You will use this organizational pattern for nearly all of your business writing. It is often referred to as the deductive pattern. It begins with the conclusion or point of the writing and then explains or supports it. Below is an example in which this organizational pattern is not used. The result is that the reader has to read most of the text before knowing what it is all about.
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A recycling function could become a profit center if the recycled items are sold at enough profit. Recycling is good for the environment and helps us to be proactive in doing what will benefit our community and employees. The effort will involve the whole company in a worthwhile project, generating the team spirit and camaraderie we would like to encourage.
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By the time the readers come to the third point, they surmise that this paragraph is about the benefits of a recycling program. However, the readers may not get that idea, and in any event, the writer should guide the readers, not throw ideas at them hoping the readers will organize them into a coherent whole.
The common organizational pattern that the writer should have used is this:
Generalization describing the deduction or conclusion.
Supporting or explaining point 1.
Supporting or explaining point 2.
Supporting or explaining point 3.
This is the same paragraph following this format:
This report concludes that a recycling effort in our company would provide three benefits.
The recycling function could become a profit center if the recycled items are sold at enough profit.
Recycling is good for the environment and helps us to be proactive in doing what will benefit our community and employees.
The effort will involve the whole company in a worthwhile project, generating the team spirit and camaraderie we would like to encourage.
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Notice that the paragraph also broke the list into a numbered list. It could have added order words such as "first," "second," and "finally." Numbering and order words are characteristic of the deductive organization. These are the parts:
Deduction or conclusion: This report concludes that a recycling effort in our company would provide three benefits.
Supporting or explaining point 1
1. The recycling function could become a profit center if the recycled items are sold at enough profit.
Supporting or explaining point 2
2. Recycling is good for the environment and helps us to be proactive in doing what will benefit our community and employees.
Supporting or explaining point 3
3. The effort will involve the whole company in a worthwhile project, generating the team spirit and camaraderie we would like to encourage.
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