MID-TEST ENGLISH

Name :
NIM :
Major :
MANAGEMENT

(13-14)

Vocabulary

1. Match up the following words and definitions'

1. corisultant (D) A. a plan for achieving success

2. crisis (E) B. a new idea or method
3. innovation (B) C. a person with a less important position in
an organization
4. objective (noun) (F) D. a person who provides expert advice to a
company
5. poromotion (H) E. a situation of danger or diff culty
6. public sector (G) F. something you plan to do or achieve
7. strategy (A) G. the section of the economy under
government control
8. subordinate (C) H. when someone is raised to a higher or
more important position
2. The text contains a number of common verb-noun combinations. Use the word
combinations in the box to complete the sentences below

allocate resources deal with crises make decisions perform tasks

measure performance set objectives supervise subordinates

1 After an organization has set objectives as , it has to make sure that it achieves them.

2 Managers have to fi nd the best way to to all the human, physical and capital al available
to them.

3 Some people le better on their own while others work better in teams.

4 Managers __________ the work of their eir and try to develop their abilities.

5 M anagers rs the he of their staff to see whether they are reaching their targets.

6 Top managers have to be prepared to to if they occur and then have to to quick

Case study: Selecting a Chief Operating Officer

Three companies are looking for a senior manager – a Chief Operating Offi cer who will be
responsible for managing the company’s day-to-day operations, and making sure that all
operations are effi cient and effective.
 Company A is a cigarette Company B is a software Company C is a private
manufacturer that has to developer that employs a lot television channel whose
modernize its production of young, creative, talented objective is to broadcast
systems in order to become and rather undisciplined programmes that get as big
profi table, in an industry people. an audience as possible, in
that has an increasingly bad order to maximize
reputation advertising revenue.
Which of the following candidates might be the most suitable for the positions on page 13?
Here are some extracts from their letters.

Candidate 1

My skills involve helping businesses achieve their objectives. Throughout my career I have
ensured that my subordinates successfully executed the strategies developed by senior
management, delivered results and maximized revenue

Candidate 2

I see my main skills as being able to communicate with and motivate people, to help them
develop and accomplish their objectives, while also working effectively in teams.

Candidate 3

At this stage in my career, I see myself in a challenging new position that involves setting
objectives and deciding how the organization can achieve them. I would then concentrate on
measuring the performance of the staff.

Candidate 4

My career demonstrates an ability to analyse problems, find solutions and implement them. I
also have strong communication skills and experience in explaining difficult decisions to
employees, investors, journalists, and so on.

WORK AND MOTIVATION

(17-18)

Comprehension

Are these sentences true or false?

1. Herzberg argued that'hygiene factors' motivate workers.

2. Challenging jobs and responsibility are hygiene factors.

3. Some unskilled jobs will always be boring and repetitive.

4. Workers might be motivated by having responsibilities as part of a team.

5. Job rotation can make a day's work more interesting.

6. You can always motivate workers by telling them that they work for the best company in
the fiel

Vocabulary

Find the words in the text that mean the following.

1. interactions between employers and employees, or managers and workers

2. knowing that there is little risk of losing one,s employment

3. money paid (per hour or day or week) to manuat workers

4. advantages that come with a job, apart from pay

5. things that encourage people to do something

6. to be raised to a higher rank or better job

7. without any particular abilities acquired by training

8. regularly switching between different tasks

9. a company's shared attitudes, beliefs, practices and work relationships

COMPANY STRUCTURE

(22-23-24)

Vocabulary

Before reading about traditional company organization, check your understanding of some
basic terms by matching up the following words and definitions.

autonomous to delegete function hierarchy or chain of command

line authority to report to

1. a system of authority with different levels, one above the other, e.g. a series of
management positions, whose holders can make decisions, or give orders and instructions

2. a specific activity in a company, e.g. production, marketing, finance

3. independent, able to take decisions without consulting someone at the same tevet or higher
in the chain of command

4. the power to give instructions to people at the level below in the chain of command
5. to be responsible to someone and to take instructions from them

6. to give someone else responsibility for doing something instead of you

Comprehension

1 What is the main advantage of a chain of command?

2 Why is it not usually possible to organize a large organization in a single hierarchy?

3 In what ways can dividing a business functionally cause problems?

4 What factors might lead companies to flatten their hierarchies?

5 According to the text, what kind of managers might not want to delegate decision making?

6 What is the potential disadvantage of matrix management systems?

7 Under what circumstances might teams not be effective?

Discussion: Incompatible goals

The text mentions the often incompatible goals of the finance, marketing and production
(or operations) departments. Classify the following strategies according to which
department would probably favour them.

1 a factory working at full capacity

2 a large advertising budget

3 a large sales force earning high commission

4 a standard product without optional features

5 a strong cash balance

6 a strong market share for new products

7 generous credit facilities for customers

8 high profit margins

9 large inventories to make sure that products are available

10 low research and development spending

11 machines that give the possibility of making various different products

12 self-financing (using retained earnings rather than borrowing)

 MANAGING ACROSS CULTURE

(27-28)

Comprehension

1 Why is it important for companies to be aware of local cultures?

2 What are the differences between individualists and collectivists?

3 Who is more likely to think: 'l'll let them speak first.'

4 Who is more likely to say, about other people: 'They can't be trusted because they will
always help their friends or family' - universalists or particularists?

5 Who is more likely to say: 'Oh, you can't trust them; they wouldn't even help a friend'

Vocabulary

Match the words in the box with the definitions below.

Collective compromise confrontation eye contact glocalization

Impovise interrupt intuition logic lose face status

1. an invented word combining worldwide and regional concerns

2 thought based on reason and judgement rather than feelings and emotions

3 a face-to-face disagreement or argument

4 reducing demands or changing opinions in order to agree

5 understanding or knowing without consciously using reason

6 people of influence or importance with whom you are associated

7 to do something when necessary without having already planned it

8 respect, prestige or importance given to someone

9 believing that the group is more important than the individual

10 to be humiliated or disrespected in public

11 to cut into someone else's turn to soeak

12 looking directly at the people you are talking or listening to

Discussion: Managing across cultures

 1 To what extent do you agree that it is possible to sum up national characteristics in a few
words? ls there usually some (or a lot of) truth in such stereotypes? Or, on the contrary, do
you find such stereotyping dangerous?

2 lf your country is not shown on the diagram, where do you think it should be situated? lf
your country is shown, do you agree?

3 Would you say that you, personally, were individualist or collectivist? Particularist or u
niversa ilst?

4 What about the majority of people in your country?

5 Which of the following working practices would be effective or damaging in your

country? Why?

a. the principle of 'pay-for-performance' for sales representatives - the more they sell, the
more they get paid

b. having a competition for the 'Employee of the month'

c. having a matrix management system

d. extensive teamwork

RECRUITMENT

(30-31)

Reading: Filling a vacancy

When employees 'give notice', i.e. inform their employer that they will be leaving the
company as soon as their contract allows, in what order should the company carry out the
steps listed below? Complete the chart opposite with the letters A-I.

A. either hire an employment agency (or for a senior post, a firm of headhunters), or
advertise the vacancy

B. establish whether there is an Internal candidate who could be promoted (or moved
sideways) to the job

C. examine the job description for the post, to see whether it needs to bee hanged (or
indeed, whether the post needs to be filled)

D. follow up the references of candidates or applicants who seem interestlng E invite the
shortlisted candidates for an interview

F. make a frnal selection

G. receive applications, curricula vitae / resumes and covering letters, and make a
oreliminarv selection (a shortlist)
H. try to discover why the person has resigned

I. write to all the other candidates to inform them that they have been unsucces
 Decide not to replace
the person but to
modify other jobs

Decide to replace
person

yes No
Offer the job to
the internal No
candidate and

and

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

(38-40-41)

Vocabulary

Match the following words and expressions, used by Alison Maitland, with their definitions.
 1 critical mass A doing better than others, f nancially
2 leadership ranks B the ability to make a good return on capital invested
in the business
3 outperforming C the amount of money a company earns on the
investment of its shareholders
4 profitability D the number of people needed to start and sustain a
change
5 return on equity E top levels of managemet

Comprehension

1 What is the new Norwegian law?

2 what reasons does Rolf Dammann give for not having complied with the new law?

3 what does the CEO say about the two women he has had to appoint as directors?

4 What does Dammann say will happen as a consequence of the new law?

Vocabulary

Find words in the article that mean the following:

1 meet or f nd unexpectedly or by accident

2 required, obligatory, necessary according to the law

3 an officially imposed number or quantity

4 done by choice, without legal obligation

5 obeying laws or regulations

6 the ending or termination of an organization

7 trainees, people still learning their job

8 someone who changes their beliefs

9 being officially responsible for something

Questionnaire: Ways of thinking

Complete the questionnaire opposite about attitudes to job interviews and jobs, and then
compare your answers in pairs or groups. .

-Which of these statements are (more or less) true for you? '

-Do you think any of these statements reflect mainly masculine or feminine ways of
thinking?
 Yes No Men Women
1 I'd apply for a job if I thought I covered about 60% of the
requirements.
2 I'd only apply for a job if I thought I covered 100% of the
requirements.
3 I'd always try to negotiate my salary at a job interview.
4 I'd accept the salary offered at a job interview.
5 At a job interview, I'd ask: "What can your company do for
my my career?'
6 At an interview, I'd try to show why I deserved the job and
what I could do for the company.
7 I'd lie at a job interview, e.g. about whether I'd be prepared to
move abroad in the future.
8 I wouldn't tell lies at a job interview.
9 If I do a good job, I will be noticed, promoted and rewarded
10 I'd be happy to say that my success is also due to my
colleagues, or even to good luck.
11 Doing a good job is not enough; you have to spend a lot of
time telling other people what a good job you're doing.
12 I prefer relationships between equals to a strict hierarchy.
13 Hierarchies are necessary, and people obviously want to
climb towards the top.
14 I'd accept a promotion even if I didn't think I was totally
ready for it.
15 If I'm going to succeed and be promoted, someone else will
have to lose
16 I like to use war metaphors (ready for battle, attack
competitors, fight for customers, change tactics, etc.).
17 I prefer direct, powerful language ('t need you to do this
immediately', 'Come and see me at 11)
18 I prefer indirect language (Sorry, but perhaps you could do it
now 'Could you come to my office at 11, please?)