Understanding the main points. Vocabulary focus. Language study

Understanding the main points

1. Answer the following questions.

 

1.    According to the writer, what is the main duty of the head of any organisation?

2.    Why do some people disagree with Henry Fayol’s definition of the role of management?

3.    In what ways are the functions of a company director, for example, different from those of a middle manager?

4.    In Peter Drucker’s opinion, which of the following things should a manager be?

•     exceptionally intelligent

•     keen to improve people’s lives

•     interested in other people

•     popular

•     able to give clear orders

•     honest

•     admired by others

•     able to examine carefully and make judgements

 

Vocabulary focus

    

1.    Find words or phrases in the text which mean the same as the following:

 

1. carefully, not wastefully (paragraph 1)

……………………………………………………………………………

2. expand the range of products (paragraph 3)

……………………………………………………………………………

3. operate (paragraph 4)

……………………………………………………………………………

4. resolving (paragraph 4)

……………………………………………………………………………

5. said in a clear, detailed way (paragraph 5)

……………………………………………………………………………

 

LANGUAGE STUDY

 

1.    Complete the following sentences using suitable words or phrases from the box below.

 

     directors                           junior executive             colleagues

     managing director            supervisor                      staff

     senior executives              superior                         employees

     middle managers              subordinates                  work-force

   

1. The group of executives working below the top managers are generally 

    called ……………….. .

2. Valerie is an important person in our company. She is a member of the

  ……………….. .

3. Peter, a recent university graduate, has been with the firm for a year. He is at

  present a ……………….. and is being trained for a managerial position.

4. Their ……………….. is expanding rapidly. They now have over 5,000

  employees.

5. At least 50% of our ……………….. have been with the company over ten 

  years.

6. ……………….. in an organisation generally have more fringe benefits than

  lower-level managers.

7. We are a small group in the Research and Development Department.

  Fortunately, I get on well with all my ……………….. .

8. Our telephone operators work under the direction of a ……………….. .

9. I work under Mr Brown. He is my ……………….. .

 10. Sheila and Tom work under my authority. I am their boss and they are my

  ……………….. .

 11. I am responsible for ……………….. training and development.

 12. A ……………….. is a person of high rank in an organisation, usually next

  in importance to the Chairman.

 

2.    Word building. Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the words in italics.

 

1. produce

 

a)    Our production of washing-machines increased by 5% last year.

b)    We have recently put on the market two new ……………….. .

c)    ……………….. per worker will increase with the introduction of the new machines.

d)   Word processors have helped to make office workers more ……………….. .

e)    The company is well-known in the agricultural industry. It sells mainly farm ……………….. – eggs, butter, milk, etc.

 

2. compete

 

a) Coca Cola’s main ……………….. is the Pepsi-Cola company.

b) We try to stay ……………….. by investing heavily in advertising and 

promotion.

 c) Our company’s main objective is to keep ahead of the ……………….. .    

 

3. plan

 

a) The meeting did not go as ……………….. .

b) Some projects take years of ……………….. .

c) Before asking a bank manager for money, it is wise to show him a

business ……………….. .

4. analyse

 

     a) Managers needs to have an ……………….. mind.

b)    Our ……………….. showed that we needed to put more emphasis on

marketing.

c) We must look at the problem ……………….. . 

 

 

3. Complete the following sentences with the correct word or phrase (a, b, c, d).

 

1. Nowadays, I eat out at restaurants regularly and often go abroad for holidays. My ……………….. is much higher than it used to be.

     a) standard of living

     b) cost of living

     c) lifestyle

     d) way of life

 

   2. Writing reports is not a ……………….. that everyone enjoys.

    a) duty

    b) work

    c) job

    d) function

 

3. This machine uses much less fuel than the previous one. It is far more ……………….. .

     a) sparing

     b) economic

     c) effective

     d) economical

 

4. The management has worked out a ……………….. to improve our market share.

     a) strategy

     b) policy

     c) target

     d) planning

 

5. Many of the ……………….. in the Personnel Department are part-time workers.

     a) staff

     b) staffs

     c) employers

     d) personal

 

6. One of the company’s main ……………….. is to increase sales by 10% per year.

     a) designs

     b) plans

     c) purposes

     d) objectives

 

7. Several machines have broken down. We won’t be able to …………….. an important order.

     a) fill

     b) meet

     c) make

     d) do

 

4. Phrasal verbs with out. Complete the following sentences, using suitable                       

forms of the verbs from the box below.

           

      sort out

      spell out

      sell out       make out

      buy out

      sound out

     pull out               bring out

        carry out

         turn out

 

 

1.    The firm ……………….. about five hundred sports cars a year.

2.    We hope to ……………….. our production problems soon.

3.    If the firm doesn’t make a profit, the owners will probably ………… .

4.    I’m willing to consider introducing flexitime, but would you first ……………….. the advantages of the system, please?

5.    Givenchy have ……………….. an exciting new perfume.

6.    Would you ……………….. the cheque to David Brown, please?

7.    In order to develop new products, pharmaceutical companies have to ……………….. a lot of research.

8.    Several leading banks such as Barclays have ……………….. of South Africa.

9.    A group of senior managers want to take over the firm by ………….. it ……………….. .

10.  We’re looking for a new chef executive. I understand one or two possible candidates have already been ……………….. .