Практический курс английского языка = Practical Course of English for Students of Economics. Учебное пособие для студентов экономических специальносте

Text 4

Read the text and see if the writer’s ideas are the same as yours. Give a title to the text.

Men and women do things differently. There are, of course, exceptions to every generalization, including this one.

Cristina Stuart is a managing director of Speakeasy Training, a consultancy that runs courses for men and women working together. Here she describes a few key differences between the sexes in the workplace.

The male approach to business is competitive, direct and confrontational. The end justifies the means. Personal status and a focus on the individual are important. The female method is collaborative. Collective action and responsibility are more important than personal achievement. Lateral thinking, as well as goodwill and the well-being of the individual, are also of great importance.

The male approach is to go to the heart of the problem, without taking into account secondary considerations. The female preference is to look at various options.

Male body language tends to be challenging. Female body language tends towards self-protection. A stereotypical female pose is sitting cross-legged; the male sits with legs apart to give an impression that he is in control.

Male behaviour can include forceful gestures for example banging a fist on the desk for effect. The female style does not usually include aggressive gestures.

The male way of speaking does not encourage discussion. Women tend to welcome others’ opinions and contributions more.

Men like to talk about their personal experiences and achievements or discuss ‘masculine’ topics such as cars or sport. Women tend to talk about staff problems and personal matters.

If a woman does not copy the male confrontational style, she is often ignored.

Men find it easy to tell others about their successes. Women tend to share or pass on the credit for a success.

Men’s humour can be cruel – a man’s joke usually has a victim. Female humour is less hurtful. A woman often jokes against herself.

Many men have a female style of working. Equally many women have a male approach.

As Ms Stuart says many of the current management theorems – flatter organizations, empowerment, managing by consensus – have a female style to them.

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Text 5

Read the following text and identify the problems discussed in it. Think of an answer put in the article.

Who Would You Rather Work For?

Women are more efficient and trustworthy, have a better understanding of their workforce and are more generous with their praise. In short they make the best managers, and if men are to keep up they will have to start learning from their female counterparts, a report claims today.

The survey of 1,000 male and female middle and senior managers from across the UK is an indictment of the ability of men to function as leaders in the modern workplace.

A majority of those questioned believed women had a more modern outlook on their profession and were more open minded and considerate. By way of contrast, a similar number believe male managers are egocentric and more likely to steal credit for work done by others.

Management Today magazine, which conducted the research, said that after years of having to adopt a masculine identity and hide their emotions and natural behaviour in the workplace, women have become role models for managers.

The findings tally with a survey of female bosses carried out in the US. A five-year study of 2,500 managers from 450 firms found that many male bosses were rated by their staff of both sexes to be self-obsessed and autocratic. Women on the other hand leave men in the starting blocks when it comes to teamwork and communicating with staff.

In Britain more than 61 per cent of those surveyed said men did not make better bosses than women. Female managers use time more effectively, with many of those surveyed commenting that juggling commitments is a familiar practice for women with a home and a family.

Female managers also appear to make good financial sense for pen- ny-pinching companies: most people, of either sex, would rather ask for a rise from a man.

‘If men want to be successful at work they must behave more like women,’ said the magazine’s editor, Rufus Olins. ‘Businesses need to wake up to the fact that so-called feminine skills are vital for attracting and keeping the right people. In the past women who aspired to management were encouraged to be more manly. It looks now as if the boot is on the other foot.’

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Text 6

Read the text and define its main idea. Answer the questions given below.

Which Bosses are Best?

How do you like your boss? Sympathetic, empowering and not too busy, probably. They will be aware of the pressures of your job, but delegate responsibility where appropriate. They will be interested in your career development. Oh, and, preferably, they will be male.

In a survey for Royal Mail special delivery, a quarter of secretaries polled expressed a preference for a male boss. Only 7 per cent said they would prefer a woman. The future of management may be female, but Ms High-Flier, it seems, can expect little support from her secretary.

One should not, of course, assume that all secretaries are female, but women still make up the overwhelming majority. So it makes uncomfortable reading for those who like to believe that a soft and cuddly sisterhood exists in the previously macho office environment, where women look out for their own. The findings also raise questions about neat predictions of a feminised future for management, where ‘womanly’ traits such as listening skills, flexibility and a more empathetic manner will become normal office currency.

Business psychologist John Nicholson is surprised by the survey’s findings, asserting that ‘the qualities valued today in a successful boss are feminine, not masculine’. He is emphatic that women make better bosses. ‘They listen more, are less status-conscious, conduct crisper meetings, are much more effective negotiators and display greater flexibility’.

They are also considerably more common than they used to be. According to information group Experian, women are no longer scarce in the boardroom – they occupy a third of the seats round the conference table. Women directors are still relatively uncommon in older age groups, but among young directors the proportion is growing.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that a reluctance to work for a woman may be more a question of management style than substance. ‘It’s just women bosses’ attitude,’ says Martha, a PA for 25 years who has worked predominantly for women, including a high-profile politician. ‘It’s something women have that men don’t. When they are critical they are much more personal, whereas men sail through not taking a blind bit of notice’.

Sonia Neill, a former secretary at Marks and Spencer, has experienced power struggles between women even where there was a significant disparity in status. ‘Women either find it awkward to give you work or they try to assert themselves by giving you really menial tasks. Men never do that.’

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1.Which ideas expressed in the text do you agree with? Do you find any of the ideas surprising?

2.What other qualities, knowledge, skills are necessary for a boss to be a success? Define your point of view.

;Language

2.Practise reading the following words correctly. If necessary, use the dictionary.

Gender, stereotypes, identity, equity, corporate, opportunities, sexual harassment, parenthood, paternity, maternity, flexible, prejudice, masculine, consensus, alimony, minority, female, psychology, harass, freelancers, chauvinism, scheme.

2. Working in pairs, discuss the meaning of the underlined words.

1. Where women do get to run big companies, it is not by climbing the ordinary corporate ladder. 2. Men are expected to be assertive. 3. Made to choose between being thought pushy and being actually self-effacing, women tend to choose the latter. 4. Strident counter-examples … leap to mind just because they are so rare. 5. Women’s employment is much like the environment – it’s seen as essentially a window-dressing question.

Tokenism abounds. 6. The watershed diving different employers’ approaches is positive discrimination. 7. And back-of-the-envelope calculation of the costs of replacing a manager … suggest that the time it takes the new manager to get fully on top of the job is worth $25,000.

3. Study the following pairs of sentences, paying particular attention to the type of conditional used (first, second, third or mixed). How does the second sentence in each pair differ in meaning from the first?

1.Assuming that most women are potentially as good at filling executive jobs as men … those companies are limiting their pool of available management talent by around half.

If most women were potentially as good as men at filling executive jobs, companies would be limiting their pool of available management talent by around half.

2.Given the chance, would women really be as good at running large firms as men? If women have the chance, will they really be as good at running large firms as men?

3.If looking odd in positions of power is women’s first big barrier to top jobs, feeling odd in them is second.

If looking odd in positions of power is women’s first big barrier to top jobs, feeling odd in them would be second.

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4. Made to choose between being thought pushy and being actually self-effacing, women tend to choose the latter.

If women are made to choose between being thought pushy and being actually self-effacing, women have tended to choose the latter.

5.If stockmarket analysts … cared about it, then senior managers would care too.

If stockmarket analysts had cared about it, then senior managers would have done too.

6.If a firm does genuinely want to use the talents of women more effectively, how should it go about it?

If a firm does genuinely want to use the talents of women more effectively, how will it go about it?

4.Complete the sentences below using appropriate forms of the following modal verbs: would; should; could; need; have to; to be able to; must.

Note: Some sentences will require negative forms.

1.It is recommended by the committee that women ... be given longer vacations. 2. At the end of the pilot scheme, many of the women ...

get jobs in the companies to which they were attached. 3. We worded our advertisement carefully to avoid accusations of discrimination, but we

... bothered because no women applied for the job. They ... been very impressed by the employment terms we offered. 4. Some of our directors think we ... appointed a woman to the board years ago. If we had done so, we ... avoided the trouble we’re now having with female staff. 5. ... you wish to study this legislation, you can buy copies of the act at government bookstores. 6. To enter certain parts of pubs in Canada, a woman ... be accompanied by a male. If she made an attempt to go in, the proprietor ... immediately ask her to leave. 7. It has been proposed that non-working wives … be paid a salary by the government to compensate them for their housekeeping responsibilities. 8. Progress towards equal rights has been slower in Britain than in Sweden. It... be that British people are conservative, and therefore they ... make quick changes in attitude. 9. When we were young, we ... joke with our sister about her boyish looks, but there’s nothing boyish about her now! 10. Our company ... taken on many more females last year, but few women seemed interested in working for us. 11. To become qualified as a doctor, you ...

study for many years. 12. The law in our country … changing. It... be illegal for an employee to dismiss a woman who is pregnant. 13. If only people ... realize how unfair it is for a woman to be paid less for equal work. 14. The employment office has urged that more women ... be interviewed for factory jobs. 15. A woman has been appointed to the Chief Accountant’s position. She ... convinced the interview team she ... do the job successfully.

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5. This exercise gives you practice in using adverbs correctly. For each blank space, supply an appropriate adverb selected from the list below. (Use an adverb more than once if you wish.)

1. The Swedish progress towards equal rights has been … admired by other nations. 2. We are … opposed to discrimination against women. 3. The Swedish government is … convinced the pilot schemes have been successful. 4. The Swedish prison system is … superior to ours. 5. Feminist associations in the US are … organized. 6. We were … disappointed when we lost our court action. 7. Anyone who thinks women in Britain have equal rights with men is... mistaken. 8. Swedish employment practices have been ... copied, in other countries. 9. I am ... bored by the whole subject of women’s lib. 10. The movement for greater women’s equality is ... based in our country. 11. I was ... distressed to learn she was sick. 12. We are … delighted with the success of our campaign. 13. Companies are … confused by the new law. 14. I had … forgotten I had to meet her. 15. I am ... covered against all risks. 16. The number of persons permitted to take part in the scheme will be … limited.

6.* Make sentences from these notes.

1.Men/USA/now used to/women/positions of power/many sectors of the economy.

2.Even nowadays/women/difficult/get to the top/business world.

3.Russia/common/women/positions/high responsibility/industry.

4.Expected/within 30 years/President/USA/woman.

5.Modern society/progress/improving/work opportunities/all women.

6.Past/only choice/majority of women/stay at home/kitchen sink.

7.Many countries/Middle East husbands/prevent/wives/a job/outside/home.

8.Most men/not jealous/larger role/women/business life/their countries.

7.Link these sentence groups using words and phrases selected from the words given below. Make any other necessary changes.

Example: We shall go out. It may rain.

We shall go out despite the rain.

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1.We employ experienced personnel. We do not care which sex they are. 2. Juanita Kreps is an attractive woman. She is also very intelligent.

3.Women frequently reach top management positions. They do not get much encouragement from men. 4. I have no objection to working under a woman boss. She must, however, be good at her job. 5. We must reword this job advertisement. We may be accused of discriminating against women. 6. She is brilliant at her job. She is very young and inexperienced. 7. This board of directors shows no concern for the problems of its male workers. It seems to be unaware female workers exist. 8. She is highly emotional. We need more spirit and passion on our board since most of the members are almost senile. 9. Our company shows no interest in promoting women. They are not even keen to employ them.

10.Some people do not appear to work very hard. They earn a lot of money. 11. The USA is a country where women directors are common. Saudi Arabia is a country where they are rare. 12. We would not normally appoint a woman to the board. She would have to possess specialist knowledge of some management function

8.Define the meaning of these words and phrases and givethe Russian equivalents to the following:

Job-market treadmill; to lose ground; municipal workers; to have a long way to go; underemployment rate; part-time workers; free day care; earnings gap; clerical and service work; tax revenues; unemployment benefits; an аfter-school program; tuition-free University; inhouse personnel, to outsource, freelancers, date rape, paternity leave, alimony, feminists, glass ceiling, sexual harassment, pay, equity, gender stereotypes, sex discrimination, prejudice, lateral thinking, gender roles, comparable worth.

9.* Paraphrase the italicized words and phrases.

1.Women have come a country mile since the days when the job world was an all-male preserve. 2. It’s the old sad story of women being the last to be hired and the first to be fired. 3. Throughout the country, unemployment and underemployment are dramatically higher for women than for men. 4. Incredibly, women college graduates earn less than men who have not finished high school. 5. Women work because they are heads of households. 6. They need and deserve well-paying and meaningful jobs.

7.We will be making use of valuable talent presently going to waste.

10.A. Make the following words negative. Use prefixes un-, in-, mis-, dis-, ir-, and so forth.

Sensitive, equal, justified, justice, valid, valuable, tenable, action, sufficient, printable, satisfied, decided, fair, cooked, written, smoker, legal, significant, regular, moral, printed, obey.

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B.Give the opposite meaning to each word. Make up your own sentence with each word.

Inside, increase, employed, traditional, experienced, approve, agreement, typical, ground, normal, thought, hope, heart, up-to-date, promoted, visible, logical, able, lead, load, count, deed, direct, deal.

C.Make a compound word in each sentence by adding one of the words given below. Do not use a word more than once.

1.Few employers provide any form of child-… assistance (such as on-… day care or allowances for baby-…). 2. Our culture still expects men to be part- … parents, just filling in for Mom now and then. 3. Even in Sweden, few men take advantage of paternity leave, and those who do often are ridiculed by their co-… . 4. Most women today hold two full- ...

jobs. 5. Growing numbers of women work an eight- … shift at their jobs.

6.Girls are encouraged to cultivate qualities such as deference, sensitivity, and self- … . 7. Why do so many women work in low- … occupations? 8. Most women and men do not work in gender-…or gender-… jobs. 9. Opponents argue, that equal-… provisions alone are sufficient to eliminate gender discrimination. 10. Comparable-… programs are designed to correct these inequities.

11.Give the English equivalents to the following. Use them in your own sentences.

Терять прежнее положение; идти назад, регрессировать; находиться далеко от поставленной цели; разница в заработной плате; составлять в среднем; канцелярский; хорошо оплачиваемый; полный значения, смысла; серьёзное, значительное заявление; интересная, серьёзная работа; разубеждать, отговаривать; закрытие (предприятия); бесплатный (об обучении); гендерные стереотипы, гендерная идентичность, корпоративная лестница, равные возможности, сексуальное преследование, внештатные сотрудники, беспокоить, “стеклянный” потолок, феминистки, сексуальное преследование, статус родителя, гибкие часы, традиционные мужские рабочие места, алименты, женщины-менеджеры, сопоставимая ценность, гендерная социология, менеджмент с мужским лицом, феминизация, мужской менеджмент, межличностные отношения, психология пола, предрассудки, отпуск по уходу (за кем-либо).

12.Complete these headlines and articles with the words given below:

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a)to hire – to employ – to take on;

b)to fire – to dismiss – to sack – to kick out – to terminate.

c)to lay off – to make redundant – to offer early retirement.

14.* Read the following interview and put it into indirect speech making the necessary changes. Make use of the factual material when discussing the topics and doing writing exercises.

How women can get ahead in a 'man’s world'

Interview with a Consultant on Career for Women

Skill still counts when it comes to climbing the business ladder, but `the ambitious woman has to stick her neck out`, and be more shrewd and determined than her male counterparts.

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Q.Is it getting easier for women to move ahead in business careers?

A.In some respects, yes—though a woman still has to work harder and smarter than most of her male contemporaries. And if she wants to really make it, she has to be more alert, shrewd and determined than they are.

Q.Are more and better jobs opening up for women?

A.Yes, There’s no question that the opportunities are more plentiful than ever before. That’s true in sales, accounting, finance, technical and professional fields, as well as in the less traditional, blue-collar occupations.

Q.Is inflation one reason more women are working—the need for wives to help bringing in money to keep the household going?

A.That’s certainly a factor, though the number of working wives has been rising steadily for a long time. With today’s high costs, it’s certainly true that many families need two incomes to maintain a satisfactory standard of living. But there are other reasons why more women are working. The divorce rate is going up, and many ex-wives need jobs to support themselves and their children. Women are marrying later, having babies later. They can work a few years before they decide to start having a family.

Q, Is that necessarily bad in the business world—being passive and polite?

A.It’s not the way to get on the fast track for job advancement The ambitious woman has to stick her neck out. If she’s given a chance to take a job never before held by a woman, she grabs it. If she has too little responsibility in her present job, she asks for more. If she finds she is being consistently shot down or harassed by someone in her department, she takes steps to change the situation.

Q.Can a woman get ahead in her job without becoming so aggressive that she antagonizes people?

A.Absolutely. She doesn’t have to lose her feminine qualities.

Q.What suggestions do you have for the woman embarking on a business career?

A.It’s important that she learn to create the right impression, just as aspiring men do. But she has fewer role models from whom to learn about these things:

1. Her appearance—how attractive she looks, her posture and bearing, whether her wardrobe is appropriate and her hair style and makeup are becoming.

2. Her voice—how pleasant it sounds, the degree to which reflects interest and enthusiasm, how well she can communicate what she means to say.

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