English for Employability Skills

1. Knowledge and understanding
Know how to communicate professionally in the business world using both verbal and written communication within and across organizations

2. Skills and abilities
Demonstrate the ability to effectively use English language skills required to successfully enter as well as to succeed in your professional life.
You are required to write a business report individually on the given topic following the instructions given below. You need to read the scenario and the task carefully prior to writing the report.

Scenario:
Brick and Mortar, and e-businesses each hold their own significance in today's tech savvy marketplace. With the invention of various e-commerce platforms or marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, Alibaba, shopify, etc., businesses worldwide have witnessed a boom in economic activities. E- businesses go beyond the geographical boundaries and offer unparalleled ease and opportunities to browse a range of products at anytime from anywhere while brick and mortar businesses foster customers' trust and loyalty as they get a chance to touch and feel the product before making any purchase decisions. Where both the types of businesses have pros and cons, a young entrepreneur
gets confused about which one is a better option for him/her to start an entrepreneurial venture.

Hence, there is a need to investigate which business option is more sustainable in today's technically advanced marketplace.

Task:
You are working in Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Development Authority Oman and have been assigned a task to draw a comparative SWOT analysis of one E-business and one brick and mortar business in Oman. You are required to produce a 2000-word business report on "E-Business Vs Brick and Mortar Business: A Comparative SWOT Analysis". You should select ONE E-Business and ONE Brick and Mortar business of the same category in Oman (e.g., an online Abaya store vs a local abaya shop) and draw a comparative SWOT analysis based on the categories given in the table below. The purpose of the report is to evaluate strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of each type of business you select and give recommendations to young Omani entrepreneurs to help them take more informed decision about their future entrepreneurial ventures. The Head of the SMEs Development Authority Oman, Hajer AL-Majarafi, has asked for this report. The report has to be submitted by 6pm on 8 th April 2024 via Turnitin.

A business report writing structure should be used to present this report and recommendations will be expected to be produced for different categories you select to draw comparative analysis to help the local business.

1. Select ANY ONE E-business and ONE brick and mortar business of your choice preferably related to your pathways (e.g., businesses in the IT, finance, oil, and gas, etc., sectors) and provide brief background information in the introduction section of your report. You MUST FOLLOW the checklist attached to this assessment brief to produce your report.

2. Organize your report based on the structure taught in the class.

3. Give recommendations (at least 10) to the young Omani Entrepreneurs assisting them to decide which business option is better for them.

4. Consider the following prompts to structure your thoughts. You may want to add more points to the following list ONLY in consultation with your class lecturer. You should use the following table to collect data and attach it as an appendix at the end of the report.

2: Specific Instructions: As a future entrepreneur (you):
1. Collect data by browsing websites.
2. Do not have to prepare a questionnaire to collect data.
3. Must select at least 15 points out of the total presented above in your analysis.
4. Present the analysis following the structure of a business report you have been taught in class.
5. Use categories/sub-categories as headings and present the analysis in the form of paragraphs.
6. You MUST have your own contribution/analysis to secure good marks.
7. Give references, in case you obtain some data from websites, newspapers, etc., using Harvard Style of Referencing.
8. You MUST NOT use the data taken from another student at Majan.
9. You MUST summarise or paraphrase the text you obtain from different sources.

- Demonstrate the skills to collect relevant data from various sources
- Show the skills to analyse the data collected from various sources

Produce a business report following the structure taught in the class

1.0 Abstract/Executive Summary
What is the purpose of the work?
What methods did you use for your research?
What were the main findings?
What were the main conclusions?
What were the main recommendations?

2.0) INTRODUCTION
Briefly describe the context.
Describe the main issue/the general subject matter.
Write the purpose of the report in more details.
How the report will examine the issue.
What are the main questions that the report will address?
Preview the report structure.
Comment on the limitation of the report, if any.
Terms of Reference (at the end of introduction).
Who has asked for the Report?
When is it to be submitted?
How is it to be submitted? (via Turnitin)

3.0) Findings & Discussions
Headings and sub-headings which reflect the contents of each section.
Findings of the report and discussion in light of the given categories/different aspects of the topic.
Comparison, advantage/ disadvantage (according to the given task).
Present analysis using appropriate language.
Discussion should be subdivided into logical sections.
Each section must be numbered.
Use appropriate vocabulary/ linking words as per different sections of the report.

4.0) Conclusion
Your conclusions should be either in paragraph form or in bullet points with no new arguments or evidence.
Sum up the main points of your research - Link it with the purpose of the report.
Ensure that you mention the main issues identified as a result of your analysis form the findings section.
Check if all the discussion points have been wrapped up and if all the questions in the task have been addressed.

5.0) Recommendations

Should appear in sequence with the order of points in the list of conclusions or according to its importance.
Should provide a response to each problem identified in the list of conclusions.
Should be action-oriented, concise, and clear.
Should also be realistic and feasible within the social, economic, and political climate.
Present each recommendation separately and begin with a "verb".
Suggestions for further research
References (Reference List or Bibliography)
Full details for any works you have referred to in the report, including books, journals, websites and other materials in Harvard Referencing Style.