In organizations, there are generally three levels of managers: top managers, middle managers and first-line managers. Top (or _____) managers determine the objectives, _____ policies and strategic objectives and also _____ an overall control over the whole organization. They include the board of directors, president, vice-president, Chief Executive Office (CEO), Chief Operating Officer (COO) and some other positions. Top managers have middle managers reporting to them. Middle managers are _____ major functions or departments. They _____ their time to organizing and directing. First-line managers are ______ middle managers and ______ for managing the ______ activities. First-level managers include supervisors, section leaders, foremen, and similar positions.

7.Topics for discussion.

1.Differences between divisional structure and functional structure.

2.Advantages and disadvantages of a flat organizational structure.

3.Advantages and disadvantages of a matrix structure.

4.The best organizational structure in your opinion. Give your arguments.

5.Tree levels of management in an organization.

Text 2. Executive-level positions within an organization

At the beginning, when the entrepreneur starts running his own business,it’s natural for him to do as much as possible himself. It’s the most cost-effective and comfortable way to do things during this period of time. But as the enterprise grows, the entrepreneur himselfwon’t be able to oversee operations, sales, accounting, fulfillment and marketing because of the large number of responsibilities.

That means the entrepreneur has to build an executive team that’s able to manage all the critical areas of that business to take it to the next level. Building such team demands matching jobs to people’s strengths. That means giving people responsibilities according to skill level that do not depend on close friendly relations.

Many smart entrepreneurs hire employees to fill the following positions in their companies:

1.Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The CEO is the boss of everyone and is responsible for everything. He determines the company’s strategy. He hires and builds the senior team. TheCEO’s skills include strategic thinking and the ability to rise above the daily details. The CEO must be able to predict the future and to guide the company in its best way for navigating the future market conditions. The CEO thinks about where the organization is going, he thinks about people and processes needed to get there and he knows how they will work in the current market and in the future.

2.Chief Operating Officer (COO). A COO handles a company’s complex operational details. Think about UPS (the American company, specializing in express delivery and logistics) moving three billion packages within two weeks before Christmas: The company’s COO guarantees that UPS can deliver packages day after day. The COO decides what needs to be measured and he can tell if things are going well. Then his team creates the systems to track the measurements and takes action when the company doesn’t deliver those packages.

In a one-location retail business, the store manager is in the position of the COO. When business expands to multiple locations, it’s time to hire someone who will be responsible for measurements, operations and details. It will be someone in the position of the COO.

3.President. No one knows just what a president does. Some say a president oversees staff functions-human resources, finance and strategy, while the COO oversees daily operations. Others say that the president is a synonym for COO, especially in smaller companies. Yetsometimes, the president fills gaps left by the COO and CEO. In any case, the entrepreneur thinks long and hard about whether he needs someone to fill this title, especially when the company is fully covered with a CEO and COO.

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4. Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The CFO handles the money. He creates budgets and financing strategies. He decides if it’s better for the company to lease or buy. The CFO builds the control systems that monitor financial wellbeingof the company. When the entrepreneur lies awake at night dreaming about numbers, he needs a CFO.

5.Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). Recently, companies have been bringing in a marketing expert at the C-level, because many current business battles are battles of marketing, socorporate strategy often depends onmarketing strategy. The CMO is a specialist in marketing strategy. He oversees the sales strategy and its implementation. The CMO knows the industry inside out and helps to position the product, differentiate it from the competitors’ products and select preferred distributors. He is responsible for satisfying customer requirements profitablyusing large-scale persuasive advertising. If the business’s success depends mainly on marketing, the company needs a CMO.

6.Chief Technology Officer (CTO). A CTO keeps up with technology trends, integrates those trends into the company’s strategy, and makes sure the company keeps current when it’s necessary. The company needs a CTO if technology impacts the business or industry strategically, because the CTO knows how to think strategically.

1. Translate the following words and word combinations from the text into English.

Начинать вести свой собственный бизнес; предприниматель; экономический способ; исполнительный директор; думать долго и упорно; управлять деньгами; арендовать (брать в лизинг); контролировать финансовые вопросы в компании; лежать без сна (не спать); масштабная убеждающая реклама; идти в ногу с технологическими трендами.

2. Choose the right noun for each given verb. Translate the received collocations.

3. Connect every word with its synonym. Translate the received pairs.

4. Fill in the table by writing down the titles of the C-level positions within the company, the description of functional responsibilities and required skills for each position. Use information from the text and probably from other sources.

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1

2

3

4

5

6

5.Questions for discussion.

1.Why does the entrepreneur do as much as possible himself when he starts running his own business?

2.When does the entrepreneur start building an executive team?

3.What does it mean “matching jobs to people’s strengths”?

4.What positions do smart entrepreneur start hiring employees in?

5.What are the functional responsibilities of the Chief Executive Officer?

6.What skills are required for the employee in the position of the Chief Executive Officer?

7.Why doesn’t every company have a president?

8.When does a company need a Chief Financial Officer?

9.Why does corporate strategy often depend on marketing strategy?

10.When does a company need a Chief Technology Officer?

6.Fill the gaps in the sentence below with the words and expressions from the text.

1.At the beginning, when the entrepreneur starts _______ his own business, it’s natural for him to do as much as possible himself.

2.That means the entrepreneur has to build an_______ team that’s able to manage all the critical areas of that business to take it to the next level.

3.That means giving people _______ according to skill level that do not depend on close friendly relations.

4.The CEO must be able ot _______ the future and to guide the company in its best way for navigating the future market conditions.

5.The COO decides what needs to be _______ and he can tell if things are going well.

6.In a one-location retail business, the _______ _______ is in the position of the COO.

7.The CFO builds the control systems that monitor financial _______ of the company.

8.When the entrepreneur lies awake at night dreaming about numbers, he needs a _______.

9.Recently, companies have been bringing in a _______ expert at the C-level.

10.The company needs a _______ if technology impacts the business or industry strategically.

7.Say if the statements are true or false. Prove your point.

1.The entrepreneur doesn’t need any executive team when his company expands and grows.

2.Building executive team doesn’t demand matching jobs to people’s strengths.

3.The Chief Executive Officer is not responsible for everything.

4.The Chief Executive Officer hires and builds the senior team.

5.The Chief Operating Officer is not responsible for measurements, operations and details.

6.Sometimes, the president fills gap left by the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive Officer.

7.The Chief Financial Officer doesn’t handle the money.

8.Recently, companies have been bringing in a marketing expert at the C-level.

9.The Chief Marketing Officer is a specialist only in the field of sales.

10.The Chief Technological Officer integrates technological trends into the company’s strategy.

8.Speak about high-level management in the company.

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UNIT 5. INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT Text 1. Cross-cultural differences

Today business environment is gradually becoming global. Employees deal with partners and customers from different parts of the world on a regular basis. To successfully compete, company executives have to understand the cultural distinctions of different regions in which their business operates.

Lack of understanding of these cultural distinctions can lead to dissatisfaction among teams, to lower productivity and higher costs. In dealing with customers, a failure to connect may even result in lost opportunities, revenue or profit. When organizations expand globally, they acquire partners in foreign companies, mergers or acquisitions, and in this case overcoming cultural differences begins to play a very important role in the company’s activities.

There are some ways for improving cross-cultural interactions:

1. __________________________________________________________________________. Finding the time to get and learn the information about another’s culture can go a long way to make the employees feel comfortable. Learning what the customers like and appreciate–– their food, their

customs and protocol, business practices and what they do for fun–– becomes essential, because the people with whom the company works will recommend that company to do business with it in the future.

If the company is going to do business with someone from a different country and culture, it is necessary to learn the basics in advance. A simple online search with the words “cultural competence” suggests several web sites with information for understanding cultural norms.

During the meeting or at work there may be some level of misunderstanding and someone will want to clear up these uncertainties. In this case, partners and employees have to know that in India, for example, employees are comfortable with some degree of “fuzziness” when they discuss everything related to working moments and doing business. As for theAmericans, they stick to much more black and white definitions.

Partners and employees have to know that business card exchange is different all over the world. Japanese employees always bow and provide their card with both hands. Japanese employees expect that the card will be accepted with both hands and then the card will be read in a few seconds in order to show respect. In the U.K., more than in the U.S., colleagues simply put their card on the table during a meeting.

During a business meeting it is important to pay much attention to gesturesIn.-person or on video conference calls, simple gestures and stances can mean absolutely different things in different cultures. For example, sitting casually with a foot resting on the opposite knee is the equivalent of showing one’s foot, which is a highly offensive gesture to some people from the Middle East.

While hugging or kissing is a common greeting in some cultures, touching –– even the simple act of shaking hands –– may be forbidden, especially between men and women in other countries. Leaders and managers have to choose a more formal demeanor with good posture, feet on the floor or crossed at the ankle, and hands folded or at their sides if they are unsure of what is acceptable and what’s not.

Many cross-cultural differences become especially noticeable during business dinners. In Eastern cultures, family dinner style is the norm. In this context it’s not only polite, but a friendly gesture which means that the family shares food with the guest that may be a great surprise to many Westerners.

Dining in the U.S. can be a challenge for people from Eastern cultures as well. Differences in food and etiquette can make Eastern employees feel some hesitation to ask questions, for fear of looking unprepared or unprofessional.

For example, someone from Japan may have never used a lobster cracker before and perhaps he will hesitate to ask how to use it. There’s nothing wrong with asking and those questions are usually met with enthusiasm from the host in showing you how things are done in their country.

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2. __________________________________________________________________________. If you don’t, you can easily encounter some difficulties related to different meanings of words

and expressions. For example, when you are working with colleagues in India, it is necessary to pay particular attention to grammatical construction with articles like“the” and “an”, among other words as these can pose difficulties for those who speak English as a second language. An Indian speaker may mean to say, “There werea few problems”, but actually say, “There were few problems”. Without just one little word–– a –– the meaning of the entire phrase becomes the exact opposite. This can lead to a significant misunderstanding if taken out of context.

During an in-person meeting, an Indian employee often nods his head “yes” or makes sounds in the affirmative. However, this doesn’t actually mean they necessarily agree with you. This gesture shows that they’ve heard what the other partner said. A Western colleague could easily misconstrue this as agreement and it will lead to misunderstanding.

Clear communication is essential for effective functioning. Depending upon the number of customers with whom the company works and the amount of diversity, it becomes impossible for the employees to learn all the languages, but learning a few greetings and key phrases can be very important.

Even though both countries speak English, there can be variations in phrasing and terminology that can also lead to misunderstandings. For example, when people say“Let’s do lunch”, British and many people from other countries take that literally.But the same phrase can mean something completely different if it is pronounced by an American. When saying goodbye, the American can pronounce: “We’ll have to get together” or“Let’s do lunch”. For an American this phrase is just a gesture of friendliness. This phrase should be taken as an invitation unless the American partner gives a specific date and time.

3. __________________________________________________________________________. A diverse workforce presents a challenge in terms of region, customs and communication. In these

situations, it is important to not just accept differences, but fully embrace them across your entire business. Embracing those differences is crucial in making business successful.If the employees, customers or co-workers have cultural requirements, like prayer times or religious holidays, company executives have to accommodate their needs into the company’s work schedule.

Leaders and managers have to set aside a special day in the company where a few employees or co-workers are asked to share aspects of his or her culture or customer’sa culture with everyone. Leaders and managers have to ask the employees to give a “Lunch-and-Learn” presentation, featuring the foods, ceremonies and other aspects of that culture. This will be useful not only to promote

socialization in the company, but it will also give each employee the opportunity to learn more about the culture of another country and appreciate it.

4. __________________________________________________________________________. When managing employees from different parts of the world, successful companies realize that good communication is everything. In multinational companies, the level of communications within

the company between employees determines life or death for that business. For instance, if the company has branches in the United States and the Philippines, communications are essential since one workday ends when the other begins.

Even though small talk is not directly business related, water cooler talk–– about celebrities or sports –– is a staple of office culture. This can be a difficulty for Brits in terms of fitting in. American sports aren’t a major focal point of interest in the U.K., which can create a lack of common ground for small talk. That doesn’t mean the employees can’t create any connection, they have to discuss other neutral topics, such as weather, movies or travel.

There are many situations with miscommunications, especially when a language barrier exists. When businesses run into such problems, tasks cannot be completed efficiently. Fortunately, technology (the interpreters in multiple languages) has been put into practice and a lot of phenomenal tools exist for overcoming linguistic issues among employees.

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Team-building is also one of the important parts of running a business. Building meaningful relationships among employees keeps everyone engaged in their work andhelps to perform group tasks efficiently. Leaders and managers have to start by holding weekly faceto-face meetings for employees to go over their progress and catch up. For team-building, leaders and managers have to try some innovative video games available online.

Due to geographical differences, face-to-face meetings in the U.S. are much less common than in the U.K. However, technology like Skype or Zoom gives CEOs the opportunity to conduct business with people from virtually anywhere.

Multinational companies have been around for a long time. And that’s a good thing because, if they’re managed effectively, these companies can contribute greatly to economic globalization.

1. Translate the following words and word combinations from the text into English.

Культурные различия; вести бизнес в других странах; обмен визитками; оскорбительный жест; рукопожатие; страх выглядеть неподготовленным и непрофессиональным; стесняться делать что-либо; неправильное понимание (чего-либо); эффективное функционирование; разнообразная рабочая сила; коллеги по работе; крепкие отношения.

2. Choose the right noun for each given verb. Translate the received collocations.

3. Connect every word with its synonym. Translate the received pairs.

4.Choose the most suitable heading for each distinction.

a)It is extremely necessary to build open communication and strong relationships among employees.

b)The employees of the company have to appreciate cultural differences and overcome cross— cultural barriers at work.

c)Before starting doing business with other countries it is important to find the time for learning the customer’s culture.

d)It is also very important to pay attention to differences in the English language.

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5.Questions for discussion.

1.Why do business leaders have to understand the cultural nuances of the different regions in

which their business operate?

2.What can lack of understanding of these cultural nuances lead to?

3.What are the ways of searching for information?

4.How do Japanese people exchange their business cards?

5.What gesture is considered offensive for some from the Middle East?

6.Why do leaders have to choose a more format demeanor when greeting colleagues and partners?

7.What dining style is preferred in Eastern cultures and among Westerns during business dinners?

8.Why is learning a few greetings and key phrases very important while communicatingwith business partners in other countries?

9.Why is it very important to pay attention to differences in the English language while doing business with other countries?

10.How can the employees of the company overcome cross-cultural barriers at work?

6.Fill the gaps in the sentences below with the words and expressions from the text.

1.Employees _____ with colleagues, customers from different parts of the world on a regular

basis.

2.Lack of _____ of these cultural distinctions can lead to dissatisfaction among teams, to lower productivity and higher costs.

3.If the company is going to do business with someone from a different country and culture, it is necessary to learn the basics in ______.

4.During the meeting or at work there may be some level of ______ and someone will want to clear up these uncertainties.

5.Japanese employees always bow and provide their card with ______ hands.

6.During a business meeting it is important to pay much ______ to gestures.

7.Many cross-cultural ______ become especially noticeable during business dinners.

8.Dining in the U.S. can be a _______ for people from Eastern cultures as well.

9.Even though both countries speak English, there can be ______ in phrasing and terminology that can also lead to misunderstandings.

10.When managing employees from different parts of the world, successful companies realize that good ______ is everything.

7. Say if the statements are true or false. Prove your point.

1. To successfully compete, business leaders don’t have to understand the cultural nuances of the different regions in which their business operates.

2.In dealing with customers, a failure to connect may not result in lost opportunities revenue or

profit.

3.Learning what the customers like and appreciate doesn’t become essential.

4.Partners and employees have to know that business card exchange is different all over the

world.

5.Simple gestures and stances can mean the same things in different cultures.

6.It is possible for the employees to learn all the foreign languages.

7.It is not important for the employees to accept cultural differences and overcome cross-cultural barriers at work.

8.In multinational companies, the level of communications within the company between employees determines life or death for that business.

9.When a language barrier exists and the businesses run into such problems, tasks cannot be completed efficiently.

10.Multinational company is a good thing when it is managed effectively.

8. Speak about the ways to overcome cross-cultural differences.

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