your papers, contact the University Writing Center.]
American Psychological Association (APA) Format (Purdue)
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th ed.
MCOB Reference BF 76.7 .P83 2010
Other
Mitchell College of Business Handbook, University of South Alabama
MCOB Reference, 2 Hour Reseve Building Use Only, PE 1408 .K6746 2007
APA Documentation Style begins on pg. 445.
Online Citation Tools:
BibMe
Microsoft Word 2007:
Look under the 'References' tab at the top of the screen. Choose 'APA' using the pull-down menu next to 'Style'. Next, click on 'Insert Citation' and 'Add New Source'. Choose your format and check off 'Show All Bibliography Fields'. Enter required information.
Back To Top
Last Updated: 9/17/09 DLH
