International Marketing REPORT

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· Weight: 50%

· Criteria & Marking:

Common access internet sites such as Wikipedia and Google Scholar are NOT acceptable as reference sources.

A range of library links for academic, industry and government sources will be discussed in the Report Workshop.

Marking Criteria:

Report Presentation (Writing Style) = 10 marks

Analysis & Synthesis = 20 marks

Persuasiveness (Promotional Concept & Distribution Strategy) = 20 marks

Submission of the report MUST be prepared and completed as follows:

1. Follow the format of the BRW online example business report;

2. Safe Assign submission - this is a MANDATORY requirement;

3. All assignments must be submitted by 3/11/2014

4. Paper copies and email copies will NOT be accepted.

Students are reminded that ALL assessment items must be attempted to pass this course.

· Description:

Report length 2500 words (Excluding Exec. summary, TOC, references and appendices).

What is a business report?

One of the most useful skills you can acquire as a business student is the ability to write business reports. A business person who can write good reports has the ability to describe and give a detailed analysis of a circumstance and provide realistic recommendations to the given task.

Business reports may be research based, analytical in nature or a combination of both. The audience for a business report is mainly directed internally and to decision makers in an organisation.

Effective business reports are:

· Usually longer (+1500 words)

· involve extensive research, including analysis and description

· provide an accurate presentation of information;

· objective;

· clear and concise;

· goal directed;

· a structured document with numbered sub headed sections

· provide a conclusion

· and include practical and actionable recommendations.

Business reports, technical reports, research and analytical reports all have the same basic structure. Please check with your lecturer as to the exact requirements for your course.

Structure of a business report
Preliminary section	This section includes all the initial information required before the actual discussion.
Body of Report	This is where the main discussion is shown. It begins with the Introduction and end after the conclusion and recommendations.
Supplementary material	This section includes additional information that supports the discussion and is referred to in the body of the report.

Action 1 Plan and Organise

An effective business report is an accurate presentation of information and is objective, it is clear and concise and goal directed. Before you write... You need to plan and organise your materials

1. Planning

Please make a plan, list and know the answers to the following questions:

Objectives	Who wants the report? What do you want? What does the question ask me to do?
Scope and limits	Why do they want it? What needs to be included? (Recommendations?)
Audience	Who will read it? Who will see it?
Time line	When do they want it?
Method	How will I do it? What information will I use? Where from?
Marking criteria	Have I checked the marking criteria document?

2. Gathering and analysing information

Gathering	Information from secondary research. Gather your information from credible sources: industry reports, government papers, academic articles, research reports and websites. Griffith Library Search
Organising	Keep information organise, referenced and focused to the mandatory assessment elements.
Combining	Summaries, market profiles, concepts and strategies
Analysing	Interpretation of information, what concepts and strategies can be used. Prepare charts, tables, figures and summaries.
Evidence	Using evidence adds credibility – ensure it is relevant and references properly Insert photos, diagrams and samples in text or appendix (number, label and cite reference).

3. Decision making

Findings	Make decisions about your findings ... What do they reveal?
Relevance	Which are the most relevant to your report?
Audience	Where do they lead your thinking?
Outcomes	What are your recommendations or future directions that your findings suggest? What do you now understand about the topic concepts? What is your interpretation of the requirements? What do you report findings indicate?

4. Develop and refine your plan

Identify	Identify your section headings, subject topics and issues to be covered.
Decide	Decide on a logical order.
Clarify	Clarify main ideas, link supporting evidence and references.
Compare	Compare the draft with your terms of reference. Check the question and criteria sheet.
Consider	What 'tone' is appropriate to use for this style of writing?
Review	Review the question criteria sheet again, to identify that you have the correct outline and have addressed the task objectives.

Action 2 Writing the report

Structuring, drafting and writing the report

1. Preliminary sections

Letter of transmittal	Letter of Transmittal or Internal Memorandum (if required)
Title page	Remember to showcase your work – include a title page and acknowledgements (if required)
Executive summary	Briefly sums up the document and condenses the document. Uses 4 key paragraphs to overview your report to the reader.
Table of contents	This provides a clear structure of the report and shows your logical approach and analysis in the report. Sections must be numbered and match the page numbers in the document.

2. Body of the report

Introduction	Capture the reader's attention. State the background, aims, scope and any limitations or assumptions in relation to your report.
Discussion	Sub divide sections as necessary and use of figures and tables is recommended to enhance the readers understanding
Conclusion	A summary of the key points from your discussion. No new information should be introduced in this section.
Recommendations	Describe a clear course of action. They should be practical, realistic and actionable.

3. Supplementary parts

References	All sources that have been used must be acknowledged in the report and included in this list. Remember to check the referencing style requested for your course?
Appendices	Additional graphical, statistical or other supplementary material that will help the reader to understand your report fully. Each item should be clearly labelled (e.g. Appendix A) and referred to in the body of the report.

Action 3 Editing and presenting the report

1. Editing and polishing the presentation of your report

Revisit	Return to step 1 and review your plan and the marking criteria.
Flow	Make sure your issues are in sequential order. Do they tell a story? Does your information flow? Vocabulary Tool
Check	Supporting evidence and reference style Does your Introduction, body, conclusion and Executive Summary match? Do you recommendations flow logically from the conclusions? (these may be written in bullet form) Review the marking criteria against your paper Griffith Referencing Tool