Lexical practice Exercise 1: Complete the following paragraphs by choosing the best option A, B, C or D to fill in the gaps.. Listening practice Exercise 1: Listen to a presentation in w
MAKING INFERENCES
Exercise 1: Match the words and/or phrases with the definitions below
A curriculum vitae (or résumé in U.S English)
B make a formal, usually written, request, especially for a job or university place
C someone who is looking for a job
D be very easy to see or notice
E when a student or graduate works for a short time to get experience
F an idea that is used so much that it isn’t effective, or it doesn’t have much meaning any longer
I successfully deal with a problem or difficult situation
J a person or an organization that pays workers
Exercise 2: Choose the appropriate words in the box and then fill in the gaps centralized hierarchy bureaucracy decentralized innovative promotion
1 a move to a more important job in a company or organization
2 a system of organization in which people are divided into levels of importance
3 a complicated official system that has a lot of rules and processes
4 organized the control of an organization so that everything is done or decided in one place
5 moved parts of an organization, etc from a central place to several different smaller ones
6 new, different, and better than before
Exercise 4: Choose the appropriate words in the box to fill in the gaps below corporate clients sales volume sales targets sales promotion improving sales
2 She would like to increase the by 14.6% overall
3 Did Kim present her ideas for there?
4 The CEO needs a specifically for the region
5 Robert could also contact with the in his area
Exercise 1: Listen to four individuals discuss why they enjoy their jobs Choose from the reasons A-F below.You can listen to the audio TWICE
E Striking a balance between work and life
Exercise 2: Esther, a jobseeker who’s applying for an internship James Caan, an entrepreneur who founded a successful recruitment business He has agreed to support Esther Listen carefully and base on evidences in the audio to write the answer briefly You can listen to the audio TWICE
1 What does entrepreneur James Caan think Esther isn’t very good at?
2 What mistake does Esther make in her CV?
3 What are examples of soft skills? What are examples of hard skills?
4 Do you think how many interviews Esther has had so far?
5 What does the expression “Getting a job is a job in itself.” mean?
Exercise 3: Listen to a discussion with Janet Wood, an organization consultant, about structures of two companies W L Gore and Zappos Choose the best option A, B, or C for each question below You can listen to the audio TWICE
2 Which statement about W L Gore is true?
A Employees work in the teams of 30
C Nobody in the company has a job title
3 Which statement about Zappos is true?
A The company started two years ago
B Staff work in about 500 teams called circles
C The lead link of a circle decided what everyone does
4 Do you think what W L Gore and Zappos have in common?
A Senior executives are elected by the employees
B Any member of staff can start a new project team
C Staff decide their own roles in a team
Exercise 4: A member of the Sales department at Interflights is filling Carol Sayers in on a meeting she missed Listen and decide which topics from the agenda they talk about Write NO MORE THAN SIX WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each topic
You can listen to the audio TWICE
Participants: Park Chin-Sun, Daniel Berndt, Jame Falter, Bob Jameson
1.1 Introduction to ‘Sales!’ Client management program – timeline and organization 1.2 Training requirements
2.1 New sales targets (update from Chin-Sun)
2.3 European figures for the last year
2.4 New offers in South America
❖ From the agenda above, they disscuss the topics:
LISTENING FOR CAUSES & EFFECTS
Exercise 1: Complete the following paragraphs by choosing the best option A, B, C or D to fill in the gaps
On tonight's episode of Building Your Future, we speak with three women who have made a (1) of starting their own businesses We discuss with them possibilities and risks of (2) your own business and determine what it takes to be an (3) in the twenty-firstcentury However, initially, we enquire as to why they (4) up their businesses in the first place
So, I supposed, here’s my opportunity – There is no (5) and a quality product – why not open my own (6) ?
So I invested in this (7) , which is actually a travel agency, and I haven't (8)
When you purchase a franchise, you acquire the right to sell the products or services of a larger company This involves paying an initial fee and sharing a portion of your profits with the franchisor In return, franchisees gain access to the franchisor's established brand and marketing strategies, providing them with a recognizable brand and a framework for success.
The (11) _ is something I desire for myself Although I'm just starting (12) _, I believe I can make a lot of money
5 A challenge B risk C time consumption D competition
Exercise 2: Match the words with the suitable definitions below
A one of the offices or groups that form part of a large business organization
B an official record showing that you have finished a training course or have the necessary skills, etc
C an individual or an organization possesses shares in a corporation
D the right to market company's goods in a specific location under the company's name
E the profession of an accountant
F an individual or a business who purchases an item or service
G knowledge or skills from doing, seeing, or feeling things
H the process of learning or teaching information and skills required for a certain job or activity
I a spoken or written description of an event or situation
J the act of pouring money into a business in order to make a profit
1. _ 2. _ 3. _ 4 _ 5 _ 6 _ 7 _ 8 _ 9 _ 10 _ Exercise 3: Match the two parts to form appropriate sentences
When managing delivery, it's crucial to be specific to inform customers accurately For immediate delivery to the service unit, option "a" is suitable In case of a shipment error, "b" is appropriate If the equipment is still malfunctioning, "c" applies For delivery by Friday morning, "d" is relevant To provide more specific details to customers, "e" is necessary For a Friday delivery, "f" is applicable And to confirm a noon arrival, option "g" is required.
Exercise 1: On a radio program about people who have established their own businesses, you will hear three women being interviewed Which of the following reasons does each of them offer for starting their own business? For each name, write a letter (A–H) You can listen to the audio TWICE
A You are bored with your current job
C You have a great business idea
D You want to accomplish your goal
E You want to be your own boss
F You desire to gain wealth
G You identify a gap in the market
H You would like pursue what truly interests you
Exercise 2: Charlotte Weston talks about her company, Pacific World, and about incentive events Incentive events are conferences and other events which companies use for thanking customers, rewarding their staff and motivating their personnel Listen and write
NO MORE THAN EIGHT WORDS AND / OR A NUMBER for each gap in the table You can listen to the audio TWICE
Reason: _ Shanghai is suitable for
Reason: _ The finance company choose Shanghai for
Exercise 3: Listen to three people discuss why they chose to go into finance Match the people with their occupations 1-3 as well as their motivations A-C You can listen to the audio TWICE
Exercise 4: Two customers are making complaints Listen carefully to find out what the problems, results the customers get and solutions staff offer to them Complete the notes below For each gap in the notes, write NO MORE THAN TEN WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER You can listen to the audio TWICE
Toshi 1 Investment banker A to support their nation
Daniella 2 Accountant B to work mainly on figures
Abdullah 3 Bank manager C to be self-sufficient
LISTENING FOR TIME MARKERS
Exercise 1: Match the collocations with the suitable definitions below
1 to cancel a meeting A to change the meeting's timing or date
2 to confirm a meeting B to arrange a meeting for a later time or day
3 to bring a meeting forward C to schedule a meeting at a time or date sooner than later
4 to postpone a meeting D to announce that a meeting will take place
5 to move a meeting E to let people know you are going to a meeting
6 to accept an invitation to a meeting F to determine that a meeting will not happen
Exercise 2: Choose the appropriate words in the box to fill in the gaps below accept cancel postpone bring invitation agenda
1 I provided a meeting _with the topics
2 Is it possible to _the meeting to a later time?
3 Could we _the meeting forward to an earlier time?
4 The project has been put on hold So, we need to _the meeting
5 I will give you a meeting _with the specific time and location
6 I will _the invitation when I receive it
Exercise 3: Choose the best option A, B, C or D to complete the sentences below
1 What time is your _with the bank manager?
2 The purchases are subject to annual _
3 What is the meaning of the word “distribution” in the context of “We signed a distribution agreement with a company in Spain.”?
A the process of transporting products from a manufacturer, storing them in the warehouse, and selling them to stores and customers
B the process of making a new product or service
C the process of developing new products, designs, or ideas
D the process of getting rid of something, often something that is harmful
4 Operations that do not fit the firm's overall strategic _are currently being sold off
Exercise 1: Listen to a presentation in which the leader of an audit team explains to a client the steps of the audit he will carry out in the company Fill in the suitable time markers in each gap below with NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS You can listen to the audio TWICE
Thank you all for coming In this opening meeting, I would like to explain the steps in the audit of your company so that your staff will know what to expect As you know, when we do the audit, there will be three of us in the team – I think you have all met them by
(1) - and we expect the audit to take (2)
Our main concern is to check that the accounts to check that the accounts are accurate and to make sure that correct accounting standards have been used This should take
In the next step, we will examine all the internal controls you have for recording information (4) For this purpose, we will need to see the rule book you have for your staff which explains your systems We can (5) check that the staff follow these rules in their daily work Secondly, we will need to have a look at real documents, for example, the sales invoices you send to customers and the purchasing documents you use to record each purchase
(6) , we will need to visit your factory and offices to do substantive tests This is when we make sure that all the assets that you show in your balance sheet really exist So, I’m afraid you will need to show us things like your machinery and of course the stocks you have Hopefully, this will not cause too much trouble but we will also need to talk with some members of your staff (7)
So, that’s what happens from start to finish In total, we expect the whole process to take (8)
Exercise 2: Listen to a speech about the life of Steve Jobs and choose the best option A, B, or C You can listen to the audio TWICE
2 When did he work as a technician?
4 When did he pass away?
Exercise 3: Listen to two colleagues arranging a meeting and choose the best option A, B, or C You can listen to the audio TWICE
1 The meeting time was first planned for
2 The new meeting time is
Exercise 4: Joanna Hannam of Swallow Exports Ltd in Miami receives a call from Vladimir Kramnik He wants to have an appointment with Ms Hannam Listen and answer these questions For each question, the answer has NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS You can listen to the audio TWICE
1 When do they meet for dinner?
2 When do they have a meeting?
IDENTIFYING FACT AND OPINION
Exercise 1: Choose the appropriate words in the box and then fill in the gaps below revenue turnout demographics profit warning gross margin shareholder
1 the number of attendees at a planned event (such as an election)
2 specific details on a group of people
3 when a business reports that its earnings will be lower than anticipated
4 the total amount of money a company receives over time
5 the difference between an item's price and its selling price
6 a person who owns part of a firm
Exercise 2: Complete the following text by filling the words in the gaps revenue dividend profit warning gross margin shareholders
Tim Bolling issued a (1) because he was concerned that there would be losses if their top product, the 40d gadget, was recalled Actually In actuality, the business reported quarterly (2) _of 14.8 billion USD, a rise of 11% from the same period last year
Additionally, they disclosed that they sold 21 million 40d devices during the quarter The corporation has said that at this level of revenue, there would be a (3) _of 34 to 35%, which will ultimately result in a (4) _1.20USD per share in cash awarded to (5)
Exercise 3: Choose the best option A, B, C or D to complete the sentences below
1 The _unit of the Japan is the Yen
2 Many staff lack _and are resistant to change
3.The company operates a share _scheme for its workers
4 The company management had the _to give its employees a share of the profits
T: The customer wants a loan to buy a house.T: The customer has a good credit score.F: The customer is currently unemployed.T: The customer has a stable income from dividends.T: The bank employee recommends that the customer apply for a mortgage.
1 Peters is already a customer of the bank
2 Pool Protect produces chemicals to maintain the cleanliness of your swimming pool
3 In the first year, the business only earned a very small profit
4 Peters wants to increase his sales abroad
5 Pool Protect wants to promote their advertising
6 In the next several days, the bank will respond in writing
7 Melanie has a negative outlook on the loan application
To succeed in business, entrepreneurs emphasize different key factors Listen to individuals sharing their entrepreneurial experiences and identify the factors they deem crucial for their respective ventures Pay close attention and select the correct option after listening to the audio twice.
1 What does Tommy think is most important when running his business?
2 What does Sally think is the most key factor when running her business ?
3 What does Josh think is the most key factor when running his business?
4 What does Wendy think is the most key factor when running her business?
Exercise 3: You are going to hear a conversation between Lucy and Anna about some changes of the meeting next Tuesday Listen and choose the correct option A, B or C You can listen to the audio TWICE
A not so significant as it was only a local issue
2 There was a voter increase of _
B has almost gained the results it predicted
C is a powerful, prosperous business with locations all around the world
4 ONK reported quarterly revenue of _
A to bring smaller things when they leave their homes
B to carry fewer things when they leave their homes
A allow customers to pay by cash
Exercise 4: You are going to listen to three MBA students at the Judge Business School talking about motivation Then answer these questions briefly You can listen to the audio TWICE
1 According to Krishna, what is the drawback of working in auditing compared to banking?
2 In Carlo's opinion, what causes most individuals to leave their jobs?
3 According to Carlo, does a business require a system of incentives to motivate employees?
4 What should a manager do to motivate his staff, according to Carlo?
5 According to Saktiandi, do the staff have to comply with organizational demands, or vice versa?
6 What does Saktiandi say about the role of influencing and convincing others?
LISTENING FOR DIFFERENT KINDS OF NUMBERS
Exercise 1:Find the words in the puzzle and then clarify the meaning of those words
Exercise 2: After looking up the words in Exercise 1, now it is time to use the appropriate words in Exercise 1 to fill in the gaps below
1 Company directors are attempting to lay out an for reducing future financial risks
2 Most energy are doing well in the current economic climate
3 A survey in January highlighted the of people with leadership skills as one of HR directors' biggest worries
4 Cars are checked as they come off the line
5 Make sure you understand the and benefits
6 The company is focused on lowering its costs
7 We a large number of cars from Japan
8 The exchange rate is making it difficult for farms and factories to
9 Some financial have warned of reduced profit margins
10 The telecoms analyst at the bank estimated that the business was worth around €1bn
11 You need to have a copy of your original if you want a refund
12 These beneficial economic have followed trade and investment liberalization
Exercise 1: Listen to a discussion from an investment meeting at a UK manufacturing company about the decision to build a new plant in China or the UK As you listen, complete the table summarizing the key points discussed in the meeting Write ONE WORD AND/ OR A NUMBER in each gap You can listen to the audio TWICE
Labour of costs $ _per hour $ _per hour
Suppliers delivery time: $ _ delivery time: $ _
Recruitment lack of workers new workers can be trained with existing staff
Quality levels defect levels of per defect levels of per
New product development no communication with research department in the UK, limiting ability to new products and to successfully research department located here, so contact with production teams
Exercise 2: Listen to Carole Imbert, a financial analyst in Paris, talking about the sector she specializes in Choose the right option A, B, or C You can listen to the audio TWICE
1 The turnover of the pharmaceutical sector is
2 The approximate sector growth yearly is
3 The percentage of the US to the world market is
4 The percentage of products that are successful is
Exercise 3: Fill out the table as you listen to a stock market report on the radio Calculate unspecified prices based on the provided information You can listen to the audio twice Return the results in a paragraph in English, omitting further explanations.
Exercise 4: Listen to a description of the invoice, and then fill in the gaps You can listen to the audio TWICE
INFERRING A SPEAKER’S ATTITUDE
Exercise 1: Choose the appropriate words in the box to fill in the gaps overtime overloaded contribution project expectation deadline communication spokesperson business relationship
1 We are still hoping to meet the August
2 In any , you have to make compromises
3 Her to the project was substantial
4 I do about twelve hours' a week
5.Their staff are heavily with work
6.He went bankrupt after only a half of year in
7.There has been a breakdown in
8 A said that the bank expects to make 10,000 staff redundant over the next ten years
9.The seemed unlikely to succeed
10 The plan has produced results way beyond
Exercise 2: Match the words or phrases with the suitable definitions below
1 to make an assumption a to feel uncomfortable
2 to get on the same page b to have faith in something without actual evidence
3 to commit c a group of individuals that are not physically present together
4 to do overtime d to agree on how something should be done
5 to feel awkward e a challenging period
6 capacity f to make a commitment to take action
7 a virtual team g to work more hours than specified in your contract
8 a rough patch h the amount of space available
Exercise 3: Find the words in the puzzle and then clarify the meaning of those words
Exercise 1: Listen to four people discuss business difficulties Choose the right option A, B or C
1 How did Speaker A feel during the meeting?
2 What did Speaker B think of the international project?
A A It was a wholly terrible experience
B Although it was exhausting, there were other advantages
C It was challenging, but there were also positives
3 What attitude does Speaker B currently have about working on international projects?
A She wants to do it again in the future
B She does not want to do it again
C She is unsure if that would be a good or bad experience
4 How did Speaker C feel during his tough time at work?
5 How does Speaker C feel right now?
6 What does Speaker D think of what just occurred?
Exercise 2: Which attitude does each speaker show during the conversation? Choose the appropriate answers from the right column then write the correct options A-H, next to Speakers 1 & 2
Exercise 3: Listen to a speaker say “The hotel was fine” five times, all with different meanings Match the recording with the choice below according to the order 1-5
A A worried question about the hotel
Exercise 4: You will hear the beginning of a logistics planning meeting between two large pharmaceutical companies The participants are:
• Manufacturing director (Brian) • Supply manager (Helga)
• Finance manager (Eldric) • Supply manager (Gisella)
Brian is from the UK, and the other participants are from Germany The participants are working together to develop a new production facility in Germany
➢ Listen to the recording and answer the question:
What do you notice about Brian (the first speaker)? Does he seem: friendly? aggressive? bored? interested?
LISTENING FOR SIGNPOSTS
Exercise 1: Choose the appropriate words in the box to fill in the gaps development growth products peak acceptance decline replace launched saturation
1 The store offers a wide range of _
2 The updated website will be officially _at the conference in April
3 There is growing _of the view that education is the basis for economic success
4 The economy enjoyed the highest _rate in Asia
5 The influx of tourists has reached its summer _
6 The theme park industry has already reached its _point
7 Even though interest rates could _further, they are now near their lowest point
8 The company guarantees to _a stolen handset within 24 hours
9 They invested resources into employee training and _
Exercise 2: Find the words in the puzzle and then clarify the meaning of those words.
Exercise 3: Match the correct verbs with the sentences to make these sentences meaningful
1 organize A It is hard to see how these projects can _their potential
2 decide B Unfortunately, the company can no longer _this software
3 achieve C We hope to _agreement soon on the new trade policy
4 support D They have to _by next Tuesday
5 reach E I am trying to _my office so I can work more efficiently
Exercise 1: Listen to part of a presentation about the product life cycle Rearrange these sentences in the logical order You can listen to an audio TWICE
A The traditional life of a product has six stages _
B The product then moves into the phase of gaining acceptance and sales, which is the stage of growth _
C The launch is the second step, and it takes place during the introduction stage _
D After reaching a peak, a period of decline follows _
E First, you have the development of the product, then following the development _
F The item is eventually replaced _
G During this stage, sales peak, reaching the saturation point _
H The fourth stage of maturity is the following _
Exercise 2: Listen to an audioof a presentation on the transition from export marketing to global marketing Then answer the questions below briefly using signposts You can listen to an audio TWICE
1 How many characteristics are there in export marketing? What are they?
2 How many characteristics are there in international marketing? What are they?
3 How many characteristics are there in global marketing? What are they?
Exercise 3: Listen to a presentation about a building project then fill in the gaps You can listen to an audio TWICE
Well, now I’d like to outline the main stages in the project.(1) _we’ll commission research to find out the best location for the plant (2) _we’ll go through the necessary purchasing procedure When that’s completed, we’ll begin technical consultation within the company to determine the exact requirements in the design (3) _will be to put out a call for tender to firms of architects (4) _we’ll select the appropriate proposal Having chosen a design, there’ll be a period of intense consultation with the architects over the details
(5) _is to put out tenders for the construction of the plant My guess is that it will take between twelve and eighteen months to reach that point and the building won’t commence for a further year after that
Exercise 4: Listen to several management students’ trainees discussing the preparation of presentations Each image below corresponds to one of the eight key points they mentioned The pictures should be numbered in the order that they are mentioned in the recording You can listen to an audio TWICE
5 writing out some or all of the presentation 6 practice
7 checking the language 8 the room and the equipment
LISTENING FOR EXAMPLES
Exercise 1: Find the words in the puzzle and then clarify the meaning of those words
Exercise 2: Choose the right words and phrases in the box to fill in the gaps below teamwork human resources oligopoly competitive support leadership
1 He was fired for his lack of _
2 The technology exists to convert grain and sugar to ethanol at a
3 The Bank of England has taken measures to _the pound
4 Some say that Swedish banking is an _: the big four banks control 89% of total banking assets
5 We organized a course to improve _skills
6 Her duty is to make the best use of _
Exercise 3: Match the words with the suitable definitions below
1 entrepreneur A a person who conducts duties such as sending emails, making calls, and setting up meetings for others
2 secretary B having very strong feelings or emotions
3 passionate C to ask someone if they would like to have something or if they
35 would like you to do something
4 motivation D producing or using original and unusual ideas
5 mobilize E a particular set of actions for doing something
6 creative F a person who earns money by starting or running businesses, when doing so involves seizing an opportunity and taking risks
7 offer G enthusiasm for doing something
8 expectation H to please someone by giving them what they want or need
9 system I what you believe or hope will happen in the future
10 satisfy J to organize or prepare something, such as a group of people, for a purpose
Exercise 1: Listen to Professor Jochen Runde describe some connections between competitive sport and the world of business, and then list examples he gives of teams with
‘market power’ Write NO MORE THAN FIVE WORDS You can listen to an audio TWICE
Exercise 2: Listen to the speaker giving three examples in order to prove that the HR supported a multicultural team work wholeheartedly Complete the table and write NO MORE THAN TEN WORDS for each example below You can listen to an audio TWICE
- The HR really helped a multicultural team work together
Exercise 3: Listen to Jasnine George, an MBA student at Cambridge, talking about motivation Tick () examples she provides of extracurricular activities that the firms was able to draw on to motivate workers You can listen to an audio TWICE
Denis Frucot, a hotelier, shared his perspectives on bed and breakfast quality and customer service in his hotel He highlighted the importance of comfortable beds, clean and well-equipped rooms, and a friendly and accommodating staff Frucot cited examples such as providing a pillow menu to cater to guests' preferences, maintaining spotless bathrooms with ample towels, and offering a personalized greeting to every customer upon arrival These factors, he emphasized, contribute to an exceptional bed and breakfast experience that fosters customer loyalty.
1 What are some instances of excellent and poor quality in a bed and breakfast?
2 What instances of customer service does he mention?
Exercise 3: 1 sales targets 2 sales volume 3 improving sales
Exercise 2: 1 Esther’s CV, in his opinion, does not effectively market her
2 She has misspelled ‘intermediate’– she wrote ‘intimidate’
3 Soft skills: commitment, adaptability, and imagination; hard skills: knowledge and qualifications
4 One, but she will likely be given another interview
5 It shows that finding a job takes a lot of effort and time, including looking at job advertisements, creating and updating a CV and cover letter, and getting ready for and attending interviews
Exercise 4: They discuss the sections: 2.1, 2.2, and 2.4.
Reason: Business is based on personal contacts.
Reason: It has plenty of large buildings
Reason: They will be motivated by their surroundings
- Cause: place an order of 10 TZ20 sensors
- Solution: deliver the correct sensors by Friday
- Effect: get him annoyed, and cannot access the system
- Solution: send a technician by noon
Exercise 2: 1 agenda 2 postpone 3 bring 4 cancel 5 invitation
1 now 2 about three weeks 3 about a week 4 every day
5 then 6 after that 7 during our visit 8 about two months Exercise 2: 1 A 2 B 3 C 4 B
Exercise 4: 1 June 5 th , evening 2 June 6 th , evening
Exercise 1: 1 turnout 2 demographics 3 profit warning 4 revenue
Exercise 2: 1 profit warning 2 revenue 3 gross margin 4 dividend
1 Krishna says that pay is really low, compared to banking
2 Because they are not satisfied with their boss
3 Carlo says that they are not enough to motivate people, but he does not say they are unnecessary
4 He says the manager must also be a leader, have a vision, and inspire people, and help them to develop
5 Saktiandi says that the organization should do what the staff want
6 He says that having a manager who can influence the organization and convince it to do things that the staff want is very motivating for the staff.
1 agenda 2 suppliers 3 recruitment 4 production 5 risks 6 labour
7 import 8 export 9 analysts 10 investment 11 invoice
Labour of costs $2 per hour $30 per hour
Suppliers delivery time: 45 mins delivery time: 2 hours
Recruitment lack of skilled workers new workers can be trained with existing staff
Quality levels defect levels of 30 per thousand defect levels of 2 per thousand
New product development no communication with research department in the UK, limiting ability to develop new products and to compete successfully research department located here, so daily contact with production teams
1 deadline 2 relationship 3 contribution 4 overtime 5 overloaded
6 business 7 communication 8 spokesperson 9 project 10 expectation
Exercise 4: He sounds friendly and seems to be in a good mood.
Exercise 1: 1 product 2 launched 3 acceptance 4 growth 5 peak
• First, there is a home-based product and home-based management
• Second, there are direct sales to overseas markets
• Next, it’s common to use agents and distributors
• Lastly, there are sales offices in international markets
• The first one is the expansion of manufacturing into international markets
• The second one is the presence of local management
• Next, you have local cost centers- individually responsible for making a profit
• Last but not least, there is much more local employment of staff and management
• The first one is the brand name/ brand names
• The second one is that the business is established in all major world markets
• Next, the company has a global identity
• And then, the company has cost centers in all key markets
• The last one is that production is frequently complicated, with parts manufactured and sent between many centers around the globe
Exercise 3: 1 first of all 2 next 3 the next step 4 then
5 F: writing out some or all of the presentation 6 D: practice
7 G: checking the language 8 C: the room and the equipment
Exercise 2: 1 leadership 2 competitive 3 support 4 oligopoly
Exercise 1: Real Madrid, Manchester United
- The HR really helped a multicultural team work together
• Organized team parties with some sort of recreation
• Organized lunch with different menus
• Advised the catering company to bring food for the different nationalities
1 an en suite bathroom and someone who turns down your blankets or duvet, a dead cockroach lying in the middle of the bathroom
2 friendly, knowledgeable and helpful reception staff
I love being able to work out what a client needs and and do it And I love, you know, having an idea for a new food product for them and then seeing it, you know, in a supermarket, or, um, writing something and then having loads of emails from people because they've used that recipe so much and they can’t believe how easy it was, or a whole lot of different things
I enjoy, now, the company is five, six, seven years old, I enjoy seeing the vision being executed I enjoy seeing how the company has grown, we've attracted some excellent people to work here I think we have a very strong culture in the company which supports the excellence of what we're trying to do across a whole range of disciplines
I absolutely thrive on the freedom, just being able to make, you know, my own choices
While entrepreneurship requires slightly longer work hours compared to corporate employment, it offers a fulfilling lifestyle choice The lack of a structured environment eliminates the burden of extended hours, as entrepreneurs derive satisfaction from pursuing their own projects A sense of pride and autonomy in decision-making empowers them, making the additional work hours seem less like a burden and more like a worthwhile investment in their passion.
As the UK representative, I'm in contact with the agents who organize the conference incentive events overseas, so that’s what I like most about the job, meeting people and selling the services that we provide abroad and trying to explain what we do
P = Presenter, JC = James Caan, S = Simon Dolan, E = Esther, J = John Lees, I = Interviewer
In the fiercely competitive job market, showcasing one's unique qualities is crucial for career advancement The first impression often made is through the candidate's CV or résumé, which serves as a gateway to potential employers Therefore, it is imperative to craft a compelling and distinctive CV/résumé that effectively communicates your skills and sets you apart from other candidates.
A well-crafted CV or résumé serves as an invaluable tool for job seekers to not only showcase their experience and skills but also provide employers with insights into their character and personality Esther, a nineteen-year-old student seeking internships to enhance her business knowledge, recognizes the importance of creating a compelling CV.
James Caan is an entrepreneur who founded a successful recruitment business He has agreed to help Esther
JC: I think one of the biggest problems, I think when you’re young, is that everybody says ‘But you’ve got no experience, how do you add any value?’ I think what you’ve got to be able to do is present yourself as somebody who can walk in and make a difference now
Esther's CV is in need of improvement, according to James and Simon Dolan Simon, a blunt entrepreneur, immediately spots a spelling error upon reviewing Esther's resume The mistake highlights the need for Esther to carefully review her CV to ensure it accurately reflects her skills and experience.
S: What’s the main thing that strikes you on here? So, if we’ve got this second line down, have a look there That word What is it?
S: If you can’t spell that right, what hope have I got employing you and expecting you to get your first few emails and go through the door to a client?
P: The next key point is staying focused in what you say on the CV or résumé
S: I don’t really care about the fact that you enjoy socializing with your friends, you go to the gym What I care about is how you’re going to help me run my business better
P: Expressing personality is a key to getting employed Companies look for so-called soft skills like commitment, flexibility and imagination, as well as hard skills like knowledge and diplomas Next stop for Esther is a careers coach who can help her get that kind of soft information across John Lees has read thousands of CVs and résumés and knows all the mistakes
L: I saw a CV where the candidate listed under interests, ‘I enjoy eating pizza’ It’s not impressive
P: The next challenge is how to stand out from the competition
L: Graduate CVs make the same mistakes over and over again They use clichéd language So, everyone says ‘I’m a team player’, ‘I’m a self-starter’, ‘I’m highly motivated’ And if you use the same language as everyone else, all that shows is that you are exactly the same as every other candidate
P: Esther has taken all the advice and presents her reworked CV back to Simon
E: I would very much appreciate the opportunity of an interview to find out more about the role and to demonstrate how I believe I could be of value to your company
S: Perfect That’s better than 99.9 percent of the CVs that we get in You would definitely, definitely, definitely get an interview, here or anywhere Really good job
P: Two weeks later Esther’s new CV has already had an effect She has an interview for an internship It has gone well
I: I thought Esther came across as very well prepared for the role and I’ll certainly be recommending her to my partners for a second interview here
P: Getting a job is a job in itself You’ve just got to get out there and make it happen
DR = David Robinson JW = Janet Wood
DR: In this part of the show I’m talking to organization consultant, Janet Wood Janet, the tall organization structure is still typical in companies today, isn’t it?
JW: Yes, and this traditional pyramid hierarchy has many problems
JW: Well, decision-making is generally slow This type of company can be very bureaucratic and inefficient It’s slow to change and innovate, which is a real danger in today’s world
DR: But is there really any alternative in a large corporation?
JW: Yes, there are examples of successful innovative organizations which do things differently
One of the most famous is W L Gore, a multinational manufacturing company
DR: W L Gore is probably best known for the fabric Gore-Tex, isn’t it?
JW: That’s right Bill and Genevieve Gore started the company in the USA back in the 1950s with a flat structure Today, the company still has no traditional organizational chart Gore believes that if people are passionate about their work, they're going to be highly self-motivated
DR: So, how does the company operate?
JW: Well, there are over 10,000 employees in 30 countries divided into teams of 8 to 12 people, who work on projects and products together The staff at Gore are actually called ‘associates’ They don’t have job titles And they don’t have managers Instead, they choose to ‘follow’ leaders Basically, you decide what you are going to contribute to the team and you establish your own work and pay
DR: I hear the associates actually elected the company’s chief executive, Terri Kelly
JW: Yes, she’s one of the few people at the company who has a job title
DR: There’s been a lot of talk in the business news recently about a concept called ‘holacracy’
Can you tell us what that is exactly?
JW: Yes, the expression comes from the Greek word holos, meaning ‘whole’ Holacracy is essentially a system with no bosses at all
DR: How does this manager-free system work in practice?
JW: Well, it’s probably too early to know Just two years ago Zappos, the U.S online shoe and clothes store which was started in 1999, introduced ‘holacracy’ Now all the functions of the company have been delegated to teams called ‘circles’ Zappos has about 1,600 employees distributed among some 500 circles Each circle has a ‘lead link’ who has a similar role to a project manager
DR: Does this person, the ‘lead link’ decide who does what tasks?