Description
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
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.
Serial No
Category
E-Business
Brick and Mortar (Face-to-Face) Business
Example
Time
24/7, throughout the year
Convenient for customers to buy at any time, difficult for business to respond immediately – waiting time may increase to upset the customer
Limited hours
Customers to follow business schedule, face-to-face response, no waiting time
1
Convenience to Set Up
2
Setting up Cost
3
Scalability – Target Customers
4
Operations Management
5
Legalization Process
6
Space Limitation
7
Sale
8
Security
9
Technical Issues
10
Technical Literacy of Customers
11
Trust – Product Quality
12
Payment Methods
13
Customers’ Experience/Feedback
14
Product Delivery
15
Growth Opportunities
16
Currency Exchange
17
Innovation
18
Competition
2: Specific Instructions: As a future entrepreneur (you):
Collect data by browsing websites.
Do not have to prepare a questionnaire to collect data.
Must select at least 15 points out of the total presented above in your analysis.
Present the analysis following the structure of a business report you have been taught in class.
Use categories/sub-categories as headings and present the analysis in the form of paragraphs.
You MUST have your own contribution/analysis to secure good marks.
Give references, in case you obtain some data from websites, newspapers, etc., using Harvard Style of Referencing.
You MUST summarise or paraphrase the text you obtain from different sources.
more detail will be given
Unformatted Attachment Preview
What am I required to do in this assignment?
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 18th 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.
Serial No
Category
Example
Time
1
Convenience to Set Up
2
Setting up Cost
3
Scalability – Target
Customers
4
Operations Management
5
Legalization Process
6
Space Limitation
7
Sale
8
Security
9
Technical Issues
10
Technical Literacy of
Customers
E-Business
Brick and Mortar
(Face-to-Face)
Business
24/7, throughout the year
Limited hours
Convenient for customers to
buy at any time, difficult for
business to respond
immediately – waiting time
may increase to upset the
customer
Customers to follow
business schedule, faceto-face response, no
waiting time
11
Trust – Product Quality
12
Payment Methods
13
Customers’
Experience/Feedback
14
Product Delivery
15
Growth Opportunities
16
Currency Exchange
17
Innovation
18
Competition
2: Specific Instructions: As a future entrepreneur (you):
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Collect data by browsing websites.
Do not have to prepare a questionnaire to collect data.
Must select at least 15 points out of the total presented above in your analysis.
Present the analysis following the structure of a business report you have been taught in class.
Use categories/sub-categories as headings and present the analysis in the form of paragraphs.
You MUST have your own contribution/analysis to secure good marks.
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.
How do I produce high quality work that merits a higher grade?
Provide guidance on how the student can achieve higher grade.
You need to do the following to produce high quality work that merits a higher grade:
• Follow the report structure taught in the class.
• Use the check list to ensure you follow the given instructions
• Write clearly using correct grammar and appropriate writing style.
• Read the attached rubric to understand how the reports will be marked.
Criteria
Information
and Research
➢
Completion of
Tasks, Detailed
information
search (20 %)
Substandard
Poor
Satisfactory
0
20
40
There is no
evidence
for
information
search/
Tasks are
incomplete.
➢
➢
Understanding
of Issues (20
%) Reference
to appropriate
theoretical
background,
illustrations.
Application
and Analysis
➢
➢
(35%).
Detailed
discussion on
the
tasks
involved
and
critical
awareness
Presentation
and structure
(15%)
Clear
introduction,
➢
No
evidence of
understand
ing
the
issues.
Lack
of
analysis of
information
.
No
discussion
is evident.
The report
is
unorganize
d to the
point
of
being
Sources
not used
to
support
substanti
ve
assertion
s
or
argument
s.
➢
Information search
is evident. There is
an
attempt
to
address
some
tasks. All the tasks
lack proper focus
in discussion.
➢
Although
the
information
supports the task,
some of it is not
properly analysed
and
lack
paraphrasing
at
some areas.
Informati
on search
is
not
adequate.
Very
limited
resources
are used
to discuss
the tasks.
➢
Limited
and
uncritical
use of a
restricted
range of
sources
➢
Limited
evidence
of
understa
nding the
issues.
➢
The
discussed
tasks are
completel
y out of
focus.
➢
Task are
not
properly
addresse
d.
➢
Limited
evidence
of critical
evaluatio
n
of
material.
➢
Poor
analysis
of
informati
on.
Although
there
is
evidence
for some
discussio
n,
they
are
discrete
and
lacking
focus. It
does not
reflect
critical
applicatio
n of the
concepts
to
the
case.
➢
➢
Use of a range of
appropriate
sources.
but
without
critical
evaluation,
or
missing
some
significant items
➢
Evidence
of
a
general
critical
stance. Evidence
of limited critical
evaluation in some
areas, with some
lost opportunities
or
misunderstandings
.
➢
➢
The
assignme
nt
has
unaccept
able
General
understanding of
the various issues.
Some reference to
related theoretical
background
is
evident.
Though discussion
of the ideas is
clear, a coherent
flow of thought is
not evident.
➢
Relevant
information
search
is
evident, but not
adequate.
➢
There is a good
attempt
to
address
the
tasks.
➢
All the tasks are
discussed
but
one or two tasks
lack focus or
clarity.
➢
➢
➢
➢
Good
understanding of
the
various
issues. Majority
of the tasks show
evidence of good
understanding of
related
appropriate
theoretical
background.
There is good
evidence
for
critical analysis
and reasoning in
some areas.
Evidence
of
critical
evaluation
in
some
areas,
although
some
material
not
evaluated.
Evidence for a
coherent
presentation
is
evident,
but
lacks uniformity
Outstanding
Very good
Good
50
Excellent
70
60
➢
Very good
usage
of
variety
information
from
various
sources.
Contents
are
properly
paraphrase
d.
The
usage
of
information
can
be
better if it
relates
to
the
context.
➢
Excellent application of the
relevant information from
variety of sources. Excellent
usage and quoting of the
literature
at
relevant
discussions. All the tasks are
discussed
astutely
with
proper focus.
➢
Use of a wide range of
appropriate
sources,
indicating critical awareness
of their status and relevance.
Evidence
of
excellent
understanding of relevant
theory
and
research.
Reference to appropriate
theoretical
background
provides support to the
discussion.
Some
illustrations
that
support
the
theoretical
background are evidenced in
the discussions.
Excellent analysis of the
information
and
precise
application to the case.
Critical reasoning is evident
while discussion of all the
tasks.
➢
All
tasks
are
discussed
properly.
➢
Evidence of
very good
understand
ing
of
relevant
theory and
research in
all tasks.
➢
Use of a
wide range
of
appropriate
sources
with some
critical
awareness
of
their
status and
relevance
➢
➢
➢
➢
➢
Very good
application
of
the
information
to the case.
There
is
evidence
for in-depth
analysis of
data.
However,
all tasks are
not
consistent
in analysis
and can be
presented
in a better
manner.
➢
Evidence of
good
critical
appreciatio
n
and
evaluation
of
relevant
theory and
research
and
a
systematic
attempt to
relate it to
the topic
The report
is
well
organized.
There
is
orderliness
in
the
➢
➢
Evidence of thorough critical
appreciation and
evaluation of relevant theory
and
research
and
a
systematic and
creative attempt to relate it
to the topic
➢
The report is well organized
with a cohesive discussion.
The structure of the report is
excellent.
100
➢
Exceptional use of a wide range of
appropriate
and
current
sources,
focusing on research based reviews
indicating personal research and critical
awareness of their status and relevance.
➢
Evidence of exemplary understanding of
relevant theory and research. Reference
to appropriate theoretical background
provides support to the discussion.
Illustrations are provided that amplify
the theoretical background.
➢
➢
Critical reasoning is consistently evident
across the discussions. The tasks have
exemplary discussion and detailed
narration.
➢
The structure is exemplary. Execution is
excellent. Discussions are free of
grammar or writing errors. A clear
layout augments the presentation.
logical
structure,
reference
to
appropriate
theoretical
background,
illustrations,
good use of the
limited number
of
words
allowed, clear
layout, overall
organisation of
the report.
References
(10%)
➢
virtually
unreadable
.
Lacks
cohesion
and orderly
flow.
failings in
structurin
g and / or
clarity of
written
expressio
n
➢
➢
The
references
do
not
clearly
comply
with
the
basic
requiremen
ts
of
HARVARD
STYLE
format.
➢
➢
The
report is
difficult to
read due
to
overwhel
ming
errors or
misspellin
gs
The
reference
s do not
clearly
comply
with the
basic
requirem
ents
of
HARVARD
STYLE
format.
The
reference
s
are
inadequat
e
to
support
the
literature
used
in
the
report.
Sources
used
show
limited
relevanc
e
and
currency
.
➢
➢
➢
➢
➢
➢
The
report
is
unorganized, but
can be read. Poor
flow of the report
structure.
The
assignment
has
failings
in
structuring and /
or clarity of written
expression, which
impair its capacity
to communicate
throughout
essay.
➢
➢
Frequent
compositional
errors
or
misspellings, but
the report can be
read
The report shows
some compliance
to
HARVARD
STYLE referencing,
but shows many
errors.
The report is
somewhat
organized. The
flow
is
not
coherent
and
needs
improvement.
While
the
assignment has
some failings in
structuring and /
or
clarity
of
written
expression,
these
do not
impair
its
capacity
to
communicate.
➢
More
than
occasional errors
or misspellings.
➢
The
report
demonstrates a
basic level of
HARVARD STYLE
referencing, but
still
contains
major
deficiencies. No
sophistication is
evident
i.e.
Websites do not
follow
Harvard
Referencing
style.
Majority of the
sources
are
relevant
and
current.
Very
few
references quoted
which
are
inconsistent with
the
amount
of
literature used in
the report.
Some sources of
information
are
relevant
while
others are dated.
the
➢
structure.
Coherence
is
also
evident but
there is still
scope
for
improveme
nt.
➢
A generally
wellstructured
and
expressed
assignment
,
that
communica
te clearly.
➢
Well
executed.
Few
grammar or
writing
errors.
Reads
easily. Is
fairly well
organized
➢
The report
demonstrat
es a solid
understand
ing of the
basic
elements of
HARVARD
STYLE
formatting.
In-text
citations if
presented
at relevant
areas
will
lend more
appropriate
ness to the
report.
Sources
used
to
support the
discussions
are
relevant
and
current.
➢
➢
An assignment whose clear
structure and expression
significantly enhances its
argument
➢
Reads
easily.
organized
➢
The report demonstrates
excellent HARVARD STYLE
formatting
skills.
In-text
citations are presented at
relevant areas.
Consistent use of relevant
and current sources that
enhance the discussions.
➢
Is
➢
Excellent overall organisation of the
report.
➢
Accurate use of Harvard Referencing
style.
➢
Student recognizes the concept of
intellectual property, can defend him /
herself if challenged, and can properly
incorporate the ideas / published works
of others into their own work building
upon them.
➢
Skillful use of credible, relevant and
current sources of information that
augments quality of discussion.
well
Checklist for a Report – Structure & Content
Title Page
• Logo of Majan University College
• Title of the Report (Bold)
• Submitted by: Student Number
• Submitted to the person who has asked for the report.
• submission date
• Word Count (do not include bibliography)
Table of Content
• Headings /Subheadings with page numbers
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.
Arrange in alphabetical order.
Appendix
•
Attach any extra details such as graph, chart, table, etc.
Purchase answer to see full
attachment
