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Faculty of Business Studies
LB160: Professional Communication Skills for Business Studies
2nd Semester 2011
TMA

Branch: Saudi Arbia -Damamm | Part (I): STUDENT INFORMATION (to be completed by student) | 1. Name: | 2. Registration No: | 3. Section No:4 | 4. Tel. : | 5. E-mail: | I confirm that the work presented here is my own and is not copied from any source. Student's signature: | | Part (II): TUTOR'S REMARKS (to be completed by tutor) | Tutor name: | Signature: | Date TMA received: | Date returned: | TUTOR'S REMARKS: | Marks Allocatedto TMA | STUDENT MARK | 20 | For content : a maximum of 20 marks | Marks deducted for lang. & communication errors: a maximum of 4 marks | Earned Mark | | | | |

LB 160 TMA

* This TMA01 contains 2 parts. You should answer both parts. * The value of TMA is 20 points. * The mark assigned to each part is 10 points.
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PART 1 (10 points)

Q. Write a SWOT analysis for the case study provided below in about 300 – 400 words. Analyze and propose solutions to the problem.

The Sweet Dreams Motel – Far North Queensland
The Sweet Dreams Motel is a 40-unit, no-frills operation in the less scenic part of a major Queensland resort town. The owner, Mr Smith, firmly believes that there is a need for his style of low-cost family accommodation amid the luxury and beauty of the area. His rooms are large, family-style rooms (there is no television, for example). Although there is plenty of room for future expansion, the grounds are fairly bare with a bit of landscaping, but mostly grass.
Mr. Smith can serve breakfast to the rooms and provides tea-making facilities. There are now a lot of good restaurants and take-aways in the area. Mr. Smith’s prices are less than half of what similar motels charge and only a fraction of what the big five-star properties are charging. And, really, he isn’t all that far away from the beach, shops and other attractions.
The problem is occupancy. He has some regulars who come every holiday period (and have been doing so for the four years he has owned the property). Overall, occupancy is about 50% year round and he knows from the local tourist office that the other properties average around 68% occupancy year round. New developments could mean trouble. This lack of occupancy can be quite frustrating for Mr. Smith. Cars pull in, drive around the parking areas, then drive away.
Currently Mr. Smith does very little advertising in local district guides and the holiday papers, mainly because he really thinks word-of-mouth is the best form of advertising. He is a member of the local tourist committee, but too busy to go to meetings. However, he does receive the local statistics and knows the average stay in the area is 3.8 nights, and that local families and couples and increasingly overseas visitors are his potential customers.
He’s not desperate yet, but he’s getting worried and disillusioned. He thought he would be overrun with guests, but that hasn’t happened.
(Source: www.alacartetraining.com)

Answer Notes: Students may begin by creating a grid to identify the SWOT components as Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats and a mind map to construct the analysis text. Write an analytical text for the case study. You may refer to Text 4.3 in the Resource Book 1 as an example.

Answer Guide:
B1S4, Act. 4.10- 4.11, pp. 123; RB1 Extract 4.3(use as an example of analysis writing), pp. 56-57.

_______________________________________________________ *The region where there is a popular tourist.*Low-cost with big room and luxury, beauty of the area.*serve breakfast to the rooms and provides tea-making facilities.*Place a clean*Mr. Smith’s prices are less than half of what similar motels | Strengths | *No TV*grounds are fairly bare with a bit of landscaping.*There are no recreational programs, services and sports *The number of customers is not much.*very little advertising and only local*Name of the hotel is not attractive | Weaknesses | *The provision of television.* Development of recreational programs and the provision of sports facilities.*Landscape the grounds and make them more attractive.* Intensifying publicity and advertising are widely.*Change the hotel name. | Opportunities | * Decrease in the number of visitors.* Reduction in earning money.* The presence of competitors, better services and a price of slightly more | Threats |

The Sweet Dreams Motel

A lot of people go for trips in the holidays or public holidays, these days are filled with attractions for people and crowded hotels and Motels than tourists. Some prefer the service of five-star entertainment itself against the amount and plenty of money, and some prefer it anywhere convenient and clean and the price is reasonable. Places Queensland resort town is the most crowded. There are many hotels and this perhaps the worry of Mr. Smith abounded opening hotels in the region.

Mr. Smith has a motel called the Sweet Dreams. motel overlooking the stunning views. Rooms are large to accommodate the team and a beautiful, comfortable and remain on the beautiful scenery, but there is no television. Mr. Smith’s prices are less than half of what similar motels, And there are serve breakfast to the rooms and provides tea-making facilities.

On the other hand there are some negative points facing the work of Mr. Smith, such as a lack of leisure activity and sports. On the other hand also the lack of advertising, grounds are fairly bare with a bit of landscaping, And name of the motel may not attract some visitors.

But it can improve the situation and increase the price of rooms a bit to: Develop TV and the provision of recreational activities such as music, Concerts and cultural events and also provide sporting activity such as ball and tennis and others, To provide publicity for mode via publications, Newspapers, Magazines and web sites Intranet, And also try to find the name of attracting visitors such as the moon lighted .This is what can do Mr. Smith to save his work and not to be subjected to threats such as low number of visitors and the presence of competitors and excellent services at slightly more than Mr. Smith tسttttthis will negatively impact and affect on the money there will be financial losses threaten the life of Mr. Smith.

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PART II (10 points)

Using the concepts, theories and models as a framework for analysis, critically write an essay on the relevance of your University’s open learning system to its environment and its market value. (450 – 500 words)

Open Education is an opportunity for all age groups up to the study, regardless of the reordering of the study, regular and on his ability to attend classes at the university on a daily basis, and have been ''known UNESCO distance learning as a teaching and learning which reflects the range of services and media mailing and radio and television and accounting, telephone and press releases, with a specific percentage of direct instruction and face-to-face between teacher and student''.

And spread to universities that offer open education, the most important and largest is the Arab Open University which is about an Arab project development is mainly aimed at providing higher education opportunities to the largest possible number of wishing the sons of the Arab world, ''initiated by Prince Talal bin Abdul Aziz, Chairman of Gulf Programme Arab support for United Nations Development Organizations (AGFUND), supported this project financially and morally since he was just an idea until it became a reality''. The University has a great number of students of both sexes in different cultures so that there is in the Arab world has six branches in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, had in Saudi Arabia more than one branch in several areas most notably the capital Riyadh and the eastern sub-Dammam, Ahsa, Jeddah, Hail and Makah and Medina. is an educational project aimed at high level of education where the availability of the latest electronic devices in education makes it easier for student homework and follow-up study by attending lectures on the Internet at any time and also contact with colleagues and teachers and also complete the registration process by the internet without having to go to campus to give effect to the table. And the University to participate in the Meetings & Events cultural, educational and training workshops and is keen to provide meetings between senior figures in the community and students in all disciplines of study to gain the skills and experience and to spread the benefits.

Characterized by the Arab League undemanding any article that is not a project to make money, fees to suit all segments of society, and as there is a discount for students gifted curriculum, and also the granting of study abroad students free of charge.

Arab Open University is one of the best universities in the area open as a branch of an Arab League of the British Open and standardization of curricula meaningful and value that have the benefit not only be employed educational, but also cultural aims to produce generations Opened culturally in all disciplines that keep pace with the labor market.

Reference http://www.3rbsc.com/vb/showthread.php?t=2486 1-2-2009

http://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%A9_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%81%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%AD%D8%A9
10-4-2011

Answer Guide: B2S3, Sec 3.3 – 3.4 pp.70 – 91 B2S4. Sec 4.2-4.3 pp.98-99, Sec4.5-4.9 pp. 110-123.