Business Studies Paper

Objective

The goal of this assignment is for students to learn and improve upon professional writing skills. Students will accomplish this as they compose various professional documents that will be integrated into a final client report. The details of the assignment is further explained below in the Assignment section.

This project will teach students to think and write both critically and analytically. Students will focus on improving their writing skills primarily relating to grammar, vocabulary, organization, structure, style, flow, tone and formatting. Additionally, students will increase their general business knowledge and acumen.

Students will learn how to “tell a story” by writing each sentence with purpose, not to fill space. Sections, paragraphs and sentences should be structured logically.  Students will also learn to differentiate between instances where strictly facts should be used, and instances where persuasive language, opinions and recommendations are appropriate.

This assignment is intended to mimic the business world in every way possible. The professional standards, documents, deadlines, feedback and activities will parallel the conditions and expectations in today’s business world.

Assignment

First, each student will pick a company to analyze in class. The final project will be structured around the company each student selects, and each student must choose a different company. After companies have been chosen, students will then be involved in a semester long project that simulates real-world circumstances.

The role of each student will be to imagine they are employed by top-tier consulting and research firm XYZ Consulting LLP (XYZ). Students will act as if they are part of a team of consultants working on a consulting engagement for a client (Professor).

The client is ABC Capital LLP (ABC), one of the largest private equity (PE) firms in the world. The client has engaged XYZ, through its due diligence process, as they seek to potentially acquire the company students have chosen.

As part of this engagement each student is responsible for drafting a report for the client. It is a student’s job to analyze their company and articulate their findings to the client in a professional report.

At the end of the semester and conclusion of the project, each student will complete a short presentation outlining their report to the client.

Additional Assignment Guidelines and Details

Assume the client is unfamiliar with the company and industry students have chosen. Therefore, structure the tone and report accordingly. The report will be printed and delivered to the client, as well as being sent as an attachment in a very professional email to the client. The final client email should summarize the results of the report in a clear, concise and comprehensive manner. Typically in business writing, less is more!

There is no specific page length for the final report. However, appropriate page ranges for each piece of the report are detailed below. The ranges are for text only, formatted in the standard business format used in this course. Page ranges also exclude any length added by charts, figures and graphs. Although, the use of tables, figures and graphs is highly encouraged and required according to the report specifications detailed below.

Students should concentrate on writing in a clear, concise and comprehensive fashion. Additionally, considerable effort should be made to review feedback from prior coursework and apply it to future assignments.

Professional documents

• Introduction and Scope (1 page)
• Company overview (2 to 4 pages)
• Industry analysis (2 to 4 pages)
• Recommendation (2 to 4 pages)
• Executive Summary (1 page) and Conclusion (.5 page)

The above professional documents will be constructed throughout the semester and will be blended in the final report. The report will also include the following items:

• Final presentation with PowerPoint slides
• Final summary email to client (professor) with the final report attached
• Cover page and table of contents
• At least two tables (Titled, numbered and labeled)
  • Not to be copied into word as a picture, to be created in Excel or Word
• At least two graphs (Titled, numbered and labeled)
  • Not to be copied into word as a picture, to be created in Excel or Word

Deliverables, Deadlines and Percentage of Final Grade