ENGLISH FOR PUBLIC

MANAGEMENT AND
ADMINISTRATION

ENGLISH
GA1211

CLASSROOM DOSSIER

Lecturer:

MANUEL AICART FORNER (maicart@uji.es)

COURSE 2023/2024
INDEX
Syllabus and Evaluation Criteria……………..……………………………………………………... 2

PART I. LEGAL ENGLISH

1. The Public Administration.………………………………………………………………………... 5

2. Contract Law………………………………………...……………………………………………... 9

3. Tort Law……………………………………………………………………………………………... 13

4. Criminal Law………………………..…………………………………………………………….... 17

5. Company Law………………………………………....………………………………………….... 21

6. Commercial Law………………….………………………………………………………………... 25

7. Real Property Law………………………………………………………………………………... 29

8. Litigation and Arbitration..……………………………………………………………………….... 33

9. Employment Law……………………………………………….………………..………………… 37

10. Competition Law…………..…………………………………………………………………….... 41

PART II. MANAGEMENT ENGLISH

11. Career Planning…..………………………………………………………………………………. 46

12. Business Planning..…………………………..………………………………………………….. 50

13. Managing People……..………………………………………………………………………….. 54

14. Business Organization………………………………………………………………………….. 58

15. Money Management……………………………………………………………………………… 62

16. Human Resources………………………………………………………………………………... 66

17. Workplace Ethics………………………....………………………………………………………. 70

18. Coping with Change…………………………………………………………………………….. 74

19. Conflict Management…………………………………………………………………………….. 78

20. Job Satisfaction…………………………………………………………………………………… 82

21. Team Building……………………………………………………………………………………... 86

22. Customer Service………………………………………………………………………………… 90

1
Objectives
To develop the students’ knowledge of English in the field of public management and administration.
Students will learn vocabulary and expressions related to legal, management and business English so
that they can attain the level required to use it in their professional lives.

Background knowledge
Students should have a level equivalent to B1. If you don’t, you can go to the CAL1 and do exercises or
sign-up for a language partner2. There are also free online resources like Duolingo3 or Language
Journeys4 to improve your general English or Tandem5, to practice with a language partner.

Material
● Classroom Dossier6 (available in Agora copy room and Aula Virtual)
● Grammar Handout (available in Aula Virtual)

Evaluation criteria

20% PORTFOLIO
70% 10%
WRITTEN 15% 5% ORAL
EXAM EXAM
Grammar Handout Online Activities

70% WRITTEN EXAM

One multiple choice exercise related to the contents studied during the course.

One grammar exercise where you will have to conjugate the verb in the correct tense.

One or two reading comprehensions (taken from the dossier) with true-false questions, multiple
choice, fill in the blanks, comprehension questions or finding synonyms in the text.

One listening comprehension (taken from the dossier), with true-false questions, multiple choice, or
comprehension questions.
20% PORTFOLIO
15% Grammar Handout and 5% Online Activities. Details and deadline on Aula Virtual.
10% ORAL EXAM
You will take the exam individually. The teacher will suggest different dates/hours on a Google Sheet.

The speaking exam will take place either online, in your usual classroom or the teacher’s office.

The exam will be recorded by the examiner and will consist of answering random questions among the
ones that will be studied during the course (see list below). The duration will be around 5+ minutes.

You need to pass both the written and oral exam to pass the course. We keep the grades of the parts
you pass for the 2nd call.

1
https://www.uji.es/serveis/slt/base/adf/serveis/cal/
2
https://www.uji.es/serveis/slt/base/adf/serveis/tandem/
3
https://www.duolingo.com/
4
https://languagejourneys.com
5
https://www.tandem.net/
6
Some activities based and adapted from:
Krois-Lindner, A., Firth, M. (2008). Introduction to International Legal English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Cotton, D., Falvey, D., Kent, S. (2010). Market Leader. Essex: Pearson Longman
2
 GENERAL
Why are you studying How can you make
How long have you been Where do you see
public management and progress in English
learning English? yourself in five years?
administration? outside the classroom?
Do you think you will have
Would you like to be a Life would be better Money is more important
to use English in the
civil servant? Why? without the government. than love.
future? Why?
Violence is sometimes Animal testing is
Graffiti is art, not crime. English is easy to learn.
necessary. sometimes necessary.
EMPLOYMENT
The most important thing What things are the most Would you like to work in Is it better to work for
about a job is the salary. important for you in a job? another country? yourself or for others?
At what age should a
Which is better: working Which is worse: a low Which is better: a day job
person start to work? And
inside or outside? salary or a boring job? or a night job?
retire?
Would you like to never Are there jobs only for Is it better to be a boss or
What is your dream job?
work? women and only for men? an employee?
LEGAL
Why do people commit Is anyone capable of What is the worst crime in
Why do we have laws?
crimes? turning to crime? your opinion?
Should crimes under a
What is the purpose of Should expired crimes be Should prostitution be
certain age be punishable
prison? punishable by law? illegal?
by law?
Should occupying empty
Should public nudity be Should taking drugs be a Should jaywalking be
houses be punishable by
illegal? crime? punishable by law?
law?
MONEY
Would you prefer to have
Can money buy Would you rather find true
How important is money? more time or more
happiness? love or $10,000,000?
money?
ETHICS
Is stealing always wrong? How often do you lie? Is it Is it ever right to hire
Would you risk your life to
(e.g. stealing from the rich okay to lie sometimes? someone because they
save another person?
to give to the poor) (e.g. lying to save lives) are attractive?
Should businesses be Is it okay to kill one Would you help a relative
If someone asks you to lie
made to hire 50% male person to save one get a job at your
for them, would you do it?
and 50% female workers? hundred? company?
CHANGE
Would you change What would you change
Are you good at dealing
Is change important? something about your about yourself or your
with change?
past? life?
CONFLICT
What conflicts exist in
Is conflict inevitable? Is conflict always Is it best to avoid
your life? How do you
negative? arguments?
deal with them?

3
 PART I
LEGAL ENGLISH

4
UNIT 1. THE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
1. Which of the following definitions corresponds to the “separation of powers”?
a) The group of elected politicians who make the laws for their country.
b) A system of government in which entities such as provinces share power with a national government.
c) The division of government responsibilities into several branches to prevent the concentration of power.

2. Read this text about public administration and fill in the gaps with the words from the table.

public executive electric power labor Montesquieu

judiciary health care oversees personnel branches

The separation of powers is a political doctrine that originated in the writings of

____________. It divides the institutions of government into three branches: legislative,
executive and judicial. The legislative makes the laws; the executive puts the laws into
operation; and the judiciary interprets the laws.

The public administration is part of the ____________ branch, including the Government, which has a
dual position, both administrative and political. Although such powers must be independent, in practice
they are not. Mutual interactions between the three ____________ are frequent. For example, the
appointment proceedings in the ____________ branch are strongly influenced by the political parties.

Administrative law is the body of law that governs the activities of administrative agencies of
government. In addition to national defense, public functions include the maintenance of domestic peace,
____________ education, fire protection, traffic control, conservation of natural resources, flood control,
and postal services. Many governments have assumed responsibility for additional operations. The sale
of ____________, for example, is one of the functions of national, state, and local governments in the
United States and Canada.

Other activities in which governments are involved include the provision of ____________, the operation
of public transport facilities, the development of public works, airport and port maintenance, and
water-supply systems. Most countries have evolved systems of public administration. They have some
features in common.

● The first is the hierarchical character of the organization by which a single chief executive
____________ a few subordinates, who in turn oversee their subordinates.
● A second common feature is the division of ____________ within the organization. Each individual
in the hierarchy has specialized responsibilities and tasks.
● A third feature is the maintenance of official records and the existence of precise procedures
through which the ____________ communicate with each other and with the public.
● Finally, tenure of office is also characteristic of all public bureaucracies.

Answer the following statement and discuss it with your partner.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

Does the public administration

work in your country? What
changes would you make?

5
3. Read this text about the civil service and answer the questions below.
The History of Civil Service

Civil service is the body of government officials who are employed in civil occupations that are neither
political nor judicial. In most countries the term refers to employees selected and promoted on the basis of
merit and a system which may include examinations.

In earlier times, when civil servants were part of the king’s household, they were literally the monarch’s
personal servants. As the powers of monarchs and princes declined, appointments became a matter of
personal choice by ministers and heads of departments. In Europe in the 19th century, appointment and
promotion frequently depended on personal or political favor.

As public administration became more complex in the 20th century, specialized categories of civil
servants were created to bring into the service doctors, scientists, architects, lawyers, and so on. All
countries base appointments on some kind of competition. In some countries great emphasis is placed
on formal written examinations supplemented by interviews. Such is the situation in several European
countries.

There are certain standards which are placed upon a civil servant’s conduct. As a general rule, a civil
servant is not allowed to engage directly or indirectly in any trade or business and may engage in social
or charitable organizations only if these have no connection with official duties.

Civil servants are generally prohibited from accepting gifts. There are also different attitudes about the
extent to which civil servants may engage in political activities. The United Kingdom bans its senior civil
servants from engaging in any form of political activity. The prohibition becomes less strict, however, for
the medium and lower grades of the service.

3.1 Answer the following question.

What is the difference between appointments in the civil service in the 19th and 20th century?

____________________________________________________________________________________

3.2 Find expressions in the text that mean the following.

a) worker ____________ b) complicated ____________ c) importance ____________

d) behavior ____________ e) take part in ____________ f) prohibit ____________

3.3 Answer the following statements and discuss it with your partner.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

What are the advantages and

disadvantages of being a civil
servant?

Would you like to be a civil

servant? Why?

6
4. Put the following sentences into English, then practice the dialogue with a partner.

Student A: ¿Qué tal? Hace mucho tiempo que no nos vemos.

_____________________________________________________________________________
Student B: Estoy bien. He empezado un grado en la universidad.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Student A: ¿Qué estás estudiando?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Student B: Gestión y administración pública.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Student A: ¿Qué asignaturas estudias?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Student B: Contabilidad, sociología, derecho, organización de empresas, economía, estadística,
inglés y recursos humanos.
_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Student A: ¿Te gustan?

_____________________________________________________________________________
Student B: Me gusta el derecho, aunque tienes que aprender muchas cosas de memoria.
_____________________________________________________________________________

Student B: Llevo mal estadística. Nunca se me dieron bien las matemáticas.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Student A: ¿Qué te gustaría hacer cuando acabes?

_____________________________________________________________________________
Student B: Me gustaría abrir mi propia asesoría.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Student A: También podrías presentarte a oposiciones.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Student B: Sí, pero prefiero ser mi propio jefe/a.
_____________________________________________________________________________

7
5. Watch the trailer of the movie “Lincoln” and answer the questions below.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJVuqYkI2jQ)
1. The ________________ of the people, by the people, for the people… (0:20)

a) government b) parliament c) involvement

2. How many hundreds of thousands have died during your ________________? (0:44)

a) service b) administration c) history

3. Leave the ________________ alone. (0:51)

a) congress b) competition c) constitution

4. What famous event happened during the Lincoln Administration?

a) Stock Market Crash b) Bombing of Hiroshima c) The Emancipation Proclamation

5. What is the “condition in which one human being is owned by another”?

a) amendment b) slavery c) freedom

8. Talk to your partner about the following questions. Write your answers in the table.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

1. How long have you

been learning English?

2. Why are you studying

public management and
administration?

3. Where do you see

yourself in five years?

4. How can you make

progress in English
outside the classroom?

5. Do you think you will

have to use English in
the future? Why?

8
UNIT 2. CONTRACT LAW
1. Whenever we buy goods and services, we enter into a contractual relationship. What kinds of
contracts have you entered into recently? Make a list of the goods and services you have used
recently.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

GOODS coffee,

SERVICES bus service,

What is a contract?
____________________________________________________________________________________
What is the difference between goods and services?
____________________________________________________________________________________

2. Reading. Contract Law

2.1 Read the first paragraph. What is necessary for a valid contract to be formed?
____________________________________________________________________________________
In most legal systems, a contract is formed when one party makes an offer that is accepted by
the other party. When the contract is negotiated, the offer and acceptance must match each other
in order for the contract to be binding. This means that one party must accept what the other
party has offered. If the offer and acceptance do not match, the second party can make a
counteroffer (a new offer which may be accepted or rejected).

For the contract to be valid, the parties must agree on the essential terms. These include the price and
the subject matter of the contract. Contracts may be made in writing or by spoken words. If the parties
make a contract by spoken words, it is called an oral contract. In some jurisdictions, certain types of
contracts must be in writing or they are not valid (e.g. the sale of land).

Contracts give both parties rights and obligations. Rights are something positive that a party wants to
get from a contract (e.g. the right to payment of money). Obligations are something which a party has to
do to get those rights (e.g. the obligation to do work).

When a party does not do what it is required, that party is said to have breached the contract. The other
party may file a lawsuit against the breaching party for breach of contract. The non-breaching party (or
injured party) may try to get a court to award damages for the breach. Damages refers to money which
the court orders the breaching party to pay in compensation. Other remedies include specific
performance, where a court orders the breaching party to perform the contract (to do what it promised).

2.2 Are these statements true or false?

TRUE FALSE
1. The offer and acceptance must match each other for the contract to be binding.
2. An offer must be met with a counter-offer before a contract is agreed.
3. Oral contracts are not always valid.
4. If in breach, the court will always force the party to perform the contract.
9
3. Complete the following sentences using the words in the table.

breach counteroffer damages obligations oral contract terms

1 A new offer made by one party to another party is called a ____________.

2 The price and the subject matter of a contract are the essential ____________.
3 A contract which is not in written form but has been expressed in spoken words is called an
____________.
4 Under a contract, a party has ____________ (that is, certain things it has to do).
5 When a party does not do what it has promised to do, it can be sued for ____________ of contract.
6 A court can award ____________ to the non-breaching party.

4. Put the following sentences into English, then practice the dialogue with a partner.
A: ¿Firmamos el contrato?
____________________________________________________________________________________
B: Me gustaría repasarlo primero.
____________________________________________________________________________________
A: Por supuesto. ¿Hay algún punto que no tenga claro?
____________________________________________________________________________________
B: Me gustaría hacer una contraoferta. ¿Podría bajar el alquiler 50 euros?
____________________________________________________________________________________
A: Me temo que el precio está muy ajustado.
____________________________________________________________________________________
B: ¿Qué pasa si me retraso en el pago?
____________________________________________________________________________________
A: Si se retrasa mucho lo consideraremos incumplimiento de contrato y podemos llevarle a juicio.
____________________________________________________________________________________
B: ¿Qué pasa entonces?
____________________________________________________________________________________
A: Podríamos pedir una indemnización por daños y perjuicios.
____________________________________________________________________________________
5.1 Listen to the conversation between a lawyer and his client discussing a case and
answer the questions below. Audio 2.5 TRANSCRIPT
1 What is the name of the buyer in this dispute?
a) Export Threads b) Drexler Incorporated c) McKendrick Corporation
2 Why does Export Threads want to terminate the contract?
____________________________________________________________________________________
3 Does a breach of contract automatically allow one party to terminate the agreement?
____________________________________________________________________________________
4 Does the lawyer think that Export Threads has a strong case?
____________________________________________________________________________________
5 What legal grounds might Export Threads have for terminating the contract?
____________________________________________________________________________________
10
5.2 Watch the following scene about a negotiation and answer the questions below.
( Just Go with It (2011) Movie CLIP #4 - The Negotiation )
1. The contract suggested in this scene is about ____________

a) an acting job b) a babysitting job c) a gardening job

2. The girl suggests that if it’s a job, they should ____________ (0:07)

a) ask for permission b) get paid c) do it after school

3. What are the girl’s conditions? (0:15)

a) $60 per day and free makeup b) $600 per day and overtime c) $60 per day and free food

4. After the negotiation, what do they finally agree on? (0:33)

a) $300 and a 3-week class b) $30 and a free class c) $30 and a 3-week holiday

5. What word does the girl say to indicate that they have reached an agreement? (0:36)

a) Deal b) Finished c) Done

6. Was the negotiation favorable to the girl? Why?

6. Build a sentence with the suggested word, as in the example.

contract I met with the buyer in my lawyer’s office to sign the contract.

1 dispute

2 offer

3 lawsuit

4 damages

11
7. When we sign a contract, we have to agree to its terms. Let’s talk about agreeing and
disagreeing. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Why?

YOU YOUR PARTNER

1. English is easy to learn.

2. Money is more important

than love.

3. Violence is sometimes
necessary.

4. No job is perfect.

5. The most important thing

about a job is the salary.

6. Police officers should not

carry guns.

7. Graffiti is art, not crime.

8. Life would be better without

government or rules.

9. Single people are happier.

10. Animal testing is

sometimes necessary.

12
UNIT 3. TORT LAW
1. Complete the definition of “tort” using the words in the table.

act damages harm party

A tort is a wrongful __________1 that causes __________2 to another person for which the injured
__________3 may request __________4.

2. Read the following text and answer the questions below.

A tort is a civil wrong that can be remedied by awarding damages. These civil
wrongs result in harm to a person or property that forms the basis of a claim by
the injured party. The harm can be physical, emotional or financial. Examples of
torts include medical negligence, negligent damage to private property and
negligent misstatements causing financial loss.

There are many specific torts, such as trespass, assault and negligence. Business torts include
fraudulent misrepresentation, interference in contractual relationships and unfair business
practices.

Torts fall into three categories: intentional torts (e.g. unfair competition), negligent torts (e.g.
causing an accident by failing to obey traffic rules) and strict liability torts (e.g. liability for making
and selling defective products). There are overlaps between tort law and criminal law. For example, a
defendant can be liable to compensate for assault and battery in tort and also be punished for the
criminal offense of assault.

Differences between tort law and criminal law include: the parties involved (the state brings an action
in crime, a private individual brings an action in tort); the standard of proof (higher in criminal law);
and the outcomes (a criminal action may result in a conviction and punishment, whereas an action
in tort may result in liability on the part of the defendant and damages awarded to the plaintiff).

The primary aim of tort law is to provide relief for the harm suffered and deter other potential
offenders from committing the same harms. The injured person may sue for both an injunction to
stop the illegal conduct and for monetary damages.

Depending on the jurisdiction, the damages awarded will be either compensatory or punitive.
Compensatory damages are intended to put the victim in the position they would have been in had
the tort not occurred. Punitive damages are awarded to punish a wrongdoer. As well as
compensation for damage to property, damages can also be awarded for loss of earnings capacity,
pain and suffering and reasonable medical expenses.

2.1 What are the two main objectives of tort law?

________________________________________________________________________________

2.2 A manufacturer produces a dangerous toy train. What category of tort is this?

________________________________________________________________________________

13
3. Use the words in the table to complete the following sentences.

monetary fraudulent contractual civil wrong injured party medical

damages misrepresentation relations expenses

1 While a crime such as murder or shoplifting is a wrong committed against society, a tort is a
______________ committed against an individual.

2 Torts are handled in the civil courts, where the ______________ brings an action against the
wrongdoer.

3 In most cases, the injured party is entitled to remedies such as ______________.

4 In medical practice cases the damages awarded to the injured party may include lost wages and
______________.

5 The tort of ______________ occurs when one of the parties makes a false statement about a fact
and knows it is not true.

6 When a person stops parties from entering into a contract, for example, this person is said to
interfere in ______________.

4. Nick is conducting his first lawyer-client interview. Put the following sentences into
English, then practice the dialogue with a partner.

Client: Recibí una carta esta mañana diciendo que me iban a demandar.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Nick: ¿Qué sucedió?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Client: Compré un ordenador portátil hace cuatro meses.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Nick: ¿Y hubo algún problema?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Client: Había un píxel quemado en el centro de la pantalla.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Nick: ¿Devolvió el portátil a la tienda?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Client: Sí, pero dijeron que no estaba cubierto por la garantía.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Nick: ¿Qué hizo entonces?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Client: Me puse delante de la tienda diciendo a la gente lo que me había pasado.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Nick: ¿Cómo reaccionó la empresa?
14
_____________________________________________________________________________
Client: Me dijeron que revisarían el caso y esta mañana recibí una carta de sus abogados.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Nick: ¿Qué dice la carta?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Client: Amenazan con demandarme por difamación a menos que firme una retractación.
_____________________________________________________________________________

5. You are going to hear a discussion between two law students, Maria and Fabio, about
a well-known liability case. Answer the questions below. Audio 3.1 TRANSCRIPT

1 What injury did the plaintiff suffer?

________________________________________________________________________________
2 Why did McDonald’s refuse to settle out of court?
________________________________________________________________________________
3 How much did the court award Liebeck in compensatory damages? And in punitive damages?
________________________________________________________________________________
4 How much did Liebeck finally receive in damages?
________________________________________________________________________________
5 Would you do the same thing if this happened to you?
________________________________________________________________________________
6. Match the pairs I. Then take turns with a partner and test each other.

1 Medical negligence a A businesswoman conspires with her competitors to keep their prices
high.

2 Negligent damage to private b A party tricks another party into signing a harmful contract.
property

3 Negligent misstatements c A doctor mistakenly harms a patient by giving the wrong treatment.
causing financial loss

4 Assault d A walker crosses a farmer’s land and damages his crops.

5 Battery e A hooligan physically attacks and injures a victim.

6 Trespass f A hooligan throws a brick at a victim, but misses.

7 Fraudulent misrepresentation g A careless driver accidentally kills a pedestrian.

8 Interference in contractual h A party disrupts another party’s ability to perform contractual

relations obligations.

9 Unfair business practices i A motorist drives too close to another car and scratches the side.

10 Wrongful death j An estate agent mistakenly tells a client that a property is sound, but
hasn’t actually checked.

15
7. Match the pairs II. Then take turns with a partner and test each other.

11 Fraud k A manufacturer sells food which contains harmful ingredients.

12 Misappropriation l A party threatens to harm a victim at an unspecified time in the future.

13 Defamation m A lawyer causes financial harm to his client by giving faulty advice.

14 Reckless driving n A party wears a disguise in order to trick a victim into believing he is
someone else.

15 Professional negligence o A property owner irritates her neighbors by burning tires in the garden.

16 Nuisance p A saleswoman takes deposits from customers who want holiday

homes, but the homes don’t actually exist.

17 False imprisonment q A shop manager wrongly accuses a customer of theft, and locks her in
his office for an hour.

18 Intentional infliction of r A thief takes and uses another person’s property as his own.
emotional distress

19 Product liability s A (drunk) driver crashes after driving above the speed limit.

20 Deceit t A party damages another’s reputation by writing or saying untrue

statements.

8. Watch the trailer of the movie “A Civil Action” and answer the questions below.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHRXGQhpib8)

1. Personal injury law has a bad ____________________ (00:08)

2. His _________________ will misjudge him. (00:40)

3. His ______________ will distrust him. (00:45)

a) defendants b) clients c) customers

4. His ______________ will desert him. (00:54)

a) partners b) colleagues c) clients

5. Do you swear to tell ___________________, the ___________________ and

__________________, so help you God? (02:11)

6. Would you like to work in the field of “personal injury law”? What about your partner?

________________________________________________________________________________

16
UNIT 4. CRIMINAL LAW

1. A crime is any act, or omission of an act, in violation of a public law. There are many
different crimes, or offenses. How many of the offenses in the table do you know?

armed robbery arson shoplifting stalking bribery burglary domestic violence

drug trafficking theft rape extortion forgery kidnapping money laundering

insider dealing joyriding vandalism tax evasion manslaughter homicide obstruction of justice

Crimes which are typically committed by office employees and salaried professionals are known as
white-collar crimes. Which of the crimes in the table are white-collar crimes?

________________________________________________________________________________

2. Reading. Criminal Law

Criminal law involves the prosecution by the state of a person for an act that has
been classified as a crime. This contrasts with civil law, which involves private
individuals and organizations seeking to resolve legal disputes. Prosecutions are
initiated by the state through a prosecutor, while in a civil case the victim brings
the suit.

Depending on the offense, various punishments are available to the courts to punish an offender. A
court may sentence an offender to execution, corporal punishment or loss of liberty (imprisonment);
suspend the sentence; impose a fine; put the offender under government supervision through
parole, or place them on a community service order.

Criminal law prohibits several categories of offenses: offenses against the person (e.g. assault),
offenses against property (e.g. burglary), public-order crimes (e.g. prostitution) and business crimes
(e.g. insider dealing). Most crimes are characterized by two elements: a criminal act and criminal
intent. To secure a conviction, prosecutors must prove that both elements were present when a
particular crime was committed.

In criminal cases the burden of proof is often on the prosecutor to persuade the judge or jury that
the accused is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If the prosecutor fails to prove this, a verdict of not
guilty is rendered. This standard of proof contrasts with civil cases, where the claimant generally
needs to show a defendant is liable on the balance of probabilities (more than 50% probable).

Some jurisdictions distinguish between felonies (more serious offenses, such as rape) and
misdemeanor (less serious offenses, such as petty theft). The same incident may sometimes lead
to both a criminal prosecution and an action in tort.

2.1 How do criminal law cases and civil cases differ in the way they are initiated?
________________________________________________________________________________

17
2.2 Name the four most common categories of criminal offense.
________________________________________________________________________________

2.3 In what way is the standard of proof different from criminal and civil cases?
________________________________________________________________________________

2.4 What is the difference between a felony and a misdemeanor?

________________________________________________________________________________

3. Put the following sentences into English.

Un crimen es algo malo que se comete contra la sociedad.

_____________________________________________________________________________
El malhechor es castigado: él o ella es encarcelado o multado con una suma de dinero.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Un agravio, por otro lado, es un mal que se comete contra un individuo.
_____________________________________________________________________________
La parte perjudicada puede demandar al malhechor y recibir daños y perjuicios del juzgado.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Una diferencia clave entre los dos es que el delito requiere una intención delictiva,
_____________________________________________________________________________
mientras que un agravio puede resultar sin intención de causar daño.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Los delitos se juzgan en los tribunales penales. El Estado inicia una acción contra el infractor.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Un agravio se resuelve en los tribunales civiles; la parte perjudicada ejercita una acción contra el
malhechor.
_____________________________________________________________________________
4.1 Match the following sentence halves to form explanations of punishments.

1 When someone is sentenced to execution… a they are put in prison for a crime.

2 When someone is placed on a community service b they are given a period of time when they must
order… behave well to avoid going to prison.

3 When someone is sentenced to imprisonment… c they have to pay an amount of money as a

punishment for breaking the law.

4 When someone is put on parole… d they are killed as a legal punishment for a crime.

5 When someone is put on probation… e they are released before their sentence is finished
with the agreement that they will behave well.

6 When someone is fined, … f the court requires an offender to perform unpaid

work to contribute to their community.

18
4.2 Which of the punishments in exercise #4.1 are most effective? Which are the least
effective? Give reasons for your answers.

PUNISHMENT YOU YOUR PARTNER

5. Reading. Identity Theft

Identity theft is a crime in which an impostor obtains key pieces of personal information, such as social
security numbers and driver’s license numbers, and uses them for their own personal gain. This is called
ID theft. It can start with lost or stolen wallets, stolen mail, a data breach, a computer virus, phishing, a
scam or paper documents thrown out by you or a business.

There are several common kinds of identity theft. Match the pairs.

KEY

1 bin raiding a stealing credit/debit card numbers by using a special device.

2 skimming b sending someone’s billing statements to another location by completing a

change of address form

3 phishing c taking wallets, mail and other items without permission

4 changing d pretending to be a financial institution or company and sending spam to

addresses get people to reveal personal information

5 stealing e looking through rubbish for bills or other paper containing detailed
information

Which of the above are a problem in your country? Have you ever been a victim of any of them?

________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Listening

Listen to four short clips taken from law-related podcasts. Which of the types of identity theft
above is described in each? TRANSCRIPT

AUDIO 4.2

AUDIO 4.3

AUDIO 4.4

AUDIO 4.5
19
7. Match the pairs I. Then take turns with a partner and test each other.

1 armed robbery a repeatedly harassing a person with unwanted attention

2 arson b buying and selling illegal narcotics

3 stalking c intentionally burning a building

4 kidnapping d creating a false document

5 bribery e taking a person against his/her will

6 burglary f using a weapon to take money or property by force

7 domestic violence g entering a building with the intent to commit a crime

8 drug trafficking h violence or abuse against a member of the offender’s own household

9 drunk driving i giving money, etc. to influence a public official

10 forgery j operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol

8. Match the pairs II. Then take turns with a partner and test each other.

11 extortion k intentional and malicious damage to or destruction of property

12 embezzlement l hiding evidence, threatening witnesses, etc.

13 homicide m killing somebody through an act or omission

14 manslaughter n using violence or threats to have sex without consent

15 insider dealing o concealing the source of money obtained from crimes

16 obstruction of justice p using confidential knowledge to give yourself an advantage

17 money laundering q taking another person’s personal property without permission

18 theft r secretly taking money from an employer or organization

19 rape s obtaining money or property through threats or intimidation

20 vandalism t unlawful killing but without intent to kill

9. The Shawshank Redemption (http://bit.ly/1xORULU)

1. Ladies and gentlemen, you’ve heard all the ___________________. (00:05)

2. I hereby order you to ___________ two life sentences back to back.(00:23)

a) punish b) serve c) compel d) enforce

3. I believe in two things, __________________ and _____________________ (00:42)

4. Do you know of any wrongful convictions? Why does that happen? What solutions are there?

________________________________________________________________________________

20
UNIT 5. COMPANY LAW
1.1 Complete the definition of “company” using the words in the table.

selling organization private Public

A company is a business 1) __________ that makes money by 2) __________ goods or services. 3)

__________ limited companies are listed on the stock exchange, whereas 4) __________ limited
companies are held by their members only.

1.2 What examples do you know of public and private limited companies?

PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY PRIVATE LIMITED COMPANY

Amazon, A restaurant,

2. Read the following text and answer the questions below.

Company law is the law which deals with the creation and regulation of business
entities. The most common forms of business entity are companies.

A company is a group of people which is treated as a legal person, with a separate

identity from its shareholders. It can own property, enter into contracts, sue others
and be sued.

Because of the limited liability of the members of a company for its debts, as well as its separate
personality and tax treatment, the company has become the most popular form of business entity in
most countries in the world.

Companies have a flexibility which can let them grow; there is no reason why a company initially
formed by a sole proprietor cannot eventually grow to be a publicly listed company. A company
has shareholders (those who invest money in it and get shares in return), a board of directors
(people who manage the affairs of the company) and creditors (those to whom the company owes
money). Company law deals with the relationships between companies and their shareholders,
creditors, and third parties.

The process of registering a company is known as company formation. Companies can be created
by individuals, attorneys or accountants. Today, most companies formed in the UK and the USA are
formed electronically. In the UK, a certificate of incorporation is issued once the company’s
constitutional documents and statutory forms have been filed.

The constitution of a company consists of two documents. The articles of incorporation state the
main objective of the company. The second document, the bylaws, regulates the company’s internal
management and administrative affairs, including matters such as the rights and obligations of
shareholders and directors, conduct of meetings and corporate contracts.

21
 TRUE FALSE

1 A company and its members are different legal personalities.

2 A company formed by one individual cannot become a publicly listed

company.

3 A certificate of incorporation is issued when the proper documents for

company formation have been filed.

4 The articles of incorporation contain regulations relating to the internal affairs

of a company.

3. Complete the sentences below using the verbs in the table.

enter into has invests is makes manages

monitor owes own owns serves on sue

1 A legal person ____________ rights and duties under the law just like a natural person.

2 The board of directors ____________ the affairs of the company and ____________ company
policy.

3 A company can ____________ property, ____________ contracts and ____________ other

companies.

4 A shareholder ____________ money by buying shares in a company.

5 A company director ____________ the governing board of a corporation.

6 A creditor of a company is a person or entity to whom the company ____________ a debt.

7 Regulators ____________ the activities of companies to ensure that they comply with the law.

8 A sole proprietor ____________ a company and ____________ personally liable for its debts.

4. Tesco’s Executive Committee is responsible for implementing the company’s strategy. It

consists of Zoe Cook (CEO), David Wright (Marketing Director), Simon Travis (Public Relations
Director) and Sara Ball (advisor). They are discussing how to reply to Ms. Solloway, a
customer who has raised a concern about an environmental issue. Put the following
sentences into English.

Zoe: Todos habéis leído la carta de la señora Solloway. ¿Algún comentario?

________________________________________________________________________________
David: Necesitamos ser más proactivos en temas medioambientales.
________________________________________________________________________________
Simon: Ya publicamos un informe en 2015 con nuestro compromiso con el medio ambiente.
________________________________________________________________________________
22
David: ¿Decía algo sobre nuestro abastecimiento de aceite de palma?
________________________________________________________________________________
Simon: No, pero seamos realistas. ¿Cuánta gente sabe qué es el aceite de palma?
________________________________________________________________________________
David: Claramente, la señora Solloway lo sabe, y todo lo que se necesita es una carta a la prensa
para socavar nuestra reputación.
________________________________________________________________________________
Simon: Le enviaremos una copia del comunicado de prensa de 2015 para evitar que acuda a la
prensa. ¿Estás de acuerdo Sara?
________________________________________________________________________________
Sara: Eso nos dará tiempo, pero debemos averiguar cuál es el impacto de la extracción en el medio
ambiente local.
________________________________________________________________________________
David: ¿Y si resulta que las acusaciones son correctas?
________________________________________________________________________________
Sara: Entonces informaremos a los medios de comunicación que estamos haciendo todo lo posible
para resolver el problema.
________________________________________________________________________________

5. Listening. You are going to hear an introductory lecture on company law at an

American university. Answer the following questions. Audio 5.1 TRANSCRIPT

1 According to the speaker, what is the most important advantage of a corporation?

________________________________________________________________________________
2 Which significant disadvantage does she mention?
________________________________________________________________________________

Listen to Audio 5.2 and tick the correct answer for each of the following questions.

Corporation Partnership Sole Proprietorship

1 Which entity best protects the property and

assets of the shareholders?

2 Which entity no longer exists when its owner

dies?

3 Which entity is the most expensive to form?

4 Which entity types require little paperwork?

5 Which entity requires

shareholders-employees to pay unemployment
tax?

23
6. Talk to your partner about the following questions. Write your answers in the table.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

1. Why do we have
laws?

2. If you could create a

new law, what would it
be?

3. Do you feel where you

live is safe?

4. If you could commit a

crime and get away with
it, what would it be?

5. Sometimes innocent
people get imprisoned.
Why does this happen?

6. What do you think of

lawyers? Would you like
to become one?

7. What happens to
children who commit
crimes in your country?

8. Do you think criminals

can be reformed in
prison?

24
UNIT 6. COMMERCIAL LAW
1. Reading. Commercial law
Fill in the gaps with the words from the table.

unify thorough treaties trade intellectual commerce legislatures breach

Commercial law is the body of law that governs ____________ (exchange of goods) and
____________ (buying and selling for money). It deals with issues of both private law and public law.
It covers a number of commercial fields, including banking, bankruptcy, carriage of goods, company
law, contracts, sale of goods and services, ____________ property, mortgages, real property and
tax law.

The work of a commercial lawyer may involve any aspect of the law as it relates to a firm’s clients. It
is essential for a commercial lawyer to have a ____________ understanding of contemporary
business practices. A commercial lawyer may be asked to advise clients on the drafting of contracts
and on the consequences of ____________ of contract.

A large amount of commercial law is governed by international ____________ and conventions. The
United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) regulates international trade in
cooperation with the World Trade Organization (WTO). The WTO is responsible for negotiating and
implementing new trade agreements, and is in charge of policing member countries’ adherence to
these agreements, which are signed by the majority of the world’s trading nations and ratified by
their ____________ (for example, Parliament in the UK or Congress in the USA).

Within the European Union, the European Parliament and the legislatures of member nations are
working to ____________ their various commercial codes.

2. Listening. Commercial News

2.1 Pre-listening exercise. Match the vocabulary (1-8) with the definitions (a-h).

KEY

1. revenue a. the number of people who go to an event

2. turnout b. information about a group of people

3. a polling c. a place where people go to vote in an election

station

4. demographics d. when a company announces it will make less money than expected

5. a profit warning e. money that a business receives over a period of time

6. a dividend f. the difference between what something costs and how much it is sold for

7. a shareholder g. a part of a company’s profit that are divided among the people who own it

8. gross margin h. a person who owns part of a company

25
2.2 Listen to the business news. They are going to talk about the elections, a business
company and cashless payment. Circle the correct option. Audio 6.4 TRANSCRIPT

ELECTIONS
1. The election… a. wasn’t too important b. was very important c. was about
because it was just a for the whole country. development.
local one.
2. There was a voter a. six per cent since the b. 11 per cent since the c. 54.5 per cent since
increase of… last election. last election. the last election.
BUSINESS COMPANY
3. ONK… a. wants to go b. has almost achieved c. is a strong successful
international. the results it forecasted. company.
4. ONK posted quarterly a. $14.8 billion. b. $18.4 billion. c. $40.8 billion.
revenue of…
CASHLESS PAYMENT
5. People want to… a. carry smaller items b. carry fewer items c. own a smartwatch.
when they leave their when they leave their
houses. houses.
6. More and more a. accept cashless b. accept cash. c. don’t accept cash.
retailers… payments.

2.3 Post-listening exercise. Complete the sentences with the words from the table.

revenue demographics shareholders increasing trend election dividends

profit more and more voter turnout cashless gross margin polling growing
warning payment stations interest

ELECTIONS

There will be a number of new (a) ____________ opened in time for next year’s (b) ____________. The
government is trying to increase (c) ____________. They specifically want to focus on increasing the
number of people from certain (d) ____________, such as the 18-24 age group, or those from ethnic
minorities.

BUSINESS COMPANY

The company (e) ____________ is down seven per cent as a result of not enough of our leading products
being sold and rising costs. It is for this reason that the (f) ____________ has also fallen and the
company has no choice but to issue a (g) ____________. This means that there will be a freeze on (h)
____________ to (i) ____________ until further notice.

CASHLESS PAYMENT

There is an (j) ____________ number of people who don’t like using cash to make payments. We have
also seen that (k) ____________ people prefer to use (l) ____________ options. Furthermore, there is
(m) ____________ in completely removing cash from society. However, many small shop owners say that
this (n) ____________ will be bad for business.
26
3. Write a letter of application to a company to apply for an internship.

Estimado señor o señora

_____________________________________________________________________________
Soy estudiante de dirección y administración pública en la Universitat Jaume I de Castellón.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Me gustaría solicitar una pasantía en su empresa como parte de mi carrera.
_____________________________________________________________________________
En mis estudios, he completado con éxito todos los cursos requeridos hasta la fecha.
_____________________________________________________________________________
He cursado asignaturas como estadística, economía pública o contabilidad pública.
_____________________________________________________________________________
La pasantía que ofrecen es especialmente atractiva para mí, ya que me gustaría saber cómo es
trabajar en una gran firma de abogados comerciales.
_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________
La experiencia de trabajar en el extranjero en un país de habla inglesa también sería muy
gratificante.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Son una persona muy motivada y trabajadora y creo sinceramente que aprovecharía al máximo esta
oportunidad.
_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________
Tengo un buen nivel de inglés, ya que he pasado varios veranos de vacaciones en Inglaterra.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Si necesitan más información, por favor pónganse en contacto conmigo.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Espero tener noticias suyas pronto.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Atentamente
_____________________________________________________________________________

27
4. Erin Brockovich (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjqUUxIy_yk)

1. Sixteen is the number of dollars I have in my ____________________ (00:26)

2. In a ________________ you may want to rethink your wardrobe a little. (00:38)

3. “You’re a lawyer?” “Hell, no. I hate lawyers, I just ________________.” (01:10)

a) work for them b) vote for them c) pay for them

4. What’s an expression for “to make a bad start at something”? (01:18)

a) get one’s act together b) start with a bad foot c) get off on the wrong foot

5. Erin Brockovich is a film based ____ a true story. (02:01)

a) in b) on c) at

5. Business English practice. Answer the following questions about shopping and
practice your answers with your partner.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

1. Do you shop online? Why?

2. What things do you prefer

buying from a shop?

3. Do you prefer going

shopping alone or with
friends?

4. Is “shopping” an addiction?

5. Do you prefer shopping

online or in person?

28
UNIT 7. REAL PROPERTY LAW
1. Reading. Property Law
Property law governs the right of use which a person has over personal property (movable property)
and real property. Tick the corresponding boxes in the table below.

Personal Real Property Personal Real Property

Property Property

a) a house e) a factory

b) a CD f) farmland

c) railway tracks g) a forest

d) a sculpture h) a car

Real property can be divided into estates and leaseholds. Estates are those in which
an individual has ownership of land for an indefinite period of time. In property law, the
term land refers to real estate, any improvements to the real estate (e.g. buildings) and
the right to the minerals underneath the land and the airspace above it.

Leaseholds are property interests of limited duration and are generally created through a lease - a
contract for exclusive possession in return for which the tenant pays the landlord or landlady a
specified rent.

2. Match the pairs.

KEY

1 A lease is an instrument a property, and leases it to others for money.

which grants

2 A tenant is someone who b the right to use property.

rents

3 A landlord is someone who c property from a landlord.

owns

4 A farmland is an example of d real property.

29
3. Read the following text about real property law in Ukraine and match the headings (a, b, c)
with the sections (1, 2, 3).

a Tenant’s grounds for termination b Termination c Landlord’s grounds for termination

1) ___________________________________
Lease agreements for an indefinite term may be terminated at any time by either party on three
calendar months’ notice. Lease agreements for a definite term may be terminated only in case of
mutual agreement of the parties, or by a court of law.

2) ___________________________________
The landlord has the right to terminate the lease agreement if:

● the tenant uses the real property in violation of the agreement.

● the tenant transfers the use of the real property to another person without the landlord’s prior
consent.
● the tenant creates a threat of possible damage to the real property.
● the tenant does not make lease payments for three consecutive months.

3) ___________________________________
Pursuant to the Civil Code of Ukraine, the tenant has the right to demand termination of the lease
agreement if:

● the quality of the leased property contravenes the terms and conditions stipulated by the
lease.
● the landlord fails to comply with the obligation to make repairs of the real property.

4. Find words (in bold in the text above) which correspond to these words:

1 common _________ 2 ended __________ 3 tribunal ___________ 4 approval _________

5 goes against 6 in accordance with 7 conform to 8 successive
________________ ________________ _________________ ________________

5. Rearrange the following sentences.

real property / into estates / can be Real property can be divided into estates and leaseholds.
divided / and leaseholds
1 property interests / leaseholds / of
limited duration / are
2 is an instrument / which grants / to
use property / the right / a lease
3 is someone / a tenant / from a
landlord / who rents property
4 who leases / a landlord / is
someone / for money / property
5 terminated / may be / at any time /
lease agreements

30
6. Listen to the following talk about buying real property in Ukraine and answer the
questions below. Audio 7.1 TRANSCRIPT

TRUE FALSE

1. Foreigners are not permitted to buy agricultural land in Ukraine under any
circumstances.

2. If a foreigner inherits farmland, he/she is allowed to retain it for the purpose of

conducting business there.

3. Foreign business entities may not acquire buildings or structures on

non-agricultural land.

4. Foreigners can acquire land in Ukraine by founding a company.

Can foreigners buy real property and agricultural land in your country?
________________________________________________________________________________
Would you like to buy real estate in another country? Where? Why? What about your partner?
________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

7. Heather wants to rent an apartment and sees a sign in front of a building.

Heather: Hola, ¿es usted el arrendador? Estoy buscando un apartamento y he visto el cartel afuera.
________________________________________________________________________________
Sam: Sí, soy Sam. Tenemos un apartamento disponible en este momento. ¿Cuándo está pensando
en mudarse?
________________________________________________________________________________
Heather: El contrato de arrendamiento de mi apartamento vence pronto, así que me gustaría
mudarme a primeros de mes.
________________________________________________________________________________
Sam: De acuerdo, sígame y se lo enseño. Cada apartamento tiene su plaza de aparcamiento en el
garaje, y hay una lavandería en el primer piso.
________________________________________________________________________________
El propietario paga el gas, pero el inquilino paga todos los demás servicios. Aquí lo tiene. Mire a su
alrededor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Heather: Parece agradable. ¿Se alquila amueblado?
________________________________________________________________________________
Sam: Puede estar amueblado o sin amueblar, es su elección.
________________________________________________________________________________
31
Heather: Es exactamente lo que estoy buscando. ¿Cuánto es el alquiler?
________________________________________________________________________________
Sam: Son $900 al mes y requerimos un contrato de arrendamiento de 12 meses.
________________________________________________________________________________
Para mudarse, tendrá que pagar el alquiler del primer mes y una fianza.
________________________________________________________________________________
Heather: ¿Cuánto es la fianza?
________________________________________________________________________________
Sam: Son $450.
________________________________________________________________________________
Heather: De acuerdo. Lo pensaré y le responderé. Gracias por su tiempo.
________________________________________________________________________________

8. Real Property Discussion. Talk to your partner about the following questions. Write
your answers in the table.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

1. Do you think buying

property is always a good
investment?

2. Is it better to rent or to buy

property?

3. Is rent expensive in your

country?

4. Should kids with jobs pay

rent to their parents?

5. What experiences do you

have of paying rent?

6. Would you feel like it’s

your real home if you
rented?

32
UNIT 8. LITIGATION AND ARBITRATION
1. Reading. Litigation and Arbitration
A dispute is a disagreement or argument about something important. There are many types of legal
disputes, for example disputes over people’s behavior (e.g. loud parties or verbal abuse). Can you
think of other examples?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

If a dispute is not settled by agreement between the disputing parties, it will

eventually be heard and decided by a judge and/or a jury in a court. A lawsuit before a
court is commonly referred to as litigation.

Litigation may be used to resolve a dispute between private individuals, an individual

and a business, or between two businesses. Litigation sometimes involves disputes
between an individual or business and a government agency.

First there is typically an attempt to reach a settlement before and/or after filing a lawsuit. At the end
of a trial, the court delivers its judgment and passes a sentence. Criminal matters are also considered
litigation, and many civil litigation lawyers also deal with criminal cases, as well as some form of
alternative dispute resolution (ADR).

ADR includes methods such as arbitration and mediation. If a case goes to arbitration, the
disputing parties refer it to one or more arbitrators, and the parties agree to be bound by their
decisions (e.g. award for damages). Arbitration is the main form of ADR used by businesses.

Mediation involves a type of meeting with the disputing parties and a third party who works to help
them reach an agreement between themselves. In arbitration, a binding decision is imposed by an
independent third party. With mediation, the role of the third party is to facilitate negotiation between
the disputing parties.

2. Answer the following questions.

1. What is litigation?

________________________________________________________________________________

2. Do all disputes go to trial?

________________________________________________________________________________

3. What is an arbitrator?

________________________________________________________________________________

33
3. Listen to the following description of the people involved in a court trial and fill in the
blanks with the words from the table. Audio 8.4 TRANSCRIPT

plaintiff jurors not guilty witnesses judge oath prosecutor

Court trials are complicated and time-consuming. They are also costly and involve many
parties, starting from the __________ who sits on the bench and presides over the case.

In the case of a jury trial, where there is a group of __________ who will decide whether
the defendant is guilty or not guilty, the role of the judge is also to explain to the jurors
their role and admonish them about the law. Everyone in the courtroom must say “Your Honor” when
they address the judge.

Obviously, the parties also appear in the courtroom. In a civil trial, the parties are called the defendant
and the plaintiff. In criminal proceedings, the defendant and the __________ are involved.

In a civil case the __________ brings an action against, meaning sues, the defendant, very often for
monetary damages. In a criminal case, the prosecutor represents the interest of the Crown, namely
the people of a given country, and/or the person who brought the case, namely the plaintiff. On the
other hand, the defense barrister, who acts on behalf of the defendant, provides a defense case to
show that the defendant is __________.

The jurors make their decision on the basis of the testimonies of __________ and expert opinions as
well as exhibits, namely physical evidence, presented to them through the trial. Before witnesses give
their testimony, they stand in the witness box and must take an __________ which is a promise to tell
the truth. The oath is administered to them by the court clerk, who is an officer of the court.

4. Who may have said the sentences below in a courtroom?

Judge Clerk Lawyer Prosecutor Jury

1 Please rise, the Court is now in session.

2 Prosecution, you may call your first witness.

3 Thank you, your Honor. I call to the stand (a witness).

4 I understand you’ve reached a verdict.

5 Please find the defendant guilty of the charge of fraud.

6 Please find our client, Ms Matthews, not guilty.

7 We, the jury, find the defendant not guilty.

34
5. Reading
Here are some punishments for crimes. Do you know any others?

public apology resignation compensation psychiatric treatment disqualification fine

informal electronic one night in a cell solitary confinement community probation

warning tagging service

reform school prison sentence restraining order life sentence death

What do you think would be an YOU YOUR PARTNER

appropriate punishment for…

1 a woman who abandoned some

kittens in a forest?

2 teenagers who vandalize a

school bus?

3 noisy neighbors who play loud

music at all hours?

Making the Punishment Fit the Crime

When Michelle Murray was arrested for abandoning some kittens in a forest she
expected to get a fine. Instead, she was sentenced to spend the night in the same cold,
dark forest. In the end it was so cold that she only had to spend three hours in the woods,
but Judge Mike Cicconetti had made his point. He wanted the 26-year-old housewife to
feel the same pain and suffering as the animals she had abandoned.

Cicconetti allows offenders to choose between jail and a “creative” sentence. For example, people
accused of speeding are offered a choice between having their license suspended for 90 days, or having
it suspended for a shorter period and spend one day working as a school crossing guard. The judge says
that offenders who spend a day helping school children across the street never appear in his courtroom
for speeding again.

The judge also sent a man who was caught with a loaded gun to the mortuary to view dead bodies and
ordered teenagers who let down tyres on school buses to organize a picnic for primary school children.
He has ordered noisy neighbors to spend a day of silence in the woods.

Cicconetti attributes his unusual approach to his tough family background. He was the oldest of nine
children and had to work part-time collecting rubbish to pay his way to college. He studied law at night
school. “I had to go where I am the hard way. It makes you understand what the working man has to go
through, and why some of them commit crimes.”

1. Which three punishments get the offenders to learn from a personal experience?
____________________________________________________________________________________
2. Which two punishments get them to do something for other people?
____________________________________________________________________________________
3. What inspired his system of creative justice?
____________________________________________________________________________________

35
6. Decide on creative punishments for these crimes or offenses.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

1 An arsonist who sets fire to a

local beauty spot, for example, a
forest.

2 A group of teenagers who

paint graffiti all over walls in a
town.

3 A couple whose dogs bark

incessantly and bother the
neighbors.

7. Should the following crimes be punishable by law? Explain why.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

1 Begging

2 Bullying, cyber-bullying

3 Expired crimes

4 Crimes under a certain age

5 Prostitution

6 Occupying empty houses

7 Public nudity

8 Taking stuff from bins

9 Jaywalking

10 Failure to give assistance

36
UNIT 9. EMPLOYMENT LAW
1. Read the following text about employment law and match the headings (a-g) with the
paragraphs (1-7).
a Termination of employment b Employment tribunals c Terms of employment d Labor law
e Employment legislation f Protecting the disabled g Recruitment

1 ________________________________

Employment law deals with contracts between employers and employees. In the UK,
certain laws have been enacted regulating the areas of sex discrimination, race
relations, disability, health and safety, and employee rights in general.

2 ________________________________

In the recruiting process employers must take into consideration that it is unlawful to
discriminate between applicants for employment on the basis of gender, marital status, color, race, or
nationality. It is also unlawful to publish job advertisements which might be considered discriminatory.

3 ________________________________

The law protects disabled persons by making it unlawful to discriminate against such persons in the
interviewing and hiring process. Employers are required to make reasonable adjustments in the place of
work to accommodate disabled persons. However, cost may be taken into account when determining
what is reasonable.

4 ________________________________

The employer must provide the employee with a document containing the terms and conditions of
employment. The statement must include the following: identities of the parties, the date of employment,
the amount and frequency of pay, hours of work, holiday entitlement, job title and work location.

5 ________________________________

Matters related to termination of employment, such as unfair dismissal or redundancy7 are governed by
the Employment Rights Act 1996.

6 ________________________________

The protections mentioned above are enforced through complaints to an employment tribunal. The
tribunal has the power to render decisions in relation to the parties’ rights. It may also order
compensation for loss of prospective earnings and injured feelings.

7 ________________________________

Employment law relates to the areas covered above, while labor law refers to the negotiation, collective
bargaining and arbitration processes. Labor laws deal with the relationship between employers and trade
unions. These laws grant employees the right to unionize and engage in certain activities such as strikes.

2. Find synonyms in the paragraphs above for the following words.

1 ending 2 worker 3 hire 4 illegal
5 unfair 6 boss 7 appropriate 8 vacation
9 layoff 10 give

7
(US) layoff
37
3. In the UK, the law allows sex-discrimination cases to be brought before an employment
tribunal, which has the power to award compensation to the claimant. Read the article and
decide which is the most appropriate headline:
1 Tribunal hears dismissal case 2 High award of damages in 3 Equity partners fined in
discrimination case controversial case
Lawyers are not immune from lawsuits being brought against them. In what is being called a
landmark case, a tribunal has awarded two female former employees of the London law firm Sinclair
awards totalling £900,000. The employees successfully claimed that they were victims of sex
discrimination and that the discriminatory culture pervading the firm prevented women from
becoming senior equity partners.

The tribunal also found that the way in which a partner at the firm behaved during the litigation was
malicious and designed to discredit one of the applicants without having any real foundation. In
consequence, the tribunal imposed £3,000 extra damages. Such awards encourage caution in the
way in which proceedings are defended.
1. What is the case about?
________________________________________________________________________________
2. What is a “landmark case”?
________________________________________________________________________________
3. According to the claimants, what prevented them from becoming senior partners at the firm?
________________________________________________________________________________
4. Why were extra damages imposed on the defendants?
________________________________________________________________________________
4. Here are other examples of sex discrimination. Complete the gaps.
● Not pay_ _ _ a woman the same sa_ _ _ _ as a man for doing the same w_ _ _.
● A nightclub char_ _ _ _ a higher price for entry to a man be_ _ _ _ _ of his sex.
● Advertising a job for a ‘waiter’. This gives the impre_ _ _ _ _ that the job is only op_ _ to men.
● Refusing credit to a married woman wit_ _ _ _ her husband’s signa_ _ _ _.
● Not being a_ _ _ to access educ_ _ _ _ _ based on your sex.
● Being forbid_ _ _ to drive
● Being rejec_ _ _ for a job because of preg_ _ _ _ _.
● Not being able to ma_ _ _ whoever you w_ _ _.

5. Listen to these conversations in an office and choose the correct answers. TRANSCRIPT
LISTENING 1

1 What was the meeting about? a) Marketing b) Advertising c) Accounts

2 Where is Barry now? a) Picking up his daughter b) In another office c) At a conference

LISTENING 2

3 What was the problem? a) Prices b) Dangerous dogs c) Material left behind

4 Why does the woman want to a) To get the full story b) To tell them off c) To find out about the
see Phil and Mike? dogs

38
LISTENING 3

5 What does the woman say it’s a) The colors b) The amount of c) The images
better? things on the page

6 The man says their competitors a) True b) False c) Not stated

all have better websites now.

LISTENING 4

7 Why doesn’t the man pay the a) The company was b) The bill has c) The bill is at the end
woman? owed money already been paid of the month

8 The office supply company is a) True b) False c) Not stated

closed for two days next week
due to a holiday.

LISTENING 5

9 What does the man say about a) It was beneficial b) It was expensive c) It was friendly
the conference?

10 What is the reason for the a) Exchange rate b) Different c) Added tax
increase in price? currencies

6. Translate into English the following conversation about job layoffs.

Phillip: Acabo de escuchar que la compañía planea despedir al 20 por ciento de los
empleados en los próximos dos meses.
________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Mary: ¡Estás de broma! Sabía que estaban buscando alguna manera de reducir costes, pero no
pensé que empezarían a despedir gente.
________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Phillip: Es difícil de creer. Serán cientos de personas que perderán sus trabajos.
________________________________________________________________________________
Mary: ¿Cuándo sabremos a quién van a despedir?
________________________________________________________________________________
Phillip: No sé si recibiremos alguna advertencia, pero voy a empezar a buscar trabajo ahora mismo.
________________________________________________________________________________
Mary: Yo también. Voy a llamar a mis amigos y contactos comerciales para informarles que estoy en
el mercado. Gracias por hacérmelo saber.
________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________
39
7. Employment questions. Answer the following questions about jobs and work and
practice your answers with your partner.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

1. Which is better: working

inside or outside?

2. Which is worse: a low

salary or a boring job?

3. At what age should a

person start to work? And
retire?

4. Which is better: a day job

or a night job?

5. Would you like to never

work?

6. Are there jobs only for

women and only for men?

7. What is your dream job?

8. Are there any jobs you

would refuse to do?

9. How many hours a day

should people work?

10. How many jobs do you

think you will have in your
life?

40
UNIT 10. COMPETITION LAW
1. Read the following introduction to competition law and match the words with their
definitions.

KEY
1 cartel a A state of limited competition in which a market is shared by a small number of firms
2 merger b The complete control of the entire supply of goods or of a service in a certain area or
market.
3 monopoly c A group of similar companies who agree to control prices and limit competition
4 oligopoly d The joining together of two or more companies

Competition law8 deals with regulation of business activities which are anti-competitive. This
area of the law is very complex, as it combines economics and law.

EU competition law has its origins in the creation of the single European market and its goal is
to prohibit firms from engaging in conduct that will distort the competitive process and harm
competition. US competition law origins can be found in the term “antitrust.” In the late 19th
century, large amounts of wealth were amassed in important national industries such as railways, steel
and coal. People who controlled these industries created trusts to shield their fortunes. The Sherman
Act was enacted to put an end to these practices that restricted commerce and competition.

Competition law regulates cartels, monopolies, oligopolies and mergers. A cartel is a type of agreement
between companies to reduce their output to agreed levels or sell at an agreed price. One key ingredient
is to have a market with high barriers to entry so that new firms cannot penetrate the market. The classic
tool used by the cartel is price-fixing.

A monopoly is a market structure characterized by a single seller or producer that excludes viable
competition from providing the same product. An oligopoly is when a few companies exert significant
control over a given market. Common strategies to prevent anti-competitive activities include restrictions
on abuse of monopoly power such as predatory pricing and tie-in arrangements.

2. Match the terms with the examples of anti-competitive activity they describe.

KEY
1 barriers to a A manufacturer of computer components requires that consumers purchase
entry other equipment made by the firm in order to keep the warranty valid.
2 price-fixing b The main petroleum corporations in a country all agree to raise the prices of
petrol and petroleum products.
3 predatory c A company interested in entering the market in a particular country has to deal
pricing with complex bureaucratic procedures which inappropriately favor domestic
suppliers.
4 tie-in d A new Internet provider enters the market, and the main provider temporarily
arrangement lowers the cost of its services dramatically.

8
(US) Antitrust law
41
3. Read the following updates on antitrust measures taken in several EU member states.

Member state Measure

Germany In December 2004, the German Cartel Office initiated proceedings against five gas
companies suspected of abusive pricing practices.

Italy On 16 November 2004, the Italian Competition Council fined Telecom Italia €152 million
for an abuse of its dominant position on the market.

Poland Poland’s Office for Protection of Competition and Consumers fined PKP Cargo, the
largest Polish railway carrier, €4 million for abusing its dominant position in the market.

Portugal On 11 January 2005, the Portuguese Competition Authority fined several

pharmaceutical companies €658,413 per company for colluding on bidding prices.

Czech Republic On 21 December 2004, the Supreme Administrative Court found that Eurotel Praha had
abused its position by charging discriminatory prices for connection to the network.

Latvia The Latvian Competition Council fined members of a price-fixing and

information-exchange cartel in the market for chickens’ eggs.

The Netherlands The Netherlands Competition Authority confirmed that 11 parties in the shrimp-fishing
industry participated in an illegal cartel.

Sweden The Competition Authority filed a fine petition of €37 million at Stockholm City Court on
15 December 2004 accusing Nynäs of applying business conditions that discriminated
against other companies.

Slovak Republic In December 2004, the Anti-Monopoly Office of the Slovak Republic imposed fines on
the telecommunications companies Orange and Sapeko for concluding an agreement
restricting competition.

1 What product was at the center of a price-fixing cartel in Latvia?

________________________________________________________________________________
2 How much did the Competition Authority fine oil companies in Sweden?
________________________________________________________________________________
3 In what year did the Italian Competition Council fine Telecom Italia €152 million?
________________________________________________________________________________
4 How many parties were involved in an illegal shrimp-fishing cartel in the Netherlands?
________________________________________________________________________________
5 Why were proceedings taken against five gas companies in Germany in 2004?
________________________________________________________________________________

4. Reorganize the information in the table above on the basis of industry rather than country.

Sector Country Measure Violation Authority

Gas Germany 1) abusive practices German Cartel Office
Teleco Czech Republic fined 2) Supreme Ad. Court
3) Poland fined abuse of position Poland’s Office…
Pharmaceutical Portugal fined 4) Portuguese Comp.
Fishing The Netherlands confirmed participation 5) Netherlands Comp.

42
5. Listen to the following conversation between a US lawyer, Mr Langston, and his
client, Mr Greene, the owner of a taxi company. Audio 10.1 TRANSCRIPT

5.1 Tick the terms mentioned by the lawyer.

1 anti-competitive behavior 2 tax evasion 3 price-fixing 4 tie-in arrangement

5 territorial allocation 6 predatory pricing 7 money laundering 8 embezzlement

5.2 Are the following statements True or False?

TRUE FALSE

1 Mr Greene is worried that the entry of a new competitor into the market will
adversely affect his business.

2 His competitor has suggested a tie-in arrangement that would make entering
the market more difficult for the new taxi company.

3 Mr Greene thinks that small businesses should operate under different rules
from large corporations.

4 The lawyer warns his client that anti-competitive activities always result in
criminal prosecution.

6. Here are two of the biggest corporate scandals in modern history. Put the texts into
English.

Enron (2001)
A principios de 2001, la empresa energética estadounidense Enron era la séptima empresa más
grande de América.
________________________________________________________________________________

Sin embargo, para que la empresa pareciera más rentable de lo que realmente era, sus directores
ocultaban grandes pérdidas.
________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Cuando se descubrió el fraude contable, la empresa se vio obligada a declararse en quiebra.

________________________________________________________________________________

Muchos de sus directores fueron a prisión.

________________________________________________________________________________

Parmalat (2002-2005)
Parmalat es una corporación multinacional de lácteos y alimentos.
________________________________________________________________________________

43
En 2003, se descubrió un agujero de $15 mil millones en los registros contables de la empresa.
________________________________________________________________________________

Su fundador Calisto Tanzi fue acusado de desviar fondos de la empresa.

________________________________________________________________________________

Cientos de miles de inversores perdieron su dinero y la empresa se convirtió en la mayor quiebra de

la historia europea.
________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Tanzi fue acusado de fraude financiero y lavado de dinero y fue sentenciado a 10 años de prisión.
________________________________________________________________________________

7. Questions about crime. Answer the following questions and practice your answers
with your partner.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

1. Why do you think people

commit crimes?

2. What is the worst crime in

your opinion?

3. Is anyone capable of
turning to crime?

4. What is the purpose of

prison?

5. Should taking drugs be a

crime?

6. What would you do if you

witnessed a crime?

44
 PART II
MANAGEMENT ENGLISH

45
UNIT 11. CAREER PLANNING
1. Match each activity (1-7) with the corresponding area of work (a-g).

KEY

1 making / manufacturing things a) Sales and Marketing

2 being in charge of people b) Finance

3 selling products or services c) Management

4 dealing with customers d) Human Resources (HR)

5 working with figures e) Production

6 dealing with employees and training f) Research and Development (R&D)

7 investigating and testing g) Customer Service

Which of those areas would you like to work in? Why? What about your partner?
________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

2. Listen to three people talking about their careers. Which person is at the beginning, in the
middle and at the end of their career? Match the phrases below with their meaning. Which of
those phrases does each person in the listening use? Audio 11 TRANSCRIPT

KEY

1 career move a) chances to start/improve your career

2 career break b) ideas you have for your future career

3 career plan c) an action you take to progress in your career

4 career opportunities d) a period of time away from your job

5 career path e) a series of steps in your working life

6 career ladder f) the direction your working life takes

CAREER SITUATION PHRASES THEY USE

PERSON 1

PERSON 2

PERSON 3

3. Read the following article about online candidate research and answer the questions below.
Jobseekers have been warned that their Facebook profile could damage their employment prospects,
after a study found that seven in ten employers now research candidates online.

46
According to new figures released by Microsoft, checks on Facebook and Twitter are now as
important in the job-selection process as a CV or interview.
The survey, which questioned human-resource managers at the top 100 companies
in the UK, the US, Germany and France, found that 70 per cent admitted to rejecting
a candidate because of their online behavior.
But HR bosses also said that a strong image online could actually help job hunters
to land their dream job. Peter Cullen, of Microsoft said: “Your online reputation is not something to be
scared of, it's something to be proactively managed. These days. it's essential that web users
cultivate the kind of online reputation that they would want an employer to see.”
Facebook faux pas include drunken photographs, bad language and messages complaining about
work. Farhan Yasin, of online recruitment network Careerbuilder.co.uk, said: "Social networking is a
great way to make connections with job opportunities and promote your personal brand across the
Internet. People really need to make sure they are using this resource to their advantage by
conveying a professional image.''
But Mr. Yasin cautioned job seekers to be aware of their online image even after landing the perfect
job, after their own research found that 28 per cent of employers had fired staff for content found on
their social-networking profile. He added, "A huge number of employers have taken action against
staff for writing negative comments about the company or another employee on their
social-networking page."

1 According to the article, how can social-networking sites help or break your career?
________________________________________________________________________________
2 Should staff be allowed to use social-networking sites during the working day? Discuss.
________________________________________________________________________________
3 In pairs, write a list of things you should not do on your social-networking pages. Include your own
ideas.
________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

4. How important is age in the selection of candidates? Put the following sentences into
English.

PERSON 1
No es relevante preguntar la edad de alguien. Puedes averiguarlo a partir de su CV.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Lo importante es si tienen o no la capacidad para hacer el trabajo.
_____________________________________________________________________________
PERSON 2
Estoy de acuerdo en que las personas mayores tienen mucha experiencia y conocimientos que
ofrecer.
_____________________________________________________________________________

47
A menudo son mejores empleados que sus colegas más jóvenes y se toman menos tiempo libre del
trabajo.
_____________________________________________________________________________
PERSON 3

No puedo estar de acuerdo contigo en eso.

_____________________________________________________________________________
Las personas mayores no son tan flexibles, esperan salarios más altos y se enferman mucho.
_____________________________________________________________________________
PERSON 4

No se puede dirigir una empresa de manera eficiente con gente sin experiencia.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Necesitas gente mayor para enseñar a los más jóvenes.
_____________________________________________________________________________
PERSON 5

Creo que las leyes sobre discriminación por edad están mal.
_____________________________________________________________________________
¿Por qué el gobierno debería decirnos a quién contratar?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Solo las empresas saben qué personas son adecuadas o incorrectas para el trabajo.
_____________________________________________________________________________
El gobierno no debería decirnos cómo manejar nuestro negocio.
_____________________________________________________________________________

5. Here are some phrases that apply to employee relations. Complete the words and match
them with the definitions on the right.

KEY

1 s_ _ dis_ _ _ _ _ n a _ _ _ _ a accidents that happen at work

2 dis_ _ _ _ _ n _ _ _ pro_ _ _ _ re b to treat someone of either sex unfairly

3 w_ _ _ st_ _ _ s c the right for parents to take time off

4 p_ _ _ n _ _ _ l_ _ ve d the same salary for men and women

5 workp_ _ _ _ inj_ _ _ es e written details of terms and conditions

6 con_ _ _ _ t f process for dealing with employee misconduct

7 _q_ _ _ pay g stress caused by negative factors in the job

48
Match the headlines (A-E) below with the numbers above.

A 6,000,000 hours lost in one year B 80% of males don’t take C Woman refused job
daddy time off on oil rig

D Secretary falls over pen - E Waiters paid more than

company must pay waitresses

Can you think of another employee relation headline?

________________________________________________________________________________
6. Careers Discussion. Talk to your partner about the following questions. Write your
answers in the table.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

1. How ambitious are you?

2. Do you have a career

plan? Where do you want to
be in 5 years?

3. Is it better to work for

yourself or for others?

4. How many hours a day

should people work?

5. Is it better to be a boss or
an employee?

6. Would you like to work in

another country?

49
UNIT 12. BUSINESS PLANNING
1. What techniques do you use to plan the situations in the table below? Examples: diary,
memory, smartphone, notes…

YOU YOUR PARTNER

A holiday Go to a travel agent…

A family occasion
(e.g. a wedding)

An ordinary week

2. A managing director talks about the planning of a new sales office in the United States.
Complete the text with the planning vocabulary in the table.

report information deadline research meeting schedule budget options costs sales

Recently, we decided to open a new sales office in New York. First, I arranged a meeting1 with the
finance department to discuss the project. We prepared a __________2 with details of the various
costs involved. Then we collected __________3 about possible locations for the new office. We
considered two __________4 - one in Greenwich Village and the other near Central Park. After doing
some more __________5 I wrote a __________6 for the Board of Directors.

Unfortunately, we made a mistake when we estimated the __________7, as the exchange rate
changed, so we didn't keep within our budget. We overspent by almost 20 per cent. We had to
rearrange the __________8 for moving into the building because the office wasn't redecorated in
time. The Board of Directors was unhappy because we didn't meet the __________9 for opening the
office by December 15. It finally opened in January. However, we forecast __________10 of at least
$1,000,000 in the first year.

3. Read the following article about planning and answer the questions below.

When there’s no Plan A

Former US president Dwight Eisenhower famously said that all plans were useless, but
planning was indispensable. He was talking about war. However, it is a sentiment that
also applies to business-building, according to several entrepreneurs – especially in
the fast-moving world of the 21st century.

Dan Scarfe, chief executive of software development company Net Solutions, says that
he has never written a business plan for the company he founded in 2004.

50
Now, it is one of Microsoft’s five key partners in the UK and a leading player in cloud computing –
and to Scarfe, that is proof that setting fixed objectives is a complete waste of time. “Writing software,
or starting a new business, is incredibly difficult to plan for,” he says. “You’re trying to second guess
what you may want down the line, based on marketing conditions and varying customer demand.”

David Hieatt, co-founder of Howies, the organic clothing manufacturer, claims that a business plan is
really just a guess or a hunch. “There are some brilliant business plans written but they fail because
the customer wants to do business differently,” he says. “The awful truth is we don’t know what will
work.” He claims that the secret is to be flexible.

Others argue that business planning is often a reason for inaction. Rajeeb Dey claims that he would
have never started Enternships – a student internship matching service – if he had had to perfect his
plan in a written document. “I never wrote a business plan for Enternships, I just started it,” he says.

Gary Vaynerchuk is another opponent of business plans. In 1997, he inherited a wine retail business
in Springfield, New Jersey, with a $3m turnover and seven employees. He put the business online
and has not looked back. Now, Wine Library turns over in excess of $60m and employs 100 people.
Gary says he is constantly planning, but the process is going on in his head and not on paper.

To Paul Maron, managing director of Gresham Private Equity, a business plan is rather like a car’s
dashboard, guiding the entrepreneur along the road to success. “The aim of a business plan is to
give the stakeholders a good idea of where the business is heading,” he says. “Sure, there are going
to be assumptions that are not going to be accurate, but they are a best guess at the time.”

Complete the chart.

Name Job Company Type of company

Dan Scarfe

David Hieatt

Rajeeb Dey

Gary Vaynerchuk

Paul Maron

1. Who thinks that setting fixed aims involves too much time and is not valuable?
________________________________________________________________________________
2. Who says that some plans don’t work because we don’t know what will work?
________________________________________________________________________________
3. Who thinks that planning ahead leads to doing nothing?
________________________________________________________________________________
4. What did Eisenhower mean when he said that “All plans are useless but planning is
indispensable”? Do you agree?
________________________________________________________________________________

51
4. Listen to a meeting in which members of a planning group discuss relocating their head
office. In which order are these points mentioned? Audio 12.1 TRANSCRIPT

a) the cost of moving

b) when to move 1

c) the advantage of using a specialized firm

d) whether to use their own transport department

e) how to communicate with staff

f) which transport company to use

5. This is an extract from an interview with Ian Sanders, a business consultant.

Translate the sentences into English.
Entrevistador: ¿Cuáles son los mejores planes de negocios que conoces?
________________________________________________________________________________
Ian Sanders: Los mejores planes de negocios son los que son simples y flexibles.
________________________________________________________________________________
Entrevistador: ¿Puedes pensar en un plan de negocios que fracasó?
________________________________________________________________________________
Ian Sanders: Hay miles de planes de negocios que han fracasado.
________________________________________________________________________________
Los emprendedores no pueden predecir el futuro, y no es malo que fracasen.
________________________________________________________________________________
Lo importante es que aprendamos lecciones, y si algo no está bien, adaptarlo.
________________________________________________________________________________
Cuando le preguntaron a Edison qué se sentía al fracasar 1.000 veces para inventar la bombilla,
respondió:
________________________________________________________________________________
"No fracasé 1.000 veces. Encontré 1.000 formas de cómo no se debe hacer”.
________________________________________________________________________________

52
6. Discussion about planning. Talk to your partner about the following questions. Write
your answers in the table.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

1. Do you think planning is

useful?

2. What short-term plans do

you have?

3. What long-term plans do

you have?

4. Are you a spontaneous

person? What things do you
do suddenly?

5. Do you ever have a plan

B in case something goes
wrong?

6. Failing to plan is planning

to fail. Discuss.

7. Have your plans ever

gone terribly wrong? What
happened?

8. Do you think that planning

can spoil the fun and
surprise of a journey?

9. John Lennon said, "Life is

what happens to you while
you are busy making other
plans." Discuss.

53
UNIT 13. MANAGING PEOPLE
1. What qualities should a good manager have? Tick the five most important from the table.
Discuss with a partner. Why did you choose those qualities? Do you remember a good or bad
boss you’ve had?

1 be an expert 2 like people 3 be ambitious 4 the way they dress 5 listen to others

6 be tolerant 7 good planner 8 be flexible 9 high emotional 10 be older than your

intelligence staff

________________________________________________________________________________

2. Read this article from the Financial Times and answer the questions.

Do you like the way you are managed?

1
Research among 3,000 employees found the proportion of people happy with their job had
increased 46%, compared with 26% in a similar survey last year. However, the quarterly
employee satisfaction survey suggested some problems that could damage employee well-being,
morale and commitment if not dealt with.

5
Three-quarters of employees said their organization had been affected by the recession, with 52%
saying that there had been increases in work-related stress as a consequence, and 38% saying there
had been an increase in office politics. The proportion of people who said their jobs made them
worried or tense had also increased and nearly six in ten said they were worried by the future.

The survey also highlighted problems with how people are managed. Although most felt treated fairly
10
by their supervisor, they were less happy with how far their manager discussed their training and
development, gave feedback or coached them. Employees were particularly critical of senior
managers, with less than a fifth agreeing that they trusted them and only a quarter agreeing that they
consulted employees about important decisions.

Ben Willmott, a senior public policy adviser, said: “Employers must ensure arrangements for informing
15
and consulting employees over major changes, such as redundancy, are effective, if they want to
improve trust in senior management. They also need to invest in developing line managers' people
management skills, particularly in coaching, if they want to boost employee commitment and
productivity. They must ensure managers can spot the early warning signs of stress and provide
support to help people struggling."

2.1 Match the figures to the things they refer to.

1 3,000 a) those saying that stress levels had increased

2 three-quarters b) those worried about the future

3 52% c) the number of people interviewed for the survey

4 nearly six in ten d) those who said they trusted senior managers

5 less than a fifth e) those affected by the recession

54
2.2 Complete the statements with words from lines 7-13 using the correct form of the words.
a) If you are unhappy because of a problem, you are w_ _ _ _ _ _ about it.
b) If people are treated in a proper way, they are treated f_ _ _ _ _ .
c) If people talk about a problem, they d_ _ _ _ _ _ it.
d) If you give f_ _ _ _ _ _ _ to someone, you tell them how they are doing.
e) If you are c_ _ _ _ _ _ _ of something, you do not like it.

2.3 Relate the employees’ statements to the issues.

1 redundancy a) I’m not sure if I’ll be able to make ends meet this month.

2 trust in senior b) He has taken many sick leaves this month.

management

3 boosting productivity c) A quarter of us are going to lose our jobs.

4 signs of stress d) If they gave us better computers, we could do more work.

5 worry e) Our CEO always makes the right decision.

2.4. Discuss the following questions.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

Which type of manager would

you like to work for? Why?

What would you do if you

were a director of a company
and had the power to change
anything?

3. Laurie Mullins is the author of Management and Organizational Behavior. Listen to the
first part of the interview and answer these questions. TRANSCRIPT

Audio 13.1

Complete these sentences:

The first manager who impressed Laurie was Lord ______________. For many years he was
______________ of Marks and Spencer. He placed emphasis on q _ _ _ _ _ _ c_ _ _ _ _ _ ,

p _ _ _ _ _ and s _ _ _ _ w _ _ _ _ _ _.
55
Audio 13.2 Listen to the second part and complete these notes.
Anita Roddick
● founded the Body Shop in ______________1
● displayed a genuine ______________2 towards staff
● strong belief in environmental and ______________3 issues, feminist principles and practical
______________4 to Third World countries.
● not possible to provide ______________5 and social support without making a profit
● was in business to make a ______________6
Richard Branson
● founded the ______________7 brand in ______________8
● over ______________9 companies
● famous for combining a true entrepreneurial spirit with a genuine ______________10 for
people

4. Douglas McGregor, a US psychologist, argued that managers hold one of two

theories about the people they have to deal with. Read this extract about the two
theories and say which you prefer, and why.
La teoría X se basa en una visión bastante negativa de la naturaleza humana.
________________________________________________________________________________
Dice que la gente es esencialmente perezosa y se siente incómoda con la idea de tener demasiada
responsabilidad.
________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Solo se presentan al trabajo por la paga.

________________________________________________________________________________
Los empleados deben ser administrados de manera estricta, de lo contrario, no se hará nada.
________________________________________________________________________________
La teoría Y sugiere que las personas son capaces de algo más positivo.
________________________________________________________________________________
Buscan la responsabilidad y tratan de mejorar en sus trabajos.
________________________________________________________________________________
Los gerentes de la teoría Y tienen altas expectativas de su gente.
________________________________________________________________________________
Por lo tanto, es mucho más probable que desarrollen una fuerza laboral verdaderamente motivada.
________________________________________________________________________________

56
5. Discussion about management. Talk to your partner about the following questions.
Write your answers in the table.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

1. Do you have the skills to

be a good manager?

2. Is it possible to be a
manager and friend with the
staff?

3. Are some people natural

leaders and others natural
followers?

4. How can people improve

their productivity?

5. What motivates you to

work hard?

57
UNIT 14. BUSINESS ORGANIZATION
1. Company structure. Match the words (1-8) to their definitions (a-h).

KEY
1 subsidiary a) an office where people answer questions and make sales over the phone

2 factory b) a building from which goods are sent to shops or customers

3 call center c) a place where products are sold

4 service center d) a place where faulty products are repaired

5 headquarters 1e e) a company which is owned by another company

6 distribution center f) the main office or building of a company

7 warehouse g) a building for storing goods in large quantities

8 outlet h) a large building where goods are made (using machinery)

2. Listen to the comments from different places in an organization and complete the sentences.
Then match them to the places listed in the first exercise. Audio 14.1 TRANSCRIPT
1 Stock levels have been low for two weeks now. warehouse
2 Why do we always have to check with the parent company
3 Yes, that’s fine. If you could just hold on a minute, I’ll need to
4 We need to deliver
5 The production line is operating
6 The Board of Directors has fixed the Annual General Meeting
7 Can you email head office as soon as possible and find out about the
8 I’m afraid all our engineers are out working

3. What do the following departments do?

1 R&D Research and develop new products

2 Customer Service
3 Human Resources
4 Sales and Marketing
5 Production
6 Finance
7 Administration
8 Legal
9 Logistics
10 IT
58
4. Listen to three people talking about their work. Which department do they work in?
Choose from the departments in exercise #3. Audio 14.2 TRANSCRIPT

DEPARTMENT

Person 1

Person 2

Person 3

5. Look at these words which describe organizations. Which of them describe good or bad
qualities of an organization? Discuss

GOOD BAD DEPENDS REASON

1 bureaucratic

2 centralized

3 impersonal

4 conservative

5 flexible

6 resilient

7 office gossip

6. Read this article from the Financial Times and answer the questions.

Success can be a game with many players

One of the side effects of the free food for Google staff is what is known as the “Google 15” -
the number of pounds that employees typically gain after joining the Internet company. But
whether it is providing snacks in the canteen or games rooms at the office, the philosophy
behind such perks is the same - getting staff to meet each other, interact in informal settings
and encourage teamwork.

One way the company does this is to hold competitions in everything, from office decorating to
dancing and football, with prizes for the winners. Another part of Google's objective is to make its
workplace feel fun. Massage chairs, table-tennis tables, lava lamps, hammocks, beanbags,
bicycles and scooters are all part of the furniture in Google offices.

However, when it comes to work, great emphasis is placed on engaging employees. 'What makes Google
a great workplace is that the nature of the work itself is very challenging and interesting,” says Nick
Creswell, the company's manager for Europe. “And for the type of people who enjoy an intellectual
challenge, that's the biggest appeal of working here.”

Fostering this intellectual activity is a policy giving employees a large degree of independence in deciding
how to work - both in terms of the hours they work and how they do their jobs. “There's a real culture of
59
 autonomy and empowerment,” says Mr. Creswell. “Individuals within the business understand what their
own goals are, and they have a lot of freedom to make those happen.”

Even when it comes to learning and development, many programmes are voluntary and informal. Often it
may be a case of inviting university faculty in to discuss their latest research. Google also invites
prominent writers to give lunchtime talks about their books.

Match these nouns from the article (1-5) with their meanings (a-e).

1 perk (paragraph 1) a) giving people the power to do something

2 challenge (paragraph 3) b) advantage, something extra, a benefit

3 empowerment (paragraph 4) c) teaching staff

4 faculty (paragraph 5) d) a call to engage in a contest

Would you like to work in a company like Google? Why? What about your partner?

YOU YOUR PARTNER

7. Job Titles. Put these sentences into English.

Un director ejecutivo es el máximo responsable de una empresa.

________________________________________________________________________________
Un director de compras es el gerente responsable de las compras.
________________________________________________________________________________
Un director de recursos humanos es el gerente responsable de las cuestiones de personal.
________________________________________________________________________________
El director de marketing es la persona responsable de las estrategias de marketing y comunicación
de la empresa.
________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

El director de producción es el gerente responsable de las actividades de producción de la empresa.

________________________________________________________________________________
El director financiero es la persona a cargo de los asuntos financieros de una organización.
________________________________________________________________________________
El gerente de exportaciones es la persona responsable de administrar el departamento de
exportaciones de una organización.
________________________________________________________________________________

60
 ________________________________________________________________________________

8. Discussion about organizations. Talk to your partner about the following questions.
Write your answers in the table.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

1. Would you like to have

your own office in the future?

2. Would you like to be at the

top of your organization?

3. Do you agree that in the

future all companies will be
“Internet companies”?

4. Do you think companies

care about the environment?

5. Do you think most

companies look after their
staff?

61
UNIT 15. MONEY MANAGEMENT
1. Take this quiz and discover your money personality. Tick the statements you agree with.

Money Statements 1

Money helps secure my future I live within my means

I follow the stock market I follow a budget

I save regularly for retirement I save money for emergencies

Money Statements 2

Money causes problems in relationships I don’t need a lot of money to be happy

I rarely think about my financial future I help my friends by lending them money

Giving to charities is important for me I would not take a job just for the money

Money Statements 3

Money is power I compare myself with my peers

Fashion is important to make an impression My career comes first

My salary is more important than my job Wealthy people are powerful people

Money Statements 4

I consider shopping a hobby I always have the latest technology

I like having nicer things than my friends I like wasting money on friends and family

Money can buy happiness I often have buyer’s remorse

Count how many checks you made in each of the four categories and enter the totals. The category
that includes the most checks is your dominant money personality.

Money personality #1 - The Planner

The planner manages their money, rather than their money managing them. Saving is more
important than spending. They follow a budget and monitor expenses to reach their financial goals.
Money personality #2 - The Giver
Givers tend to be idealistic. They tend not to overspend because money and things are not what
makes them happy. They may have difficulty setting and reaching financial goals.
Money personality #3 - The Climber
The climber views money as success and power. Their job satisfaction comes from promotions
and salary rather than working in a job they enjoy.
Money personality #4 - The Impulse Buyer
The impulse buyer finds comfort in spending money. Their satisfaction comes from the seeking
and purchasing, not necessarily the owning of things.

While none of these traits is inherently good or bad, any extreme may be detrimental. It is important
to recognize your motivators to see whether your spending aligns with your values.

62
2. Reading. My Life Without Money
Heidemarie Schwermer, a 63-year-old German woman, has lived without money for the last
ten years, and has written a book about her experiences called My Life Without Money.

At the age of 54, Heidemarie gave up her job as a psychotherapist, gave away all her
money and hef flat and threw away her credit cards. Today, apart from a few clothes and a
few personal belongings, she doesn’t own anything.

It all began as a one-year experiment. In her home city of Dortmund she set up a “swapping circle” where
people swap services without using money, for example, a haircut for a mathematics class. To prove that
this could work she decided to give up using money for a year. But when the year ended she went on,
and has not used money since then.

At first she house-sat for friends who were on holiday. She stayed in their house in return for watering the
plants and looking after their animals. At the moment she is staying in a student residence where she can
sleep, have a shower, or use a computer in return for cooking for the young people who live there.

Heidemarie says, “I can live thanks to my contacts. A lot of people who know me understand what I’m
doing and want to help me. When I need a bus ticket, for example, or a new tube of toothpaste I think,
“Who can I ask? What can I give them in return?” If I want to go to the cinema, I might offer to look after
somebody’s children for the afternoon.

It is one of the mistakes of our society that most people do something they don’t like just to earn money
and spend it on things they don’t need. Many people judge you according to how much you earn. In my
opinion, all jobs are equally important. You may not earn a lot of money, but you may be worth a lot as a
person.”

So what did she do with all the money she earned from the sales of My Life Without Money?

“I gave it all away…”

2.1 Answer the following questions.

How did the experiment start?
____________________________________________________________________________________
Does she still work?
____________________________________________________________________________________
What does she do when she needs something?
____________________________________________________________________________________
What is she trying to show with her experiment?
____________________________________________________________________________________
2.2 Match the highlighted phrasal verbs with their definitions.

1 throw away put into the bin 4 _________________ make a gift

2 _________________ stop doing something 5 _________________ start a new company

3 _________________ continue 6 _________________ take care of

63
2.3 Discuss

Do you agree with Heidemarie YOU YOUR PARTNER

that…

… all jobs are equally important?

… most people don’t like their

jobs?

… people judge you according to

how much you earn?

3.1 Listen to a financial advisor giving a seminar to students and tick the things below
that he talks about. Audio 15.1 TRANSCRIPT

save money borrow money pay taxes have a budget

earn a good salary invest money use credit cards save for retirement

3.2 Listen again and complete Sara’s notes.

Watch how much you ______________1

● don’t overspend, e.g. if you earn $2,000, don’t spend $2,500
● cut back on ______________2 things.
Check how much you ______________3
● before you accept a job, compare your ______________4 with similar jobs in other companies.
● make sure you get paid ______________5
Have a ______________6i.e. a simple financial plan
● Make sure you ______________7 it. Don't forget it.

4. The advisor continues giving advice. Put the following sentences into English.
Antes de pedir dinero prestado, pensad para qué lo estáis pidiendo prestado.
________________________________________________________________________________
Es una buena idea pedir dinero prestado para comprar una casa o para pagar vuestra educación.
________________________________________________________________________________

Estas cosas seguirán valiendo algo cuando hayáis terminado de pagar la deuda.
________________________________________________________________________________

64
También es importante saber cuánto gastáis en tarjetas de crédito.
________________________________________________________________________________
Pagad la factura todos los meses para no tener que pagar intereses.
________________________________________________________________________________
Mi consejo final para administrar vuestro dinero es planificar vuestros ahorros.
________________________________________________________________________________
Es una buena idea ahorrar alrededor del diez por ciento de vuestro salario cada mes.
________________________________________________________________________________
Concentraros en ahorrar dinero, no solo en pagar las facturas.
________________________________________________________________________________

5. Money Discussion. Talk to your partner about the following questions. Write your
answers in the table.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

1. How important is money?

2. Have you ever wasted

money?

3. Can money buy

happiness?

4. Do you ever run out of

money?

5. Are you good at saving

money?

6. Would you prefer to have

more time or more money?

7. Would you rather find true

love or $ 10,000,000?

65
UNIT 16. HUMAN RESOURCES
1. In your opinion, which of the factors below are important for getting a job?

Factor Is it important? Why?

Yes No

appearance

intelligence

blood group

references

marital status

age/sex

astrological sign

personality

qualifications

handwriting

health

2. Discuss these statements.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

1 At work, appearance is more

important than performance.

2 You should keep your private

life separate from your work.

3 Everybody should retire at 50.

3. Reading

Helping Workers Manage Bad News

“Anxiety” and “paralysis” were two words that came to mind when Professor Binna
Kandola, a business psychologist, visited an organization that was making
redundancies. “Everybody was frozen, the employees and the managers,” he
remarks.

Such a response is common, he says. When managers announce redundancies, people tend to imagine
that they’ll lose their job, their home, then their marriages will fall apart. Uncertainty is stressful. A lot of
mental energy goes into worry - energy that is diverted from our job.

66
So how can managers support the workforce through an economic downturn? Therapeutic
consultancies in the UK, such as the Grubb Institute, offer some interesting answers and are reporting
increased demand for their services. “Managing a fearful workforce is one of the greatest problems for
companies in the current economic climate,” says Dr Bruce Irvine, Executive Director of the Grubb
Institute. He says that, if organizations do not manage anxiety in tough trading conditions, employees will
not work effectively and performance will suffer.

“In times of recession, people can behave defensively in order to avoid reality,” says Judith Bell, Director
of the Tavistock Consultancy Service. “We try to get teams to address some of the difficulties that lie
under the surface and prevent people from doing their job.” Described as the “coaches in white coats,”
TCS draws on therapeutic models to examine employees' behavior at work. It has worked with
organizations ranging from government bodies to Morgan Stanley, the investment bank.

Ms Bell says that, in highly stressful conditions, people often believe that “aggressive or bullying behavior
is justified.”

She suggests that leaders may need to take more care to understand why people are not performing well,
and work harder to motivate them. Dr Irvine agrees. He has witnessed organizations take fright at the
economic downturn and simply repeat behavior that does not work rather than examine ways to improve.

Sebastian Parsons, Chief Executive of Elysia, the UK distributor of beauty products, will be using the
Grubb Institute to help him motivate his staff. The challenge is to come up with new ways of marketing to
customers with less money to spend. Aggressive methods may be counter productive - many of his
employees have left companies that treated them like a machine.

3.1 Complete the table by finding grammatically related words in paragraphs 1-3 of the article.

noun adjective noun adjective

1 anxious 5 energetic

2 paralyzed therapy 6

3 redundant 7 uncertain

4 stressful fear 8

3.2 Write one sentence with one of the words in exercise 3.1

____________________________________________________________________________________

3.3 Are these statements true or false in relation to paragraphs 1-3 of the article?

When redundancies are announced, employees… TRUE FALSE

a) think it won’t happen to them.

b) have extreme psychological reactions.

c) are unable to do their jobs properly.

d) bring in therapeutic consultants to help them.

67
4. Carys Owen is a director at Hays, a recruitment agency. Audio 16.1 TRANSCRIPT

4.1 What are the three key points that Carys makes about preparing for an interview?

4.2 Listen and complete the gaps.

From the point of view of the actual vacancy, we would always ____________1 that you look at the
____________2 within that vacancy and have a think about where in your ____________3 you might
be able to ____________4 your ability to do that job.

4.3 What method would you use to look for a job? Discuss

________________________________________________________________________________

5. Here are some common steps in a recruitment process. Translate the sentences into
English.

Los solicitantes envían su CV a las empresas en las que les gustaría trabajar.

________________________________________________________________________________

Al responder a un anuncio, completan un formulario de solicitud y escriben una carta de

presentación.

________________________________________________________________________________

El empleador invita a los mejores candidatos a asistir a una entrevista.

________________________________________________________________________________

A veces, los candidatos realizan una prueba psicométrica para evaluar sus habilidades de
razonamiento.

________________________________________________________________________________

Es común que los candidatos exitosos trabajen durante un período de prueba.

________________________________________________________________________________

Después de eso, se les ofrece un puesto permanente.

________________________________________________________________________________

68
6. Human Resources Discussion. Talk to your partner about the following questions.
Write your answers in the table.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

1. What things are the most

important for you in a job?

2. In your opinion, which jobs

are the most prestigious?

3. Why do people get nervous

in job interviews?

4. Are you a good team

player?

5. How do you react under

stress?

69
UNIT 17. WORKPLACE ETHICS
1. Discuss this list of unethical activities. In your opinion, which are the worst? Are any
common in your country? Rate them from 1 (least unethical) to 10 (most unethical).

Score Why?

1 Finding ways of paying as little tax as possible

2 Using your work computer for private purposes

3 Accepting praise for someone else’s ideas or work

4 Selling something as new when it is not

5 Using your influence to get jobs for friends or relatives

6 Calling in sick at work when you are not ill

7 Lying about your age or experience in your CV

8 Not saying anything when you are undercharged

9 Paying under the table for jobs done around the home

10 Claiming extra expenses (e.g. an inflated taxi receipt)

2. Are some jobs/professions more ethical than others? How ethical do you think these
professions are? Which are seen as more/less ethical in your country? Rate them from 1
(least ethical) to 10 (most ethical).

Score Why?

1 Police officer

2 Teacher

3 Politician

4 Lawyer

5 Doctor

6 Civil servant

7 Journalist

8 Soldier

9 Nurse

10 Car salesman

70
3. Reading

It’s never OK to lie on a résumé.

But what about stretching the truth?

How much can you “dress up” your résumé to make yourself as strong a candidate as possible without
crossing the ethical line of deception? Consider a few thoughts:
● Over 50% of people lie on their résumé.
● People who recommend it justify it by claiming that everyone else is doing it, companies lie about
job requirements, and it’s hard to get a good job.
● Executives caught lying on their résumés often lose their jobs.

You probably are not tempted by dishonesty, but what about the following?
● Claiming a degree that was not earned because you did most of the work and were only a few
credits short.
● Creating a more impressive job title because you were already doing all of the work in that
position.
● Claiming a team’s contribution as your own, because you did most of the work.

These are called rationalizations - building a justification for a decision you suspect is wrong. You create a
story that sounds believable and begin to fool yourself. You develop habits of distorted thinking.

So where is the line? You need to decide that for yourself. Here are some tips to keep your thinking clear:

● Other-shoe test: How would you feel if you were in the other person’s shoes?
● Front-page test: Would you think the same way if the accomplishment in question were reported
on the front page of one of the most important newspapers in your country?

Answer these questions.

What reasons are given for not being totally honest on your CV?
____________________________________________________________________________________
What can happen to senior managers who lie on their CVs?
____________________________________________________________________________________
Which of the three rationalizations do you think is the most serious? Why?
____________________________________________________________________________________
What happens to you when you start using rationalizations?
____________________________________________________________________________________
4. Discuss the two situations and decide what you would do in each case.
4.1 You discover that one of your top employees, who has done an excellent job for the last 15 years, lied
about their qualifications when she joined the company.
____________________________________________________________________________________
4.2 One of your employees, who is not a good worker, has asked you to give him a good reference. You
would be happy if he left the company.
____________________________________________________________________________________
71
5. Listen to a conversation about a woman who was fired from her job and put these
events in the order that they happened. Audio 17.1 TRANSCRIPT

Order

a) She lost her job.

b) She felt desperate.

c) She lied on her CV.

d) There was an HR initiative.

e) The company found out she did not have a Master’s degree.

f) She got a really good job.

g) She got strong performance reviews.

6. Translate this conversation between two managers talking about a top employee who
is not doing his job properly.

A: Hablemos de Tom. Se ha convertido en un problema real y no podemos hacer la vista gorda.

________________________________________________________________________________
A: Está reclamando gastos que son falsos.
________________________________________________________________________________
A: También afirma que tiene comidas con clientes y descubrimos que no es cierto.
________________________________________________________________________________
B: El problema es que es nuestro mejor vendedor.
________________________________________________________________________________
A: Pero no se está comportando de manera profesional y no podemos permitir que continúe.
________________________________________________________________________________
B: ¿Qué podemos hacer al respecto? Es un personaje realmente difícil.
________________________________________________________________________________
A: Podríamos decirle que si no cambia de actitud, le enviaremos una carta de advertencia.
________________________________________________________________________________
B: O podríamos tener una charla amistosa con él. No queremos perderlo.
________________________________________________________________________________
A: Tienes razón. Tal vez tenga problemas personales que estén afectando su trabajo.
________________________________________________________________________________
A: Tendremos una charla amistosa con él y lo averiguaremos.
________________________________________________________________________________

72
6. Discussion about ethics. Talk to your partner about the following questions. Write
your answers in the table.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

1. Would you risk your life to
save another person?

2. Is stealing always wrong?

(e.g. stealing from the rich to
give to the poor)

3. How often do you lie? Is it

okay to lie sometimes? (e.g.
lying to save lives)

4. Is it wrong to lie on your

CV? How about to
exaggerate a little?

5. Is the main purpose of

business to make a profit?

6. Would you help a member

of your family get a job at
your company?

7. Is it ever right to hire

someone because they are
attractive?

8. Should businesses be
made to hire 50% male and
50% female employees?

9. Is it okay to kill one person

to save one hundred?

10. If someone asks you to

lie for them, would you do it?

73
UNIT 18. COPING WITH CHANGE
1. Which of these situations would you find the most difficult to deal with? Rate them from 1
(least difficult) to 10 (most difficult).

Score Why?

1 Moving house

2 Family conflict

3 Chronic illness

4 Losing your job

5 Losing a pet

6 A new boss

7 Breakup (e.g. divorce)

8 New neighbors

Which has been the most significant change in your life so far? What about your partner?
________________________________________________________________________________

2.1 Write the following verbs under the correct prefix to make words connected with change.
assess centralize date develop grade launch

locate organize regulate size structure train

down- de- up- re-

organize

2.2 Use some of the verbs above to complete these sentences.

1 Following the merger, the office was reorganized to accommodate the new staff.

2 It is very expensive to rent offices in the city center, so companies are ____________ to the outskirts.

3 The company has ____________ its workforce. It is the best way to stay profitable during the crisis.

4 The company has introduced new working practices. The HR department will ____________ the staff.

5 The product has been taken off the market. It will be ____________ next year with new packaging.

6 The IT department has recommended the company to ____________ their software.

7 The CEO thinks too many decisions are made at Head Office. She wants to ____________ the process.

74
3. Reading

The Inevitability of Change

1
“Change is inevitable,” said British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli in 1867. In his new book, Michael
Jarrett puts it another way: “Change is inevitable, like death and taxes.”

Just as we fear death and taxes, many of us fear change. We hope that if we resist for long enough,
the need for it will go away and we will carry on as before. But even when companies accept the need
5
for change and set out to achieve it, they often fail.

Jarrett, an expert in organizational behavior, believes that 70 per cent of all change programmes fail.
Why? He argues that managers often mistake the nature of change. They see it as something logical
that can be solved using step-by-step approaches. They are wrong. “There is no simple recipe for
organizational change,” he says.

10
Rather than develop change strategies, companies should first find out whether they are capable of
change at all. Do their internal systems and culture support change? If not, these too must change.
Readiness for change is far more important than planning or implementation, says Jarrett. He calls it
“changeability.” He defines this as “the sum of leadership, internal routines and organizational
capabilities that make companies ready for change.”

15
A few years ago, for instance, McDonald's Europe faced declining sales. Denis Hennequin, the new
president, redesigned restaurants to make them more appealing and began sourcing food locally.
Market share and profits rose. Dell, too, aware that its competitors were beginning to catch up with its
low-price model, embarked on a programme of market research. The information it gathered was
analyzed with a view to spotting emerging and future customer needs.

20
The most dangerous state for a business, says Jarrett, is the steady state. Companies that resist
change - he cites the pharmaceutical industry - run a greater risk of failure.

3.1 Look at the expressions in italics used in the article. Are they true or false?

TRUE FALSE
1 If something is inevitable (line 1), you can avoid it.
2 If you set out (line 5) to do something, you finish doing it.
3 If you achieve (line 5) something, you reach a particular objective.

3.2 Find expressions in the text that mean the following.

a) be afraid of ____________ b) corporation ____________ c) reach ____________

d) conduct ____________ e) director ____________ f) able ____________

3.3 Complete the table with information from paragraph 5.

company president problems change results

McDonald’s

75
4. Anne Deering is Head of Transformation at a management consultancy. Listen to the
first part of the interview and complete the gaps. Audio 18.1 TRANSCRIPT

I = INTERVIEWER, A = ANNE DEERING

I: How do you advise businesses which are planning to change?
AD: The two important things to take into account when ____________1 businesses is, first of all,
help them understand what does success look like - what are they going to change, how are they
going to ____________2 that change, and how will they know they've been ____________3? And I
think the second key point is to make sure people are fully ____________4 in the change, that they
feel this is something they are doing for ____________5 and not something which is being done to
them.

5. Put the following sentences into English using the “change” phrases in the table.

changeable be short-changed All change! change

change of air change your mind change the subject change hands

1. Cuando me levanté esta mañana me puse una camiseta, pero cuando vi que estaba nevando
cambié de opinión.
________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

2. ¿Cuántas veces ha cambiado de manos esa tienda? “No lo sé, pero ha tenido al menos tres
dueños diferentes este año”.
________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

3. Le di a la dependienta $10 por este juguete de $2, y solo me devolvió $5. ¡Me devolvieron de

menos!

________________________________________________________________________________
4. “El clima es muy impredecible en este momento, ¿verdad?” "Sí, es muy cambiante".
________________________________________________________________________________
5. “Estación de la calle Liverpool. El tren termina aquí. ¡Hagan transbordo!"
________________________________________________________________________________
6. Cuando murió su marido, decidió que necesitaba un cambio de aires.
________________________________________________________________________________
7. “¿Por qué has parado el coche?” “Porque el semáforo cambió a rojo”.
________________________________________________________________________________
8. ¡No intentéis cambiar de tema! ¡Sé que uno de vosotros abolló mi auto!
76
________________________________________________________________________________
6. Discussion about change. Talk to your partner about the following questions.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

1. Do you like change?

2. Are you good at dealing

with change?

3. Do you think change is

important?

4. What’s the biggest change

the world needs?

5. Would you change

something about your past?

6. Is change always good?

7. What would you like to

change about yourself or your
life?

8. What things do you think

will change in the future?

77
UNIT 19. CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
1. How good are you at managing conflict? Answer the questions in this quiz. Go to the end of
this unit to find out your score.

1 You are in a meeting. People
cannot agree with each other.
Do you:
a) do nothing?
b) propose something new?
c) take sides with those who you
like?
d) suggest a 10-minute break?
2 Your two closest friends have
an argument and stop talking
with each other. Do you:
a) behave like nothing happened?
b) bring them together to discuss
the problem?
c) take the side of one of them?
d) talk to each separately?
3 You see two strangers. One
begins to hit the other. Do you:
a) pretend to be an off-duty police
officer and ask them what is going
on?
b) call the police?
c) shout at them to stop?
d) walk away quickly?

4 Your neighbors are playing
loud music late at night. Do
you:
a) ask them to turn it down?
b) do nothing?
c) call the police?
d) play your own music as loud as
possible?
5 You are in the check-in queue
at an airport. Somebody pushes
in. Do you:
a) ask them to go back to the
queue?
b) say nothing?
c) complain loudly to everyone?
d) report them to an airport
official?
6 A colleague criticizes your
work. Do you:
a) consider carefully what they
say?
b) ignore them?
c) get angry?
d) smile, but wait for an
opportunity to take revenge?

2. Complete the following chart with the correct word forms.

noun adjective opposite adjective

1 patience patient ____________________
2 calmness ____________________ nervous
3 weakness ____________________ strong
4 flexibility ____________________ ____________________
5 emotion ____________________ ____________________
6 consistency ____________________ ____________________
7 sympathy ____________________ ____________________
8 ____________________ formal ____________________
9 enthusiasm ____________________
10 ____________________ creative ____________________

3. Which do you think are the 2 best and worst qualities for a manager from the adjectives
above? Compare your ideas with a partner and try to reach an agreement.

GOOD MANAGER BAD MANAGER

4. Which of those qualities do you think you and your partner possess? Discuss your ideas.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

78
5. Complete these sentence with one of the adjectives from exercise #2.

1 He gets very angry if people are late for negotiations. He is very impatient.
2 She always has ideas and finds solutions to problems. She is a very ______________ person.
3 He never shows anger or disappointment during a negotiation. He is totally ______________.
4 He always agrees with everything his partner suggests. He is ______________.
5 I told him I was feeling bad and he asked if I could meet the deadline. How can he be so ___________?
6 He likes people to feel comfortable during a negotiation. He’s a very ______________ person.
7 He let the other side have everything they wanted in the negotiation. He was very ______________.
8 She is very ______________. She keeps changing her mind all the time.

6. Reading
The Challenge of Conflict

Robert McHenry, chief executive of OPP, a psychology consultancy, says that some organizations may be
hiding conflicts that should be out in the open. "Clients sometimes tell us that their biggest problem is the
lack of conflict in their organizations," he says. "They say that senior leaders create a culture where
people prefer to 'keep their head down' and not offer feedback or ideas."

OPP recently surveyed 5,000 employees in Europe to find out about their experience of conflict at work.
They found that, on average, each employee spends 2.1 hours a week dealing with conflict in some way.
Most managers find this difficult to manage. Some, but not enough, receive training to resolve conflict.

According to research, conflict might offer the chance to improve your company's performance. Early
results show that successfully managed conflict improves the work environment. In their work with
international businesses, the London-based consultancy Cognosis has found that managers who deal
with conflict successfully will get better performance from their staff.

But how can you benefit from disagreement? Conflict should be managed. In open corporate cultures,
employees feel able to challenge senior managers. Indeed, managers will actively ask them for their
views. "One of the characteristics of effective leaders is their ability to both challenge others and be
challenged themselves," says Richard Brown, managing partner at Cognosis.

6.1 Find words and expressions in paragraph 2 that mean the following.

1 asked questions s_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 2 discover f_ _ _ _ _ _ 3 worker e_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

4 typically o_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 5 manage d_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 6 instruction t_ _ _ _ _ _ _

6.2 Match the expressions from the text with their meanings.

bad research a) companies that operate in more than one country

new conflict b) when arguments are dealt with in a good way
successfully managed news c) new information that is not good
international performance d) information that was not available before
better businesses e) when employees produce improved results

6.3 Do you agree with the article that conflict should be dealt with? Why?

____________________________________________________________________________________
79
7. Eileen Carroll, from the Center for Effective Dispute Resolution, is talking about
resolving business disputes. Complete the notes. Audio 19.1 TRANSCRIPT

1 Try to have an early ______________________ 4 Make sure that the difficult issues __________________

2 Recognise there is a _____________________ 5 Bring the groups together to improve _______________

3 Get decision-makers to allow ______________ 6 Work on problem-solving to find a _________________

8. Intervening quickly in cases of conflict. Translate the following sentences into English.

1. Los gerentes deben intervenir tan pronto como vean signos de conflicto.
____________________________________________________________________________________
2. Si los gerentes ignoran el comportamiento inaceptable, los problemas pueden empeorar.
____________________________________________________________________________________
3. Tomar medidas para manejar el conflicto es parte de las responsabilidades de un gerente.
____________________________________________________________________________________
4. Algunas fuentes de conflicto son: poca asistencia, acoso o demasiado uso personal de Internet.
____________________________________________________________________________________
5. Los gerentes no deben ignorar los problemas que se desarrollan en sus equipos.
____________________________________________________________________________________

9. Discussion about conflict. Talk to your partner about the following questions.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

1. Is conflict inevitable?

2. How can conflicts be

resolved?

3. What conflicts exist in your

life? (e.g family conflict) How
do you deal with them?

4. Is conflict always negative?

5. Is it best to avoid
arguments?

80
KEY TO QUIZ UNIT #19

Give yourself these marks. Add up your score.

1 a) 2 b) 3 c) 1 d) 4 6-11 You need to improve your conflict-management skills.

2 a) 2 b) 3 c) 1 d) 4 12-17 You are good at conflict management in certain situations.
3 a) 3 b) 4 c) 2 d) 1 18-22 You are good at conflict management in most situations.
4 a) 4 b) 2 c) 3 d) 1 23-24 You are excellent at conflict management.
5 a) 4 b) 2 c) 1 d) 3
6 a) 4 b) 3 c) 1 d) 2

81
UNIT 20. JOB SATISFACTION
1. Which of these factors would motivate you to work harder? Choose your top three in order
of priority. Would you add any other? Discuss with your partner.

bonus (annual, holiday, etc.)
pay
good management
a sense of being valued
important job title
job security
career possibilities
hard-working boss
interesting colleagues
benefits (e.g. free food)
working for a successful company
good working environment
promotion opportunities
more time off
flexible working hours

Your top three Your partner’s top three

2. Listen to three people talking about their motivation at work. Which of the factors in
exercise #1 do they mention? Who do you agree with? TRANSCRIPT

Factors they mention Do you agree?

Audio 20.1

Audio 20.2

Audio 20.3

3. Burnout is a debilitating condition caused by working too hard for too long. Are you in
danger of burning out? Take this quiz and find out. Go to the end of this unit for your score.

1 Your boss asks you if you can work late for
the third night in a row. Do you:
a) say yes because that’s fine with you?
b) laugh politely and leave?
c) say yes, but feel like crying?
5 It’s bedtime and you are exhausted after a
stressful day at the office. Do you:
a) Go over some work you could not finish?
b) Lie awake for five minutes and sleep?
c) Lie awake for an hour, read a bit and sleep?

2 Some of your colleagues want to play a joke
on your boss for April Fools’ Day. Do you:
a) organize a meeting to select the best idea?
b) tell them there are more important things to do?
c) go to your boss and tell them about it?
6 Some colleagues ask you if you can help
them, but you are quite busy. Do you:
a) schedule some time in your day to help them?
b) agree to help, but feel like crying?
c) tell them to speak to somebody else?

3 You arrive home on Friday night and
discover that your partner has arranged a
surprise weekend away. Do you:
a) leave the work behind and go?
b) say you’re sorry but you can’t go?
c) agree to go, but take the work with you?
7 There are a lot more things on your “to do”
list than you have time for. Do you:
a) divide the things into “urgent” and “important”
and start with the urgent things?
b) pick out the easy tasks and start with them?
c) work overtime until they’re all done?

4 There is a rumor that there are going to be
some job losses. Do you:
a) start looking for another job?
b) bite your nails until your fingers hurt?
c) start hyperventilating?
8 An old friend you haven’t seen for ages asks
you to go out for a meal. Do you:
a) go out and have a fantastic time?
b) refuse the invitation because you’re too busy?
c) accept the invitation but worry about your work?

82
4. Read the following article and answer the questions below.

The Happiest Workers

Have you noticed that every time you go for a perm or a trim that hairdresser is always
very chatty? The reason they are so happy is that most of them love their jobs. This is
according to a survey conducted by the City & Guilds of London Institute, which asked
1,200 workers about their job satisfaction.

Forty per cent of hairdressers are very happy in their jobs, while civil servants, social workers and
architects are the unhappiest workers. None of the top ten positions in the Happiness Index included
office jobs. The happiest workers were those who used their hands. In second place were religious
ministers, followed by chefs, beauticians and plumbers.

The survey showed that people who can run their own business and be self-employed are the happiest.
Desk workers came very low on the happiness scale. Teachers didn’t seem to be too happy either – only
20% said they enjoyed their work. There wasn’t a figure for English teachers, although their job
satisfaction is probably very high.

4.1 Are these statements true or false?

TRUE FALSE
1 Hairdressers are usually very chatty.
2 All hairdressers are very happy in their jobs.
3 Architects are among the unhappiest workers.
4 Three out of the ten happiest jobs involved some kind of deskwork.
5 The happiest workers were those who used their heads.

4.2 Find words in the text that mean the same as the following.

talkative ____________ carried out ____________ place ____________

study ____________ number ____________ likely ____________

4.3 Answer the following questions.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

1 What is your dream job? Why?

2 Would you like to do the same

job as your parents?

3 Would you prefer to work with

your hands or your head?

83
5. Listen to a radio interview about maintaining a good work–life balance and do the
exercise below. Audio 20.4 TRANSCRIPT

1 How popular is Chris Svensson's book?

a. Not very popular b. Very popular c. It’s new. People don’t know it.

2 What is the work–life balance like in traditional workplaces?

a. Work lives and private lives b. People work too much and c. People are free to manage the
are clearly divided. have no private life. balance themselves.

3 How often do people overtime?

a. Often b. Sometimes c. They don’t

4 In traditional workplaces, do people work at weekends or when on holiday?

a. Yes, it’s normal. b. No, never. c. Usually, they don’t.

5 How has technology helped people work with more flexibility?

a. They can send and receive b. Their working hours can be c. Robots can do their work for
emails from their phones. easily tracked. them.

6 Traditional divisions between work and life are fading. What does this mean for employees?

a. Everyone has to do overtime, b. People have to work while c. They can be flexible to work
all the time. they’re on holiday. when and where it suits them.

6. Translate the following sentences about creating your own job satisfaction into English.
1. Mucha gente piensa que la satisfacción laboral es solo para otras personas.
________________________________________________________________________________
2. Pero esto no es así. Incluso si estás en un trabajo aburrido, puedes obtener satisfacciones de él.
________________________________________________________________________________
3. La clave de esto es tu actitud.
________________________________________________________________________________
4. Una cosa que puedes hacer es ponerte desafíos.
________________________________________________________________________________
5. Las expectativas son otro ingrediente clave.
________________________________________________________________________________
6. Mira detenidamente de lo que eres realmente capaz.
________________________________________________________________________________
7. Trata de ser consciente de sus fortalezas y debilidades.
________________________________________________________________________________
8. Concéntrate en las cosas que se te dan bien, en lugar de las que no puedes hacer.
________________________________________________________________________________

84
7. Discussion. Talk to your partner about the following statements.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

1. Job satisfaction is about

personality, not external
factors.

2. Improvements in
technology lead to greater job
satisfaction.

3. There is no company
loyalty these days.

4. People who work from

home tend to work harder
than people who don’t.

5. Do you think most people

are happy with their jobs?

KEY TO QUIZ UNIT #20

Give yourself these marks. Add up your score.

1 a) 2 b) 3 c) 1 19-24 Your stress levels are comfortably low and you know what to
2 a) 3 b) 2 c) 1 points do at the first sign that things are getting on top of you.

3 a) 3 b) 1 c) 2 11-18 You are heading towards burnout. Try to develop your life
4 a) 3 b) 2 c) 1 points outside work, or think about looking for a new job.

5 a) 1 b) 3 c) 2 8-10 Take action to prevent total burnout before it’s too late. Improve
6 a) 3 b) 2 c) 1 points your time management and ask for help immediately.

7 a) 3 b) 2 c) 1
8 a) 3 b) 2 c) 1

85
UNIT 21. TEAM BUILDING
1. Can you think of some advantages and disadvantages of working in teams?

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

Teams create brainstorming opportunities. Teams can divide work unequally.

2. For each category in this quiz, tick the three statements that most apply to you. Then read
the explanations at the end of this unit.

What sort of team player are you?

Doer vs. Thinker Details vs. Ideas Mind vs. Heart Planner vs. Improviser

a) I consider what I say. a) I often come up with a) I like to think logically. a) Meetings have to be
unusual solutions. prepared carefully.

b) I contribute a lot in b) It’s important to be b) I keep emotions out of b) I like surprises.

discussions. realistic. decision-making.

c) Action is more c) People see me as a c) I avoid confrontation. c) I hate time-wasting at

important than reflection. creative person. meetings.

d) I listen to others d) I like practical d) I sometimes tread on d) Too much time can be
before I say anything. solutions. people’s toes. spent on preparation.

e) Discussion gives me e) You shouldn’t overlook e) Understanding people e) People say I’m a
energy and ideas. details. is as important as being punctual person.
right.

f) I don’t say a lot at f) You shouldn’t get lost f) I care about other f) I need a deadline to
meetings. in details. people’s feelings. get me going.

Do you think you can be a good team player? Why? What about your partner?
____________________________________________________________________________________

3.1 Match the prefixes of the words with their meanings.

1 mismatch a) against b) wrong c) former

2 pre-event a) not enough b) against c) before
3 post-activity a) after b) too much c) not enough
4 disconnect a) very b) former c) not
5 ex-military a) opposite b) former c) after
6 remotivate a) again b) former c) after
7 multicultural a) again b) many c) against
8 hyperlink a) not enough b) very c) opposite

86
3.2 Complete the ad below with the correct form of the words from exercise #3.1
ESPRIT DE CORPS - the last word in team building
Is your team letting itself and the company down?
● Do you have ____________1 teams and leaders?
● Do you have team members who feel ____________2 from each other?
● Do you need to energize and ____________3 a tired team?
We have the solution.
Choose from our wide range of team-building activities. Having worked for some of the world’s largest
international companies, ____________4 teams are a specialty. Staffed by many ____________5
personnel, we know what makes teams work.
Before making any recommendations, we will visit you for a ____________6 consultation to find out your
exact requirements. After completing the event, we will hold a ____________7 feedback session and also
supply a written report with expert advice. Click on the ____________8 below for further information.

3.3 Add prefixes to these words to give their opposite meanings.

1 communicative _____________ 6 focused _____________ 11 sociable ___________

2 decisive _____________ 7 imaginative _____________ 12 stable ___________
3 efficient _____________ 8 loyal _____________ 13 tolerant ___________
4 enthusiastic _____________ 9 organized _____________ 14 patient ___________
5 flexible _____________ 10 practical _____________

Which of the above adjectives are the best and worst qualities of a team player?

BEST WORST

4. Listen to an interview with Dan Collins, a team-building specialist. What does he say about
the attitudes to teams in a) Europe and the US, and b) India and China? Audio 21.1
TRANSCRIPT

Europe and the US India and China

4.1 Which attitude do you prefer? Why?

____________________________________________________________________________________
4.2 You have to set up a team for a very important project. Choose two people you know and say why
they would make a good team.
____________________________________________________________________________________
87
6. Reading
Success and satisfaction

The problem with expanding a business is that it becomes harder to engage your staff. “It is
the culture that will keep people working for you,” says Brian Chernett, founder of a coaching
club. “The difference between small and big business is that it is easier to retain that culture in
a small organization than in a large one.”

Andy Hooper quit his job with a large corporation to set up his own architecture consultancy. At first, he
found growth easy, but by the time he employed 20 people, leading the team became harder work. When
he asked his staff what they wanted, he realized he needed to delegate responsibility. His company now
has five directors, promoted from within his team. “It is all about letting go,” he says. “Everybody now has
visibility of what we are doing, and we use everybody’s ideas.”

Some companies consciously restrain the growth of their workforce to maintain the culture of their
organization. With almost 100 staff, George Davies, a Manchester legal firm, is neither small nor
especially large, but that is the way it wants to stay. Lisa Pearson, development manager, says: “If we
expand, we will not be able to give the same level of service.”

Unlike many law firms, George Davies discourages its employees from working long hours. Those that
are parents are encouraged to spend more time with their families. Such policies lead to a better
atmosphere and greater employee commitment, according to Ms. Pearson.
6.1 Are the following statements true or false?

TRUE FALSE
1 It is easier to engage the staff in smaller businesses.
2 Mr. Hooper realized he needed to increase the staff’s salary.
3 George Davies is not bigger because it doesn’t want to.
4 Ms. Pearson encourages parents to have more children.

6.2 Find words in the text that mean the following.

1 creator ____________ 3 personnel ____________ 5 company ____________

2 build ____________ 4 prevent ____________ 6 worker ____________

7. Put the following sentences about team building techniques into English.
1. Es importante definir claramente las metas, roles y responsabilidades.
____________________________________________________________________________________
2. Sé un mediador, no un juez.
____________________________________________________________________________________
3. Los conflictos son inevitables. La forma en que los gestiones definirá tu éxito.
____________________________________________________________________________________
4. Nunca subestimes la influencia del refuerzo positivo.
____________________________________________________________________________________
5. La mejor manera de construir una cultura es predicar con el ejemplo.
____________________________________________________________________________________
88
8. Discussion. Talk to your partner about the following statements.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

1. Is teamwork essential for

the type of job you want to
do?

2. Do you prefer to participate

or listen during group
discussions?

3. In general, do you prefer

teamwork or working
independently?

4. What words would you

most like to hear from your
boss?

5. Would you make a good

boss?

KEY TO EXERCISE #2 OF UNIT #21

Score 1 point for each of the following answers: 18-24 points

Doers vs. Thinkers a, d, f You are a creative type. You value original ideas
over detailed planning. You are likely to show
Mind Vs Heart a, b, d consideration for others. You can get bored easily
Details vs Ideas b, d, e and sometimes need to be under pressure to get
results.
Planners vs Improvisers a, c, e

Score 2 points for each of the following answers: 12-17 points

Doers vs. Thinkers b, c, e Clear thinking and careful planning are of great
importance to you. You are not afraid of challenging
Mind Vs Heart c, e, f others in order to get results. You are likely to be
Details vs Ideas a, c, f ambitious and well organized.

Planners vs Improvisers b, d, f

89
UNIT 22. CUSTOMER SERVICE
1. Which of the following irritates you the most when dealing with customer service
departments? Choose the top three and compare with a partner.

on the phone face to face repairs and refunds

Being put on hold
Speaking to an uninterested
person
Choosing a series of options
during your call
Customer service number
continuously engaged
Being cut off
Unhelpful customer service
Stressed or indifferent staff
Salespeople with poor product
knowledge
Too few staff at peak times
No company policy on
complaints
Delays on repairs
Delays in getting money back
No replacement equipment while
repairs are carried out
Poor-quality repairs
Disputes over credit notes,
“proof of purchase,” etc.

1.1 How important to a company’s success is customer care?

____________________________________________________________________________________

1.2 In what situations can customer service become a problem?

____________________________________________________________________________________

2. Match the idiomatic expressions (1-7) to their meanings (a-g).

1 pass the buck a) forget to do something

2 get to the bottom of the problem b) paid far too much for something

3 the last straw c) avoid responsibility

4 slip my mind d) find the real cause of something

5 ripped off e) the last in a series of irritating events

6 go the extra mile f) try harder in order to achieve something

3. Use the expressions from exercise #2 in the correct form to complete these sentences.

1 The helpline person was very good and spent time with me. She started at the beginning in order to
____________ and find a solution.

2 He's the person responsible. He shouldn't try to ____________ and blame others for his mistakes.

3 Several customers have complained about our service contract. They say they're paying far too much
and feel they have been ____________.

4 I meant to send him a brochure, but we were very busy. I got distracted and it ____________.

5 They ignored my complaints, but what made me really angry was when they refused to refund my
money. Really, it was ____________.

6 She was extremely helpful and was prepared to ____________ to solve the problem, so I'll definitely
use the company again.
90
4. Reading
Customer service is changing the world

1
Customer service has changed. Thirty years ago service was personal and familiar. When
issues arose, they were typically handled face to face with a local manager.

Now, global corporations have millions of customers. By using customer service experts and
the latest technology, these companies are able to focus on dealing with their business. The
5
thinking is that by doing this, productivity and innovation will increase, enabling organizations to bring
new products to the market more quickly.

This approach has had certain bad press. It has taken many customers a long time to get used to
speaking to customer service representatives based in other parts of the world or mechanical systems
that don’t offer the right choices.

10
Businesses have realized that they need to take a personal approach and apply it to their customer
service strategy across the world. In other words, they need to get personal while operating on a global
scale. This means minimizing the time customers spend on the phone.

Companies need to analyze the huge amounts of customer data they store, creating a database that
can build profiles of customers. Using insights into their locations, previous purchases, personal data
15
and other information, customer management systems can react quickly and effectively.

Using analytics can be the difference between a positive and a negative experience for the customer.
Yet businesses don't often make the best use of these insights. Some companies seem happy to
rely on scripted responses and poorly trained agents. They need to remember that having a good
customer service infrastructure can be the difference between maintaining loyal customers, or being
20
left behind.

Outsourcing like this is not an indulgence, but a crucial part of business. If companies provide bad
service to customers, they run the risk of getting bad press. Those that value their customers and view
them not only as a source of revenue but also a means to improve as a business can reap the rewards.

4.1 Answer the following questions.

How has customer service changed?

____________________________________________________________________________________
What should companies do with their customer data?
____________________________________________________________________________________
Why do many customers have bad experiences?
____________________________________________________________________________________

4.2 Find expressions in the text that mean the following.

in person (l. 2) __________ negative publicity (l. 7) _____________ harvest (l. 23) ____________

4.3 Complete these sentences using the expressions in exercise #4.2

1 You ______________ what you sow.

2 I’d rather explain ______________, not on the phone.
3 We’ve had some ______________ lately.
91
5. Listening.
5.1 Preparation task. Match the definitions (a-h) with the vocabulary (1-8).

Vocabulary Definition

1 exception a) proof that a delivery has been made

2 payment terms b) the conditions of when a customer should make payment

3 invoice c) when more time is allowed for something

4 extension d) an official rule

5 delivery confirmation e) a document which shows how much a customer has to pay

6 cash flow f) when something doesn’t follow the usual rule

7 regulation g) to show someone you are grateful for something they have done

8 to appreciate h) the amount of money coming in and going out of a company

5.2 Listen to the phone call from a customer. Are the following statements true or false?
Audio 22.1 TRANSCRIPT

TRUE FALSE

1 The delivery hasn’t arrived yet.

2 Andrea is having cash flow issues and needs a payment extension.

3 Andrea usually asks for an extension of the payment terms.

4 Andrea has a new order to place, even bigger than the last one.

5 Junk can extend the payment terms on the last order to 60 days.

6 Junko will send Andrea an email confirmation.

6. Put the following sentences about customer service into English.

1. Cuando manejas quejas, es importante retener a los clientes.
____________________________________________________________________________________
2. Las empresas que no ofrezcan un buen servicio al cliente perderán clientes.
____________________________________________________________________________________
3. A veces tendrás que ayudar a clientes insatisfechos.
____________________________________________________________________________________
4. Por eso es muy importante mantener un tono diplomático y profesional.
____________________________________________________________________________________
5. Sonreír y ser cordial a menudo hace que los clientes se sientan más felices y relajados contigo.
____________________________________________________________________________________

92
7. Discussion. Talk to your partner about the following statements.

YOU YOUR PARTNER

1. Can you remember an

occasion when you received
poor customer service?

2. Why do you think some

shop assistants are rude?

3. Who is responsible for poor

customer service, the
employer or the employee?

4. Should a company always

refund customers if they are
unhappy?

5. Do you think working in

customer service is a difficult
job? Why?

93