Assignment 13-01
Business Skills: Writing
Activity: Case Study: Writing Assignment: Company Report
Objective/Task: Analyse and discuss a case study; Write a brief, informal report about
suggestion on how to reorganise a company.
Summary: Students analyse and discuss a case study about a London travel agency that
needs to reorganise its management structure, office layout, and working practices and
conditions, on pages 68-69. Then they write an informal report on how to reorganise the
Faredeal Travel Agency.
Introduce the activity by asking students questions such as the following:
- Does anyone have any experience working in the travel industry?
- What travel agencies do you know or use? Do you know anything about how
these companies are organised?
Look at the case study on pages 68-69 and answer the following questions:
- Where is Faredeal based?
- Who are the founders of Faredeal?
- What is its size?
- What does Faredeal plan to do?
- What is Faredeal's main business?
- In what areas has a consultant provided recommendations?
Unit 8 Case Study Hints: Management Structure
Directions: Take notes on the points listed below as you read the case study on pages
68-69
1. Consider which managers should report to which of the two directors.
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2. Decide which managers must report to the same director and which ones can be
separated.
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3. Think of ways to reduce Alan Robinson's workload.
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4. Think of ways to "separate" Sonia Hunt and Peter Martin.
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5. Draw a new organisational chart reflecting the changes you recommend.
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Unit 8 Case Study Hints: Office Layout
Directions: Take notes on the points listed below as you read the case study on pages
68-69
1. Consider the following options. Take notes on the advantages and
disadvantages of each.
• Building an extension to this building
• Tearing down walls and redistributing the space; reducing the size of some areas to
make room for others
• Eliminating some private offices
• Decentralising some facilities by dividing them into several satellite locations
• Moving to a new location
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2. Draw a diagram of the new office layout you propose.
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Unit 8 Case Study Hints: Working Conditions
Directions: Take notes on the points listed below as you read the case study on pages
68-69
1. Create a two-column chart. Label one column "Problems" and the other "Solutions."
Write each problem and solution on a separate line.
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2. Consider the following options for solving the problems. Take notes on the
advantages and disadvantages of each.
• Offering pay raises
• Offering perks or bonuses
• Creating incentive programs
• Hiring additional staff
• Providing some employees a greater variety of tasks
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Writing Assignment: Company Report
Unit 8 Case Study: Faredeal Travel Agency
Write a one-page informal report to the General Manager of Faredeal Travel
Agency. Focusing on your assigned problem area (management structure, office
layout, or working conditions), summarise the problems you discussed and
recommend a course of action to reorganise the company. Provide reasons for the
actions you propose.
See page 146 of the Writing File of your Course Companion for information on
writing reports.
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