9.1 Read and translate the text:

Hector Grant, Managing Director, is worried about productivity. He has

decided to engage consultants, who are specialists in work study

techniques, to see how Harper & Grant can improve efficiency and output,

Any good management is keen to improve efficiency, but nowadays this has

become a largely specialized field, and outside consultants who are

experienced in particular techniques can be called in to study work

systematically and suggest improvements and ways of stepping up,

increasing, productivity. When this applies to manual work it is usually

called work study, and the idea is to find out the most efficient way of

doing something before the formulation of piece rates or incentive bonus

schemes. The study of office systems and paperwork is usually called O.

& M. (Organization and Methods). Work study could, of course, be applied

to routine office jobs, such as invoice typing.

Mr. Grant has decided to call in a firm called Smith-Weston Consultants

Ltd. Their representative, Mr. Scott, is present at a meeting called by

Mr. Grant to explain the service to his executives. Mr. Grant thinks

that production methods on the factory floor could be improved, but he

has never considered that a check on efficiency might run from the top

to the bottom of the firm.

9.2 Listen to the dialogue.

(In Hector Grant's office)

HECTOR Ah, good morning everyone. Are we all here? Peter? John? Ian?

GRANT Good. Let's sit down. Now, to work, gentlemen. Let me first

introduce Mr. Scott, from Smith-Weston Consultants. As you

know, I have been thinking for some time that we ought to have

an O. & M. and work study review. Mr. Scott has come along to

tell us what his firm could do for us if we decided to have a

productivity study made in the company. Mr. Scott...

MR. SCOTT Good morning, gentlemen. I am sure I don't need to tell you

what improved productivity involves. It means, for a start,

analysing jobs throughout a firm with a view to reorganizing

them in order to decrease time and expenditure and increase

efficiency and production. We would propose starting work

study in the factory in conjunction with a scheme under which

the employees could share some of the benefits of improvement.

PETER

WILES May I ask a question?

SCOTT Yes, do, by all means.

PETER We all agree, of course, in maximizing productivity, but when

you study and time a job isn't it normal to find an operator

going as slow as he can so that you'll allow him more time for

the job?

SCOTT Yes, that, of course, can happen. But our investigators are

experienced. We'd first do a sample study in a selected area

of the works, and this would demonstrate how we think

productivity could be increased as a result of our proposed

activities.

PETER Well, that seems a fair answer. But I have another question.

Don't you find workers dislike your investigators telling them

they aren't doing the job in the most efficient way?

SCOTT That is, of course, a big problem. But soluble, I think, if

our survey is conducted in conjunction with an incentive

payments scheme. If operators know they will be paid more as a

result of increased productivity they will want to cooperate.

We would suggest, for example, putting everyone on group rates

as a spur to productivity.

GRANT Good. Well now, Mr. Scott, I think you have covered some of

the main points. Perhaps I could now ask you to tell us in

detail how you would set about your investigation? I

understand you were looking round the works yesterday...

(After the meeting, John and Peter get together)

JOHN Well, I'm amazed! I really am. What on earth has happened to

the old man? You'd have thought he would be the last person to

consider a thing like work study or group bonus schemes. I

gather there was a major battle years ago to get him to agree

to piece rates even in the few areas where they operate now.

PETER Yes, he's suddenly decided to change with the times. I think

our new advertising manager may have had a hand in it! Joanna

is always talking about things like corporate planning,

operational research, critical path analysis and so on.

JOHN That's just what this firm needs.

PETER Yes, but you know, the story's not finished yet. I don't think

H.G. has quite realised the full implication of all this.

JOHN What do you mean?

PETER You wait and see. Some of these consultants never know where

to stop...

(Later Mr. Scott reports to Hector Grant)

GRANT So, Mr. Scott, this seems very satisfactory. I'm very

interested in this sample survey. I think we should like you

to go ahead and do the full review.

SCOTT Er... there is one other point we've not yet mentioned.

GRANT Oh, what's that?

SCOTT We haven't yet done anything on the management side.

GRANT Management! Surely that's not necessary?

SCOTT In our experience it's as vital as it is in any other

department. Perhaps more vital. Just as a matter of interest,

would you mind if I gave you the results of some research I

did myself, while waiting for you this morning.

GRANT Well?

(Mr. Scott reads from his notebook)

SCOTT "10 a.m. Managing Director arrives at office. Finds mail has

not been correctly sorted. Two letters are for other people to

deal with. To answer the next letter, it was necessary to

refer to a previous letter which could not be found in the

file. Diary was not to hand. This caused delay and confusion

over making an engagement by phone while the secretary was out

of the room looking for the missing letter."

GRANT Well, really! Do your methods usually include listening to

private conversations through open doors?

SCOTT No. But this time I could hardly help it. Our job, Mr. Grant,

is to observe and report objectively.

GRANT I see. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Scott, for your report,

and I look forward to studying it carefully. But as to...

SCOTT ...As to including a survey on the organization of your

management...?

GRANT I hadn't bargained for that, you know. I shall have to think

about it. Hm, yes, I don't quite like the idea of being told

how to run my own business, but... well, I'll let you know,

Mr. Scott. Good morning.

9.3 Answer the questions:

1. If you were the manager of a firm, what service might you call

in if you were anxious to improve productivity?

2. Who would this firm send you, if you decided to have a survey

carried out?

3. What might this visiting firm suggest if they saw you were not

convinced that their services would be useful?

4. Again, as the manager of your firm, what scheme would you

suggest to overcome possible opposition to the survey from your own

employees?

5. Do you think that Mr. Grant will have the survey on the

management organization? Why?

9.4 Find definitions for the terms:

pay piece rates, standardize, consultant, streamline, time study,

investigator, survey, work study, productivity, diary, bonus scheme

a. the rate at which goods are produced

b. professional business expert who, for a fee, advise clients on

aspects of their business

c. the detailed study of manual, or semi-manual, work-cycles

d. to pay a workman according to the work done, not by the time taken to

do it

e. a plan for giving extra money to workers in certain circumstances

f. someone who examines something in detail

g. the detailed study of the time taken to complete a specific work-cycle

h. an analysis covering all aspects of a subject

i. a book containing the days and dates of the current year in which

appointments, etc. are written

j. bring to a uniform size, shape or quality, according to fixed

standards

k. cut out, or get rid of, unnecessary action

9.5 Fill in gaps in the sentences:

1. Hector Grant is worried about ... . 2. He decided to ... consultants,

who are specialists in ... ... techniques. 3. Any good management is

keen to improve ... . 4. The consultants will suggest ... and ways of

stepping ... productivity. 5. The idea is to find out the most efficient

way of doing something before the formulation of ... rates or ... bonus

schemes. 6. Work study could be ... to routine office jobs, such as

invoice typing. 7. Mr. Grant has never considered that a ... ...

efficiency might run from the top to the bottom of the firm. 8. Jobs

will be reorganized in order to ... time and expenditure and ...

efficiency and production. 9. Under this scheme the employees could

share some of the ... of improvement. 10. The investigators will first

do a ... study in a selected area of the works, and this will ... how

productivity could be increased as a result of their proposed

activities. 11. The survey should be conducted in ... with an incentive

payments ... . 12. We would suggest, for example, putting everyone on

group rates as a ... to productivity. 13. I don't think H.G. has quite

realized the full ... of all this. 14. This caused delay and ... over

making an engagement by phone while the secretary was out of the room

looking for the ... letter. 15. Our job is to ... and report ... . 16. I

hadn't ... for that, you know, and I don't quite like the idea of being

told how to ... my own business.

9.6 Mr. Grant finally decided to have the productivity review in the

factory only. He could not face having his own work methods investigated.

However, the results of the work study and time study in the factory

were very encouraging. So much so, that Mr. Grant thought he might try

to improve the methods of work in the offices. Before calling in the

firm of consultants again, however, he decided to hold a competition

among the office staff. He sent out the following memo that you should

complete using the given words:

streamline, reduce, put forward, applied, review, unnecessary,

competitive, increased

------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: The Managing Director

date 7th December, 197..

To: All Office Staff

As a result of the productivity ... carried out in the works,

faster and more effective ways of operating are now being ... . In some

sections of the works, productivity has been ... by over 50 per cent.

The management intends to apply these study methods to office staff, in

the near future, in an attempt to ... costs and improve work techniques.

We live in a ... world. Our objective is to find ways of eliminating

wasteful and ... actions by all staff.

The management therefore proposes to present a prize of 50 pounds

to any member of the staff who, in the management's estimation, has ...

... the most practical suggestion to ... a particular office routine.

All suggestions should reach the Managing Director's office before the

end of the month. The management's decision is final.

Hector Grant

------------------------------------------------------------------------

9.7 Imagine that you work for Harper & Grant Ltd. and feel it your

business to do something in the line of increasing productivity. Suggest

a few ways of raising efficiency and address your report to the Managing

Director's office.

9.8 Discuss your suggestions with a colleague.

9.9 Translate the sentences.

1. Какие методы увеличения производительности труда вы применяете? 2.

Ну, хорошо; допустим, мы произведем анализ работы, затратим на него

большие средства. Что мы выиграем в итоге? 3. Полученный результат

покажет, правильно ли мы проводим хронометраж. 4. Практически все

трудовые операции в этом цехе можно рационализировать. 5. Нам следует

подумать, как улучшить систему материального стимулирования. - Может

быть, стоит ввести систему участия в прибылях? Если рабочие будут

получать свою долю прибыли от возросшей эффективности производства,

прекратятся разговоры о завышенных нормах и прочем. 6. Наше производство

становится убыточным: слишком велика доля ручного труда. Необходимо

закупить и установить новое оборудование, однако в этом случае придется

либо нанимать новых работников, либо обучать старых. 7. В прошлом месяце

мы обратились к услугам консалтинговой фирмы. Пришли люди, которые

называли себя исследователями, всюду ходили, смотрели и что-то

записывали, затем представили отчет, однако никаких дельных рекомендаций

мы так и не получили. 8. Затраты на ремонт старых станков чрезмерно

велики, и все же в условиях экономического кризиса мы не в состоянии

позволить себе заменить их на новые - это обойдется еще дороже. 9. Было

много разговоров о сдельных ставках оплаты труда, а результат - нулевой.

(nil) 10. Бог мой! Кто унес календарь? Там записаны все деловые встречи,

запланированные на месяц. 11. Надо бы подойти к сборке этого блока

по-деловому, отбросить все лишние операции... - Иными словами, блок у

нас будет собираться только наполовину? Я понимаю, что идея

рационализации звучит заманчиво, но мы должны оставаться в рамках

разумного.

9.10 Do you agree or disagree with the following statements and why?

1. People are naturally creative if you give them a chance.

2. Managers should tell workers what to do and how to do it.

3. People working at all levels of an organization should meet

regularly to exchange information and plan improvements.

4. Companies need a centralized management to make decisions.

5. Employees prefer it when the management make all the decisions

and they don't have a lot of responsibility.

Now read the article and decide if the writer agrees or disagrees

with the statements.

Participatory management, management by objectives, management by

teams, quality circles - whatever you want to call it - is changing the

traditional styles of management.

In brief, the philosophy is that you set free the natural

creativity of people at all levels of the organization by encouraging

them to set corporate goals, giving them what they need, and then

leaving them alone to do the job.

The fuel that makes all this work is team spirit. Teams are formed

vertically and horizontally so that all parts of the organization

participate in sharing information and planning improvements.

Traditional authoritarian management disappears.

In its place is decentralization, and authority and responsibility

are placed at the lowest possible level.

For the organization, the results will be new ideas for products

and services, better and more cost effective methods of working and

greater productivity at less cost.

For the employees, the benefits are greater self-fulfilment, a

chance to progress, and a happier and smoother-running work place.

9.11 Complete the table below; look for words in the article if you need

to.

NOUN ADJECTIVE

authority authoritarian

innovation

profit

tradition

creative

corporation

responsible

productive

benefitial

Now choose an adjective or noun from the table to complete these

sentences.

1. He is going to change the system completely with his fresh, new,

i... ideas.

2. After-sales made a loss last year but they are going to make a

small p... this year.

3. He prefers to do things in the old t... way.

4. We need to look for a c... solution to this problem.

5. The c... bosses met to discuss the critical situation.

6. Automation of the plant has resulted in greater p... .

7. The salary is low for such a r... position.

8. Management by objectives is b... to the company as a whole and

the individuals who work in it.

9.12 It is quite clear that in any business productivity is not the only

concern of the management, and no less attention should be paid to

quality. A company can use different methods of ensuring the quality of

its product or service; one of the tools is a management philosophy

called Total Quality Management (TQM). Read about TQM and say if these

ideas seem reasonable to you and why.

The key to quality is very simple. You should do a job right first

time. Most organizations do jobs approximately. They make mistakes that

they have to fix later, and this entails higher costs. In a TQM

organization they know it is cheaper to do the job right in the first

place.

So what does "doing it right" involve? It means you must not waste

resources; no wasted materials, no wasted time and no wasted space. And

it means you have to throw out outdated processes. It is a constant and

never-ending process and it has to involve everyone in the organization.

You have to push responsibility close to the point where employees

and customers meet. It is your operating employees that have to make the

important decisions because they are closest to the customers. And that

means you have to stand the traditional management hierarchy on its head.

You must give employees more decision-making powers. Instead of

giving them orders from above, your administration should support them

and try to make their life easier. You cannot do that in an atmosphere

of conflict; this can only be done through creative teamwork.

9.13 Write a report on TQM: give a brief description of the principles

behind it and your opinions on how it could benefit your organization.

Manager of what level can this report be addressed to?

Begin it as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

INTERNAL REPORT

For the attention of:_______________________ From:___________________

Date:______________________________ Re: Total Quality Management

1 The principles

TQM is a management philosophy. At its heart is the principle that a job

should be done right first time. In most organizations jobs are done

approximately, and mistakes ...

2 The benefits

As regards the benefits TQM could bring our organization, in my

opinion...

------------------------------------------------------------------------

9.14 Work study is going to be done at your firm. The staff consider it

a real threat because not only unnecessary actions will be streamlined

as a result, but some employees may be dismissed too. Perform a

conversation between the Managing Director and the Personnel Manager

discussing the situation.

9.15 Translate the texts.

ЗАЧЕМ НУЖЕН JOB ANALYSIS

Чтобы эффективно организовать деятельность компании, обеспечить

правильную расстановку работников, рациональную нагрузку, необходимо

четко себе представлять, что следует делать работнику на рабочем месте,

какие квалификационные требования предъявляются к данной должности,

какое качество выполнения работ необходимо. Анализ работы особенно

важен для компаний, переживающих период роста. Там, где раньше работали

несколько человек и "все делали все", возросшая численность и

изменившиеся задачи привели к тому, что часть работ выполняет слишком

много сотрудников, а за какие-то не отвечает никто.

Анализ работы, если он проводится серьезно, - процедура длительная

и дорогостоящая. Чтобы сократить расходы, необходимо четко определить

цели и оценить доступные ресурсы (люди, время, деньги). В противном

случае по окончании работы выяснится, что либо достигнута совсем не та

цель, которая ставилась, либо следует провести дополнительную работу,

чтобы полученный результат не оказался однобоким (one-sided).

В зависимости от того, как будет использоваться анализ работы в

дальнейшем, следует определить цель и выбрать метод. Есть четыре

основных направления использования анализа работы: индивидуальное

(отбор, перемещение, аттестация (certification), определение зарплаты,

дисциплина), организационное (организационный анализ, изменение

структуры и развитие компании, планирование персонала), производственное

(изменение технологии, ввод нового оборудования, новые условия работы,

повышение производительности труда) и законодательное (legislative)

(охрана труда, подготовка нормативных (normative) документов). От

постановки задачи зависит, какую информацию, из каких источников и кто

будет собирать; кроме того, важно заранее определить, каким образом

будет проводиться анализ полученной информации и представление его

результатов.

АНАЛИЗ РАБОТЫ: ПОВЕДЕНЧЕСКИЕ АСПЕКТЫ

В умелых руках анализ работы может стать отличным инструментом не

только для улучшения деятельности компании, но и для вовлечения всех

сотрудников в процесс усовершенствования.

Без поддержки руководства анализ работы затянется, если вообще

состоится. Решение руководства, доведенное до сведения работников

приказом, должно четко определить сроки. Это особенно важно, когда

используются опросники (questionnaire), которые все норовят сдать

не вовремя.

Важно преодолеть опасения работников. Зачастую анализ работы

воспринимается как очередная проверка, которая может привести - и порой

приводит - к повышению норм, увеличению заданий или понижению оплаты.

Так, в одной компании во время хронометража перепуганный работник

показал выполнение норм в несколько раз больше, чем обычно.

Однако опытный специалист, проводивший анализ, правильно оценил

ситуацию: такая норма как стандарт нереальна, поскольку нельзя постоянно

работать на пределе возможностей и к тому же держать проверяющего с

хронометром за спиной у каждого сотрудника.

Существенные изменения, ставшие следствием анализа работы, могут

быть восприняты в штыки. Самое сложное - преодолеть сопротивление

необходимым изменениям, и лучший выход в этой ситуации - вовлечение

работников. Следует не только убедить их в целесообразности

усовершенствований, но и привлечь к активной помощи. Сотрудники одной

компании, где анализ работы проводился с использованием интервью,

настолько заинтересовались процессом, что внесли много полезных

предложений, иногда даже увеличивающих объем работы и уровень

ответственности. Кроме того, оказалось, что они с удовольствием

использовали анализ работы как возможность донести свои соображения до

руководства, общение с которым обычно ограничено. Выиграла компания, и

выиграли сотрудники, ощутившие свою значимость.

UNIT 10

THE PENSION FUND MEETING

pension пенсия

qualify for a pension получить право на пенсию

retire выйти на пенсию; выйти в отставку

retirement 1. отставка 2. выход на пенсию или в отставку

trust траст, доверительный фонд

trustee доверенное лицо; опекун, попечитель

fund фонд

deed документ, договор, акт

accounts расчеты, отчетность

value 1. ценность; важность 2. стоимость (в денежном выражении)

close down закрыть

redundant 1. избыточный, чрезмерный 2. сокращенный, уволенный

redundancy 1. чрезмерность; излишек 2. сокращение штатов,

увольнение рабочих или служащих

craftsman искусный мастер; ремесленник

article пункт, параграф, статья

sack, fire (разг.) уволить, выгнать

share акция

shareholder акционер

take over принимать (должность и т.п.) от другого

takeover взятие фирмы под свой контроль путем покупки контрольного

пакета акций

contribution 1. взнос 2. вклад

precedent прецедент

percentage 1. процентное содержание 2. часть, доля

severance pay выходное пособие; компенсация при увольнении

severance package компенсационный пакет