POLITÉCNICO GRANCOLOMBIANO

LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT
GENERAL ENGLISH V
FIRST TERM EXAM

I. READING

Read the following article and do the exercise below.

SHAKE-UPS THAT LEAVE US SHAKEN BUT NOT STIRRED

By Alison Maitlan

John recently resigned from his job with a European airline because of the way it
handled heavy redundancies. “The whole experience was a disaster,” he says. “I was one of
the last to leave and now all the original group that I started with are gone.” John, who
worked in the finance department, says the redundancies were announced in an unplanned
way and the workload was redistributed without any consultation, let alone assistance or
incentives. “People were already overworked, but when they were also given duties above
and beyond their job specification, they began to leave in droves,” he says. “On top of this,
the change was not communicated well. We should have been consulted.”
Workplace change has become a constant for most employees. Yet it often fails to
achieve its stated objectives and has unforeseen consequences of the kind experienced in
John’s case. A new study by OPP, which specializes in applied business psychology, seeks to
explain why. Poor communication is often to blame, as are changes imposed from above
and an absence of obvious benefits. The study, based on a survey of 1,000 people at all
levels in large UK organizations, finds that workplace change has left 58 percent feeling
demotivated and less committed. Fourteen percent have left their job as a result and 49
percent have considered doing so.
‘There are signs that organizations may have misconceptions about their employees´
motives for working and the nature of their psychological contracts’ says Bernard Cooke;
leader of OPP’s change consultancy team. ‘Employees are not asking for less change.
However, they are demanding more involvement and clearer explanations of the reasons
for the change and the expected benefits.’ Employees are largely impervious to change in
the mission statement or the brand or logo that so excite those at the top. What they care
about most is the effect on their pay, benefits, working conditions and job role.
The survey, carried out by MyVoice Research, finds that senior managers
acknowledge the need to communicate clearly the objectives and potential benefits of
workplace reorganization. Yet, in employees “eyes”, they often fail to do so. Seventy-six
 percent of staff say that change tends to be imposed rather than discussed, 64 percent that
senior managers are the only ones consulted, and 40 percent that change is communicated
either not at all or only when it has been completed.
From the Financial Times

II. WRITING
As the General Manager of a company, you are responsible to socialize with your workforce the
possible consequences (good or ill) that the coming merger with a larger company will bring about.
With points made in the previous article in mind, outline a corporate communication plan to make
sure staff will be adequately informed of the implications of the merge. Write a 150-word text
presenting the most relevant points to communicate as well as the channels to be used. (50 points)

LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT
GENERAL ENGLISH 5
FIRST TERM EXAM
ORAL PART

UNIT 5 CASE STUDY

ALPHA ADVERTISING
A large advertising agency with a reputation for creating imaginative and effective campaigns is
competing for new business (Unit 5, page 50)

1. (50 points) Based on the background information about the advertising agency prepare an
advertising campaign for one of the products or services presented.
2. Present your campaign to the management of the company elaborating on the following:
• What is the campaign’s key message?
• What special features does the product or service have?
• What are its USPs?
• Who is your target audience?
• What media will you use?
What special promotions will you use at the start of the campaign?
3. This exercise will be carried out in groups of four and will be presented on the session scheduled for
Oral Examination on the exam week.