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COMENIUS UNIVERSITY IN BRATISLAVA

FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT

English for Managers I

Obligatory Materials for External Studies For internal use only

Winter Term 2010-2011

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CLASS ONE The Importance of English in the World of International Business

‘English is now a global language that belongs to a ll those who speak it.’ (Nigel Newton, publisher)

It is technology that allows people to travel further and faster than ever before. It is the Internet that links

people regardless of their nationalities and the countries they live in. And technology is also the reason why many

business people are active globally and why more entrepreneurs are on the move than ever before. In this world full of

state-of-the-art technology, English serves as an underlying common element in various situations, giving particularly

entrepreneurs and small companies a better chance on the market and an important comparative advantage over

those who lack the ability to communicate in this language.

There is no doubt that professional knowledge and experience is essential for entrepreneurs and managers.

But reaching and staying at the top requires more than just being knowledgeable and experienced. One of the

reasons why some entrepreneurs are very successful while others fail to succeed may lie in the ability to communicate

knowledge in English. Of course, entrepreneurs and companies can hire interpreters who are both fluent and skilled.

However, entrepreneurs cannot expect that people, who are not really drawn in into a company’s affairs, will set up

relationships in the way loyal and dedicated employees of the company can. The solution to this problem lies in the

constant learning and studying of English and other foreign languages. But first of all, it is vital that employers realize

the importance of learning (Business) English in the workplace. Over the years, research and needs analyses have

produced a wide range of the language-based tasks an employee should be able to tackle in order to deal with the

exigencies of the situations which may arise at the workplace. These are the ability to:

• communicate appropriately with superiors, colleagues and subordinates, and to representatives of

other companies from abroad,

• assist an English-speaking (native or non-native) person,

• participate in the social life of the company (e.g. sports and social clubs, etc.) when visiting business

partners abroad.

Finally, we should be aware of the fact that a quarter of the world’s population, i.e. 1.2 to 1.5 billion people,

can speak English. Moreover, English has become the lingua franca of international business. These and many other

factors make learning English interesting and necessary for all those who might be using it when they enter the

fascinating world of business.

EXERCISE 1 Make five questions related to the article you have just read. They may not be yes/no questions. Then ask and answer

the questions in pairs. Use your own words, do not read from the text!

EXERCISE 2 Match the following words to their synonyms.

1 regardless A common language 1 2 state-of-the art B businessman 2 3 essential C demand 3 4 entrepreneur D latest, most modern 4 5 exigency E deal with 5 6 enterprise F irrespective 6 7 lingua franca G a company, a business 7 8 tackle H vital 8

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EXERCISE 3 Decide whether statements 1-5 are true (T) or false (F).

1 English belongs among those languages that are commonly used in business.

2 The disadvantage of hiring translators lies in the fact, that they are not loyal and committed enough.

3 Knowledge and experience are the two components of reaching and staying at the top.

4 The lack of the ability to communicate in English has been the comparative advantage for many.

5 Technical development is the reason why doing business is not only confined to local

endeavor any more.

EXERCISE 4 Combine the following words to form word-partnershi ps.

1 business A business 1 2 state-of-the art B franca 2 3 communicate C relationships 3 4 establish D people 4 5 lingua E technology 5 6 comparative F speakers 6 7 international G knowledge 7 8 native H advantage 8

EXERCISE 5 Listen to three people talking about using English and complete the table. A Danuta B Jorma C Jean-Luc Where they are from: What they do: What they use English for:

Who they speak to:

Numbers in Managerial Work Introduction For business purposes, it is vitally important to know how to say and write numbers in English. Numbers are basically divided into cardinals and ordinals, which differ both in form and meaning. Except simple forms more complex numeral phrases are discussed in this unit. How frequently numbers are used reflects real life needs of spoken and written communication. Although the principle of psychological ease favors the digit versions, some numbers tend to be written alphabetically. Alphabetic forms are significantly more common for numbers lower than eleven and for round numbers (e.g. six, forty). On the other hand, digit forms of cardinals are more common for numbers 11 to 19. The ordinals are far less common than the cardinals in our everyday life. They specify the order and are often perceived as ordinary words. Because ordinals are almost always integrated in the text, they are more likely to be written alphabetically.

It is obvious that managers should be skilled in using numbers fluently in their everyday work. Though they can sometimes find it difficult how to say numeral phrases they often see written. Thus it is highly advisable to students of business management to practice saying numerical expressions whenever possible.

Cardinal numbers (základné číslovky) Cardinals answer the question ‘How many?’ or ‘How much?’ and specify entities by quantity.

1 one 20 twenty 100 a hundred / one hundred 2 two 21 twenty-one 101 a hundred and one 3 three 22 twenty-two 110 a hundred and ten 4 four 25 twenty-five 112 a hundred and twelve

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5 five 30 thirty 195 a hundred and ninety-five 6 six 33 thirty-three 199 a hundred and ninety-nine 7 seven 37 thirty-seven 200 two hundred 8 eight 40 forty 256 two hundred and fifty-six 9 nine 44 forty-four 300 three hundred

10 ten 48 forty-eight 389 three hundred and eighty-nine 11 eleven 50 fifty 400 four hundred 12 twelve 56 fifty-six 444 four hundred and forty-four 13 thirteen 60 sixty 500 five hundred 14 fourteen 69 sixty-nine 600 six hundred 15 fifteen 70 seventy 672 six hundred and seventy-two 16 sixteen 75 seventy-five 700 seven hundred 17 seventeen 80 eighty 800 eight hundred 18 eighteen 83 eighty-three 900 nine hundred 19 nineteen 90 ninety 999 nine hundred and ninety-nine

Notice that in British English we use and before the tens in a number. In American English and is normally omitted.

British English American English

110 a hundred and ten a hundred ten

526 five hundred and twenty-six five hundred twenty-six

831 eight hundred and thirty-one eight hundred thirty-one

Exercise Practise saying and writing these numbers.

a 556 d 34 g 669 j 432 b 97 e 748 h 82 k 333 c 823 f 111 i 905 l 90

Large numbers When writing numbers greater than 999 we use a comma (,):

1,201 a thousand two hundred and one

14,225 fourteen thousand two hundred and twenty-five

25,000 twenty-five thousand

Note that commas are not used in dates (the year 2005). For more information see POINT 9.

1,000 a thousand / one thousand

5,836 five thousand eight hundred and thirty six

10,000 ten thousand

12,000 twelve thousand

100,000 a hundred thousand / one hundred thousand

254,789 two hundred and fifty-four thousand, seven hundred and eighty-nine (BrE)

two hundred fifty-four thousand, seven hundred eighty-nine (AmE)

1,000,000 a million / one million

3,000,000 three million

500,000,000 five hundred million / half a billion

1,000,000,000 a billion / one billion / a thousand million

2,000,000,000 two billion

3,270,000,000 three billion, two hundred and seventy million

1,000,000,000,000 a trillion / a million million

In the singular, the words hundred, thousand, million or billion are preceded by a or one (for example we can say a thousand or one thousand). One is a more formal expression and a greater stress is usually put on this word by speakers than on the word a.

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These days, financial statements are normally prepared on computer. In that case commas are not used. That means that the number 75,684 appears as 75684.

Exercise Practise saying and writing numbers a – l.

26,000,000

8,000,000,000,000

1,262

5,004

2,473

3,630,005

6,000,000,000

2,224,000

1,066

10,000,001

64,975

9,897,123

In imprecise numbers, hundreds, thousands, millions or billions take a plural form. Compare:

The coat cost nine hundred pounds.

The coat cost hundreds of pounds.

� The antique clock cost thousands of pounds.

� The cruiser Queen Mary 2 cost hundreds of millions.

� I can give you hundreds of examples.

� The article the and the preposition of occur in millions of English sentences.

� Their product has become extremely successful, the company is selling thousands pieces a week.

� Some execs earn millions of dollars a year.

� Damage the hurricane caused is estimated at hundreds of millions dollars.

� During the night 400,000 bats can eat tons of insects.

Decimal points

Unlike the Slovak language, English uses a decimal point (.) for decimals (desatinné čísla). Compare:

12,001 twelve thousand and one

12.001 twelve point oh oh one

The figure 0 (zero)

The figure 0 is usually called nought [no:t] in British English, and zero [zi:rӘu] in American English. The word ‘zero’ is the most common alphabetical form referring to 0. 3a The figure 0 in decimals Before a decimal point we say either naught or zero:

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0.7 naught point seven (BrE)

zero point seven (AmE)

After a decimal point we say oh [Әu]: 0.02 naught point oh two

0.006 naught point oh oh six

The figure 0 in some situations

a Hotel room numbers I’m on the top floor, room 901. (nine oh one)

b Bus numbers You can take the bus No. 802. (eight oh two)

c Flight numbers IB 340 (three four oh)

BA 401 (four oh one)

d Years 1905 (nineteen oh five)

e Car registration numbers BA 307 DM

f Bank account numbers 0200834061

g Temperature –3°C three degrees below zero

+5°C five degrees above zero

The figure 0 in sport Zero scores in team games are called nil [nil]. We say it e.g. in football scores.

Artmedia Bratislava – Glasgow Rangers: 0 – 0 (nil – nil)

Juventus Turin – Bayern Munich: 2 – 1 (two one to Juventus)

A: ‘What’s the score?’ B: ‘3 – 0’. (three nil)

Spain won the match 1 – 0 (one nil).

In tennis the word love is used. It is said that this expression comes from the French word l’oeuf that means ‘the egg’ – the figure 0 looks like an egg.

Forty – love; Agassi to serve.

The score is 15 – 0 (fifteen love).

Temperature

Numbers are also used to show the temperature.

The temperature outside fell to minus 25.

In July 2006 the daily temperature in Bratislava was in the mid-thirties (i.e. about 34-36°C).

C stands for Celsius which is an abbreviation for a temperature scale in which water freezes at 0° and boils at 100°. In contrast, Fahrenheit (F) represents a scale of temperature in which water freezes at 32° and boils at 212°.

°Celsius = 5/9 x (x°F – 32) °Fahrenheit = (9/5 x x°C) + 32 Exercise

How much is it?

1 29° C = x°F x = ……°F 3 76°F = x°C x = ……°C

2 21°C = x°F x = ……°F 4 68°F = x°C x = ……°C Telephone numbers

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We say each figure separately pausing after groups of three or four. When the same digit comes twice we usually say double.

Numbers of area codes are grouped together.

035 442 368 oh three five / double four two / three six eight

0421 2 5349 1122 oh four two one / two / five three four nine / double one double two

043 553 877 oh four three / double five three / eight double seven

041 643 999 oh four one / six four three / nine double nine

Exercise A

What’s your phone number? _____________________________

Practice saying your phone number as quickly as possible.

Exercise B

Write these numbers in full. Show breaks ( / ) between groups.

(0181) 645 744 (0033) 135 786 390 (0043) 718 578 88 (0192) 553 449 (00420) 654 27 389

Decimals

In English all the numbers after a decimal point are read separately.

a 10.66 ten point six six (NOT ten point sixty six)

b 0.328

c 6.55

d 3.14159

e 0.002 One of the exceptions to the above mentioned rule is to be found in the banking sector. Providing service for their clients bank dealers make deals in the foreign exchange market. Dealers purchase or sell currencies for immediate delivery (spot rate), or for delivery later (forward rate).

The spot inter-bank price is 212.6135 (two hundred and twelve point sixty-one thirty five. Prices If the number after the decimal point is a unit of money, it is read like a normal number.

a €12.70 twelve euros seventy OR twelve euros and seventy cents

b £8.30 eight pounds thirty

c SKK 98.50 ninety-eight crowns fifty OR ninety-eight Slovak crowns fifty

d $46.90

e SFr14.25

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British money There are 100 pence in a pound. Sums of money are named as follows:

1 p one penny (informal one p OR a penny) 5 p five pence (informal five p) £4.65 four pounds sixty-five OR four pounds and sixty-five pence

American money There are 100 cents (¢) in a dollar. Sums of money are named very much as in British English. However, some coins have special names. • one-cent coins = pennies • ten-cent coins = dimes • five-cent coins = nickels • a twenty-five cent coin = a quarter Ordinal numbers (radové číslovky)

Ordinals answer the question ‘Which?’ and place entities in order.

1st first 11th eleventh 21st twenty-first 2nd second 12th twelfth 30th thirtieth 3rd third 13th thirteenth 40th fortieth 4th fourth 14th fourteenth 50th fiftieth 5th fifth 15th fifteenth 60th sixtieth 6th sixth 16th sixteenth 70th seventieth 7th seventh 17th seventeenth 80th eightieth 8th eighth 18th eighteenth 90th ninetieth 9th ninth 19th nineteenth

10th tenth 20th twentieth The names of kings and queens are said with ordinal numbers.

Henry VIII Henry the Eighth Louis XIV Louis the Fourteenth Elisabeth II Elisabeth the Second

In sentences, ordinal numerals are usually preceded by the definite article (the) or a possessive pronoun (e.g. my, your, their, etc.). • Henry was doing his second week as a young trainee and had just about finished his first report on sales when the phone

rang. Dates

In English we write 20 December but we say the twentieth of December or December the twentieth. We can write the date using dots (.) or slashes (/): 20.12.05 or 20/12/05. In British English the day of the month comes first and the month follows, so 21.12.05 is 21 December 2005. On the other hand, in American English, the month comes first, and the day second, so 12.01.05 is December 1, 2005. Years

We write 1997 and 2005 but say nineteen ninety-seven and two thousand and five or twenty oh five. We write decades as the 1960s or 1980s or just the ‘80s and we say the nineteen sixties or the nineteen eighties or the eighties. Notice that there is no apostrophe before the s. The abbreviations BC (before Christ) or BCE (before common era) used after a date show that something happened before the birth of Christ. In contrast, AD (Anno Domini) indicates that a date is a number of years after the birth of Christ. • What do you think world population will be by 2060 AD? • The Phoenicians lived on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean between 2300 and 300 BC.

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Exercise Practise saying the following dates: (1) 31 December 2005 ………………………………………………………………….

(2) 6 January 2006 ……………………………………………………………………..

(3) 25 February 1987 …………………………………………………………………..

(4) 1 August 2004 ……………………………………………………………………...

(5) 11 September 2001 …………………………………………………………………

(6) 1 May 2002 ………………………………………………………………………...

(7) 30 June 2003 ……………………………………………………………………….

(8) 1 November 1999 ………………………………………………………………….

(9) 4 August 1998 ……………………………………………………………………..

(10) Your birthday: _____________________________________________________

Centuries

Note how the names of centuries relate to the years in them. 1501 – 1600 the 16th century 1601 – 1700 the 17th century 1701 – 1800 the 18th century 1801 – 1900 the 19th century 1901 – 2000 the 20th century Clock time

In English, hours are frequently specified without using the 24-hour clock. The expressions ‘a.m.’ and ‘p.m.’ indicate whether something happens in the morning, in the afternoon, or at night.

1 It’s a quarter past two. OR It’s fifteen minutes past two.

The word ‘minutes’ is often omitted in spoken English. � It’s fifteen past two.

2 � What time do you usually leave for work? � Half past eight. OR I usually leave work at half past eight.

3 � What’s the time? Is it quarter to three? � No, it isn’t. It’s ten to three.

The 24-hour clock is used in formal English, for example for flights, schedules, and timetables. In conversations a.m. (from the Latin ante meridiem) is used for the hours up to noon and p.m. (from the Latin post meridiem) for the time interval from midday to midnight.

12.00 24.00

1 twelve at noon twelve at night 2 twelve a.m. twelve p.m. 3 noon, noontime 4 midday midnight 5 twelve hundred hours twenty-four hundred hours

Exercise A Use the 24-hour clock to say and write the following:

1 17h00 seventeen hours OR

2 13h05

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Exercise B Practise saying and writing the following times. Do not use the 24-hour clock.

1 10.45 7

2 1 p.m. 8

3 5.25 a.m. 9

4 7.55 p.m. 10

5 9.20 a.m. 11

6 9.40 12

Fractions and percentages

Fractions

% Fractions

%

1/2 a / one half 50% 1/4 2/5 two fifths 40% ⅜ ¼ a / one quarter 25% ⅞ ¾ three quarters 75% 1/8 ⅓ a / one third 33% ⅔ two thirds 66% 4/5 four fifths 80% 9/10 nine tenths 90%

Mathematical expressions

Numbers as nouns and adjectives

Note that numbers can also function as nouns in both singular and plural or as adjectives. a football eleven (noun)

the eighties (noun)

In the following examples numerals act as adjectives. a five-pound note an eight-month waiting list a ten dollar note a twenty pound price cut a five-foot deep hole a fifty thousand dollar car a six-mile walk a ten-minute walk to work a two-month old baby an eleven degree fall in temperature a six-foot tall man a five pence stamp a twelve week term four four-hour lessons

Numbers in English Idioms

Idioms are fixed expressions whose meaning is not immediately obvious from looking at the individual words in the idiom. For example, the expression ‘It takes two to tango.’ means that both people are equally responsible for what they have done. One cannot know this by only looking at the single words. A lot of idioms are fixed in their form, and can be neither changed nor varied. However, in some cases it is possible to make slight grammatical or vocabulary variations. To learn more about English idioms you can visit the website http//www.dictionary.cambridge.org/idioms.

Idioms listed below have been chosen according to the fact that all of them contain one or more numerals. Read the sentences below and try to find some equivalents in Slovak. Then learn them by heart. Always try to recognize idioms whenever you come across them. Later on they may become part of your active vocabulary.

1 Thanks a million!

2 A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

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3 I’m in seventh heaven.

Danny: Comenius University is the best university in the whole region.

John: Yes, it’s second to none, isn’t it?

Mary: Professor Komorník is the most clever man I’ve ever met. Kate: Yes, he’s second to none, isn’t he?

4 The Browns wanted to move next month but their new house is being built very slowly. It happens this way nine times out of ten.

5 Martin is an adult now so he has to learn to stand on his own two feet.

6 The Queen is a very famous person, but she has always kept both feet on the ground.

7 As George is a very ambitious man, he will never settle for second best.

8 Living in France and working in the United Kingdom gives Frank Peters the best of both worlds – British salaries and a French lifestyle.

9 Everything is at sixes and sevens in that institution.

10 Eventually the director managed to kill two birds with one stone. 11 James: Who do you think is to blame – the creative director or the copywriter?

Sean: It’s six of one and half a dozen of the other.

12 David always seems to be the odd one out. He never fits in any team. 13 Mark saw Patrick and Carol in a bar looking tenderly into each other’s eyes. Mark put two and two

together, and decided they must be in love.

Review

Practise saying and writing the following numerical expressions: 1 251 11 9.15 a.m. 2 3 + 16 12 4th century 3 $384 13 -13°C 4 67.32 14 £28.70

5 0.12 15 2004 6 0.006 16 10.20 p.m. 7 3500 17 13th century 8 193 18 5 August 2006 9 2467 19 Sk3,000,0000 10 1999 20 89°F

Telephoning I. 1. Reading Your are going to read an article about using the telephone in business. Before you read, guess the answers to the following questions. Then read the article to see if you are correct.

A In a survey, companies failed to answer .................. of calls within ten rings. 1 10% 2 20% 3 50% B ............ of all sales enquiries begin on the phone. 1 50% 2 70% 3 90% C A telephonist could answer ................ calls in a year. 1 30,000 2 300,000 3 3,000,000

Companies lose millions of dollars of business through bad telephone handling. A survey found that company swithchboards failed to answer one out of five calls within ten rings, or reply to 10% of calls within 20 rings. Ninety percent of all sales enquiries begin on the telephone, so this is the opportunity to project a healthy company image – one of friendliness, efficiency and professionalism. Staff should be aware that bad telephone behavior can result in millions of dollars in lost revenue. In the insurance business, for example, failure to answer promptly could see a policy of a quarter of a million dollars go straight to the competition! A single telephone receptionist can answer as many as 300,000 calls a year. Companies should train personnel in skills of transferring a call, placing calls on hold, dealing with angry callers, answering correspondence by phone, using a caller’s name, and taking messages correctly. Callers should not hear expressions like ‘she’s just gone out’ or

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he’s not with us anymore’. Surveys show that customers want a prompt response by a real person (not a machine) who can make a decision. For a great many of a firm’s customers, the first – and often the only – impression they carry in their minds is the one generated by the people they talk to on the phone. The quality of a firm’s response to a call is one of the chief factors in creating a perception of good or bad service. And remember, more business is lost through poor service than by poor product performance. 2. Vocabulary A. Match 1-8 with replies a-h below to form pairs of exchanges from telephone calls, as in the example, then listen and check. 1. I don’t know the times of the trains. e a. At last! I’ve been trying to get through to you all day. 2. Would you like to leave a message? …….. b. Have you tried looking it up in the phone book? 3. I’m afraid I can’t hear you. It’s a really bad line. ……..c. Hold on, I’ll see if she’s here today. 4. Simon Green speaking. …….. d. Yes. Could you ask him to call me back. please? 5. I’d like to speak to Mr. Moore on extension 868, please.. e. Don’t worry, I’ll ring up the station. 6. Can I speak to Julia, please? …….. f. Thank you caller, I’m putting you through. 7. I’m sure he’s there. …….. g. OK, I’ll hang up and try again. 8. I can’t find her number anywhere. …….. h. So am I, but sometimes he won’t pick up the phone. B. Match the phrasal verbs in A a-h to definitions below.

1. connect ____________________________ 2. wait ____________________________ 3. answer ____________________________ 4. put the phone down / end the conversation ____________________________ 5. return a call ____________________________ 6. search for a word or number in a book ____________________________ 7. phone ____________________________ 8. make contact with ____________________________

3. Listening A. Things that annoy people when they phone compani es: 1 calls that aren’t answered quickly (i.e. longer than 3 rings) 2 while-you-wait advertisements 3 calls which are answered but then you have to wait in a queue 4 irritating music 5 calls being diverted around the building 6 people who answer the phone without identifying themselves 7 people who sound bored or annoyed 8 people who eat or drink on the phone 9 people who try to have two conversations at once 10 people who hang up without saying ‘goodbye’ 2. You are going to hear two telephone conversations. Listen to call A. A On the list above , tick the things that happen which annoy the caller. B Correct the message below, then compare your answers with a partner. C Is there anything positive about the message? Tuesday 3:50 Corinne, Shevaun O’Connor rang. Staying at the Bell Hotel. Room 90. Tel. 7948682 Roger B. Listen to call B and underline the correct alter native in italics . a Jean-Jacques Giradoux is a student of advertising/marketing. b He is calling Paradise Marketing to arrange a work placement/meeting. c Melanie Collins asks him to send back an information pack/application form. d The closing date for applications is the end of the month/next week. How is call A treated differently from call B?

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C. Requests and messages Complete the sentences from the previous telephone conversations. 1 …………………………………………………………..Corrine Peters, please. 2 ……………………………………….…………………..a message for her? 3 ………………………………………………………….. that Siobhan O’Connor rang, please? 4 I’ …………………………………………………………that she gets it. 5 Human Resources. Melanie Collins ………………………………………………………………… . 6 …………………………………………if ………………………………….. give me your name and address. 7 ……………………………………………………………spelling that , please? 8 Right, let me ……………………………………………. to you. Which expressions are useful for: A asking to speak to someone? ….. B giving and taking messages? ….. C asking for and checking spelling? ….. D identifying yourself? ….

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CLASS TWO

The fundamental principles of management

“I’m not comfortable with the word manager any more , because it implies subordinates.” (Peter Drucker, management guru)

Management generally refers to two things: Firstly, it is a group of people in managerial positions working in an organization; secondly, it is a discipline that studies what managers do. All organizations are run by managers, who are responsible for planning , organizing , leading and controlling the people and the work of the organization in such a way that the company achieves its goals. PLANNING involves setting goals and deciding on courses of action, developing rules and procedures, developing plans both for the organization and for those who work in it, and forecasting – that means predicting or projecting what the future holds for the company. ORGANIZING requires identifying jobs to be done, recruiting people to carry them out, setting up departments, delegating authority to subordinates, establishing an organizational structure and coordinating the work of the subordinates. LEADING means making workers get the job done, keeping up morale, promoting corporate culture, communicating and sorting out problems. CONTROLLING includes setting standards, such as quality standards, comparing actual performance with these standards and then taking corrective measures as required. Most organizations are made up of several types of managers. At our faculty, for example, there is a dean, five vice-deans (for international affairs, science and research, full-time studies, external studies, and legislation and information technologies), four department chairs, a secretary (tajomník fakulty) and others. In most companies, you can find first-line managers who are often called supervisors. Production supervisors supervise the assembly line workers. All first line managers have one thing in common – their subordinates are non-managers. The next management level consists of members of the middle management, such as production manager, human resources manager (or personnel manager), finance manager. The managers at the top of an organization are members of the top or senior management . They are usually referred to as executives . Although functional titles vary from company to company, top executives are often entitled as following: President, Vice President, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Managing Director (MD). In big companies, beneath the top management level there may be more levels of middle managers whose positions carry the term ‘manager’ or ‘director’. In this case managers would typically report to directors, who in turn would report to members of the top management. Top managers normally deal with planning and setting objectives. Middle managers then take these objectives and translate them into specific projects for their subordinates to execute. First-line managers then concentrate on directing and controlling the employees who work on these projects (e.g. a company needs to hire two IT specialists). Finally, it is important to mention that all managers at all levels spend about three quarters of their working day with people. Thus their ability to talk and listen to their co-workers or business partners is of great importance. Moreover, they have to attend countless meetings, negotiations and conferences.

(Adapted and edited from: G. Dessler: Management: Leading People & Organizations in the 21st century.)

EXERCISE 1 Complete sentences 1-9 using the words in the table below.

manage manager managed management managing managerial manageable managership

1 Sally was offered the ……………… of the newly opened restaurant.

2 All strategic decisions are made at the top ……………… level.

3 Tim was appointed ……………… Director for his excellent ……………… skills.

4 A good ……………… knows how to use the skills of his subordinates.

5 They have built an excellent ………………team for the company.

6 A well-………… company is likely to succeed on the market.

7 The number of employees has been reduced to a more ……………… level.

8 The job agency is looking for people who are good at ……………… .

9 Our new software helps you ……………… data more effectively.

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EXERCISE 2 Match the job descriptions with the job titles.

1 The top manager in American English. A Information Systems Director 2 This person is responsible for personnel issues. B Managing Director

3 This person is responsible for computer operations. C Customer Service Manager

4 This person is responsible for organizing trainings. D Marketing Director

5 This person is responsible for relationships with customers.

E CEO

6 This person is responsible for buying. F Staff Development Officer

7 This person is responsible for promotion & selling. G Human Resources Director

8 The top manager in British English H Purchasing Director EXERCISE 3 Use the words from the table to complete the follow ing sentences. One of the words has to be put into its correct form.

entrepreneurship entrepreneurial enterprising entrepreneur enterprise

1 Graduates in Finance Management with an ………………… approach are welcomed.

2 The area near Bardejov could soon become an ………………… zone.

3 To support economic development in the region the government has close links with local ………………… .

4 Private ………………… has not waited for government to take action.

5 There are …………………men like Richard Branson or Bill Gates wanting to change the world.

6 The Browns have been running their family ………………… since 1999.

EXERCISE 4 Explain the following terms. 1 Free or private enterprise 2 Public enterprise 3 Enterprise centre 4 Enterprise culture 5 Enterprise economy 6 Enterprise zone

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C o m p a n y S t r u c t u r e

“The growth of a large business is merely a survival of the fittest.” (John D. Rockefeller, American industrialist and philanthropist)

These days many big companies represent complex systems requiring large capital investments provided by

shareholders. Shareholders, i.e. people who own a company, usually choose managers who are to run the company for them. At the top of the company hierarchy is the Board of Directors, headed by the Chairperson (or President). The Board of Directors is responsible for strategic decision-making. This body also appoints a Managing Director (or Chief Executive Officer) responsible for the running of the company and many of its directors may have executive responsibilities. Senior managers spend most of their time on administrative tasks, organizing work, communicating with people and ensuring that the company’s goals are achieved. The position of Managing Director often combines the role of the highest executive with membership of the Board. His role enables him to be a close link between the board and the management team.

Executive directors are actively involved in the company’s affairs. Whenever the Board of Directors makes a strategic decision, executives are responsible for implementing it. For example, the board of a European company may wish to penetrate the North-American market; the executive directors have to choose the right course of action to implement the decision.

While the executives know a lot about the day-to-day running of the company, non-executive directors can have some deeper knowledge and expertise of their field. So a good board, which works efficiently, is made up of both executive and non-executive directors.

Read the text above and answer the following questi ons.

1 Who has the overall responsibility for the running of the business?

2 Who usually appoints a Managing Director?

3 What does the position of Managing Director often involve?

4 What makes a good board?

Fill in the organization chart using the terms belo w.

Director for Production Board of Directors Brand Manager

Managing Director Financial Director Director for R&D

Sales Manager Marketing Director Supervisory Board

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Analyze the organization chart and answer these que stions.

Who belongs to the senior management? Who belongs to the middle management? Who are individuals? Which bodies have been mentioned above? Name company departments and define their duties.

department duties

Listen and decide which departments the following people work in:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Fill in the gaps using the expressions in the table below.

Board of Directors collective executives strategy CEO management objectives Supervisory Board

The 1…………………… monitors the policies of the executive management as well as the general course of action.

The main task of the 2…………………… is to ensure that business issues and practices are shared across the

company. 3…………………… are entrusted to their Board of Directors under the chairmanship of the 4…………………… . The members of this body have 5…………………… powers and responsibilities. They share

responsibility for the 6…………………… of the company, the implementation of the 7……………………, and the

achievement of the company’s goals and 8…………………… .

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Preparation for writing Listening Look at the job advertisement below. You will hear a conversation in which Fiona Scott is telling a friend about the advertisement. Listen to the conversation and complete the missing information.

’Prefer a camping trip to a cocktail party?’ Patagonia has a new position open: (1) _________________ __________________ ASSOCIATE Job is based in (2) __________________ . Candidates must have substantial (3) _____________ / _____________ experience and string (4) _____________ skills. They must have serious proficiency in technical sports (skiing, kayaking, climbing …) and outdoor experience. (5) _____________ mother tongue. Environmental background a plus. No glamour … it’s a gritty job! Patagonia is a (6) ________________ company which designs and distributes functional (7) _____________ ____________ . Send CV with a picture to: Nathalie Baudoin Patagonia Gmbh Reitmorstrasse 50 8000 Munich 22 – Germany

The interviews will be held in Munich during the last week of (8) _____________. The Curriculum Vitae Fiona Scott decides to apply for the job at Patagonia. Study her CV carefully to see how she has presented the information about herself. Where do you think each of the following headings should be placed?

References Activities Personal Details Education Skills Professional Experience

(1) ________________ Fiona Scott 52 Hanover Street Edinburgh EH2 5LM Scotland Phone: 0131 449 0237 E-mail: Fiona.scott@caledonia.net (2) ________________ 1995 – 1996 London Chamber of Commerce and Industry Diploma in Public Relations 1992 – 1995 University of London BA (Honours) in Journalism and Media Studies 1986 – 1992 Broadfield School, Brighton A levels in German (A), English (B), History (B) and Geography (C) (3) ________________ 2000 – present Public Relations Officer, Scottish Nature Trust

Responsible for researching and writing articles on all aspects of the Trust’s activities and ensuring their distribution to press Editor of the Trust’s monthly journal In charge of relations with European environmental agencies

1996 – 2000 Press Officer, Highlands Tourist Board Preparation of promotional materials and brochures Coordinator of media coverage Summers of 1994 and 1995 The Glasgow Tribune newspaper Two three-month training periods as assistant to the Sports Editor Arranging and conducting interviews Preparation of articles covering local community sports events (4) ________________ IT Office 2000 and Windows NT, Excel, Internet, Powerpoint Languages Fluent German and proficient in French

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Additional Driving licence (car, motorcycle) (5) ________________ Cross-country skiing, rock climbing and swimming Ski instructor (grade II) Secretary of the local branch of ’Action’, an association organizing sports activities for disabled children (6) ________________ Geoffrey Williams Brenda Denholm Professor of Journalism Sports Editor University of London The Glasgow Tribune The Letter of Application The letter of application can be as important as the CV in that it often provides the first direct contact between a candidate and an employer. If this letter is not well written and presented, it will make a poor impression. The letter of application normally contains four paragraphs in which you should:

� confirm that you wish to apply and say where you learned about the job � say why you are interested in the position and relate your interests to those of the company � show that you can contribute to the job by highlighting your most relevant skills and experience � indicate your willingness to attend an interview (and possibly say when you would be free to attend)

Below you will find details from Fiona Scott’s letter of application. Look at the outline of the letter on the left and indicate where the information below should go.

1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Fiona Scott

10

a. Although I am presently employed by a non-profit making organization, it has always been my intention to work in a commercial, environment. I would particularly welcome the chance to work for your company as I have long admired both the quality of the products that it provides and its position as a defender of environmental causes. As you will notice on my enclosed CV, the job you are offering suits both my personal and professional interests. b. I would be pleased to discuss my curriculum vitae with you in more detail at an interview. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact me if you require further information. I look forward to hearing from you. c. Dear Ms. Baudoin d. 8th January 2006 e. I am writing to apply for the position which was advertised last month in the Independent. f. 52 Hanover Street g. Nathalie Baudoin Edinburgh Patagonia Gmbh EH2 5LM Reitmorstrasse 50 UK 8000 Munich 22 Germany h. My work experience has familiarized me with many of the challenges involved in public relations today. I am sure that this, together with my understanding of the needs and expectations of sport and nature enthusiasts, would be extremely relevant to the position. Moreover, as my mother is German, I am fluent in this language and would definitely enjoy working in a German-speaking environment. i. Fiona Scott j. Yours sincerely

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CLASS THREE HR Management, Stress Management, Telephoning II.

Recruitment and selection

The process of finding people for particular jobs is recruitment or, especially in American English, hiring . Someone who has been recruited is a recruit or, in American English, a hire . The company employs or hires them, they join the company. A company may recruit employees directly or use outside recruiters , recruitment agencies , employment agencies or, in AE, search firms . Outside specialist called headhunters may be called on to headhunt people for very important jobs, persuading them to leave the organizations they already work for. This process is called headhunting .

Fred is a van driver, but he was fed up with long trips. He looked into the situations vacant pages of his local newspapers, where a local supermarket was advertising for van drivers for a new delivery service. He applied for the job by completing an application form and sending it in.

Harry is a building engineer. He saw a job in the appointments pages of one of the national papers. He made an application, sending in his CV (curriculum vitae) or résumé (AE) and a covering letter (cover letter in AE) explaining why he wanted the job and why he was the right person for it.

Situation , post and position are formal words often used in job advertisements and applications.

Selection procedures

Dagmar Smidt is the head of recruitment at a German telecommunications company. She talks about the selection process , the methods that the company uses to recruit people:

“We advertise in national newspapers. We look at the backgrounds of applicants : their experience of different jobs and their educational qualifications . We do not ask for handwritten letters of application as people usually apply by email. Handwriting analysis belongs to the 19th century.

We invite the most interesting candidates to a group discussion . Then we have individual interviews with each candidate. We also ask the candidates to do written psychometric tests to assess their intelligence and personality.

After this, we shortlist three or four candidates. We check their references by writing to their referees : previous employers or teachers that candidates have named in their applications. If the references are OK, we ask the candidates to come back for more interviews. Finally, we offer the job to someone, and if they turn it down , we have to think again. If they accept it, we hire them. We only appoint someone if we find the right person.”

EXERCISES

Complete the following sentences using appropriate terms from the text above, the number of letters is indicated:

1. I phoned to check on my application, but they said they had already _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ someone.

2. This job is so important, I think we need to _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ someone.

3. The selection process has lasted three months, but we are going to _ _ _ _ _ _ _ someone next week.

4. I hope she _ _ _ _ _ _ _ because if she _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ the job, we will have to start looking again.

5. That last applicant was very strong, but I understand he has had two other _ _ _ _ _ _ already.

6. They have finally _ _ _ _ _ a new receptionist.

7. Computer programmers wanted. Only those with UNIX experience should _ _ _ _ _ .

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Now divide the used words into two groups:

What a company personnel department does –

What a person looking for work does -

When employees ‘give notice’, i.e. inform their emp loyer that they will be leaving the company (as soo n as their contract allows), in what order should the co mpany carry out the following steps?

• A either hire a job agency (or for a senior post, a firm of headhunters), or advertise the vacancy • B establish whether there is an internal candidate who has the expertise and could be promoted (or moved

sideways, transferred or relocated) to the job • C examine the job description for the post, to see whether it needs to be changed (or indeed, whether the post

needs to be filled, whether downsizing should not take place) • D follow up the references of candidates who seem interesting • E invite the short-listed candidates for an interview • F make a final selection • G receive applications, curricula vitae and covering letters, and make a preliminary selection (a short-list) • H try to discover why the person has resigned • I write to all the other candidates to inform them that they have been unsuccessful

Complete the following chart with the letters A-I

Listening Look at the following passage and fill in the words you think will be added to the gaps. Then listen and check the answers. When a company needs to ______________________ or employ new people, it may decide to advertise the job or position in the ______________________ of a newspaper. People who are interested can then ________________ the job by sending in a ______________________ or ______________________ (US ______________________) and a ______________________ or CV (US ______________________) containing details of their education and experience. A company may also ask candidates to complete a standard ______________________. The company’s Human Resources department will then select the most suitable applications and prepare a ______________________ of ______________________ or ______________________, who are invited to attend an ______________________. Another way for a company to ____________ is by using the services of a ______________________ (US ______________________) who will provide them with a list of suitable candidates.

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READING: Pay and Benefits “My name is Luigi and I am a hotel manager in Venice. I get paid a salary every month. In summer we are very busy, so we work a lot of extra hours, or overtime . The money for this is quite good. Working in a hotel, we also get nice perks , for example free meals.”

“I am Ivan and I work as a waiter in Prague. I like my job even if I do not earn very much: I get paid wages every week by the restaurant. We get the minimum wage : the lowest amount allowed by law. But we also get tips, money that customers leave for us in addition to the bill. Some tourists are very generous!”

“I am Catherine and I am a saleswoman based in Paris, I get a basic salary , plus commission : a percentage on everything I sell. If I sell more than a particular amount in a year, I also get extra money – a bonus , which is nice. There are some good fringe benefits with this job: I get a company car , and they make payments for my pension, money that I will get regularly after I stop working. All that makes a good benefits package .”

“My name is Alan. I am a specialist in pay and benefits . Compensation and remuneration are formal words used to talk about pay and benefits, especially those of senior managers. Compensation package and remuneration package are used especially in the US to talk about all the pay and benefits that employees receive. For a senior executive, this may include share options (BE) or stock options (AE): the right to buy the company’s shares at low prices. They may be performance-related bonuses if the manager reaches particular objectives for the company.”

Compensation is also used to talk about money and other benefits that a senior manager (or any employee) receives if they are forced to leave the organization, perhaps after a boardroom row . This money is in the form of a compensation payment , or severance payment . If the manager also receives benefits, the payment and the benefits form a severance package .

In Britain, executives with very high pay and good benefits may be referred to as fat cats , implying that they do not deserve this level of remuneration.

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT – VOCABULARY

EXERCISE 1: Write down appropriate terms that corre spond to their synonyms or explanations. 1 To move employees from one place to another one or from one

type of job to another within a company

1

2 The process of reducing the number of employees in order to make a company more profitable

2

3 They reveal certain personality traits 3 4 A person who gives an opinion about someone who is applying

for a job

4

5 The end of one’s working life before the usual age 5 6 Non-financial things given to employees 6 7 A person who answers questions in an interview 7 8 Qualifications, skills and knowledge needed for a job 8 9 A large amount of money given to a senior manager when he

leaves a company

9

10 Extra payments added to salaries as a reward 10 EXERCISE 2: Match 1-12 with their synonyms or descr iptions in A-L.

1 aptitude A the evasion of work or duty 1 2 job hunter B pay 2 3 unemployed C introduction to a new organization 3 4 job profile D job holder 4 5 salary or wage E looking for employment 5 6 remuneration F jobseeker 6 7 teleworking G talent for doing a particular task well 7 8 job sharing H pay applied to senior executives 8 9 induction I jobless 9

10 job hunting J working for a company from home 10 11 gold-bricking K two or more people do one job 11 12 employed L job description 12

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EXERCISE 3: Which expression is the odd one? Circle it and justify your choice. 1 put down – take down –set down – record – set up

2 lay off – transfer – fire – dismiss – sack

3 employ – take on – hire – recruit – select

4 cutbacks – vacancies – dismissals – layoffs – redundancies

5 appraise – assess – instruct – evaluate – measure

EXERCISE 4 Choose the appropriate terms that correspond to the ir definitions.

application form job dissatisfaction

commuter job enlargement

covering letter job enrichment

CV job freeze

employee retention outplacement

freelance upsize

1 Working for different companies or organizations rather than

being directly employed by one

1

2 The company’s own printed form which applicants have to

complete to apply for a job

2

3 To increase the size of the company by employing more people 3 4 A structured document including personal, educational,

employment, and recreational information about a person

4

5 When a company helps people it is making redundant find new

jobs in other organizations

5

6 The company has stopped recruiting people 6 7 The process of keeping employees and not losing them to rival

firms

7

8 The expansion of a job by adding further tasks or

responsibilities

8

9 A letter job applicants include with a form or résumé when

applying for a job

9

10 This person travels a quite long distance to work every day 10 11 An employee’s feeling of not being satisfied with their jobs 11 12 The process of making a job more satisfying for the person

doing it

12

EXERCISE 5 Finish the following definitions:

1 A job interview is

2 Overtime is

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EXERCISE 6 Find as many expressions based around the word employ as you can. EXERCISE 7 Work in pairs. Decide which of these interview tips are more for interviewers and which are more for candidates.

� Be completely honest at all times. � Try to help the candidate to relax. � Always wear your best clothes. � Do not ask a lot of questions to which people can answer ’yes’ or ’no’. Listen carefully and make a lot of notes. � Arrive half an hour early for the interview. � Ask a difficult question at the beginning of the interview. � Get an expensive haircut.

Which tips do you agree with? Choose the top three tips and write your own list.

S T R E S S M A N A G E M EN T “Hard work never killed a man … the harder your people work, the happier and healthier they will be.”

(David Ogilvy , founder of Ogilvy and Mather advertising agency)

Irrespective of what we do, everyone has already experienced stress at some time in his or her life. Because

of the direct relationship between good employment practices and the company’s success stress management is

becoming a hot topic for many institutions and businesses. Nowadays, many employees face stressful situations or

suffer from stress-related illnesses. Thus companies should actively be responsible for the health and well being of

their employees, which requires special attention to stress. Effective stress management is based on the collective

and individual willingness to understand and accept elements causing stress. Furthermore, from the financial point of

view, effective stress management can be profitable compared with ignoring the problems. If stress is managed

effectively, it has positive effects on company performance, its success and profitability.

Organizations that take active steps to manage stress have greater attraction for potential employees, and

their staff spend a high proportion of their working time being productive rather than off sick or using flimsy excuses to

mask the real problems. Moreover, it is generally believed that businesses taking a positive approach to the

management of stress are highly respected and valued not only by their employees but also by the outside

environment.

High blood pressure, heart diseases, tiredness, exhaustion, hair loss, and insomnia are only a few stress-

related symptoms. For instance, studies show that stress can reduce the power of our immune systems. A study in the

U.K. exposed 266 people to a common cold virus and then tracked who became sick. 28.6 percent of those with few

signs of stress caught the cold. However, the figure jumped to 42.4 percent for those who were under high stress.

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There is an increasing recognition that company employees also have other legitimate interests away from

their working place. So people who do not commit themselves to their work to the exclusion of else cannot be judged

as those who lack commitment or loyalty. Managers therefore should not ask their subordinates to do something they

are not willing to do themselves. For example, Julius Caesar never asked his troops to do anything that he was not

prepared to do – if they rode, so did he; if they walked, so did he too.

Stress can originate from many sources, such as:

� personal problems, e.g. divorce

� illness

� death of a close relative or friend

� change in financial status

� mortgage or loan

� change to different work

� change in job responsibilities

� outstanding personal achievement

� problems with your boss

� change in work hours or conditions

� recreation

� Christmas

A balance between work and the rest of life should be ensured. People should take proper holidays. They

should not be allowed to work overtime for a longer period of time. Regular inspections of the company premises

should be carried out to ensure that working conditions are good and stress-free. Finally, as with every aspect of

managerial work, the quicker stress-related problems are recognized, the less long-term damage is caused to both

businesses and individuals.

Are these statements True or False?

1. Diseases such as flu or cold are often caused by stress. 2. A good manager always serves as a role model for his subordinates 3. The article claims that companies are responsible for the health and well-being of their employees. 4. Employees as well as employers are to be willing to identify stressors. 5. People spend less productive time at work in the organizations which manage stress.

TELEPHONING II. Phoning scenario

A. You want to phone to someone in a company. You pick up the phone. You hear the dialing tone and dial the number on the keypad . You don’t know the person’s direct line number, so you dial the number of the company’s switchboard . One of these things happens:

a. The number rings but noone answers. b. You hear the engaged tone (BrE) / busy tone (AmM) because the other person is already talking on the

phone. You hang up and try again later. c. You call later and the number is engaged again. It is very hard to get hold of this person. d. You get through , but not to the number you wanted. The person who answers says you’ve got the wrong

number . e. The operator answers. You ask for the extension of the person you want to speak to. f. You are put through to the wrong extension. The person offers to transfer you to the right extension, but

you are cur off – the call ends. g. The person you want to speak to is not at their desk and you leave a message on their voicemail . You

ask them to call you back or to return your call . B. You are trying to phone Delia Jones. She works in a large company. Match your possible reactions (1-7) to the things (a-f) described in A above. One of the things is used twice.

a. That’s strange. Their switchboard isn’t big enough to handle all the calls they get. b. That’s ridiculous! A company with 500 employees, but no one answers the phone. c. I ask for Delia Jones and they put me through to Della Jones! d. Delia seems to spend all day on the phone. Her line’s always busy. e. That’s strange. I’m sure I dialed the right number. f. Oh no I hate this – oh well, I’d better leave a message. g. They never seem able to find the extension number!

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Voicemail Correct the nine mistakes in Annelise Schmidt’s voicemail message. Hi James, this is Annelise calling out of Sprenger Verlag in Hamburg. It’s very difficult to get hold to you. I phoned to you earlier, but your telephone central placed me through to the bad telephone. Anyway, I’m calling to you to discuss the contract we were talking about in Frankfurt. I’ll call further later or perhaps you’d like to ring to me here in Hamburg on 00 49 40 789 1357. Bye for now. Phone call and ring call BrE: to ring someone, to ring up some, to ring someone up, to give someone

a ring to phone someone Informal BrE: to give someone a bell, to give someone a buzz telephone AmE: to call someone, to call up someone, to call someone up give someone a

call

Which of these sentences are correct? Correct mistakes.

a. It would be good to see Anna soon. I’ll phone to her and see when she’s free. b. I gave Brian a call yesterday and we had a long chat. c. Why don’t you ring up at Pizza Palace and order some takeaway pizza? d. I rung them five minutes ago but there was no answer. e. Call me up next time you’re in New York. f. Give me a ring when you’re next in London. g. I’ll give her the bell and we’ll fix up a meeting. h. When you get some news, make me a buzz.

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CLASS FOUR MANAGEMENT STYLES AND TRAVELLING, VERBS+ PREPOSITIO NS

Which of these statements do you agree with?

A manager should: 1. know when your birthday is. 2. know where you are and what you’re doing at all times during working hours. 3. not criticize or praise. 4. not interfere in disagreements between members of staff. 5. not ask people to do things they’re not prepared to do themselves. 6. be available at all times to give staff advice and support. 7. keep their distance from staff and not get involved in socializing outside work. 8. use polite language at all times. 9. work longer hours than their staff. 10. comment on the personal appearance of their staff.

B. What is the role of a manager? Choose your top three roles from the following.

coach / motivator organizer mediator facilitator problem-solver leader instigator mentor dictator decision-maker

Management qualities Complete the table by writing the opposite and noun forms. Considerate inconsiderate consideration Creative Decisive Diplomatic Efficient Flexible Inspiring Interested Logical Organized Rational Responsible Sociable Supportive Choose the worst qualities of a manager and rank them (1=worst)

M A N A G E M E N T S T Y L E S

“Power is the great aphrodisiac.” (Henry Kissinger, American politician)

The organization of people at different ranks in an administrative body is called hierarchy . The amount of

responsibility of employees in an organization depends on the position that they occupy in its hierarchy. Managers are

usually responsible for leading employees working directly under them – their subordinates . To accomplish the task

effectively, they use their authority , which is the official power to give orders to people and to take decisions. In many

organizations, employees do only what they expect to do, and are expected to do, within the level of the hierarchy.

Some companies apply traditional, authoritarian management styles, for example they do not allow a union (i.e. an

organization of workers, usually in a particular industry that protects their rights and interests). Decisions are imposed

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from above in a top-down approach . Moreover, leaders are distant and remote , not easy to get to know or

communicate with. On the contrary, there are now a number of organizations around the world that have adopted

different management styles in order to empower their employees. Empowerment means giving employees more

responsibility to control their own work and make their own decisions. Thus managers can delegate authority to their

subordinates. This means that employees at lower levels of the company hierarchy are empowered to take decisions

without asking their managers. Furthermore, managers encourage their subordinates to use their own initiative and to

play an active role in the success of the organization. Managers are more open and approachable , their employees

find it easier to talk to them. There is also more management by consensus, which means that decision-making has

become more decentralized and decisions are made by asking employees to contribute in a process of consultation .

On the other hand, a problem of keeping control of all operations in a company has arisen. Thus controlling is

regarded as one of the key issues of modern management.

For instance, the Brazil company Semco was created in the 1950s as a company manufacturing centrifuges

for the vegetable oils industry. Over the years, the company has modernized by expanding its range and investing in

other businesses. If you think that Semco is a company full of crazy people or a group of nutters, you are not entirely

wrong. However, it is not by chance that unconventional ideas are created at this company. They are created and

managed within an open management model that gives little credence to what many other companies consider

important, such as appearance and formalities.

Principles and Values at Semco

At Semco, they follow a few basic rules which, they believe a dependable and reliable company should follow. Some

of them are mentioned below:

1 Value honesty and transparency over and above all temporary interests.

2 Seek balance between short-term and long-term profit.

3 Offer products and services at fair prices which are recognized by customers as the best on the market.

4 Provide the customer with differentiated services, placing our responsibility before profits.

5 Encourage everyone’s participation and question decisions that are imposed from the top down.

6 Maintain an informal and pleasant environment, with a professional attitude and free of preconceptions.

7 Maintain safe working conditions and control industrial processes to protect our personnel and the

environment.

8 Have the humility to recognize our errors and understanding that we can always improve.

Listen to the following text and decide if the stat ements A – H are true (T) or false (F).

A Semler started the company himself. A

B Semler gave control to the managers. B

C The company does not have a hierarchy of levels. C

D There is a new CEO every three months. D

E Everyone is responsible for their own secretarial work. E

F Workers can elect their managers. F

G Semler decides on the number of working hours and pay. G

H Semler feels that people become more responsible when they make the decisions.

H

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Questions 1 Have you ever had a job? Would you fire your boss if you had a chance? Why? Why not?

2 What is the difference between traditional, paternalistic and modern companies?

3 Why can empowerment and delegation be dangerous?

4 Would you like to work at Semco? Why? Why not?

5 Which principle adopted by Semco do you like most?

Find the expressions in the text that correspond to their explanations below. The first letter has bee n given. 1 What managers do, with or without talking to employees 1 d 2 Not easy to talk to 2 r 3 If managers ask employees to take on responsibility 3 d 4 If decisions are made not only in a company’s main office, the

company is this

4 d

5 Authoritarian managers do not … their decisions 5 c 6 A very important issue 6 k 7 If employees decide without asking a manager they use ... 7 i 8 The power to give orders and take decisions 8 a

GRAMMAR: VERB + PREPOSITION Here is a list of verbs, complete them with the mos t commonly used prepositions apply ……. job concentrate ……… facts insist …………. coming on time approve ……. holiday consist …….. three parts know ………. you believe …. love cooperate ……. suppliers lead ….. better results belong …. me decide …… new strategy listen …. your boss suffer …… asthma rely …. one’s charm specialize ….. advertising benefit ….. heritage depend …. customers object … one’s ideas compete …. rivals focus …. better results pay …. products sympathize ….. them take care …… customers comply ….. safety standards hope …. better future qualify … 2010 Fifa Cup wait …. you verb + object + preposition With some verbs the object comes before the preposi tion. Here are some common examples. add sth to explain sth to share sth with ask sb about/for inform sb about/of spend sth on blame sb for insure sth against split sth into borrow sth from invest sth in supply sb with compare sth with/ to invite sb to tell sb about congratulate sb on protect sb from thank sb for divide sth into prevent sb from translate st into There is a difference in meaning between about and of. What is the difference between the sentences?

Gillian reminded me about the appointment. Gillian reminded me of my sister.

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Verb + different prepositions 1. They agreed to give us better terms of payment. OK, I agree with you about the need for cutting costs. 2. I must apologize to Susan for my awful behavior last night. 3. Shall we ask for the bill? Ask the waiter about the dish of the day. 4. I’m going to complain to the manager about the service in here. 5. I heard about the news from a colleague of mine. I’ve never heard of that company. 6. I learnt a lot about insurance from my last job. 7. This problem results from bad planning and it will result in chaos.

Complete the sentences with the correct preposition 1. I really sympathise ….. your problem, but there’s not a lot I can do.

2. Positive thinking is so important. You really have to believe ….. yourself.

3. I’ll wait …… you outside.

4. What you’re saying can only lead …. one possible solution.

5. Of course the size of our order will depend ….. the price.

6. Your CV is strong in most areas, but what do you know ….. marketing?

7. Imports always suffer ….. the effects of a strong dollar.

8. I always have to look smart – my boss doesn’t approve ….. informal clothes.

Complete the sentences with one word from list A an d one word from list B.

A: agreed, apologized, apply, belong, comply, explain, heard, hoping, insist, listen, pay qualify, rely, remind B: about, on, from, with, to, for

1. You can ………………………….………. the goods in twelve monthly instalments.

2. Excuse me, but does this umbrella …………………………………….to you?

3. The first thing is to …………………………………. the client to find out their needs.

4. I asked my lawyer to ……………………. the contract ……………….. me.

5. Everybody ……………………………….the decision. It was unanimous.

6. There’s a new job in R&D. I wonder if Chris is going to ……………………….it.

7. Jill is a good team member. You can always ……………………………….her in a crisis.

8. They’ve ………………………………..for the delay and said that the items are in the post.

9. I’m certain to forget. ……………………me …………………..it nearer the time.

10 It’s been a disappointing year. We’re ………………………………….better results now.

11. Have you …………………………Jackie recently? She hasn’t written for ages.

12. Does this product ……………………………… European safety standards?

13. No, no, I ……………………………….on paying. You’re my guest.

14. If we build the factory in that area we’ll …………………………..for a regional aid grant.

Underline the correct preposition. 1. I think we should ask them for/about/with more information.

2. Can you supply us for/about/with enough parts for 5,000 vehicles?

3. You remind about/of/for someone I know.

4. If I forget, remind me about/of/for it again at the end of the meeting.

5. The management blamed the union against/from/for causing the strike.

6. I am writing to inform you for/about/on our new range of products.

7. We might have to split the order for/in/into two separate shipments.

8. Can you thank Mr Mateus about/for/with all his help.

9. I’d like to congratulate Patricia on/for/about winning Employee of the Month.

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T R A V E L L I N G

“They say travel broadens the mind; but you must ha ve the mind.”

(G. K. Chesterton, English essayist, novelist, and poet) Which means of transport do you use? What are the a dvantages and drawbacks of travelling by public transport and of using your own car? Fill in the fo llowing chart. Means of transport:

Public transport

Travelling in your own car

Advantages •

Advantages •

Disadvantages •

Disadvantages •

Find words that correspond to their explanations.

1 The general idea of going from one place to another

2 Going somewhere by ship

3 Going somewhere for business/shopping or for a short period

4 Going a long distance, perhaps by land Complete the sentences 1-8 using drive, flight, ride or tour. 1 Would you like a _____________ on my new Harley-Davidson?

2 The Japanese tourists went on a guided _____________ of the city.

3 She took her mother on a nice, quiet _____________ in her new car.

4 Iberia has a _____________ from Madrid to London tomorrow evening.

5 The band is going on a _____________ of cities in the United States.

6 How old were you when you learned to _____________ a bike?

7 Thank you for flying with Lufthansa. We hope you have had a good _____________.

8 Can you _____________ a car?

Read the following text and decide which is the bes t word to complete gaps 1-8.

I have learned, often the hard (1)_____________, that there are a few simple rules about how to make life easier both before and after the journey. First of all, you must always check and double-check departure times. This is absolutely essential. It is amazing how few people do this really carefully. Once I arrived at the airport a few minutes before ten. I thought she had said that the plane left at 10.50. I walked calmly to the departure gate, thinking I (2)__________ had a little time to spare. I hadn’t bothered to take a good look at the ticket. The clerk at the desk told

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me politely but firmly that the departure time was 10.15 and that, (3)_____________ to international regulations, the flight was “now closed”.

Secondly, you should remember that even in this (4)_____________ of credit cards, it is still important to have at least a little of the local currency with you when you arrive in a country. This can be absolutely essential if you are flying to a place few tourists normally visit. A few years ago I was sent to Tulsa, Oklahoma. I flew there from London via Dallas with very little time to (5)_____________ planes in between. I arrived there at midnight and the bank at the airport was closed. The only (6)_____________to get to the hotel was by taxi and, since I had no American dollars, I offered to pay in British pounds instead.

‘Listen buddy. I only take real money!’ the driver said angrily. Luckily, I was able to (7)_____________ a few dollars from a clark at the hotel, but it was very embarrassing.

The third and last rule is to find out as much as you can about the weather at your (8)_____________ before you leave. It may be very different from the weather at home. I feel sorry for some of my colleagues who travel in heavy suits and raincoats in March or April, when it is still fairly cool in places like London, Berlin or New York, to places like Athens, Rome or Madrid, where it is already beginning to get quite warm during the day. Few people understand just how it is to have the right sort of clothes with you in these days of rapid air (9)_____________.

1 A path B road C way D street

2 A still B yet C then D already

3 A regarding B relating C according D referring

4 A period B time C term D age

5 A exchange B change C transfer D alter

6 A way B manner C path D route

7 A borrow B lend C gain D beg

8 A goal B aim C objective D destination

9 A travel B trips C journeys D voyages

(From: New Success at First Certificate) Air travel. Answer the clues. The number of letters is given.

1 A _ _ _ _ _ _ 2 _ _ I _ _ _

3 _ _ _ _ _ R _ 4 _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ 5 _ _ _ _ T 6 _ _ _ _ _ R 7 _ A _ _ _ _ _

8 _ V _ _ _ _ _ _ 9 _ _ E _ 10 _ L _ _ _ _

an area of land where aircraft can land and take off, be kept, repaired, etc. (7) a trip by airplane, especially carrying passengers on a regular service (6) a member of cabin staff who looks after the passengers’ needs (7) the act of leaving the ground by an airplane a person who flies an airplane, captain (5) a big building where plane are kept (6) the act of coming down onto the ground again from the air (7) the science or practice of flying (8) all the people working on an airplane (4) a plane without an engine (6)

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Put each of the following words or phrases into its correct place in the passage below. air vents cabin captain carry co-pilot crew cruising speed distances flight flight engineer galley jet-propelled passenger passenger list safety belts seats trip tourist attendants take-off size

Airliner Airliners, or (a) __________________ planes, differ from light planes not only in (b) __________________ but also in

speed and equipment. They are designed to (c) __________________ a greater number of people over longer

(d)________________ without stopping to refuel.

A passenger airliner has a comfortable (e) __________________ with soft carpets, adjustable upholstered

(f)______________, washrooms, and individual (g) __________________ and reading lights. It has a (h)

__________________ for preparing food. Many airliners offer (i) __________________, or economy class service,

which costs less than first-class travel.

The (j) __________________ of four-engine airliners range from about 350 mph for propeller-driven planes to more

than 500 mph for (k) __________________ planes.

The (l) __________________ of an airliner works as a team to make the trip smooth and pleasant. While the

passengers take their seats, the pilot or (m) ______________, co-pilot, flight engineer, and stewardesses prepare the

plane for (n)___________. The pilot, assisted by the (o) __________________, checks the instruments and tests the

controls. The (p) __________________ checks the other mechanical equipment. The stewardesses check the (r)

__________________, make sure that the passengers fasten their (s) ______________ for (t) ________________.

Later, the flight (u) __________________ distribute magazines, serve meals, and do other things to make the (v)

__________________ enjoyable.

Listening. Listen to these statements. Where do the y take place? a) in a taxi c) at a railways station e) on a plane b) at an airport d) at a hotel 1 ____ 2 ____ 3 ____ 4 ____ 5 ____ 6 ____ 7 ____ 8 ____ Listen and complete the flight details.

1. Flight _________

2. Flight _________

3. Flight _________

4. The plane _________ from _________ 38.

5. You fly from _______________.

6. The _________ flight to _________ is now boarding.

7. You are in _________ 35, _________ E.

8. The plane _________________ .

Listen to each part of the recording. Then answer t he questions. Part 1 1. What time is the next train to Manchester?

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Part 2 2. Which flight is boarding at gate 23? Part 3 3. What time does the train leave? 4. Which platform does it leave from? Part 4 5. The passenger chooses a flight. What time does it leave? 6. When does the flight arrive? 7. What is the flight number? 8. Which terminal does it leave from? Ships. Choose from among the given vocabulary those related to the indicated subject. (to) board bow bunks cabins captain charts cliffs coast compass cranes crew cruise deck-chairs docks (to) embark fleet freighters galley gang-way harbour hold knots latitude life-jacket lighthouses liner loaded mate moored (to) navigate navigator overboard rope rudder seamen seasickness stern stewards stormy vessels voyage waves warship wreck

1. Which of the above are kinds of ships? 2. Which of the above are parts of a ship? 3. Which of the above are things found on a ship? 4. Which of the above are people found on a ship?