UNIT 3: MANAGEMENT AND

ORGANIZATION

COMPANY STRUCTURES
Most companies are made up of three groups of people: the starolders
(who provide the capital), the management, and the workforce. The management
structure of a typical company is shown in the following organization chart:

Board OF DIRECTORS
(Headed by Chairlrperson)

Managing DIRECTOR

SENIOR MANAGEMENT

MIDDLE MANAGEMENT

At the top of the company hierarchy is the board of Directors, headed by

the Chairperson (or President). The Board is responsible for making policy
decisions and for determining the company’s strategy. It will usually appoint a
Managing Director (or Chief Executive Officer) who has overall responsibility
for the running of the business. Senior managers head the various departments
or functions within a company, which may include the following:

Marketing Public Relations Personnel (or Human Resources)

Finance Production Research and Development

1/ You will hear six people talking about their work. Listen and
decide which of the six departments listed above they work for.
1-………………………………… 4-…………………………………
2-………………………………… 5-…………………………………
3-………………………………… 6-…………………………………

ORGANIZATIONS

TASK 1: SPEAKING:

1/ Here are three diagrams representing the structure of an

organization. Look at diagram 1. Which group of people:

1-Own the company ?

2-Sell to the company ?
3-Formulate policy ?
4-Buy from the company ?
5-Work for the company ?

Shareholders

Board of Directors

Suppliers Staff Customers

Pur Pro Mar distr

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2/Look at diagrams 2 and 3. Which part of this organization:

1-Manufactures the products ?

2-Sells the products ?
3-Deals with personnel matters ?
4-Creates new products ?
5-Buys supplies ?
6-Gets the products to the consumers ?
7-Records transactions, collects cash, makes payments, and calculates
costs ?
 8-Plans, schedules, monitors, measures, and gives directions
TASK 2: READING

1/You are going to read an article about Microsoft, the US software

producer. Do you know anything about this company ?
2/Would you like to work for Microsoft ? Read the article on the opposite
page and find out.
Famous for its windows operating system, Microsoft is the world’s no. 1
software company. With sales of over $ 3 billion, it’s growing fast but the
corporate culture remains strong. So, what’s it like to work there ?

Hard Work

Complaining about how hard you work at Microsoft is like complaining

about the weather is Seattle. Everyone is overworked. Microsoft deliberately
understatts its product teams because it saves money, helps communication and
encourages the fighting spirit.
The courtyard recreation are a with software engineer Alistair Sutherland
and his pet snake, Zsa Zsa.

Fun

Microsoft encourages individuality, and there are plenty of eccentric

characters on the staff.

Tough

Microsoft employees are well-informed, logical and thick-skinned.

They ve got to be able to stand up for themselves when their bosses
criticize them.

Frugal

The pay may be good but there are no fancy expense accounts. Bill Gates,
the CEO, is one of the richest men in America but he still flies economy class to
Japan. Recently his administrative assistant was rushed off his feet by phone
calls and letters and asked if he could hire someone to help out. “Who am I, the
Queen?” asked Gates.

Challenging
 Authority is pushed down through the ranks. Microsoft picks and chooses
recruits from the graduates of the elite universities and business schools, then
gives them lots of responsibility straight away.
Competitive

Microsoft has been beaten in some markets by more sharply-focused

competitors, but they keep fighting.
They may get it wrong several times before they get it right but they never give
up.

3/Microsoft employees think they are overworked and the

company deliberately under staffs its product teams.

Think of more words that begin with the prefixes over-and under. Here
are some ideas to get you started.
*To charge a price that’s too high or low.
*Too heavy or light.
*To receive the wrong amount of pay.
*A bank balance that is in the red.

1/Management – an art or a science ?

A- Discussion:

1-What is management ? Is it an art or a science ? An instinct or a set of

skills and techniques that can be taught ?
2-what do you think makes a good manager? Which four of the following
qualities do you think are the most important?
a) being decisive: able to make quick decisions.
b)being efficient: doing things quickly, not leaving tasks unfinished,
having a tidy desk, and so on.
c) being friendly and sociable.
d) being able to communicate with people.
e) being logical, rational and analytical.
f) being able to motivate and inspire and lead people.
g) being authoritative: able to give orders.
h) being competent: knowing one’s job perfectly, as well as the
work of one’s subordinates.
i) being persuasive: able to convince people to do things.
j) having good ideas.
Are there any qualities that you think should be added to this list?
 3/ Which of these qualities can be acquired ? Which must you be born
with ?
about his description of the work of a manager, decide whether the five
different functions he mentions require the four qualities you selected in your
discussion, or others you did not choose.