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

crease employee productivity. 8. Bonus pay, which can amount to 30% of base pay, is linked to the ability of the team to meet productivity and quality goals. 9. TQM (total quality management) is a management philosophy that focuses on improving the quality of a company’s products and services and stresses that all company operations should be oriented toward this goal. 10. Improved quality means that costs decrease because of less rework, fewer mistakes, fewer delays, and better use of time and materials. 11. Employee productivity is one of the key determinants of an enterprise efficiency and cost structure. 12. Empowerment is the process of giving lower-level employees decision-making power.

11.Look through the texts and find the English equivalents for the fol-

lowing.

Text 1: искусство более субъективно; твердо верить; их подход заменил субъективность; область знаний; защитники этой позиции; объективные критерии; убедительные аргументы; недостатки; преследуя цели; полагаясь на; могут оказаться бесполезными; мнение/ суждение.

Text 5: квалификационные требования; способствовать; стадия отбора; вакантное рабочее место; устная реклама; записаться на собеседование; отдел кадров; продвижение (по службе); агентство по занятости.

Text 7: теория мотивации; признание; продвижение; анализ вскрыл; жалобы по поводу; испытать; самомотивация; таким же образом; устранение недовольства; убеждение; живой спор (дискуссия); исполнительность; тем не менее; вклад.

12.Read the following passage and summarize it in English (10–15 sentences).

International management is the performance of the management process in an international business setting. The global boom has increased the importance of international management. A larger portions of the world desire quality goods at lower prices, managers must be prepared to compete in an increasingly independent global economy. Firms that choose not to compete in this global environment will be affected by US and foreign competitors that do. In reality, organizations can’t avoid competing in the global economy.

Transportation, communication, and technology have fueled the global boom. In 18th-century America all economies were local. Little emphasis was placed on regional competition, let alone national competition. With the advent of the railroad and telegraph, 19th-century economies became regional or national. Firms began to compete with others in distant parts of the country. Often the firm producing the greatest quantity won out; thus the first firms to adopt assembly-line techniques survived.

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In the 1950s fiberoptics, satellites, improved transistors, and air travel made geographic distance less relevant. Firms began to compete with firms in other parts of the world. As the 20th century progressed, firms competed still more on quality, as well as quantity. In the 21st century the firm that offers high-quality products is most likely to succeed.

13. Choose the correct alternative for the following questions.

1. If management delegate responsibility, to whom is it given?

a) superiors b) subordinates c) no one 2. Which of the following is least likely to delegate responsibility? a) an autocratic leader b) a democratic leader

c) a laissez-faire leader

3. Which of these leaders is most likely to develop a strong hierarchy? a) an autocratic leader b) a democratic leader

c) a laissez-faire leader

4. Which of these leaders is most likely to involve staff in collective decision-making?

a) an autocratic leader b) a democratic leader c) a laissez-faire leader

5. Which of these leaders is most likely to leave decision-making to individual members of staff?

a) an autocratic leader b) a democratic leader c) a laissez-faire leader

14. Complete the following sentences with the correct item from the list below.

Pretty/prettily; late/lately; free/freely; deep/deeply; high/highly; most/mostly; near/nearly; hard/hardly

1. The company is … in debt and is likely to go bankrupt soon. 2. The situation they’ve found themselves in seems to be … complicated. 3. For our company to remain competitive, we need a …-skilled and …-edu- cated workforce. 4. He knows … well everything there is to know on the subject. 5. The personnel manager had … finished to interview all applicants when some new cropped up. 6. The factory has been sold just … to a small engineering firm. 7. If people could travel … on public transport there wouldn’t be so much traffic congestion. 8. He gave … of both his time and money to many worthy causes. 9. Work …, play … and be happy. 10. A number of …-ranking officials have resigned in the wake of the scandal. 11. The … they can expect is a 4% pay increase. 12. You can … expect a pay-rise when you’ve been working for the company for two weeks.

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15.Complete the following passage by putting the verbs in brackets into the correct tense form.

Managers and management scholars alike long (to be intrigued) by the fact that some employees consistently (to work) harder than others who equally (to be talented) and qualified. The study of motivation (to help) managers understand this kind of variance in performance. More importantly, a working knowledge of what (to motivate) people (to enable) managers to take constructive steps to improve their employees’ job performance. The term motivation (to derive) from the Latin word movere, meaning “to move”. It is virtually impossible to determine a person’s motivation until that person (to behave) or literally (to move). By observing what someone (to say) or (to do) in a given situation, one can draw reasonable inferences about his or her underlying motivation. As it is used here, the term motivation (to refer) to the psychological process that (to give) behavior purpose and direction. By appealing to this psychological process, managers (to attempt) to get individuals to willingly pursue organizational objectives. Before describing specific motivation theories and related applications, it is necessary to examine three important background factors. First, motivation (to occur) amid complexity, not in isolation. Second, managers often (to make) faulty assumptions about what employees (to want) from their jobs. Third, social change (to erode) the usefulness of traditional motivational tools.

16.Fill in the gaps with the correct article if necessary.

Human resource development in Japan consists of four principal elements. Managers in many Japanese companies believe that … most important element is … on-the-job training (OJT). … second element is … focus on … intellectual skills – … know-how to deal with unusual situations such as changes in or problems with … production. For example, if … machine is producing defective parts workers must have sufficient reasoning skills and knowledge to rectify … problem. … third element of Japanese human resource development is … use of … variety of OJT experiences coupled with short, intensive, off-the-job training (off-JT) to develop necessary skills. Workers gain … experience in two to three dozen positions with … cluster of related workshops or worksites. This broad OJT allows workers to become familiar with … variety of machinery and production methods, and it provides … basis for developing vital intellectual skills. Theory-oriented off-JT helps workers develop … ability to theorize about and systematize their on-the-job experiences. Japanese workers participate in short (two days to one week) off-JT experiences inserted between off-JT every … few years. … fourth element of human resource development in Japan is fair assessment of … skill development

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and fair compensation. If two workers are doing … same work but one is better at … problem solving, that person is compensated accordingly.

17. Fill in the gaps with the correct modal verb.

1.In any business it is important that managers … be efficient. They

…be able to achieve their objectives and to get the right things done. 2. Effective managers learn how to manage their time. They never forget that time … not be replaced. 3. Before being able to control the time, the manager … find out how he is actually using it. He … know where it goes. 4. The manager … not rely on memory when logging time. 5. This logging time … be done once or twice a year: it shows the executive how he actually spends his time at work. 6. Once the manager has an accurate picture of how he uses his time, he … analyse the time log. 7. As a result of such analysis the manager will get rid of some activities which … be done just as well by someone else. 8. Some managers like to set aside certain time for important tasks. For example, they … work at home one day a week. 9. A common method of managing time is as follows. The manager works out all the jobs he … do in the coming day or week. Then he lists the tasks in order of priority. 10. Peter Drucker, the American expert on management believes that effective executives … acquire the ability to use time efficiently.

18.* Render the following passage in Russian (10–12 sentences) focusing on key vocabulary.

Training and Development

Training and development of human resources involve change: change in skills, knowledge, attitudes, and/or social behavior. To remain competitive, changes in these areas are needed. Training is, in short, an attempt to improve current or future employee performance. In most organizations, that emphasize quality, training is done in problem-solving, problem analysis, quality measurement and feedback, and team building. The following specific points are important to know about training:

•Training is a systematic process of altering employees’ behavior to further organizational goals.

•Development is the acquisition of knowledge and skills that may be used in the present or future. It is a more long-term focus.

•A formal training program is an effort by the employer to provide opportunities to the employee to acquire job-related skills, attitudes, and knowledge.

•Learning is the act by which individuals acquire skills, knowledge, and abilities that result in a relatively permanent change in their behavior.

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•A skill is any behavior that has been learned and applied. Therefore, training’s goal is to improve skills. Motor skills, cognitive skills and interpersonal skills are targets of training programs.

In order to learn, a person must want to learn. In the context of training and development, motivation influences a person’s enthusiasm, keeps attention focused on the activities, and reinforces what is learned. For example, if a person is not motivated to improve the quality of his work, little can be accomplished in a training or development programs.

19.* Render the following passage in English (10–12 sentences) using active vocabulary.

Курс менеджмента является одной из важнейших дисциплин, изучающих законы рыночных отношений. Слова «менеджмент», «менеджер» широко применяются в деловой и даже повседневной жизни. Английское слово менеджмент переводится на русский язык как управление, организация, руководство, В общем плане оно означает управление, т. е. Организацию и руководство тем или иным видом деятельности: производством, экономикой, финансами и другими сферами деловой жизни человека.

В зарубежной литературе имеется много определений понятия «менеджмент». Приведем три из них: 1) достижение целей организации посредством скоординированных усилий работающих в ней людей; 2) особый вид деятельности, превращающий неорганизованную толпу в эффективную, целенаправленную и производительную группу (организацию); 3) процесс планирования, организации, руководства и контроля для достижения целей организации посредством скоординированного использования человеческих и материальных ресурсов.

И хотя эти определения очень различны, они, тем не менее, имеют три общие черты: обязательное наличие цели при управлении; особый, интеллектуальный характер этого вида деятельности; управление имеет место в организации (на этом последнем элементе мы остановимся несколько подробнее в следующем параграфе). В третьем определении дополнительно к перечисленным чертам содержание менеджмента характеризуется как совокупность пяти процессов: планирования, организации, руководства, координации и контроля.

;Speaking

1.What are the advantages and disadvantages of practicing management as art or science?

2.Explain why employee selection is a particularly challenging area for managers today.

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3.Which motivation theory – Maslow’s or Herzberg’s – do you feel has the most practical value for today’s managers?

4.How do the planning and control functions work together?

5.Why is worker performance closely related to motivation? Why is it complex?

6.How can you define motivation? Do all people need motivation?

7.Is it possible to define some general motivations for every person?

8.Differentiate between fundamental and personal needs.

9.Explain: “Wants are many, needs are limited”.

10.Name main sources of recruitment. Speak on the most efficient from the point of view of a personnel manager.

11.From the standpoint of enhancing motivation, what advantage does job enrichment have over job enlargement?

12.Would you like to work in theory Z? Why? (Supplementary Reading. Management. Text 1)

; Writing

Express your opinion on the following (150–200 words): a) P. Drucker: “The only choice for an institution is between management and mismanagement… Whether it is being done right or not will determine largely whether the enterprise will survive and prosper or decline and ultimately fail”.

b)Keith Davis: There are no simple, cookbook formulas for working with people”.

c)H.J. Zoffer: “It is becoming more apparent that international competence is needed as a prerequisite for all future managers, whether or not they work abroad”.

;Key Vocabulary

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Unit 2

M A R K E T I N G

;Lead-in

1.What does the term market mean? What types of markets do you know?

2.Why is market so important for a business person?

3.Products can be classified as either consumer or industrial goods. How would you classify the following products? a) Johnson & Johnson’s baby shampoo, b) a Black and Decker two-speed drill, c) an arc welder.

4.“Marketing helps people satisfy their needs and wants”. Give your arguments.

;Reading

Text 1

Read the following text and answer the questions that follow it.

What is a Market and Its Role?

Defining the term market is a problem because the term is used in so many different ways. Often we think of markets as people, alone or in organizations – teenagers, factory purchasing agents, department store fashion buyers. There are products markets – for peanuts, ten-speed bikes, machine tools. Markets are often thought of as places of exchange – shopping centers or more temporary places, like weekend “flea markets”, or trade shows, such as furniture markets for manufacturers and distributors. Geography can describe markets – the Asian market, the Boston market.

Marketing has been considered as a human exchange process to satisfy needs and wants. With this in mind, we can think of a market as people or organizations that have wants and needs and that have the ability and willingness to exchange something of value for them. The most basic scheme classifies markets into two broad types: the consumer market and the industrial market. Consumers alone or as part of a family or household, buy products and services for their own use. The industrial market buys products and services primarily to use in running business, or to resell, or to produce further goods and services.

Markets bring together buyers and sellers of goods and services. In some cases, such as a local fruit stall, buyers and sellers meet physically. In other cases, such as the stock market, business can be transacted over the telephone, almost by remote control. We need not go into these details. Instead, we use a general definition of markets.

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A market is a shorthand expression for the process by which households’ decisions about consumption of alternative goods, firms’ decisions about what and how to produce, and workers’ decisions about how much and for whom to work are all reconciled by adjustment of prices.

Prices of goods and resources, such as labour, machinery and land, adjust to ensure that scarce resources are used to produce those goods and services that society demands.

Much of economics is devoted to the study of how markets and prices enable society to solve the problem of what, how and for whom to produce. Suppose you buy a hamburger for your lunch. What does this have to do with markets and prices? You chose the cafe because it was fast, convenient and cheap. Given your desire to eat, and your limited resources, the low hamburger price told you that this was a good way to satisfy your appetite. You probably prefer steak but that is more expensive. The price of steak is high enough to ensure that society answers the ‘for whom’ question about lunchtime steaks in favour of someone else.

Now think about the seller’s viewpoint. The cafe owner is in the business because, given the price of hamburger meat, the rent and the wages that must be paid, it is still possible to sell hamburgers at a profit. If rents were higher, it might be more profitable to sell hamburgers in cheaper area or to switch to luxury lunches for rich executives on expense accounts. The student behind the counter is working there because it is a suitable part-time job which pays a bit of money. If the wages were a bit lower it would hardly be worth working at all. Conversely, the job is unskilled and there are plenty of students looking for such work, so owners of cafes do not have to offer very high wages.

Prices are guiding your decision to buy a hamburger, the owner’s decision to sell hamburgers, and the student’s decision to take the job. Society is allocating resources – meat, buildings and labour – into hamburger production through the price system. If nobody liked hamburgers, the owner could not sell enough at a price that covered the cost of running the cafe and society would devote no resources for hamburger production. People’s desire to eat hamburgers guides resources into hamburger production. However, if cattle were contracted by a disease, thereby reducing the economy’s ability to produce meat products, competition to purchase more scarce supplies of beef, hamburger producers would be forced to raise prices, and consumers would buy more cheese sandwiches for lunch. Adjustments in prices would encourage society to reallocate resources to reflect the increased scarcity of cattle.

There were several markets involved in your purchase of a hamburger. You and the cafe owner were parts of the market for lunches. The student behind the counter was parts of the local labour market. The cafe owner

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was part of the local wholesale meat market and the local market for rented buildings. These descriptions of markets are not very precise. Were you part of the market for lunches, the market for prepared food, or the market for sandwiches to which you would have to turn if hamburgers had been more expensive? That is why we have adopted a very general definition of markets which emphasizes that they are arrangements through which prices influence the allocation of scarce resources.

1.What example is given of a market where sellers and buyers actually meet?

2.How are households’ decisions on what to buy are reconciled?

3.Why do prices adjust?

4.What problems do markets and prices solve for society?

5.Why is the cafe owner in business?

6.Why do cafe owners not have to pay high wages?

7.What makes society put resources into hamburger production?

8.What would consumers do if hamburger prices rose?

9.How many markets does the writer say you are involved in if you buy a hamburger?

10.Does the writer give an exact description of a market?

Text 2

Read the text and be ready to speak about market leaders, challengers and followers. Give your own examples of each.

Market Leaders, Challengers and Followers

In most markets there is a definite market leader: the firm with the largest market share. This is often the first company to have entered the field, or at least the first to have succeeded in it. The market leader is frequently able to lead other firms in the introduction of new products, in price changes, in the level or intensity of promotions, and so on.

Market leaders usually want to increase their market share even further, or at least to protect their current market share. One way to do this is to try to find ways to increase the size of the entire market. Contrary to a common belief, wholly dominating a market, or having a monopoly, is seldom an advantage: competitors expand markets and find new uses and users for products, which enrich everyone in the field, but the market leader more than its competitors. A market can also be expanded by stimulating more usage: for example, many households no longer have only one radio or cassette player, but perhaps one in each room, one in the car, plus a Walkman or two.

In many markets there is often also a distinct market challenger, with the second largest market share. In the car hire business, the challenger

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actually advertises this fact: for many years Avis used the slogan “We’re number two. We try harder”. Market challengers can either attempt to attack the leader, or to increase their market share by attacking various market followers.

The majority of companies in any industry are merely market followers which present no threat to the leader. Many market followers concentrate on market segmentation: finding a profitable niche in the market that is not satisfied by other goods or services, and that offers growth potential or gives the company a differential advantage because of its specific competencies.

A market follower which does not establish its own niche is in a vulnerable position: if its product does not have a ‘unique selling proposition’ there is no reason for anyone to buy it. In fact, in most established industries, there is only room for two or three major companies: think of soft drinks, soap and washing powders, jeans, sports shoes, and so on. Although small companies are generally flexible, and can quickly respond to market conditions, their narrow range of customers causes problematic fluctuations in turnover and profit. Furthermore, they are vulnerable in a recession when, largely for psychological reasons, distributors, retailers and customers all prefer to buy from big, well-known suppliers.

Text 3

Read the text and be ready to discuss the marketing research process.

What is Marketing Research?

The marketing concept says that marketing managers should meet the needs of consumers. Yet today, many marketing managers are isolated in company offices – far from potential customers. It is just not possible for managers to keep up with all of the changes taking place in their markets.

This means marketing managers have to rely on help from marketing research – procedures to develop and analyze new information to help marketing managers make decisions. One of the important jobs of a marketing researcher is to get the “facts” that are not currently available in the MIS (marketing information system).

Continued improvements in research methods are making marketing research information more dependable. This has encouraged firms to put more money and trust in research. Managers in some consumer product companies don’t make any major decisions without the support – and

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