1. Answer the questions about the text.

1. Why has the number of people working abroad increased?

2. Who did the following – the German manager in England or the American manager in France?

1. He made staff stay inside the building at lunchtime.

2. He gave staff targets.

3. He had meals with each member of staff

4. He stopped staff drinking during working hours.

5. He seemed to be watching his staff.

6. He worked harder than other staff.

3. What are the differences in the way the two managers managed their staff?

2. Match words from each column to make common word combinations. Then check your answers in the article.

Adapt to rules

Take up relationships

Set goals

Apply a position

Develop a new culture

3. Make up sentences using these words.

Grammar review

1. Complete these sentences using should or shouldn’t and a phrase from the box.

speak to our boss buy an expensive computer be late develop a better website stay three days

1. Our online business is bad. We .......................................................... .

2. Our team is working too many hours. We ......................................... .

3. The meeting is very important. We ................................................... .

4. She wants to visit a lot of customers in Spain. She ............................ .

5. We have to cut costs. You .................................................................. .

2. Give the opposite advice by using should, shouldn’t or I don’t think.

Example: I don’t think he should go to Paris next week.

1. I think he should go to Paris next week.

2. You should buy a licence.

3. She shouldn’t take the customers to an expensive restaurant.

4. I think we should launch the new product now.

5. My boss thinks it is too late to send the report now.

6. We should order online.

3. Give some advice to a colleague going on a business trip for the first time. Use the following notes:

Write on business cards

Use surnames

Give an expensive gift

Shake hands

Be late

Skills

Cultural mistakes

1. Read the following extracts where people are talking about cultural mistakes. Then answer the questions.

John

I was in Yemen, in the Middle East, and I was invited to a colleague’s house for dinner. There was a long silence during the meal. I felt uncomfortable. I saw a beautiful table and said, “What a lovely table”. My host laughed and said, “Oh, then please take it”. I said, “Oh, no, I can’t take it”. My host offered it to me three times. It was very embarrasing for us both.

Cameron

My good friend Peter joined a French company recently. He made a mistake and used first names rather than family names. The staff were not happy about this. It is always best to be formal at first in France, especially when you start a new job. Peter’s last company was an American company. People were more relaxed there, and they always used first names.

Susan

I was in Osaka in Japan and we went out for a meal with our Japanese sales staff. There were lots of bottles on the table and, after a while, I poured my own drink. I didn’t wait for somebody to pour my drink, and I forgot to pour drinks for the others. The Japanese staff looked a bit embarrassed and started laughing.

1. What meal was John invited to?

2. What did John look at?

3. What was his mistake?

1. He talked during an important silence;

2. He talked about his host’s table;

3. He didn’t want a gift.

1. What was Peter’s new job?

2. What was his mistake?

1. He didn’t use first names;

2. He didn’t speak French;

3. He didn’t use family names.

6. How did the staff feel when Peter used first names?

7. Where did Susan make her mistake?

8. Who did she go out for a meal with?

9. What was her mistake?

a) Susan poured her own drink;

b) Susan did not laugh;

c) Susan poured too many drinks.

10 What did she forget to do?