8. Discuss
How are people appointed in many companies? Are there clear guidelines on how to come to a decision about who to recruit? How were you yourself or your friends recruited?
DISCRIMINATION
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Accept |
Reject |
Call for second interview |
1. SYSTEMS ANALYST The applicant is a 36 year old woman returning to work after giving up her previous job to start a family three years ago. She is well qualified for the post and much more experienced that any of the other applicants. She is, however, a little out of touch with the latest developments in the industry you work in and would require some retraining. Most of the other applicants are younger men. |
Reasons
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2. MARKETING DIRECTOR The applicants is a 29 year old woman. On paper she looks impressive and at interview she came across very well indeed. In terms of experience and expertise, she is clearly the best person for the post. There s only one problem: the job is in a country where women do not have equal status with men and where very few women hold management positions at all, let alone senior ones such as this. |
Reasons
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3. PRODUCTION MANAGER The applicant is a 44 year old woman. You h ave recently interviewed twenty people for a very responsible post within your company and she is one of the two on your final shortlist. The other most promising candidate is a 29 year old man. On balance, you think the man would probably be the better choice but, at present, your company has only appointed three female managers out of a total of thirty two and you are under a lot of pressure from the personnel department to exercise positive discrimination in favour of women. |
Reasons |
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4. MANAGEMENT TRAINER The applicant is a 31 year old man. The company you represent runs assertiveness training courses for women in management and at the moment you have an all-female staff. Whilst the applicant has an excellent track record in management training with mixed groups, you have some doubts about his credibility running seminars exclusively for women, some of whom tend to see male managers more as an obstacle than an aid to their progress. You re also concerned about how the rest of the staff will react to him. |
R easons |
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Have you ever found yourself in a similar position to one of those above? What did you do?
UNIT 18
Economic issues. An uncertain future
We live in uncertain times, both politically and economically. In your view, what are the greatest threats to the world economy and societies?
• political instability • racial tension
• mass unemployment • hyperinflation
• massive trade deficits • cheap labour markets
• poverty in the Third World • the debt crisis
• the North-South divide • the East-West divide
• the collapse of communism • environmental damage
• a population explosion • an ageing population
• under-employment • trade wars
Write down here what you consider to be the four key global issues from the list above or choose others that you believe to be even more important. What do you think their economic implications might be?
GLOBAL ISSUES ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS
1.................... .................................
2.................... .................................
3.................... ..................................
4.................... .................................
Mark the countries or geographic areas on the map you think will have the most direct or indirect impact on the global economy over the next five to ten years. North, Central, Latin America7 The EU? Central Europe? The former Soviet Union countries? The Middle East? Africa? The Far East? The Pacific Rim? Can you justify your view?
