Submission Deadline Marks and Feedback

Before 6pm on: 15 working days after deadline (L3, L4, L5 and L6)
xx working days after deadline (Foundation Programme)
13/04/2022

Module title & code
Assignment number and title
Assessment type
Weighting of assessment
Module learning outcomes
English for Employability Skills (EES) ENG 03- 2
1 /Business Report
Individual Report
50%
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.

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:

Setting up a business venture in any country requires understanding its economic, cultural, and social
dimensions to evaluate how conducive the business environment of any country is to take risks. In addition to
these dimensions, rules and regulations governing any business market have deep impact on investors’ or
corporations’ decision to either invest or not in a particular country. A country where it is easy to set up a new
business or expand an existing one, is always a favourable place for investors or multinational corporations.
However, in countries where setting up or running a new business faces numerous challenges, the investors are
usually reluctant to take any risks.

Task:

You are a representative of a multinational company. You are working in its office operating in Oman. The
company is interested in setting up its new branch in the Middle East. To decide which Gulf country the company
should set up its business, the Board of Directors of the company wants to investigate where it is easier to set
up and run business. You, as a representative of the company, have been asked to investigate that and write a
report on “Ease of Doing Business: Oman Vs???” (a country of your choice). The Director of the company,
Mr. Robert Smith, has asked for this report. The report has to be submitted by 6pm on 13 April, 2022 via
Turnitin.

A business report writing structure should be used to present this report and recommendations will be expected
to be produced for each category you select to carry out the investigation. Address the following points in your
report:

1: Select a business of your choice, preferably based on the pathway that you are studying in and provide its
brief background information in the introduction section of your report. You may select a business from IT,
marketing, tourism, oil and gas, accounting and finance, etc., sectors.

2: Select a country of your choice and compare it with Oman in terms of ease of doing business based on the
given categories. Choose any 15 out of the total given categories below and discuss each separately in a short
paragraph.

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

4: Give recommendations (at least 10) to the Board of Directors of the business assisting them to take the
right decision.

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 Category Sultanate of Oman Country of Your Choice
No from the Middle East
Business Friendly, attractive place UAE? Open and
Environment for investors, limited welcoming, greater
opportunities to expand, opportunities, flexible
hurdles to overcome for multinational
companies, tough
competition
1 Govt. Policy to
Attract Foreign
Investment
2 Startup/Capital Cost
3 Startup Time
Required

2
 4 License Procedure
5 Local Sponsorship
6 Rent
7 Target Customers/
Population
8 Taxes
9 Insurance Cost
10 Electricity Tariff
11 Water Cost
12 Availability of Skilled
Workforce
13 Visa Policy for
Foreign
Investors/workforce
14 Staff Pay Range
15 Running Cost
16 Trading Across
Borders
17 Free Zones
18 Security
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 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.

Deliverables
Submission
At the time of submission, you need to make sure that the assignment is your own and all the sources have been acknowledged.

Is there a word limit (Number of Words ± 10%)?

2000 words (+/- 10%) In case of breaching the guidelines, students will be penalised in the form of losing some marks from the
total marks of the assignment. The reduction will be based on the following table: 
10% (+/-)  Fine
11-20% (+/-) 5 Marks Reduce 

3
21-30 (+/-) 10 Marks Reduce 
31-40% (+/-) 15 Marks Reduce
41-50% (+/-) > 20 Marks 
Plus 50%  Fail 

What do I need to do to pass? (Threshold Expectations)

In order to pass, you need to:

 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

How do I produce high quality work that merits a 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.
How does assignment relate to what we are doing in scheduled sessions?

The scheduled sessions will assist you to understand the structure of a business report. Each section of the report will be
elaborated with examples in the class. You will be given a checklist to follow to ensure that you produce a report as taught in
the scheduled sessions.

4
How will my assignment be marked?
Your assignment be marked according to the threshold expectations and the criteria on the following page.
You can use them to evaluate your own work and estimate your grade before you submit.
Sub Standard /
Weighing Poor Satisfactory Good Very Good Excellent Outstanding
No Criterion No Attempt
(%) (20 Marks) (40 Marks) (50 Marks) (60 Marks) (70 Marks) (100 Marks)
(0 Marks)

1 20

2 10

3 10

4 25

5 15

6 10

7 10
How will my assignment be marked?
Your assignment be marked according to the threshold expectations and the criteria on the following page.
You can use them to evaluate your own work and estimate your grade before you submit.
Sub Standard /
N Weighi Poor Satisfactory Good Very Good Excellent Outstanding
Criterion No Attempt
o ng (%) (20 Marks) (40 Marks) (50 Marks) (60 Marks) (70 Marks) (100 Marks)
(0 Marks)
1 Informatio 20 No evidence There is There is an Good attempt Very good Excellent Exceptional
n and for information inadequate attempt to to address the usage of understanding use of a wide
Research search. Tasks Information address some tasks but one variety of relevant range of
are search. Very tasks but some or two tasks information information appropriate
incomplete. No limited other tasks lack focus or from various and research. and current
clear evidence resources are lack proper clarity. Good sources. The Reference to sources. Show
of following used to focus in conceptual usage of appropriate critical
the phases to discuss the discussion. understanding information theoretical awareness of
complete the tasks. Limited Although of writing a can be better background relevant
report. No and uncritical information report but it if it relates to provides concepts.
conceptual use of a range supports the should have the context. support to the Outstanding
understanding of sources task, it is not been more Contents are discussion. conceptual
of writing a Inadequate properly focused. properly Excellent understanding
report. and analysed and it Relevant paraphrased. application of of writing a
unsatisfactory lacks information All tasks are the relevant report and
conceptual paraphrasing search is discussed information clear evidence
understanding at some areas. evident, but properly. from variety of of following all
of writing a There is not adequate. Evidence of sources. phases to
report and satisfactory very good Excellent complete the
unsuccessful conceptual conceptual conceptual task.
completion of understanding understanding understanding
tasks. of writing a of writing a of writing a
report. There report and report. All the
is clear successful tasks are
evidence of completion of discussed with
following tasks. Clear proper focus.
phases such as evidence of Use of a wide
completion of following all range of
the essay and phases in the appropriate
information completion of sources,
indicating

6
 critical
search. the essay. awareness of
their status
and relevance.

2 Developm 20 No evidence of The discussed Satisfactory Good evidence Very good Excellent Evidence of
ent and analysis as tasks are selection of for critical selection of selection of exemplary
Support of well as completely theoretical analysis and relevant relevant understanding
Analysis supporting out of focus. information reasoning in information information of relevant
description. No Task are not and linguistic some areas. and and supporting background
evidence of properly data as well as supporting description. and research.
critical addressed. satisfactory There is description. Excellent Reference to
application of Limited supporting sporadic Very good analysis of the appropriate
the concepts evidence of description. evidence of application of information selection of
to the case. No critical Evidence of critical the and precise information
evidence of evaluation of limited critical evaluation in information to application to provides
critical material. Poor evaluation in some areas the case. the case. support to the
evaluation of selection and some areas, though some There is Critical discussion.
material. analysis of with some lost material not evidence of reasoning is Outstanding
information opportunities evaluated. in-depth evident while selection of
and use of or Good selection analysis of discussing the relevant
supporting misunderstand of relevant data. tasks. information
description. ings information However, all Evidence of and supporting
Although and linguistic tasks are not thorough description
there is data as well as consistent in appreciation
evidence for supporting analysis and and evaluation
some description. could have of relevant
discussion, been be theory and
they are presented in a research and a
discrete and better systematic and
lack focus. It manner. creative
does not Evidence of attempt to
reflect critical very good relate it to the
application of critical topic.
the concepts appreciation
to the case. and
Limited evaluation of
evidence of relevant
critical concept and
evaluation of research and
material. a systematic
attempt to
relate it to the
topic.

7
 Statement of
objective,
introduction,
development,
conclusion and
paragraph Statement of
structure are objective, and Outstanding
satisfactory. introduction, Statement of statement of
Unsatisfactory
Though development objective, objective-
statement of
discussion of and introduction, Outstanding
objective,
Lack of the ideas is conclusion are development introduction,
introduction, Good
statement of clear, a very good. and conclusion development
development statement of
objective, coherent flow The report is are all and conclusion
and objective-
introduction, of thought is well excellent- - Outstanding
conclusion. Good
development not evident. structured Excellent paragraph
Unsatisfactory introduction,
and conclusion The report is and well paragraph structure and
paragraph development
- Lack of unorganized, organized. structure and distinct
structure and and conclusion
paragraph but can be There is distinct representation
3 Structure 25 distinct - Good
structure and read. The flow orderliness in representation of data. The
representation paragraph
distinct of the report the structure of data. The structure is
of the data. structure and
representation structure is that report is well exemplary and
The distinct
of data. The only communicates organized with clear layout
assignment is representation
assignment is satisfactory. its messages a cohesive augments the
poor in terms of data
unacceptable. The clearly. discussion. presentation.
of structuring
assignment Coherence is The structure Overall
and clarity of
has failings in also evident of the report is organisation of
writing.
structuring and but there is excellent. the report is
clarity of still scope for exceptional.
written improvement.
expression,
which impair
its capacity to
communicate
the content.

4 Language 25 No evidence of Unsatisfactory Satisfactory Good Very good Excellent Outstanding

possession of possession of possession of possession of possession of possession of possession of
vocabulary, vocabulary - vocabulary, vocabulary - vocabulary, vocabulary - vocabulary,
use of Unsatisfactory use of a range Good use and use of a range Excellent use use of a range
cohesive use and range of cohesive range of of cohesive of a range of of cohesive
devices, use of cohesive devices, use of cohesive devices -very cohesive devices -
of terminology devices - terminology- devices -Good good use of devices - outstanding
8
 use of
Unsatisfactory terminology -
use of Excellent use
use of terminology- outstanding
Satisfactory terminology - of terminology
and lack of terminology - Very good academic style
academic style Good - Excellent
academic style Unsatisfactory academic - outstanding
and good academic style academic style
and accuracy academic style and accuracy. The
accuracy. - Good - Excellent
style and accuracy report is free
accuracy accuracy
accuracy of grammar or
writing errors.

Satisfactory Outstanding
citation and in-text citation
Unsatisfactory
source and source
citation and Excellent
acknowledgem acknowledgem
source Very good citation and
ent and ent,
acknowledge citation, source
bibliography - bibliography
ment - source acknowledgem
Satisfactory and use of
Unsatisfactory acknowledge ent,
use of appendices as
bibliography ment and bibliography,
appendices well as layout.
and use of bibliography, use of
and layout. Student
appendices - use of appendices
The report recognizes the
Lack of The appendices and layout.
shows some Good citation concept of
citation and references do and layout. The report
compliance to and source intellectual
source not clearly The report demonstrates
HARVARD acknowledgem property, can
acknowledgem comply with demonstrates excellent
Referencing ent, defend himself
Academic ent, the basic a solid HARVARD
5 10 Style, but bibliography if challenged,
Skills bibliography, requirements understanding REFERENCING
shows many and use of and can
use of of HARVARD of the basic STYLE. In-text
errors. appendices - properly
appendices STYLE. The elements of citations are
References Good layout incorporate
and layout references are HARVARD presented at
cited are the ideas and
inadequate to STYLE of relevant areas.
inconsistent published
support the referencing. Consistent use
with the works of
literature used Sources used of relevant and
amount of others into his
in the report. to support the current
literature used own work
Sources used discussions sources that
in the report. building upon
show either are relevant enhance the
Some sources them.
limited and current. discussions.
of information Accurate use
relevance or
are relevant of Harvard
currency.
while others Referencing
are not. style.