Univerza v Novem mestu • Fakulteta za ekonomijo in informatiko English for Business and Economics 1 Tina Tomec f Tina Tomec English for Business and Economics 1 Novo mesto, 2022 Author Mag. Tina Tomec Title of publication ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS 1 Course book Edition Electronic edition Issued by University of Novo mesto Faculty of Economics and Informatics Published by University of Novo mesto Press Reviwer dr. Slavica Čepon Editor dr. Malči Grivec Language editor Miro Medved Available at https://www.zalozba-unm.si/index.php/press/catalog/book/36 Price Free publication Published at Novo mesto, 2022 Kataložni zapis o publikaciji (CIP) pripravili v Narodni in univerzitetni knjižnici v Ljubljani COBISS.SI-ID 134846467 ISBN 978-961-6770-60-6 (PDF) To delo je ponujeno pod licenco Creative Commons Priznanje avtorstva - Deljenje pod enakimi pogoji 4.0 Mednarodna licenca. / This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share like 4.0 International License. II PREFACE This coursebook was written in order to provide a more extensive and in-depth material in the teaching of Business English 1 at the University of Novo mesto, the Faculty of Economics and Informatics. It is designed to revise and consolidate the topics that are dealt with during the lectures and tutorials, with a particular emphasis on the topic-based vocabulary but also on the development and usage of most commonly used terminology in the business world. The coursebook contains 9 business topics in 9 separate chapters. Each chapter covers one business topic and begins with lead-in questions to establish the students’ pre-existing knowledge of the subject matter and allow them to express their own opinions. The chapter continues with a summary and main points of the topic discussed to provide enough insight into the basics of the subject matter. In addition, it deals with the essential vocabulary, which enables the students to deepen their knowledge and allows them to discuss the topic with greater confidence and professionalism. Each chapter includes a wide variety of practice exercises following immediately, where the readers deepen their knowledge of the vocabulary and its usage. The material has been designed so that it can be used effectively both as a self-study practice book or as supplementary material in lectures and tutorials, since it offers enough theory and also activities that can be done individually or cooperatively in pairs or small groups. Although this material offers the students a basic insight into the wide world of business, it, on the other hand, should be taken only as a basis and/or a starting point for all the other topics that need to be dealt with for the students to become excellent users of the Business English. All the photos in this coursebook were taken from Canva (https://www.canva.com/) and all the tables and figures were created by the author herself. Linguahouse (https://www.linguahouse.com/) was of great help when searching for authentic texts, the majority of which were taken from their website, together with some accompanying reading comprehension exercises. The website was also a great inspiration for the exercises created by the author and included in the material. All the crosswords were done with the help of Crossword Puzzle Maker (https://worksheets.theteacherscorner.net/make-your- own/crossword/). III TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION INTO BUSINESS ENGLISH ..................................................................... 1 2 CULTURE AND CULTURAL DIFFERENCES .................................................................... 11 2.1 STEREOTYPES AND NATIONALITIES .................................................................. 11 2.2 CULTURAL ETIQUETTE .......................................................................................... 14 2.3 CULTURAL AWARENESS ....................................................................................... 15 2.4 BUSINESS PROTOCOL ............................................................................................. 17 3 CONVERSATION SKILLS ..................................................................................................... 21 3.1 THE MEHRABIAN PIE CHART ................................................................................ 21 3.1.1 Body language .................................................................................................... 22 3.1.2 Voice ................................................................................................................... 22 3.1.3 Words ................................................................................................................. 22 3.2 MEETING NEW PEOPLE IN BUSINESS ................................................................. 23 4 WRITTEN CORRESPONDENCE .......................................................................................... 28 4.1 CAPITALISATION ..................................................................................................... 29 4.2 FORMALITY ............................................................................................................... 30 4.2.1 Formal ................................................................................................................ 30 4.2.2 Neutral/standard ................................................................................................ 30 4.2.3 Informal .............................................................................................................. 31 4.3 FORMAL LETTERS ................................................................................................... 31 4.4 FORMAL EMAILS ...................................................................................................... 36 4.5 TYPES OF LETTERS AND EMAILS ........................................................................ 39 4.6 TIPS AND CRITERIA FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF LETTERS ............................ 40 5 COMMUNICATION SKILLS ................................................................................................. 43 5.1 MEETINGS .................................................................................................................. 44 5.2 TELEPHONING .......................................................................................................... 48 6 COMPANY ORGANISATION ................................................................................................ 52 6.1 SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY ................................................................................. 52 6.2 STRUCTURE OF THE ECONOMY ........................................................................... 55 6.3 TYPES OF COMPANIES ............................................................................................ 56 6.4 ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE FOR COMPANIES .......................................... 61 6.4.1 Traditional organisational structure .................................................................. 62 7 BUSINESS OPERATIONS ....................................................................................................... 69 8 BUSINESS PROBLEMS ........................................................................................................... 77 9 BUSINESS TRAVEL ................................................................................................................. 87 9.1 VOCABULARY .......................................................................................................... 94 IV 10 REVISION .................................................................................................................................. 99 11 REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................... 105 11 ELECTRONIC SOURCES ..................................................................................................... 107 V LIST OF TABLES Table 1: The comparison of General English and Business English .......................................... 2 Table 2: The comparison of formal and informal English ....................................................... 31 Table 3: The comparison of flat and steep hierarchy ............................................................... 61 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: The Mehrabian pie chart ........................................................................................... 22 Figure 2: Formal business letter layout - company .................................................................. 33 Figure 3: Formal business letter layout - personal ................................................................... 34 Figure 4: Formal email layout .................................................................................................. 36 Figure 5: Sectors of the economy ............................................................................................ 52 Figure 6: The traditional organisational chart (two-tier model) .............................................. 63 Figure 7: The traditional organisational chart (one-tier model) ............................................... 64 VI 1 INTRODUCTION INTO BUSINESS ENGLISH LEAD-IN 1. What is Business English? 2. How does it differ from General English? 3. Do they belong to the same category? 4. Is Business English a variant of General English or may be a variant of International English? We live in an era of global communication and the currency of this communication is language. Experts estimate that an astonishing 5,000 to 10,000 languages are spoken in the world today. Half a billion EU citizens in 27 member states speak 24 official languages, not to mention all the regional and minority languages. (Ammon, 2006, p. 2) With all this linguistic diversity within Europe and around the world, learning and knowing a foreign language has many advantages. Knowledge of a foreign language can help people broaden their horizons, meet and make new friends, enjoy holidays abroad, travel more easily, and even advance in their careers. (Ammon, 2006, p. 4) In the business world these days, there are no more political or geographical boundaries or restrictions. With the development of various means of communication, the importance of the location of the company has declined, and our ability to communicate and the services themselves have become more important. Either in search of a new job or in the desire to conclude new deals abroad, more and more attention is paid to our skills of expression in a foreign language. Through communication with colleagues, customers and business partners, we build effective and productive business relationships. And since the global market is highly competitive, employees are also expected to have a high level of knowledge of a foreign business language. (Mežnar Steklasa, 2016) Business English is a part of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and it refers to learning English because of specific needs and aims. When speaking General English, knowing how to accurately write an email, present something or make a phone call is important, but writing a formal email to your business partners, giving a presentation at an international meeting or making a phone call to your company’s franchise are certainly very important in the business world and might make a difference between a successful and unsuccessful sale. 1 Table 1: The comparison of General English and Business English GENERAL ENGLISH BUSINESS ENGLISH day to day conversation communication skills broad vocabulary specific vocabulary basic grammar topical grammar informal/colloquial formal General English is most often used in everyday conversations, while using basic grammatical structures and basic vocabulary on a wide range of topics. Also the use of the language in General English is much more informal/colloquial, because this language is used in people’s private lives. Business English, on the other hand, focuses more on the use of language and skills for communicative purposes. This is so because the use of different vocabulary and grammar, i.e. different registers, is actually conditioned by different target situations. Business English is also used in more formal settings and it focuses on the vocabulary, structure and topics used in the world of business. 2 Ex. 1: You have read some basic information about what Business English is. But what do you understand under the term ‘business’? Jot down your ideas into the mind map and share them with your colleagues. BUSINESS Here are the 4 main definitions of the word “business”: COMMERCE - the purchase and sale of goods in an attempt to make a profit • We must promote business with neighbouring countries. • They drew up plans aiming at expanding their business. • She has little experience of the world of business. o the Chamber of Commerce SALES VOLUME - how many products or services a company is able to sell • Business is booming. • They are worried that German companies would lose business. • Most of the store’s business comes from local families. o the business community (all the people who work in business) PROFESSION - a particular area of work or activity in which the aim is to make a profit • May I ask what business you are in? • He comes from the music business. • I have a few contacts in the pharmaceutical business. COMPANY - an organisation which produces and sells goods or which provides a service • The majority of small businesses go broke within the first twenty-four months. • He was short of cash after the collapse of his business. • They opened a small family business. 3 Ex. 2: Translate the following expressions into your first language and put down their definitions on the line. 1. to mind one’s one 11. to build up business business 12. business competition 2. bad business 13. business corporation 3. dirty business 14. on business 4. personal business 15. go out of business 5. business hours 16. core business 6. monkey business 17. big business 7. annual business report 18. do business with 8. to be in business 19. get down to business 9. to be out of business 20. business park 10. booming business 21. e-business Ex.3: Which things in this list are the most/least important for you in a job? Choose 2 for the most and 2 for the least important and elaborate on your answer. money and profit job satisfaction variety personal development prestige training recognition job security challenge career opportunities opportunities for promotion respect team spirit free time result DISCUSSION POINT • How do you see your future profession? • What kind of work are you interested in and why? • Would you be willing to do a job that you did not really like if you had a good salary? Or would you agree to vice versa? 4 Ex. 4: Reading comprehension: read the text on Business and make sure you are familiar with the words and expressions in bold. Business is an organized approach to providing customers with the goods and services they want. The word business also refers to an organization that provides these goods and services. Most businesses seek to make a profit - that is, they aim to achieve revenues that exceed the costs of operating the business. Prominent examples of for-profit businesses include Mitsubishi Group, General Motors Corporation, and Royal Dutch/Shell Group. However, some businesses only seek to earn enough to cover their operating costs. Commonly called non-profits, these organizations are primarily nongovernmental service providers. Examples of non-profit businesses include such organizations as social service agencies, foundations, advocacy groups, and many hospitals. Business Operations A variety of operations keeps businesses, especially large corporations, running efficiently and effectively. Common business operation divisions include (1) production, (2) marketing, (3) finance, and (4) human resource management. Production includes those activities involved in conceptualizing, designing, and creating products and services. In recent years there have been dramatic changes in the way goods are produced. Today, computers help monitor, control, and even perform work. Flexible, high-tech machines can do in minutes what it used to take people hours to accomplish. Another important development has been the trend toward just-in-time inventory . The word inventory refers to the amount of goods a business keeps available for wholesale or retail. In just-in-time inventory, the firm stocks only what it needs for the next day or two. Many businesses rely on fast, global computer communications to allow them to respond quickly to changes in consumer demand. Inventories are thus minimized and businesses can invest more in product research, development, and marketing. Marketing is the process of identifying the goods and services that consumers need and want and providing those goods and services at the right price, place, and time. Businesses develop marketing strategies by conducting research to determine what products and services potential customers think they would like to be able to purchase. Firms also promote their products and services through such techniques as advertising and personalized sales, which serve to inform potential customers and motivate them to purchase. Firms that market products for which there is always some demand, such as foods and household goods, often advertise if they face competition from other firms marketing similar products. Such products rarely need to be sold face-to-face. On the other hand, firms that market 5 products and services that buyers will want to see, use, or better understand before buying, often rely on personalized sales. Expensive and durable goods - such as automobiles, electronics, or furniture - benefit from personalized sales, as do legal, financial, and accounting services. Finance involves the management of money. All businesses must have enough capital on hand to pay their bills, and for-profit businesses seek extra capital to expand their operations. In some cases, they raise long-term capital by selling ownership in the company. Other common financial activities include granting, monitoring, and collecting on credit or loans and ensuring that customers pay bills on time. The financial division of any business must also establish a good working relationship with a bank. This is particularly important when a business wants to obtain a loan. Businesses rely on effective human resource management (HRM) to ensure that they hire and keep good employees, and that they are able to respond to conflicts between workers and management. HRM specialists initially determine the number and type of employees that a business will need over its first few years of operation. They are then responsible for recruiting new employees to replace those who leave and for filling newly created positions. A business’s HRM division also trains or arranges for the training of its staff to encourage worker productivity, efficiency, and satisfaction, and to promote the overall success of the business. Finally, human resource managers create workers’ compensation plans and benefit packages for employees. Ex. 4.1: Answer the questions connected with the text. 1. Define the word “business”. 2. What is the difference between profit and non-profit organisations? 3. What is production? 4. How are computers changing the production? 5. What is inventory and what is just-in-time inventory? 6. What is marketing? 7. How do businesses learn about the customers’ needs? 8. What kind of products need to be sold face-to-face? 9. Where do companies get capital? 10. What does HRM stand for and what does it involve? 6 Ex. 5: Depending on the situation and the circumstances under which people work, they can feel happy or unhappy in their professions. Decide whether the fol owing situations are positive or negative and make sure you can provide both Slovenian translations as well as English definitions to the words in italics. + / - Your language 1. The company you work for is well-known for its job security . _____ ________________ 2. You were suddenly made redundant. _____ ________________ 3. You received a promotion . _____ ________________ 4. You were given an increment . _____ ________________ 5. You worked unsocial hours . _____ ________________ 6. You had a steady job . _____ ________________ 7. You had adverse working conditions . _____ ________________ 8. You suddenly found yourself unemployed . _____ ________________ 9. You took time off work because of repetitive strain injury . _____ ________________ 10. The office where you work has sick building syndrome . _____ ________________ 11. You receive regular perks as part of your job. _____ ________________ 12. Somebody called you a workaholic . _____ ________________ 13. Your company doesn’t give you many incentives . _____ ________________ 14. Your boss announces that there is going to be some downsizing of the workforce. _____ ________________ 15. Your work didn’t offer much job satisfaction . _____ ________________ 16. Your company has a generous incentive scheme . _____ ________________ 17. You receive a commission for the work you have done. _____ ________________ 18. You receive support from a union . _____ ________________ 19. You were under stress . _____ ________________ 20. You were forced to resign . _____ ________________ 21. You received a cut in your salary . _____ ________________ 22. Your company gave you sickness benefit . _____ ________________ 7 Ex. 6: Match sentences in the first box with sentences in the second and write the correct number at the end of the sentences in the second box. 1. Jake is the assistant manager of a bank and he works from 8.30 to 5.30 every day. 2. Bill works on the production line of a factory, which makes cars. He uses a machine to spray paint onto the finished car parts. 3. Tom works for himself. He is a photographer. He works every day for about eight or nine hours. 4. Robbie is a cleaner for a company in Birmingham, but he only works there for about three or four hours a day. 5. Mason has a powerful job in the personnel office of a large multinational company. He is responsible for employing new people and getting rid of those that the company does not want to employ anymore. 6. Marko works in the finance department of an international college in Oxford. A. He is a semi-skilled blue-collar worker in a manufacturing industry. ________ B. He is a self-employed and works full-time. He likes to describe himself as freelance. ________ C. He is responsible for hiring and firing. ________ D. He calculates the wages, salaries, pension contributions and medical insurance contributions of all the staff. ________ E. He is a full-time white-collar worker in a service industry. ________ F. He is an unskilled part-time employee. ________ 8 Ex. 6.1: Here are some expressions from the previous exercise that are worth remembering. Make sure that you are familiar with their meanings and that you are able to compare them and use them in a sentence. • employee  employer  to employ  employment unemployment • semi-skilled vs. unskilled • full-time vs. part-time • blue-collar worker vs. white-collar worker (check the link to learn more about types of workers according to collar colour: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Designation_of_workers_by_collar_color) • wage vs. salary o living wage; living on the dole (to go on the dole) • freelance  freelancer Ex. 7: You are all students of the Faculty of Economics and Informatics, so you should be familiar with various forms of the word “economy” and their use. Complete the sentences with the fol owing words: economic economist economy (2x) uneconomic economically economical economics economies uneconomical 1. New opportunities will emerge as the __________________ climate improves. 2. It would be more __________________ to switch the machine off at night. 3. The properties were eventually demolished because it had become __________________ to continue maintaining them. 4. Backward farming methods made grain production __________________ in the region. 5. Dillon studied __________________ at Manchester University. 6. The __________________ and former rebel beat out real estate millionaire, Rodolfo Hernández, yesterday to become the country's first leftist president. 7. Buying discounted goods is a false ___________________. 8. Politically and __________________, the country is going through enormous changes. 9. An increase in tourism will help the city's __________________. 10. They belong to the three fastest-growing __________________ of Southeast Asia. 9 Ex. 8: Complete the crossword with the words and expressions you have become familiar in this chapter. If the expression consists of 2 or more words, they are spelled as one word. 10 2 CULTURE and CULTURAL DIFFERENCES LEAD-IN 1. What is culture? Define the expression in your own words. 2. Which of the following do you consider as most important in forming your cultural identity? a. history f. geography b. tradition g. history c. religion h. social customs and traditions d. education i. language e. parents/upbringing j. other _________________ 3. Where does our original view of culture come from? 4. Where can the main differences between countries be seen? In which fields? 2.1 Stereotypes and nationalities Stereotypes represent fixed ideas about what people of a particular nationality are like and are often wrongly believed to be true (e.g. the Brits have a stiff upper lip, the French are arrogant, etc.) When we talk about the inhabitants of a country collectively, we use a noun, which is the same as the adjective of nationality ( the Greeks, the Americans, the Chinese, the Dutch, the Belgians). When we talk about the individuals, we may • use the adjective of nationality ( a Slovenian, a Slovene) • add man or woman ( an Englishwoman) • use a different word ( a Pole) When we talk about a language, we may use the same form as the adjective ( Slovenian) or the Slovenian language. 11 Ex. 1: Mark is a traveller and he frequently sends emails to his friend about his explorations. Which country is he writing about? Argentina Greece Japan Poland Spain _______________________________ The people here are very hospitable. They are not rude at all. They try to do everything perfectly. They keep their homes, offices and public places very clean. Outside the big cities, people speak English badly. They are very shy and speak very quietly. When you enter a shop, they sometimes run away from you because they are afraid to speak English. __________________________ People here are very warm and friendly. They speak very quickly so it is difficult to understand them sometimes. But they speak English well, so this isn’t a problem. Many people live slowly, especially in the afternoon. They often sleep for an hour or two after lunch. In the evening, young people go out very late. They don’t go to a restaurant before 9pm and the nightlife usually starts after midnight. __________________________ In general, people here are very friendly. Their language is difficult to understand, but in the big cities they speak English well and they like talking to tourists. At night, many young people drink a lot and become very open, but they sometimes behave aggressively. _______________________________ People here are very proud of their history. They like talking about the past. It is normal to have a conversation with a taxi driver about philosophy. But in the major cities, people drive dangerously, so you must be careful when you cross the road. Everybody eats well and food is very important for them. _______________________________ People here come from different ethnic backgrounds, especially Italian, Spanish, French and German. They love football and talk about sports a lot. In general, they dress fashionably and look good. And they dance very well. Dancing is very popular here. Ex. 1.1: Write a similar email to a friend abroad about your home country. 12 Ex. 2: Think of the difference between different Englishes (American and British English) in terms of vocabulary and grammar. The expressions below are taken from British English. Can you find their American equivalents? Put them on the line. biscuit - ______________ off-licence - ___________ queue - _______________ cooker - ______________ pancake - _____________ underground/tube - _____ dinner jacket- _________ pavement - ____________ connexion - ___________ handbag - _____________ petrol - _______________ colour - ______________ jam - ________________ pudding - _____________ centre - ______________ Ex. 3: Complete the table. COUNTRY PERSON ADJECTIVE LANGUAGE Slovenia Briton Austrian Croatian Italy Hungarian the USA Australia English Welsh Northern Ireland Finn Belgium Ex. 3.1: Slovenians use the dual, which is quite a unique language feature. Are there any other nationalities that you know of with a special language feature? Share them with your colleagues. 13 2.2 Cultural etiquette It is of high importance that people understand and accept the cultural etiquette of different countries. Cultural etiquette varies from society to society and good manners promote respect and help us to build good conduct with other people. Preparation is key in just about anything we do, so business trips/meetings/gatherings should be of no difference. It is important in the first place that we prepare for the meeting or conference that we are attending, but reacting properly in various cultural situations is just as important. It would be a serious problem if improper cultural etiquette in the business world created misunderstanding with foreign clients or colleagues, let alone offended them, which might lead to an unsuccessful closing in e.g. selling process. Ex. 4: Answer the following questions. Do some research if needed to answer the questions. 1. What does the expression “go Dutch” mean? 2. Is kissing hands in the business world still present in any European country? 3. More businessmen or businesswomen in Japan? 4. When is it polite to leave the table in Great Britain? 5. Would you shake a Briton’s hand in business meetings? 6. What is a bank holiday in Great Britain? 7. Is it appropriate to use first names in the English business world? 8. What is the importance of gift-giving in the business world? 9. With which hand should you pass your business card in Japan? 10. Have you ever been “wined and dined”? Ex. 5: Cultural differences affect global business in three main areas: organisational hierarchy, etiquette and communication. Think about your home country and discuss these three areas in more detail. Here are some starting points: • greetings • terms of address • gestures • clothes • business lunch • punctuality • exchanging business cards/presents • the principle of reciprocity 14 Ex. 6: When we talk about culture, we often talk about the words and expressions below. Translate into your language and put down English definitions of these words and phrases and make sure you know how to use them in a sentence. Discuss them with your colleagues. • culture etiquette • culture clash • culture shock • culture gap • cultural diversity • cultural stereotypes • cultural cringe • company or corporate culture • canteen culture • long-hours culture • macho culture 2.3 Cultural awareness LEAD-IN 1. What do you understand under the term “cultural awareness”? Is it important to have or build cultural awareness? Why/Why not? 2. Can cultural awareness be taught? How? 3. How can you as an individual benefit from cultural diversity? 4. What are some things that people from difference countries in an organisation have in common? And what is it that they do not have in common? 5. Can you think of any examples of behaviour from another culture being “unsuitable”, “unacceptable” or even “offensive”? Ex. 7: Reading comprehension: read the text below titled Standard Bank overcomes Culture Shock that was adapted from Finance Week and complete the reading comprehension exercise that fol ows. It is increasingly common for multinational businesses to send employees on international assignments, but without the right cross-cultural skills, staff will often struggle. Wayne Mullen, head of learning and development at Standard Bank discusses the impact that cultural challenges can have on employees relocating to another country. In order to be successfully transferred, employees must understand the host-country culture, he argues. 15 Colleagues from different countries might share similar professional knowledge and skills within a single international organisation, but their ways of working, social skills, body language and ways of doing business are likely to be completely different. They may have different patterns of behaviour, which need to be understood and appreciated in order for everyone to work together successfully. For example, while it may be acceptable for Chinese office workers in Hong Kong to use the door-close button on a lift no matter how many people are also getting in, doing such a thing in London would make people extremely angry. It is common for South Africans to ask personal questions of their counterparts shortly after being introduced, while a British colleague may perceive this as impolite and inappropriate. Latin American’s need for personal space is much less than of their British colleagues. Global companies should never underestimate the effect that culture can have on international assignments. Cultural awareness is much more than simply knowing about a country’s history and geography. It is about understanding how and why cultures work differently. It is also important to understand your own cultural make-up in order to work more effectively, maximize teamwork and strengthen global competence. "The bank recognised that in order to harmonise working practices within its culturally diverse office, it needed to provide foreign workers with a meaningful understanding of British business culture and communication styles." The Standard Bank Group operates in 38 different countries and its London office alone has 56 nationalities. This wide range of nationalities needs to communicate effectively in order to work as one team. The bank recognized that in order to harmonise working practices within its culturally diverse office, it needed to provide foreign workers with a meaningful understanding of British business culture and communication styles. It also needed to offer practical support, which allowed employees to cope with the challenges of living and working in an unfamiliar environment; their reactions to day-to-day issues such as the weather, public transport and social etiquette are often the most visible manifestations of culture shock. Standard Bank has engaged Communicaid, a European culture and communication skills consultancy, to design a tailored training solution, which introduces delegates to some of the key cultural differences that they are likely to face in the UK. Ex. 7.1: Answer the questions connected with the text you have read. 1. Why is it important to be aware and understand different patterns of behaviour your colleagues from other countries possess? 2. Give an example of something that would be acceptable/appropriate in one country but not in the other. 3. How is cultural awareness defined in the text you have read? 4. What is required for effective communication between employees who come from different countries? 16 DISCUSSION POINT • Do you think that people who move to a different country for business purposes need training on cultural differences? Why and how would this help them? • What kind of advice on culture would you give to somebody doing business in Slovenia or your home country? • Using the information from the article above, what tips would you give somebody doing business in the UK? 2.4 Business protocol LEAD-IN 1. How do you think it is working with people from other countries? 2. Does this require many adjustments from both parties? 3. What are some areas where you think most adjustments are needed when working with people from different cultures? 4. What would you say are the biggest obstacles when working with people from other countries and how would you overcome them? 5. Where can you learn how to properly behave abroad? 6. What would you enjoy most when working with foreigners? Ex. 8: Before reading the text, complete the definitions below. counterpart custom diverse flatter itinerary protocol reserved straightforward 1. __________ (adjective): not showing your feelings or thoughts 2. __________ (verb): to praise (someone) in order to make them feel attractive or important 3. __________ (noun): a way of behaving 4. __________ (adjective): honest and direct 5. __________ (noun): a person in the same position in another company or organisation 6. __________ (uncountable noun): the system of rules and acceptable behaviour 7. __________ (noun): a detailed plan or route of a journey 8. __________ (adjective): including many different types of people 17 Ex. 8.1: Reading comprehension: read the text below titled Business Protocol and put the headings above the correct paragraphs. the US the UK Malaysia India Turkey France 1. ____________________ Business dealings tend to be quite formal and business people are usually reserved on first meeting. Make sure you are punctual for meetings as it is considered rude to keep people waiting. A firm handshake when greeting someone is customary, unlike the continental style of kissing on both cheeks. Men and women tend to dress conservatively in business suits, and they often exchange business cards at the beginning or end of a meeting. 2. During negotiations, avoid speaking too directly and do not flatter your counterparts, as it will make them uncomfortable. The people have a fairly sarcastic sense of humour, but they don’t mean to be offensive. 3. ____________________ When you meet your business contacts for the first time, a firm handshake, a friendly smile and good eye contact will make a good first impression. The culture can be quite relaxed. Here, people often call each other by their first names, even their bosses. It’s wise to make polite, friendly small talk at the beginning of the meeting. Good small talk topics include hobbies and leisure, tips concerning local arts and entertainment, restaurants, nightlife and popular sports teams. People here are quite direct in the way they communicate, so feel free to express yourself in a straightforward manner. But avoid being too negative or critical. This will look unprofessional. 4. ____________________ During meetings and negotiations, it’s important to establish the ethnic identity of your counterparts. This is a diverse country with three main ethnic groups and more than 50 smaller groups. Therefore, be careful to respect the customs of each ethnic group. When speaking to a native person, for example, use "Encik" (Mr) before a man’s first name, and "Puan" (Mrs) or "Cik" (Miss) before a woman’s. This protocol does not apply to business people of Chinese and Indian descent, who may be called "Mr", "Mrs", or "Miss". 5. ____________________ The traditional greeting is to hold your hands together at chest level and bend your head towards your fingertips, but Westerners are more likely to be greeted with a handshake. However, if you are a woman, you shouldn’t initiate a handshake with a man. 6. Meetings usually start with tea and small talk, as building personal relationships is an important part of doing business here. Bring plenty of business cards and be flexible about timing – itineraries often change at the last minute. 7. Most business meals are lunches, although you may be invited to an associate’s home for dinner. The locals enjoy entertaining and many of them believe that "serving a guest is like serving God". Leave a little food on your plate to avoid offending your host as an empty plate may suggest you are still hungry. 8. ____________________The business culture here is very formal. You should wear quality business clothes and always address those you meet for the first time using Monsieur or Madame. When introducing yourself, use both your first and last name, and greet your associates with a light handshake. 18 9. During negotiations, people consider it rude to mention money at the start of a meeting so leave this until you are near the end. Expect people to interrupt you a lot – this is a sign that the other side is interested in what you are saying. 10. ____________________ People’s body language may be confusing for some foreigners. For example, locals usually indicate "no" by raising their eyebrows, while making the sound "tsk". Equally, if a business associate moves his head from side to side, it does not mean "no", but "I don’t understand". Use the phone, not email, to follow up meetings, as people here prefer to communicate directly. Ex. 8.2: Find a word or phrase in the article that means… 1. on time (adjective, P.1): ________________ 2. using words that mean the opposite of what you say, in order to hurt someone’s feelings or to make a joke (adjective, P.2): ________________ 3. not soft but not completely hard (adjective, P.3): ________________ 4. where somebody comes from (phrase, P.4): ________________ 5. cause something to begin (verb, P.5): ________________ 6. the time when something happens (noun, P.6): ________________ 7. stop you from speaking for a short period (verb, P.9): ________________ 8. people who live in the area you are talking about (plural noun, P.10): ________________ Ex. 8.3: Match the words to make phrases from the text. 1. keep somebody _____ a. a good first impression 2. dress _____ b. by their first name 3. make _____ c. conservatively 4. greet somebody _____ d. personal relationships 5. call somebody _____ e waiting 6 build _____ f with a handshake 7 raise _____ g your eyebrows DISCUSSION POINT • How would you describe business culture in your home country? • What kind of tips would you give to a foreigner if they wanted to follow the rules of conducting business in your home country? 19 Ex. 9: Video clip: Working with Americans LINK: www.youtube.com/watch?v=55L8NI3fw40 Allyson Stewart-Allen is a world authority on international marketing, US business and inter-cultural working advising European and US organisations growing their presence on either side of the Atlantic. Allyson has advised more than 250 businesses in 26 countries and stilladvises Boards and senior leaders to profitably grow across regions. Ex. 9.1: Listen and look at the video and answer the questions connected with it. 1. How do Americans call “things to be done”? 2. What are Americans known to be (on a scale from 1 to 10 – 3/10? 3. Why does she think they are so risk taking? 4. What is also an important metric in the American business culture? 5. Is the job security in American low or high? 6. What about decision-making – team or individual activity? 7. How do Americans give arguments? 8. What attracted Americans to voting for Trump? 9. What does she hope for the future of business in America? Ex. 9.2: Match the collocations from the video and write them on the lines. 1. make _____ a relationship ______________________________________ 2. be/bang _____ a dispute ______________________________________ 3. resolve _____ a mistake ______________________________________ 4. have _____ all the bases ______________________________________ 5. settle _____ a deal ______________________________________ 6. do _____ an issue ______________________________________ 7. establish _____ an arrangement ______________________________________ 8. cover _____ on time ______________________________________ Ex. 9.3: Here is some vocabulary from the video worth remembering. demonstrative (adj.), to transact sth, an arrangement, small talk, prospective, budget, urban, litigious, dispute, dress code, corporate, disrespect, prompt, incompetence 20 3 CONVERSATION SKILLS LEAD-IN 1. What are conversation skills? 2. Why are conversation skills important? 3. If you lack conversation skills, can you communicate effectively with other people? 4. How can you improve your conversation skills? When meeting people for the first time, in private or in business, it is normal that one feels nervous. The person does not really know how the situation is going to evolve, whether they are going to leave a good impression and establish contacts. But everyone knows what happens when one is under stress and feeling nervous: people make mistakes, say all the wrong words and behave awkwardly. That is why it is important to possess good conversation skills, which enable a person to behave in a more confident way and convey ideas and information successfully. Some people are simply born with excellent conversation skills and have no problem communicating with anyone about anything, whereas others need to develop and master them. Amy J. C. Cuddy is a social psychologist, bestselling author, award-winning Harvard lecturer and keynote speaker, who says that the way we perceive other people and vice versa depends on our body position. If you stand in a “high-power” pose, it changes the chemical processes in your body. That means that your testosterone elevates and your cortisol decreases which results in increased feelings of power and tolerance for risk. By changing one’s physical posture, an individual is better prepared to tackle difficult and stressful situations and actually improve confidence and performance in situations such as job interview, public speaking, disagreements etc. (Carney et al., 2010). 3.1 The Mehrabian pie chart In 1967 Mehrabian and Ferris conducted research on non-verbal communication, where they came to the conclusion that communication is “7% verbal, 38% vocal and 55% facial”. This means that a high percentage of the information we covey in a message is communicated nonverbally. 21 Figure 1: The Mehrabian pie chart BODY LANGUAGE VOICE WORDS 3.1.1 Body language Body language is the crucial part of every effective communication and represents the baseline of communication. The elements of body language are the ones that you can actually see or hear and they often leave a stronger impression than verbal communication. The most important nonverbal communications that work in every situation are: • entrance and posture • gestures (shaking hands, hand and head movements) • facial expressions (smile) • eye contact • voice (sounds) • closeness (invading somebody’s personal space) • appearance (dress and grooming) 3.1.2 Voice The next most important aspect in communication is the vocal quality of the message: • tone of voice • pace or tempo of the delivery • vocal clarity • verbal expressiveness 3.1.3 Words According to Mehrabian and Ferris (1967), body language and tone of voice can communicate much more than the words themselves. Only 7% of meaning is communicated through spoken word. If people are nervous or under stress, it can easily happen that their verbal communication, so what they are saying and their nonverbal communication are out of sync. So which one prevails? Which one do you trust more? Research suggests that nonverbal communication has more impact than the spoken word. Albert Mehrabian once said that “the non-verbal elements are particularly important for communicating feelings and attitude, especially when they are incongruent: if words and body language disagree, one tends to believe the body language.” 22 3.2 Meeting new people in business Making a good first impression in business is crucial. Due to the feelings of stress and nervousness, one might leave a distorted impression of themselves. However, when obeying some basic ideas about meeting people for the first time and leaving a favourable impression, one can come across relaxed and natural even in the most difficult situations. When you are introducing yourself to another person, consider the following: • Handshaking: It is mostly used when you are introduced to someone, when you are saying goodbye, when you come to a meeting and do not know anyone, when you make a deal or agree on something. Typically, people stand up or step closer, make eye contact, lean a bit forward, smile and shake hands firmly but not hard and say something (greet the other person, introduce yourself, repeat the other’s name, etc.) • Introducing yourself: Many people experience nervousness, which makes them seem unnatural and causes them difficulties when speaking. You should remember to smile because people are more likely to approach a person who smiles. You should maintain eye contact and be friendly, showing the other person that you are interested in the conversation (the importance of active listening). In business, it is good to say something about your job, what you do and what role you play in your company. Finally, you have to pay attention to cultural differences if the other person comes from a different culture. • Continuing conversation: Confidence is one of the most common traits that we judge when meeting others. Try to be yourself and believe in your abilities, which will make you come across confident and more relaxed. Ex. 1: Considering al the information you have on meeting people for the first time and making a good first impression, discuss the questions below with your colleagues and elaborate on your answer. 1. What advice would you give someone who was invited to a job interview? Elaborate on your choice. 2. What is active listening and why is it important? 3. Why is it important that your tone of voice or your nonverbal communication match your message? 4. How do you meet people for the first time? Are you an introvert or more outgoing? Do you make the initiative and introduce yourself or wait for other people to come to you? 5. Think of some different ways of how you can get to know your new business partners or your new colleagues. 23 Ex. 2: Think of the fol owing situations. What would you say in each situation? 1. You arrive for doctor’s appointment. Introduce yourself to the receptionist. 2. You are at a party. Introduce two friends of yours to each other. 3. You arrive for a job interview. Introduce yourself to your potential employer. 4. You see someone who you have heard about but have not met before. Introduce yourself. Ex. 3: Study the fol owing dialogue where someone is introducing themselves to other people. Then try to make a similar dialogue with your partner. JB: Can I introduce myself? My name is John Brown. AJ: How do you do. I’m Alex Johnson. JB: Pleased to meet you, Mr. Johnson. So, what do you do for a living? AJ: I’m a film producer. JB: Really? That sounds interesting. Ex. 4: How do you introduce yourself to somebody for the first time? Match the phrases and responses. 1. Nice to meet you. _____ How do you do? 2. You must be John. _____ Me too. I’ve heard a lot about you. 3. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. _____ Nice to meet you. I’m Nina. 4. I’m Margaret. _____ Nice to meet you, too. 5. How do you do? _____ Yes, that’s right. Ex. 5: How do you introduce other people? Complete the dialogue between a host, colleague and visitor. DG: Samo, I’d like ______________________________ meet Marko Hrastnik from KRKA. SC: How do you do, Mr. Hrastnik? MH: Pleased ___________________ you. So what do you do here? SC: I’m ________________ charge _____________ our HR department. And you? MH: I’m responsible _________________ sales and marketing. DG: Is _____________ your first visit _________________ Boston, Mr. Hrastnik? MH: No, actually I’ve been here four times already. Mostly on business. DG: How long ___________________________________ for your company? MH: Oh, I’ve been with KRKA for almost five years now. How about you? When did you ________________________ your company? DG: I started working for LEK about 10 years ago. 24 When you meet someone for the first time, you usually make “small talk” to get to know the person better or maybe to break the ice. Small talk is an informal conversation about things that are not important. Ex. 6: Can you think of any topics that could be used in small talk? Ex. 7: Match the questions with replies. 1. How was the weather in Lisbon? _____ Actually, the flight was delayed by 4 hours because of fog. Then we were stuck in traffic for another 3 hours! 2. How long are you here for? _____ Just three days. I arrived on Thursday. 3. What do you think of our city? _____ Nice and sunny. 4. How long have you been in Naples? _____ So far, very impressive. 5. Did you have a good trip? _____ Until the end of the week. Ex. 8: Match the following conversation openers with the responses on the right. 1. Haven’t we met somewhere before? _____ I’ve found it very practical so far. I can’t wait to implement some of the ideas that have been discussed. 2. Mind if I join you? _____ Now at all. Be my guest. 3. How do you like our new location? _____ That’s right. It’s good to see you again. You haven’t changed a bit. 4. How are you enjoying the conference? _____ Well, it’s certainly a nice change. I see you have a splendid view from your conference room. 5. What are you having? _____ Yes, I think so. I can’t quite remember where though. 6. Dan, I haven’t seen you in 5 years or so. _____ Yes, we’re old colleagues. We go back about eight years. 7. Do you two know each other? _____ Whatever you’re having it’s fine. 25 If you are attending a meeting or a conference and are representing your company there, it is obviously very important that you possess good conversation skills. It is not enough to merely be able to introduce yourself to others and then talk about yourself. Since you are representing your company and in case of an international meeting or conference, also your country, it is important to be able to talk about the details of your company, the work that you do there and the position you hold. Here are some questions you might be asked and they may serve as the starting point for your description of the company you work for, the position you hold in the company and the work you do there: • Who do you work for? • What type of company is that? • What do you do in your job? • What else does your job involve? • What are your responsibilities? • What exactly do you do in your job? • What are you working on at the moment? • How long have you worked for this company? • Who do you report to? When presenting your company, you can include the following information: • headquarters (where the company is headquartered or based) • history (when was it founded/established, who by) • employees (how many people does it employ) • size (the size of the company, whether it has subsidiaries, if it has shareholdings, if it runs any stores, where and how many) • market position (what kind of market share does it have, is it the biggest or one of the largest companies) • financial results (what is the annual turnover, did it make any profit) • competitors (discuss the main competitors) • customers/clients (who are the company’s main customers/clients) • products (what kind of products does the company produce/manufacture) • services (what kind of services does the company provide/offer) 26 Ex. 9: Complete the sentences with the words below to form some useful expressions when talking about your job. charge enjoy find job most part quite responsibilities responsible what 1. I’m _______________________ for cash flow/credit control/managing projects. 2. I’m in _____________________ of developing the company’s long-term strategy. 3. My _____________________ include recruiting new employees and organising training for company staff. 4. It’s also my ____________________ to improve company’s working conditions. 5. On the whole, I _________________ my work. 6. What I like _____________________ about my work is the responsibility, the challenge and of course the salary. 7. I ____________________ my work very interesting. 8. One task I don’t ___________________ like is chasing money from late payers. 9. The ___________________ I don’t really like is the long hours. 10. ______________________ I don’t like so much is when I have to deal with a difficult employee. Ex. 10: Match the expressions on the left with the words on the right. 1. I work as a _____ a degree in chemistry/an MBA/a certificate in teaching 2. I’m responsible for _____ answering the phone/cooking meals/training salesmen/ 3. It’s my job to _____ barman/sales manager/doctor/flight attendant/nurse/ teacher 4. For this job, you need _____ really fascinating/very interesting/so exciting/ motivating 5. You need to be good at _____ sell houses/arrange meetings/design websites 6. The work can get a bit _____ selling/teamwork/talking to people/working with children 7. I find my job _____ stressful/hectic/boring/dangerous/exhausting Ex. 11: Think of your existing job/dream job. Write a short passage on the work that you do/would like to do, the position you (would) hold, etc. 27 4 WRITTEN CORRESPONDENCE LEAD-IN 1. What is formal writing? Are you familiar with any rules? 2. What are the most common types of formal writing that are used in the business world? 3. Why is possessing good formal writing skills important in the world of business? In the world of business, it is of utmost importance that every businessperson possesses good conversational skills, but it is mandatory for them to have good writing skills as well. This allows them to communicate their message clearly and easily with an even wider audience than in face-to-face or telephone conversations. Although the ever-accelerating pace of technological change calls for change in correspondence as well and most of today’s correspondence is done electronically, there are still cases where a physical copy needs to be kept, either for personal use or for company records. The ability of effective communication gives a professional impression of you and the organisation you are employed in, which is why acquiring and mastering writing skills should be on the agenda of every businessperson. Ex. 1: Check what you already know about written correspondence. Read the statements and decide which are true and which are false. 1. If a letter begins with the receiver’s name, e.g. Dear Mr Ross, it will close with Yours faithfully. 2. The abbreviation c.c. stands for ‘correct carbons’. 3. If you were writing to Mr Peter Smith, you would open with Dear Mr Peter Smith. 4. In the USA, it is correct to open the letter with the salutation Gentlemen. 5. The abbreviation enc or encl means that there are enclosures with the letter. 6. In the UK, the abbreviated date 2.6.95 on a letter means 6 February 1995. 7. If you did not know whether a female correspondent was married or not, it would be correct to use the term Ms, e.g. Ms Tessa Groves, instead of Miss or Mrs. When writing formal documents, such as formal letters and emails, reports, memos, marketing materials, etc., some general rules need to be followed. Here are some points to bear in mind before you start writing and while writing the document. 28 • Make a plan  Who (formality: informal, semi-formal, formal language)  Why (purpose: give information, make a request, give instructions, answer questions, make a recommendation)  What (the reader’s previous knowledge: highlight the most important point, provide background information to the situation) • Write notes  The main ideas  Short, clear sentences  Use the target language • Write a final version (content)  Check the order of points  Add more information/delete if necessary  Re-write sentences  Be brief, clear and concise • Check for mistakes and politeness (general)  Are the subject and purpose clear?  Have you included all the information?  Is the message easy to read?  Are there any grammar and spelling mistakes?  Is the style suitable for the reader (the degree of formality)?  Is the message polite? Do not forget to use the spelling check! 4.1 Capitalisation Capitalisation means writing a word with its first letter as an uppercase letter and all the other letters in lowercase. It is always used: • at the beginning of a sentence • in titles and headings of books, articles, paper • in people’s names, names of companies, organisations and official bodies • in authorities • in job titles • in names of departments • in countries, nationalities, languages, adjectives related to nationalities • in days of the week, months of the year • in personal pronouns 29 Capitalisation is NOT used with: • articles • conjunctions • prepositions Ex. 2: Now add examples to each possible use of capitalisation above. Ex. 3: Translate the fol owing article title and sentences into your first language. Article title: Poslovna angleščina in pisne spretnosti ___________________________________________________________________________ Sentence: Še nikoli do sedaj ni oddelek za finance oddal poročila pravočasno. ___________________________________________________________________________ Sentence: Všeč mi je ameriški stil oblačenja in prosti ponedeljki. ___________________________________________________________________________ Sentence: Diplomsko nalogo je naslovila »Urbane legende: dejstvo ali izmišljotina«. ___________________________________________________________________________ 4.2 Formality When it comes to formality, three different writing styles are often identified, although in real life the differences are not so clear. We distinguish between formal, neutral/standard/semi-formal and informal style of writing. 4.2.1 Formal This is the style of an old-fashioned letter. Ideas are politely and carefully presented and fixed expressions and long words are frequently used. The language is impersonal. Grammar and punctuation are important. This style is not common in emails, but it may occur if the subject matter is serious (e.g., a complaint). This style is more common in formal letters. 4.2.2 Neutral / Standard This is the most common style in professional/business emails. The writer and the reader are both busy, so the language is simple, clear and direct. Sentences are short and short forms are used ( I’ve for I have, etc.). The language is more personal. However, the style does not resemble speech – it is too direct. 30 4.2.3 Informal This is the most common style for emails between friends. Sometimes the email can be very short or contain personal news, funny comments etc. This style is closest to speech, meaning there are everyday words and colloquial expressions. The reader is also more tolerant of bad grammar, etc. Table 2: The comparison of formal and informal English FORMAL ENGLISH INFORMAL ENGLISH Complete sentences: Incomplete sentences: The deadline for completion is April 2013. Deadline – April 2013 Dates: 1 June 2013 June 1, 2013 01/06/2013 Dates: 1st June 2013 1st June, 2013 June 1st, 2013 1 June, 2013 06/01/2013 Longer, complex sentences: General y short sentences: Although sales are poor at present due to difficult economic For economic reasons, sales are poor at present. But this situation conditions, there are indicators that the situation wil improve soon. should improve soon. Passive: Active: It was decided that the price should be increased. We decided to increase the price. Formal vocabulary: Informal vocabulary: receive, inform, notify, request get, tel , ask No use of contractions: Use of contractions: I will, we would, they cannot I'l , we'd, they can't 4.3 Formal letters Modern media such as email are mostly used to send messages. However, letters, especially official ones, have not lost their importance, even if they are not sent by mail as often as they were a few years ago. A properly designed business letter in English usually consists of many parts, although many companies use a different “house-style”. The letterhead is located in the upper corner of the letter. However, most businesses write their correspondence on sheets of paper with a letterhead already printed. It is a very important part of a business letter as it contains some useful information about a business – name, address, email, phone number, website, etc. References are given in the upper left corner of the letter. The reference may consist of the initials of the person who signed the letter. However, sometimes figures are added to identify the department from which the letter originated, or the file in which the letter can be found. The addressee (name and address of the recipient) is given below the date on the left side of the letter, usually in the margin. Sometimes, the words “For the attention of…” are used, indicating that the letter is addressed to a specific person. The “attention line” may be omitted. The date All letters must bear a date. It is written below the subject line. It can be expressed in various forms, the most common being 12 September 2012 and September 12, 2012 31 Omitting the ordinal numbers -st, -nd and -th is common, although British English sometimes prefers the endings. The date should never be written in numbers only (e. g. 10/2/12). This could easily lead to confusion, for example, in correspondence with the United States, where it is customary to write the date in the order of month, day and year. English practice follows the order of date, month and year: 10 February 2012. The opening salutation is written below the address of the address of the recipient. If the recipient’s name is not known, the opening salutation may be “Dear Sirs” or “Dear Sir/Madam” . The American way of opening a letter to a business is usually Gentlemen:. If the recipient’s name is known, the salutation may be Dear Mr Smith, Dear Miss Smith, Dear Mrs Smith or Dear Ms Smith, which does not reveal a woman’s marital status. The subject of the letter is the line below the salutation and states exactly what the letter is about, such as the number of an order or an invoice. It is usually underlined or written in block letters. Sometimes the word “RE” is used, which means “about”, “concerning”. The body of the letter is the central part of the letter. It shows the exact reason for writing. It should be simple, clear and written to the point. The text should be divided into paragraphs, with each paragraph confined to one topic. The closing salutation is closely related to the opening salutation. If we begin the letter with Dear Sir(s)/Madam (the recipient is not known), we conclude it with Yours faithfully. If we begin the letter with Dear Ms/Mr Smith (the recipient is known), we conclude it with Yours sincerely. The American form of the closing is usually Yours truly or Very truly yours. In emails, we close with Best regards. The signature (handwritten) is placed below the closing salutation. The sender’s name and the position in the firm are placed under the signature. Sometimes the initials p. p. (pp) next to the sender’s name. This means that the letter was signed by someone other than the sender. The letters “pp” in Latin stand for per procurationem. Enclosures When we enclose something with the letter (a prospectus, a cheque, an order form, etc.) we write Enc (or Encl), short for enclosure, at the end of the letter, with or without the item we are enclosing. The fact that something is enclosed with the letter must also be stated in the text of the letter itself. 32 Figure 2: Formal business letter layout – company LETTERHEAD REFERENCES ADDRESSEE DATE OPENING SALUTATION SUBJECT OF THE LETTER BODY OF THE LETTER CLOSING SALUTATION SIGNATURE SENDER’S NAME AND POSITION ENCLOSURES (if any) 33 Figure 3: Formal business letter layout - personal ADDRESS OF THE SENDER ADDRESSEE DATE OPENING SALUTATION (SUBJECT OF THE LETTER) BODY OF THE LETTER CLOSING SALUTATION SIGNATURE SENDER’S NAME ENCLOSURES (if any) 34 Brenda Johnson Fowler Street 9 81667 Cambridge United Kingdom tel. + 49 89 6953448 e-mail: brenda.johnson@benz.com Bob Smith Personnel Department APIS Communications 15 Linton Avenue London W7 2 EU England 30 September 2022 Dear Mr Smith, I am writing to apply for the job of marketing manager at APIS Communications, as advertised in The Guardian newspaper on 15 May 2006 (reference no.PS/Lon/273). As you will see from my curriculum vitae, I have more than 9 years’ experience in marketing, mainly in companies in England but also in Italy and the United States. In my current position as advertising manager at Bartel, a PR company in England, I have been responsible for expanding our business to 11 countries in Europe. Having grown up in the USA and having Slovenian and American parents, I am a native speaker of both English and Slovenian. I am also fluent in Spanish and Italian, and have considerable experience working internationally. I believe that my qualifications and experience are ideally suited to helping APIS to expand its European operations. In particular, I believe my specialist knowledge of the German, French and Spanish markets, as well as my excellent contacts, would be of great benefit to your firm. I would very much like the opportunity to meet you personally to discuss my application further. I would be more than happy to come to London for an interview. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely, Brenda Johnson Brenda Johnson 35 4.4 Formal emails Email is electronic mail and nowadays it is very often used in the business world, since it is much faster than sending a document via regular mail. Ex. 1: Most people receive a lot of emails each day. They want to be able to read and understand your message quickly. Look at these hints for making an email easier to read. Put them in the order of importance. _____ Keep the message short. _____ Write simple sentences. _____ Put the main message near the start. _____ Put important requests in the first paragraph. _____ Use polite phrases to build good relationship with the other person. A typical email consists of the following parts. Figure 4: Formal email layout To: From: Cc: Bcc: Subject: BODY OF THE EMAIL To: jim.brown@rentoor.com From: Megan Downey Cc: ben.cross@hiphonic.com Bcc: claudia.stahnke@hiphonic.com Subject: Monday’s meeting Jim Just to confirm that we will be able to attend the meeting next Monday. I’ll be with our R&D director, Ben Cross. Megan 36 To: John Waters (John.waters@sitco.com) From: Peter Lewis Subject: Extension of trading agreement Dear Mr Waters, It was very good to see you again at our meeting in Paris on 16 July. I hope you had a safe journey home afterwards. We agreed that your company will continue to represent us and promote the full range of our services throughout Europe, the Middle East and North Africa for three years, with effect from 1 August. During this period, we expect to see an increase of at least 15% in the value of business we do in this region. Full details of the payment we will make and the expenses we will cover are included in the attached agreement. Can you please check this and, if all is in order, sign and return one copy of the agreement to me. We are looking forward to continuing to develop our business in the region in association with you. Best wishes Peter Lewis Managing Director Mesnik Professional Services 397 City Lane London EC2 3RW Ex. 2: Complete the exercise on attachments. In each gap there are two possible answers from A, B, C or D. Write both answers. 1. Please _____ my report. Hope it’s useful. A find attachment C find attached B find enclosed D see attached 2. Here is my report. If there are any problems, _____ me know. A please let C please to let B make D just let 3. This report has just arrived. I’m _____ it to you. Hope it’s not too late. A moving C replying B forwarding D sending 4. I’m sending various forms for you to complete. Please _____ special attention to AF200. A give C make B pay D take 37 5. Please complete the attached forms and return them to me _____ 3 June. A by C before B until D to 6. As agreed, I’m sending the pre-meeting notes. Let me know if there’s anything else we can do _____ before we meet. A from our part C on our side B from this end D on this way 7. I’m attaching the Business Plan Review. Please _____ that several alterations in dates have been made. A look C note B appoint D be aware 8. Please find attached my report. _____ if there are any problems with deadlines etc. A Get back with me C Get back to me B Get in touch D Make a touch 9. Please find attached my report. _____ A Let me know what you think. C Let me have what you think. B Let me have any comments. D Make me have any comments. 10. Here is the itinerary for Sri Lanka. Please _____ that I have included everything you want in it. A check C control B agree D confirm 38 4.5 Types of letters and emails Ex. 1: First match the email beginnings (1-8) with the endings (a-h). Then match the beginning and ending pairs with the descriptions below. BEGINNINGS… …ENDINGS 1 I am writing with regard to your recent email. We a) Anyway, thanks again for inviting me, and I’m regret to inform you that there are no double rooms really looking forward to it. Do you want me to bring available for the nights you require. _____ anything? 2 Thanks so much for the wonderful present. It’s b) You know you can count on me if you need any exactly the book that I wanted – how did you know? support. I’ll call you at the weekend to see how things I’m really looking forward to reading it. _____ are. 3 Patricia, I’ve just read your email. I’m so sorry to c) Should you need any further information about hear about what happened. _____ room availability, we will be happy to assist you. 4 Sorry, I can’t make it to your birthday party at d) I look forward to receiving this information as soon Fishers restaurant, as I’m away on that day. _____ as possible. 5 I am mailing this via the ‘Contact Us’ link on your e) It really is great news, and I’m sure that it’s only the website. I’d like to know a few more details about the beginning of our work in the French market. anti-virus software that’s listed on the site. _____ 6 I am writing with reference to our order number f) Please deal with this matter urgently. I expect a GH67. The goods arrived this morning, but you only reply from you by tomorrow morning the latest. sent 200 pieces instead of the 300 that we ordered. _____ 7 Yes! Great! I’d love to come to the party. _____ g) Thanks again for the gift, and give my regards to your family. 8 I’ve just heard from Antonio about the Paris h) Anyway, sorry again that I can’t come, but have a contract. It’s fantastic news – you worked really hard great time. I hope we can meet up soon. What about on this and you deserve the success. _____ going to see that new Spielberg film? 1. An email asking for information. Neutral style. _______ 2. An email giving information. Formal style. _______ 3. An email accepting an invitation. Informal style. _______ 4. An email refusing an invitation. Informal style. _______ 5. An email of congratulations. Neutral style. _______ 6. An email of complaint. Formal style. _______ 7. An email of thanks. Neutral style _______ 8. An email of sympathy. Informal style. _______ 39 4.6 Tips and criteria for different types of letters 1. Letters of enquiry • INTRODUCTION o state why you are writing o tell what you are writing about • DISCUSSION o specify your needs o ask precise questions o quantify • CONCLUSION o explain when you need a response o tell your readers why the date is important 2. Letters of complaint • INTRODUCTION o politely state the problem o include supporting documents • DISCUSSION o explain in detail the problems experienced o state what you want done and why • CONCLUSION o end positively o include your phone number and the time you can best be reached 3. Letters of apology • INTRODUCTION o state why you are writing o apologise and take responsibility for the mistake • DISCUSSION o Describe what happened o Have a plan how to fix the situation • CONCLUSION o Admit that you were wrong o Ask for forgiveness 40 Ex. 2: Follow the instructions in this memo and write a letter. Sarah Barnard is Managing Director of Barnard Press Ltd., 183-7 Camwood Road, North Finchley, London N12 9PR and Rosalind Wood is her secretary. MEMO To: Rosalind From: Sarah Date: 1 March 2020 Subject: Reply Please type a reply to Claudio Bini of International Books. Address: Via Santovetti 117/9 Grottaferratta, Rome, Italy Use reference RW/SB His letter dated 15 Feb He asked about story-books in English and Italian for intermediate students. Tell him they’re out of stock at the moment, but we’ll be publishing a new list of them this summer. Send him details of the new list and a current catalogue of present stock. Thanks. Ex. 3: You are Mojca Zupančič and you are organising a business trip to London for yourself and four colleagues. Write to a travel agency for information, using the following guide. • Say what you are planning to do. • Ask the travel agency to send details of flights and hotel tariffs for the month of May. Find out if it is necessary to pay a deposit on the trip. • Tell them that you would also like to hire a car for two days during your stay and ask them to send the details. • Thank them, mentioning that you need a prompt reply. 41 Ex. 4: Imagine you work for a consumer electronic retailer in Paris. As Assistant Manager in Sales write an email to Ms Jane Thompson at Sony. Express your interest in their electronic products and ask for a catalogue and the price list. Ask for a possible discount on large orders and enquire about delivery terms in about 200 words. From: To: CC: Subject: Ex. 5: You work for E-STIL, a company that also produces a wide range of products for parties and get-togethers (tablecloths, napkins, cutlery, tableware). You have received an enquiry for tablecloths and napkins that they will need at a wedding. Write a letter, where you thank for the enquiry and describe the products they are asking about. In addition, send price details in the attached documents / enclosure and mention discounts for large orders. 42 5 COMMUNICATION SKILLS LEAD-IN 1. What is the main purpose of communication? 2. Which are, in your opinion, essential communication skills? 3. What are the characteristics of good communication skills? 4. In what business situations would you need at least basic communication skills? Listening, speaking, reading and writing are the four main language skills. Each of them is important and if a person wants to be an effective language user, they need to master all language skills and develop accuracy and fluency in the language. Reading and listening, also called receptive skills, are more passive than the other two, since they do not require the individual to produce language, but to receive and understand it. On the other hand, writing and speaking, which are also known as productive skills, are skills where the individual needs to be more active and creative, since they have to produce language for other people to receive and understand it. In order to become an effective language user, one needs to put a great deal of effort into developing all four language skills. Communication is a two-way process and in order to communicate effectively it is important to develop both listening and speaking skills. Yet, the one that requires the most energy from the user and maybe also takes a lifetime to master is definitely speaking. Good communication skills can affect many aspects of one’s life, from social (improving personal and family relationships, etc.) to professional (when applying for a job, asking for a promotion, chairing a meeting, participating in a conference, etc.). That is why it is even more important for business people to sharpen their communications skills, since their business success can depend on how quick-witted they are, on their ability to get the message across, on how actively they listen to their interlocutors and, in the end, also how fluent (and accurate) they are in a certain language. In the business world, meetings/conferences and discussions over the phone are probably the most common situations when one would need good communication skills, so these are the ones that will be observed in more detail. 43 5.1 Meetings LEAD-IN 1. What (and/or who) makes a good meeting? 2. What are the characteristics of a good meeting? 3. Which different types of meetings do you know? 4. “Most meetings are a waste of time.” – Do you (dis)agree with the statement and why? 5. “The best way to kill an idea is to take it to a meeting.” – How far do you agree/disagree with this statement? Meetings are a crucial part of corporate life. However, it is extremely important to choose the right type of meeting for a specific purpose. It can most definitely happen that the meeting does not serve its purpose, so it is very important that it is arranged when needed and that it is organised and managed well. Enhancing the company’s productivity, efficiency and overall success are surely the things that want to be achieved in a meeting. Ex. 1: Match the types of meetings with their purposes. 1. a job interview _____ communicate with remote workers 2. an annual general meeting _____ discuss an employee’s performance 3. a teleconference _____ develop new ideas, make lots of suggestions 4. an appraisal meeting _____ recruit a new employee 5. a team-building meeting _____ make decisions, identify problems, make plans 6. a management meeting _____ discuss topics not appropriate for formal meetings 7. meeting with a customer _____ strengthen relationships between colleagues 8. brainstorming _____ discuss a contract 9. board meeting _____ share information, discuss and plan 10. project/team meeting _____ solve problems, make decisions, set policy 11. an informal discussion/chat _____ elect the company board of directors in a with colleagues publicly-owned corporation 44 Ex. 2: In which type of meeting would you hear the fol owing statements/questions being said? 1. “Why do you want to work for this company?” 2. “We seem to be breaking up. Is everything all right with your connection?” 3. “What can I do to improve my performance rating?” 4. “I think we really need to start cutting costs.” 5. “So, let’s review last year’s financial results.” Ex. 3: Match the verbs below with the appropriate meanings and write their translations. postpone arrange close fix chair call off end miss set up run attend schedule host cancel 1. organise a meeting - ____________, ____________, ____________, ____________ 2. organise and be in charge of a meeting - ____________ 3. not to have a meeting - ____________, ____________ 4. have a meeting later than originally planned - ____________ 5. be in charge of a meeting - ____________, ____________ 6. participate in a meeting - ____________ 7. not to go to a meeting - ____________ 8. finish the meeting - ____________, ____________ Ex. 4: Complete the sentences with the appropriate verbs. 1. I think we need to ________________ a meeting to discuss the issue. 2. I can’t make it on Monday. Can we ________________ the meeting? 3. Are you going to ________________ tomorrow’s meeting? Everybody’s coming. 4. HR managers usually ________________ job interviews with potential candidates. 5. It was getting late, so the boss decided to ________________ the meeting. 6. Everybody in the office was on sick leave, so the manager decided to ________________ the meeting. 7. I can’t come to the party today. I’ve got to ________________ the meeting tomorrow and I still have some preparation to do. 8. The committee has ________________ a meeting to discuss the merger. 45 When discussing different types of meeting, there is one significant distinction and that is formality. We differentiate between informal and formal meetings and the latter is what is important in the business world. Formal meeting is a gathering of two or more people, who come together to discuss a pre-planned topic. Any formal meeting needs to have a clear purpose and should stick to the agenda, which was distributed in advance to all the participants. Agenda is a list of items that people will discuss at a meeting. Since time is money, especially in the corporate world, punctuality is important from two different aspects. It could happen that some of the participants struggled with finding time to attend the meeting, which is why it is important for the meeting to start and end on time. Yet, it is also important that the participants arrive at the meeting on time, because latecomers will not be waited for and they might miss an important item discussed or the opportunity to present their idea, etc. Since the agenda is sent to the participants in advance, it is expected from them to come to the meeting prepared, so that they can contribute effectively to the meeting’s goals. Coming to the meeting prepared is especially important if you are presenting, but it is also vital in order to show your dedication to the company/project/your job, come across sovereign, back up your colleague, get your point across, etc. Last but not least, minutes have to be taken during the meeting, either by the person appointed by the chairperson or the secretary. Minutes is an official written record of what is discussed and decided at a formal meeting. Minutes have to be circulated after the meeting within 3-5 days to all the participants and also the ones who could not attend the meeting. Besides the participants, one of whom can also be the minute-taker, there are two more people who have an important position in a meeting. One is a delegate who is a person chosen to represent a group of other people at a meeting, e.g. if the invited person cannot join the meeting. Probably the most important role belongs to the chair or the chairperson who is the person in charge of a meeting. They have an important role before, during and after the meeting. Before the meeting, the chairperson not only has to make sure the copy of the agenda is circulated to the participants in advance, but also has to book the venue of the meeting and make sure nothing else is scheduled there at the same time to avoid all possible distractions during the meeting. If some material is needed during the meeting or a computer and/or a projection screen, the chairperson provides it. The chairperson, of course, makes sure that the meeting starts on time. First, the participants are welcomed and the meeting is opened. Then the agenda is established and during the discussion of individual items on the agenda, the chair invites the participants to contribute to the discussion, manages time and sticks to the agenda. In case of voting, the chair organises that as well. After the meeting, it is necessary that the minutes, which were written up during the meeting, are circulated and at the next meeting the chairperson reads out the minutes and sees if everybody agrees that what was written is accurate and also checks what progress has been made on the action points from the previous meeting. 46 Ex. 5: Complete the fol owing sentences said by the chairperson with the words below. agenda postpone report welcome favour thank comment digress discussion items purpose vote close speed sum finish 1. __________________ you for coming everybody and ______________ to the meeting. 2. As you all know, the _____________________ of this meeting is to… 3. We have three ________________ on the ____________________. 4. I’d like to hear Ben’s ________________ and then we can have a _________________. 5. Would anyone like to _________________? 6. Let’s try not to ____________________ too much. 7. We’ll take a ___________ on two propositions. All those in __________ of Ben’s idea? 8. Let’s try and __________________ things up a bit. 9. We’ll have to __________________ off here. Can we ________________ this discussion to another meeting? 10. OK, just to __________________ things up so far. Basically… 11. I think we should __________________ the meeting now, as it’s after 4 o’clock. Ex. 6: Think of some other expressions you can use when chairing the meeting according to the following categories. 1. welcoming/thanking the participants: 2. introducing a new participant: 3. stating the objective and purpose: 4. inviting/asking opinions: 5. asking for clarification/explanation: 6. widening the discussion: 7. summarising the discussion: 8. checking agreement: 9. sticking to the agenda: 10. closing the meeting: 47 Ex. 7: You are the chairperson of the meeting. What would you say in the following situations? 1. A new colleague, Mr. Hernandez, is present at the meeting. Not everybody knows him. 2. You are going to discuss potential locations for your new office. State the purpose of the meeting. 3. You want to start discussing the first item on the agenda. 4. Melanie should begin the discussion of the item because it is her fields of expertise. 5. Sarah says that Berlin is the better option “logistically”. 6. Mick thinks that Rob would be a bad option. Sandra knows Rob very well. 7. You feel that there may be another suitable location which has not been discussed. 8. The issue has not been fully discussed but there is not much time left and the other issues need to be discussed. Ex. 8: Work in groups of four. Choose one person to chair the meeting and select 3 topics from the list to be discussed in that business meeting. Discuss different ideas and take a decision. 1. You want to reduce costs. 2. You want to attract new customers. 3. You want to improve profits. 4. You want to choose the best city to open a new office. 5. You want to change your company name (make up and choose from three options) 6. You want to improve the health of employees (e.g. by offering free gym membership, free fruit on Fridays, exercise balls, stress management classes, etc.) 5.2 Telephoning LEAD-IN 1. What are phone skills? 2. How can you improve your phone skills? 3. What are some job positions where one would need effective phone skills? 4. Are the subjects of the calls always relevant? 5. In what situations can a phone call interruption have a negative effect on your work or business? How can you handle such interruptions? 6. What communication problems might occur if one lacks essentials phone skills? 7. In what situations and how can the knowledge of good English/Business English help you achieve the desired outcome? 48 Ex. 1: Here are some telephone phrases. Match the two halves and use them to complete the sentences below. 1. give somebody _____ a call 2. call somebody _____ a number 3. dial _____ a text 4. put somebody _____ back 5. send somebody _____ on hold 1. I’m afraid I don’t have time to talk right now. I’ll ____________ you ___________ later. 2. Please _____________ me ____________ with your new address and telephone number. 3. I’m sorry, there’s nobody called Robert here. You probably _____________ the wrong ______________. 4. I wanted to speak to the manager, but the receptionist ____________ me ___________ for five minutes. 5. __________ me __________ next time you are in London. I’ll be happy to meet you again. Ex. 2: Here are the beginnings of some telephone cal s. Read them and complete the gaps with the appropriate words. 1. Mick: Hello. Barbara: Hello, can I speak to Alina, please? Mick: Sure. Who’s __________________? Barbara: It’s Barbara. Mick: Just a second. Alina: Hello, Alina ___________________. Barbara: Hi, Alina. _____________ Barbara. How are you? 2. Gregory: Hello. Mick: Hi. Is Gregory __________________? Gregory: ____________________________. Mick: Hi, Gregory, I didn’t recognise your voice. It’s Mick. I’m just calling to say hi. 3. Receptionist: Good morning, Telecom Network Services, Andy speaking. ____________ may I help you? Jim Black: Good morning, _________________ is Jim Black. Could you put me through to the customer service department, please? Receptionist: Certainly. One ____________________, please. 49 Ex. 3: Think of some possible expressions you can use for the following categories connected with phone calls. 1. answering the phone: 2. introducing yourself to the receiver: 3. asking to speak to somebody: 4. checking the number: 5. stating the reason for the call: 6. taking a message: 7. leaving a message: Ex. 4: Complete the dialogue below about marketing arrangements. The first letter of the missing word is given. Amy: I’d like to v________________ you some time next month to meet Dr. Blaze. Ben: That’s f____________. I could give you an a________________ tomorrow. Amy: No, unfortunately I’m a_______ tomorrow. The f_________ day would be okay. Ben: Yes, well h________ about Wednesday morning at 9am? Amy: That’s good. Please, can you c_________________ by email? Ben: Yes, of course. Ex. 5: Complete the sentences below with the following words. read anything calling busy hold catch number just let spell repeat sorry sure take afraid 1. I’m _______________ he’s not in the office right now. Can I ______________ a message? 2. I’m _______________ but she’s in a meeting right now. 3. I’m sorry but the line is ______________. Would you like to ___________________? 4. I’m sorry. I didn’t _________________ your name. Could you _________________ it? 5. I’ll _______________ him know you rang. Thank you for ___________________. 6. Could you __________________ tell him I called? 7. I’ll make __________________ she gets your message. 8. Is there __________________ else? 9. I’m sorry I didn’t hear that. Can you _____________________ it out slowly? 10. Could you give me your ____________________ please? I’ll make sure he gets back to you. 11. Can you ____________________ that back to me to make sure you put it down correctly? 50 Ex. 5.1: Now complete the dialogue with some of the sentences above. A: Hello, Marketing Department. This is Annie speaking. How can I help you? B: Hello, this is Jim Samson from Telekom. Could I speak to Mrs. Basinger, please? A: ____________________________________________ B: Can I leave a message? A: Certainly. B: Could you tell her that we have just received her order and the invoice amount is again wrong. This is the invoice number 198/38-21. A: _____________________________________________ B: Yes, it’s 198/38-21. ________________________________________ A: Yes, certainly. 198/38-21. Is this correct? B: Perfect. A: Right, so I’ve put it down. ___________________________________ B: No, that’s all. A: OK, Mr. Samson. _______________________________ B: Thank you very much. Goodbye. Ex. 6: Visit the pages on the link and listen to two telephone conversations. The first one deals with a problem of an invoice and an unpaid bil and the second with explaining a problem over the phone. Listen to the conversations and answer the questions connected with it. LINK: https://www.businessenglishpod.com/2009/08/29/bep-140-telephoning-dealing-with-problems-over-the-phone/ 1. Where does Jack think Marcy’s invoice might be? 2. What are the payment terms that Jack agreed to? 3. What solutions does Jack suggest? LINK: https://www.businessenglishpod.com/2017/09/02/business-english-pod-311-business-by-phone-english-1- discussing-production-problems/ 1. How does Dave introduce the fact that there were some problems in the production? 2. What does Dave suggest as the root causes of the problems? 3. How is Dave going to deal with the problems? 51 6 COMPANY ORGANISATION LEAD-IN 1. List some world-renowned companies. 2. Do you know which sectors of the economy we distinguish between and which sectors do those companies belong to? 3. What types of economic activities fall into which sector? 4. Are you familiar with different types of companies and business structures? 5. Do you have a favourite brand? Which one is it? What type of company does your favourite brand belong to? 6. Are you familiar with different types of organisational structures of companies ins Slovenia? 7. Which organisational structure is the most frequent or the most traditional? 6.1 Sectors of the economy (the productive sectors of the economy) Figure 5: Sectors of the economy QUATERNARY SECTOR (knowledge) TERTIARY SECTOR (services) SECONDARY SECTOR (goods) PRIMARY SECTOR (raw materials) 52 Economic activity can be broken down into 4 main sectors: 1. PRIMARY SECTOR • This sector can also be called ‘extraction sector’, since it involves the retrieval and production of raw materials. • The activities that belong to this sector are agriculture/farming, logging, fishing, forestry and mining. 2. SECONDARY SECTOR • This sector can also be called ‘manufacturing or production sector’, because it involves the industry that takes raw materials and combines and transforms them to produce a higher value added finished product (e.g. steel  car, wool  jumper…) • The activities that belong to this sector are construction, vehicle manufacturing, textile production, pharmaceutical, aerospace, computers, electronics, food processing, beverages, etc. 3. TERTIARY SECTOR • This sector is also know as ‘service sector’, since it involves supplying services to businesses or consumers instead of finished products. • Services, which are also known as ‘intangible goods’ involve transportation, gas and sanitary services, airlines, telecommunications, wholesale and retail trade, hotels, restaurants, catering, insurance, banking, etc. Many economic models divide the sectors of the industry into three sectors, but in the 20th century, economists suggested that a further division of the tertiary sector be made (Kenessey, 1987, p. 364). 4. QUATERNARY SECTOR • This sector is also known as ‘knowledge sector or knowledge economy’, because this is the component of the economy based on human capital. • Activities that are connected with this sector include government, education, culture, libraries, research and development, information technology. 53 Ex. 1: Below are some companies/institutions or their logos. Do you know them? Which sectors of the economy do they belong to? ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ Ex. 2: Think of some big and important companies that are located in the Dolenjska region and Slovenia. Do you know which sector of the industry they belong to? Put down at least two companies for each sector. DOLENJSKA REGION SLOVENIA PRIMARY SECONDARY TERTIARY QUATERNARY Ex. 3: Put each of the fol owing examples of economic activity in the correct column. car hire food processing pig farming oil drilling ship building insurance producing clothes graphic design gold mining THE PRIMARY THE INDUSTRIAL THE SERVICE SECTOR SECTOR SECTOR Ex. 4: Which sector of the economy is the strongest and most lucrative in Slovenia? Discuss it with your colleagues, elaborate on your answer and provide some examples. 54 6.2 Structure of the economy PUBLIC PRIVATE SECTOR SECTOR CORPORATE FINANCIAL PERSONAL SECTOR SECTO R SECTOR Besides the productive sectors of the economy, there is another classification of economic activity (Robbins, 2003, p.16). 1. PUBLIC SECTOR • This sector is the part of a country’s economy which is controlled or supported financially by the government. 2. PRIVATE SECTOR • This sector is the part of a country’s economy which consists of industries and commercial companies that are not owned or controlled by the government. The private sector can be further divided into: 3. CORPORATE SECTOR: businesses that supply goods and services 4. FINANCIAL SECTOR: businesses that provide financial services 5. PERSONAL SECTOR: private individuals and households Ex. 5: Complete the sentences with an appropriate term from the box. goods public sector enterprises industries public private financial productive service 1. The manufacturing sector consists of a variety of manufacturing ________________. 2. Companies that are owned by shareholders or private individuals are in the ___________ sector. 3. A nationalised industry, run by the state, is in the ______________________ sector, and the companies in this sector are examples of _____________________. 4. Any company that produces _______________ or products is in the ________________ sector. 5. Banks are located within the _______________ sector of the economy, or in the _______________ sector of industry. 55 SECTORS – MAIN POINTS REVISED We distinguish between: • primary sector: extraction of raw materials (e.g. agriculture, fishing, mining etc.) • secondary or industrial or manufacturing sector: production of finished goods (e.g. construction, electronics, vehicle production etc.) • tertiary or service sector: providing services (e.g. telecommunications, hotels, insurance etc.) • quaternary or knowledge-based sector: providing services that include knowledge (e.g. education, consultation, health services, culture etc.) • public sector: activities undertaken by the state (e.g. military, public transit, public education etc.) • private sector: activities undertaken by private individuals and businesses (e.g. accountancy firms, sole proprietorships like plumbers and designers etc.) 6.3 Types of companies A company or a firm is a business or organisation that makes money by selling goods or services and is therefore a very important part of country’s economy. In many countries the economy is dominated by large firms. There are companies that are nationalised and belong to the state, as well as private companies. A private company may be a small business, which does not employ many people and earns relatively little money or a very large firm, earning enormous sums of money, with thousands of shareholders who basically own the business. When an individual has a business idea and entrepreneurial spirit, this may result in a start-up, a small business that has recently been established. When launching a company, there is usually a risk of loss, so start-ups can be labelled as ventures and people who make money by investing in these high-risk projects venture capitalists. Of course, setting up a business is also an opportunity for profit, if the company manages to break into the market. A small business can grow in many ways: by employing new people, by taking over their own suppliers, by buying other companies and through mergers. A company can also move or expand across the borders and become a multinational or even grow into a conglomerate if it joins other different business and forms a large business organisation. Large companies usually consist of a holding or parent company with one or more subsidiaries. There are many types of business entities defined in the legal system. The most common ones are described below. • Sole tradership (BrE) / Sole proprietorship (AmE) is a type of business where one person owns their own business and does not have a partner or any shareholders. All profits belong to the owner who is personally liable for any debts. The person is called a sole trader or sole proprietor. 56 • Partnership is a relationship in which two or more people, business or industries work together as partners. o A general (unlimited) partnership is a partnership joined by two or more people, who are jointly liable for any legal actions and debts the company may face and also take equal share of the profits. o A limited (liability) partnership is a partnership whose owners are legally responsible for only the amount each partner has invested in the company. • A limited liability company (LLC) is a corporate structure with limited liability where the owners are not personally liable for the company’s debts or liabilities. An LLC is a hybrid entity with characteristics of both a corporation and a partnership or sole tradership (depending on the number of owners). o In a private limited company, the share ownership is in private hands and cannot be bought by the general public. There is limited liability and the shares can only be sold to shareholders in the business. In official documents, the company name is usually followed by Ltd in Britain or LLC in the US. o A public limited company is a large company whose shares may be freely sold and traded to the public. In Britain, Plc is usually used after the name of the company to show that it is a public limited company, whereas Inc. is used after the company name in the US. • A franchise is a type of business which involves the granting of a licence of trademark and methods of doing business by one company (a franchisor) to another company (franchisee). In return franchisee pays certain fees or royalties and agrees to comply with certain obligations. • A start-up company is a small business that has recently been started by someone. • A holding company or a parent company is a company that owns the majority of shares in another company or enough shares in one or more other companies to be able to control the management and operations of other companies. • A wholly-owned company is a company whose shares are all owned by another company. • A subsidiary is a company which is part of a larger and more important company, known as the parent company. • Sister companies are two or more companies which are owned by the same parent organisation. • An associated company is a company in which between 20% and 50% of the shares are owned by another company or group. • SMEs is an abbreviation for small and medium-sized enterprises. • A freelancer is someone who is not permanently employed by a particular company, but sells their services to more than one company. 57 Ex. 6: Complete word partnerships below. The first letter is given to help you. Then translate the expressions into your first language. 1. private s________________ __________________________________ 2. limited l________________ __________________________________ 3. q_______________ sector __________________________________ 4. sole t__________________ __________________________________ 5. legal e_________________ __________________________________ 6. holding c_______________ __________________________________ 7. p_______________ company __________________________________ 8. fully l_________________ __________________________________ Ex. 7: Complete the sentences below with the missing expressions. Choose between the words and expressions in the table. corporation merge limited involved enterprise trade union offices shareholders sector retailing employees bookkeeping vice president premises 1. Several companies are _________________ in the development. 2. Ltd stands for _________________ company. 3. Mining and farming are part of the primary _________________. 4. Shops and supermarkets are part of the _________________ industry. 5. Our economy depends on private _________________ to combine capital and opportunities for investment. 6. A private company can have one owner or thousands of _________________, owning the firm. 7. The two firms want to _________________ to form a larger one and be stronger. 8. We are moving because our business _________________ are too small. 9. The _________________ department looks after the company’s figures. 10. In many countries of the world today, particularly in large firms, employees can join a _________________. 11. The _________________ around the world are becoming more and more similar and one looks much like the other. 12. In America a large firm is called an _________________. 13. In American companies, directors are called _________________. 14. The atmosphere of the workplace can influence the effectiveness of a company’s ________________. 58 Ex. 8: Read the information about the companies below and match them with the descriptions. a sole trader a partnership a public limited company a freelancer a subsidiary a limited company a plc a SME joint venture 1. Denise Roberts opened a hair salon last year. She owns and manages it herself. ____________ 2. Ben is an engineer who runs a company that provides consultancy. He has 12 employees. Last year the company had a turnover of €500,000. ____________ 3. Micro controls is a medium-sized firm whose shares are available on the stock market. _______ 4. More than 50% of Instagram’s shares are owned by Facebook. ____________ 5. Brothers Jim and Jack Holland have recently established an import-export company. They run the business together. ____________ 6. The American giant, Monsterbuck, suggested that the two companies work in partnership on a new product. ____________ 7. BCL Civil engineering in an independent company with 20 employees. It was founded by 3 engineers, who are shareholders and directors of the company. There are five other shareholders who do not work for the company. ____________ 8. Maya is a photographer. She has just finished a project for a wedding-planning company and now she started collaborating with a cake decorator. ____________ 9. Their company went bankrupt last year, but its shareholders were not made responsible for all the money it owned. ____________ Ex. 9: Complete the company profile of Pipistrel d.o.o. Choose from the words in the table. entrepreneur shareholder subsidiaries located headquarters manufactures established CEO conglomerate facilities privately brand Pipistrel d.o.o. is one of the most successful Slovenian companies, which _______________ light aircrafts. The company is _______________ in Ajdovščina and it also has some _______________ near the town of Gorizia, Italy. The company was _______________ in 1989 by Ivo Boscarol who is an economist, photographer and an _______________. 59 The company is 100% _______________-owned. In April 2022 the company was purchased by Textron Inc, an American industrial _______________ based in Providence, Rhode Island. Textron’s _______________ include various companies from automotive and aviation industry. Despite the purchase, Pipistrel will continue as a _______________ and keep its existing _______________ and operations in Slovenia and Italy. Pipistrel’s founder and _______________, Mr. Boscarol, will stay on as a minority _______________. Ex. 10: Read the text on Starbucks and fil the gaps with the appropriate word or phrase from the table. founded company chain licenced corporation market share franchise sales crisis located headquartered CEO corporate earnings expansion Starbucks ______________ is an American multinational ______________ of coffeehouses and roastery reserves ______________ in Seattle, Washington. It is the world's largest coffeehouse chain. As of November 2021, the ______________ had 33,833 stores in 80 countries, 15,444 of which were ______________ in the United States. Out of Starbucks' U.S.-based stores, over 8,900 are company-operated, while the remainder are ______________. Starbucks was ______________ in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker at Seattle' s Pike Place Market. During the early 1980s, they sold the company to Howard Schultz who – after a business trip to Milan, Italy – decided to convert the coffee bean store into a coffee shop serving espresso-based drinks. As ______________from 1986 to 2000, Schultz's first tenure led to an aggressive ______________ of the ______________, first in Seattle, then across the West Coast of the United States. Schultz was succeeded by Orin Smith who ran the company for five years and positioned Starbucks as a large player in fair trade coffee, increasing ______________ to $5 billion. Jim Donald served as chief executive officer from 2005 to 2008, orchestrating a large-scale ______________ expansion. Schultz returned as CEO during the financial ______________ of 2007–08 and spent the succeeding decade growing the company's ______________, expanding its offerings, and reorienting the brand around ______________ social responsibility. Kevin Johnson, the current CEO, succeeded Schultz in 2017. In March 2022, Starbucks announced that Schultz would return as CEO in April 2022. 60 6.4 Organisational structure for companies Organisational structure is the method by which work flows through an organisation or company. It helps determine the company’s leadership hierarchy and establish the roles, relationships and responsibilities that outline how the company’s activities are directed to meet its aims. Companies can have different organisational structures, however, they mostly have a steep or flat hierarchy. A number of factors, including size, number of employees and goals determine the type of structure that best fits the company or organisation. A steep hierarchy is a pyramid-like structure, with a vertical chain of command, the CEO on the top and several layers of management underneath. This type of organisational structure is usually adopted by large companies and government agencies to better accommodate the size and roles of the employees. A B C D A flat hierarchy has a structure with few levels of middle management between leadership and employees or even no middle management at all. This type of organisational structure is usually adopted by smaller companies or start-ups, which have fewer employees and do not have such a need for hierarchical administration. A B C D Table 3: The comparison of steep and flat hierarchy STEEP HIERARCHY FLAT HIERARCHY COMPANY STRUCTURE many levels of management not many levels of management unequal distribution of power: senior power-sharing: members of staff POWER manager are very powerful are relatively equal ROLES each member of staff has a fixed role or function roles are often flexible 61 Ex. 11: Decide whether the fol owing descriptions refer to hierarchical (H) or flat (F) organisational structure. Put the appropriate letter on the line. This type of workplace relationship: 1. includes line managers _____ 2. enables workers to gradually advance and climb the social ladder _____ 3. allows more transparency due to limited bureaucracy _____ 4. enables fast decision-making _____ 5. divides power and responsibilities evenly throughout the organisation _____ 6. has clear reporting relationships _____ 6.4.1 Traditional organisational structure A traditional organisational structure is based on a hierarchy, where power flows vertically and upward throughout the organisation. The vertical hierarchy of the chart below shows the chain of command and the horizontal hierarchy shows different jobs or work specialisation. When deciding on creating an organisational structure, it first has to be determined how people and jobs are going to be grouped into work units. Joint-stock companies (companies where shares of the company’s stock can be bought and sold by shareholders) can choose between two models: the one-tier model, where a board of directors manages and supervises the corporation and the two-tier model, where the management board and supervisory board separately exercise the respective management and supervisory function. Both the one-tier and the two-tier models are presented on the next pages. 62 Figure 6: The traditional organisational chart (two-tier model) SHAREHOLDERS SUPERVISORY BOARD MANAGEMENT BOARD MANAGING DIRECTOR / CEO COO CFO PRODUCTION PERSONNEL SALES AND PURCHASING R & D FINANCE DIRECTOR DIRECTOR MARKETING DIRECTOR DIRECTOR DIRECTOR DIRECTOR SALES CUSTOMER MANAGER SERVICE MANAGER LINE MANAGERS 63 Figure 7: The traditional organisational chart (one-tier model) SHAREHOLDERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS MANAGING DIRECTOR / CEO COO CFO PRODUCTION PERSONNEL SALES AND PURCHASING R & D FINANCE DIRECTOR DIRECTOR MARKETING DIRECTOR DIRECTOR DIRECTOR DIRECTOR SALES CUSTOMER MANAGER SERVICE MANAGER LINE MANAGERS A shareholder is a person, company or institution that owns shares in a company. Shareholders basically own the company, but this also comes with certain rights and responsibilities. This type of ownership allows them to benefit from the company’s success in the form of financial profits (dividends) but in the case of bankruptcy, the shareholders can lose their entire investment. The supervisory board supervises the conduct of the business, inspects the company’s accounts and books etc. It is elected by the shareholders meeting for up to a 6-year term and can also be re-elected. The supervisory board may require the approval of certain management board business decisions and assign the power to represent the company to individual management board members. The management board comprises one or more managing directors who conduct the business and represent the company. The management board is appointed by the supervisory board. Board of directors consists of individuals who are elected by the shareholders of the company or corporation. It most commonly includes inside directors, who work day-to-day at the company (e.g. chief executive officer, chief financial officer etc.) and outside directors, who are chosen externally and are more independent and impartial in their decisions. The board’s tasks are to monitor the management team and are basically advocates for shareholders. The top manager or the managing director of the company or corporation is the so-called Chief Executive Officer (CEO). This person is responsible for company’s entire operations and day-to-day activities and reports directly to the board of directors. 64 The Chief Operations Officer (COO) is also responsible for and focuses on the company’s operations, more specifically marketing, sales, production and personnel departments. Looking after day-to-day activities, the COO provides feedback to the CEO and so does the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). This person is responsible for developing financial strategies, analysing financial data and reporting financial performance. Shareholders, the board of directors, the CEO, the CFO and the COO belong to the so-called top-level management. The next line are the directors of separate departments (R&D director, finance director, production director etc.), who oversee the operations of the department and ensure efficient and smooth workflow. Together with the managers (marketing manager, sales manager, branch manager, financial manager etc.) they belong to the middle-level management. Line managers belong to the low-level management and they are the ones who directly manage the employees and operations and report to the higher-rank managers. Line managers are directly involved in the production or delivery of products, goods and services. Ex. 11: Complete the diagram with the expressions from the table. board of directors managers shareholders _______________________ (owners of the company) _______________________ (responsible to the shareholders) _______________________ (appointed by the board to run the company) Ex. 12: Use the expressions below to complete the text. board of chief executive managing company directors board senior executives officer director secretary chair People at the head of organisation are ____________ or senior managers. The __________ is the person who has overall responsibility for the day-to-day running of an organisation. In the case of a limited company the CEO is normally the ___________, appointed by the ___________ on the authority of its members. The same person is usually the __________ of the meetings of the __________, i.e. the people who are legally responsible for a company. The person responsible for keeping minutes of board meetings is the ____________. 65 Ex. 13: Match the positions on the left with the tasks they are most likely to be responsible for. 1. Marketing Director _____ recruits and takes care of the staff’s welfare 2. Research Director _____ does the books and prepares the balance sheets 3. Human Resources Director _____ discusses sales figures with sales team 4. Customer Services Manager _____ looks after the company’s money 5. Sales Manager _____ is responsible for everything when the boss is away 6. Managing Director _____ deals with complaints from customers 7. Finance Director _____ buys all the things that the company need 8. Chief Accountant _____ studies possible new holiday destinations in detail 9. Purchasing Manager _____ makes the products which the company sells 10. Assistant General Manager _____ has general responsibility for the whole company 11. Production Manager _____ contacts newspapers to advertise new jobs 12. Public Relations Manager _____ makes sure that the company has a good image 13. Personnel Director _____ meets with advertising agency to discuss new advertisements for the company’s holidays Ex. 14: Match the problems with the departments below. 1. Distribution _____ The survey shows that the majority of 18- to 25-year-old women think our perfume smells terrible. 2. Personnel _____ There’s national newspaper on the phone. They want to talk about water pollution near the factory. 3. Research _____ The unions have just asked for another 10%. 4. Finance _____ There’s a network fault: all the screens have gone blank. 5. Public Relations _____ One of the robots on the assembly line has failed. 6. Production _____ If we don’t start producing more useful ideas soon, they’ll close down the laboratory. 7. Marketing _____ Last month, there were problems with 0.31% of the bottles. This month I want that figure to be zero. 8. Reception _____ We have ten lorries waiting outside the main warehouse and there’s nothing to put in them. 9. Information Technology _____ I’m very sorry, madam. We certainly asked the taxi to be here at 4 o’clock. I’ll call them again immediately. 10. Quality _____ Cash flow is much worse than I thought. 66 Ex. 15: Match the terms on the left with their equivalents on the right. 1. headquarters _____ Managing Director 2. Chief Executive Officer _____ products 3. firm _____ chief 4. goods _____ head office 5. head _____ manager 6. executive _____ company Ex. 16: Reading comprehension: read the text A matter of choice on the next page and say why the author thinks “choice” will play a major role in determining the structure of tomorrow’s companies. That reliable workhorse of capitalism - the joint-stock company looks surprisingly durable. But pressure on it is increasing. In 1967, John Kenneth Galbraith's The New Industrial State argued that the USA was run by a handful of big companies who planned the economy in the name of stability. These were hierarchical and bureaucratic organizations making long runs of standardised products. They introduced "new and improved" varieties with predictable regularity; they provided their workers with lifetime employment and they enjoyed fairly good industrial relations with the giant trade unions. That world is now dead. The US's giant corporations have either disappeared or been transformed by global competition. Most have shifted their production systems from high-volume to high-value, from standardised to customised. And they have flattened their management hierarchies. Few people these days expect to spend their lives moving up the ladder of a single organization. Dramatic changes are taking place. But where exactly are they taking us? Where is the modern company heading? There are three standard answers to this question. The first is that a handful of giant companies are engaged in a "silent takeover" of the world. The past couple of decades have seen a record number of mergers. The survivors, it is maintained, are far more powerful than nation states. The second school of thought argues almost the opposite: it says that big companies are a thing of the past. For a glimpse of the future, look at the Monorail Corporation, which sells computers. Monorails owns no factories, warehouses or any other tangible assets. It operates from a single floor that it leases in an office building in Atlanta. Freelance workers are designing the computers while demand is still low. The third school of thought says that companies are being replaced by "networks". Groups of entrepreneurs form such a network to market an idea. They then sell it to the highest bidder and move on to produce another idea and to create another firm, with the money being supplied all the time by venture capitalists. 67 Another way to look at the future of the company is to focus on the environment that will determine it. That environment is dominated by one thing: choice. Technology and globalization open up ever more opportunities for individuals and firms to collect information and conduct economic activity outside traditional structures. While the age of mass production lowered the costs of products at the expense of limiting choices, modern "flexible" production systems both lower costs and increase choice. Consumers have more choice over where they spend their money- Producers have more choice over which suppliers to use. Shareholders have more choice over where to put their money. With all that choice around, future companies will have to be very flexible in order to quickly adapt to the changing environments if they are to survive. Ex. 16.1: Read the text again and answer the fol owing questions. 1. What were the characteristics of US corporations in the past? 2. What changes have occurred to those corporations? 3. What is meant by ‘shifting from high-volume to high-value’? 4. What different types of future companies does the author mention? 5. Why does he believe there is not one definite type of future company? 6. What does he believe to be the key to survival for companies in future? Ex. 16.2: Find the words in the text that describe people who: 1. work independently or on short-term contracts ______________________ 2. are willing to take risks ______________________ 3. are willing to invest in new or risky business projects ______________________ 4. express a wish to buy something ______________________ 5. make goods ______________________ 6. own part of the company ______________________ Ex. 16.3: Match the expressions with the definitions and put the correct number on the line. 1. bureaucracy _____ goods of the same quality or design 2. flattened hierarchy _____ inflexible system of administration 3. standardised products _____ rent a building on a temporary basis 4. lifetime employment _____ more middle than senior managers 5. merger _____ buildings and machinery a company owns 6. customised _____ permanent jobs 7. tangible assets _____ made for a particular user 8. lease _____ when two companies become one 68 7 BUSINESS OPERATIONS When an individual decides to launch a business and establishes the legal structure for the business, they also need to think about the physical operations of the business, which, of course, vary according to business type, industry, size, etc. Business operations describe different activities that companies take on to increase the value of the company and earn a profit. In order to maximise the outputs (products, goods, services) for profitability, one needs to organise the inputs (raw materials, labour, capital). By using different materials and labour, the aim of each company is to provide services and produce goods in the most effective way, which means reducing costs of production, increasing profit, improving customer satisfaction, automating processes based on technology, etc. In short, business operations present the “core business” of the company, with the support of other departments in the company, such as marketing, finance and human resources. In operations, these five areas play an important role and as a business owner, it is essential to make sure that all operations function well and integrate with one another effectively: 1. LOCATION • This business operation is more important to some businesses than others, so the reason for location will vary. It makes a difference whether you are a small business producing soaps, which means your business could also be home-based, while a large-scale cosmetics company may require a multi-storey factory. • One of the things that have to be considered is also leasing, renting or buying the physical facility. • The location of the business should be such that it reaches the greatest number of customers and provides efficient access to employees. Important factors are also visibility, traffic flow, parking but also square footage, layout, utilities, storage, etc. • In terms of availability of the products or services, it should be considered whether physical location of a shop would be enough or is there a need for online/internet-based shop. 2. EQUIPMENT • One of the key elements of the company’s business operations are also technology and machinery or tools you need for doing the job. The required equipment for optimum work and also the industry’s demands should be taken into consideration. 69 3. LABOUR • People who are employed in a particular organisation contribute greatly to the business operations. Here we include the developers, people who work in the production line, white-collar workers, directors, those who deal with customer services, etc. – everybody involved in the process from the idea of a certain product or service to its execution and beyond. • Each employee is assigned certain tasks or works on a project that match their skills, which is all important for promoting productivity and profit. • An important question that varies from one business to another is the number of employees, their job functions, full-time/part-time employees/freelancers, etc. 4. PROCESS • Process is an important business operation, since it has effect on productivity and efficiency. With the processes of business operations known to the employees, their roles are more fixed with each employee knowing exactly what their tasks are, which results in greater confidence of the employees, bigger effectiveness and speed of the tasks’ completion and also less space for mistakes. • It is wise to document all the processes, so that tracking is easier, there is greater transparency and that operation managers can revise them and suggest adjustments and improvements. 5. ORGANISATION/MANAGEMENT • Just like labour force is extremely important in the process of business operations, so is the management of the company or organisation. Their work includes the organisation and coordination of the work process, decision-making and problem solving, planning and strategical thinking, communication with and motivation of the employees and also showing clear leadership abilities. None of the above-mentioned areas of business operations can be disregarded or left unattended, because they are all equally important. If problems occur in one of the area, all the others bear the consequences, which is likely to result in decreased motivation of the workforce, problems in the production line, disturbances in the work process, etc. and, in worst case scenario, also in the closing of the company or organisation. Ex. 1: Put the verbs in brackets into their correct form. Brambilla Ltd. __________________________ (found) by Francesco Brambilla in 1967. Until 1970 the company __________________________ (have) only a small factory in Pisa. In 1975 a new plant __________________________ (open) in Rome and the company __________________________ (begin) manufacturing valves. In 1976 the Head Office __________________________ (move) to Rome. In the next fifteen years sales offices __________________________ (establish) in 46 different countries. Now the company __________________________ (have) a range of over 500 products. The company __________________________ (plan) expansion into the automotive sector. Next year there __________________________ (be) a new plant in Belgium and a plant in Minneapolis. 70 Ex. 2: Choose the most appropriate verb from the table and put it on the line in the correct form. continue operate be expand move have launch produce be work Maddison Ltd. __________________ originally a family company. It was started by three brothers who __________________ as engineers. It __________________ only one product at the beginning. Now, the company __________________ in several countries. It __________________ rapidly. It __________________ a market leader for several years. It __________________ plastics since 1958. They __________________ to a new factory next month. They __________________ to grow. They __________________ a sales campaign in Europe. Ex. 3: Put the words from the table into the correct column below. The words are related to the five business operations that were discussed at the beginning of this chapter. Examples are provided in each table. planning situated system internet-based machinery employment material recruit growth located evolution performance progress area tools HRM development quality control workforce coordination region stock accessories production relocated operation structure venue improvement resource facilities redundant institution management district departments LOCATION EQUIPMENT LABOUR PROCESS ORGANISATION venue material employment development structure 71 Ex. 4: Jamie is telling her visitors about where the company she works for is located. Fil in the gaps with the words from the table. factories head office local agents local offices office plant regional headquarters R&D centres training centres warehouses Our ___________________ is in London. This is where most of our senior managers work. We also have four ___________________: in Singapore, serving Asia; in Boston, Massachusetts, serving the whole of North America; in Buenos Aires for South America; and in Zurich, for Europe, Africa and the Middle East. We have ___________________ in seventeen other countries and in countries where we do not have our own people we usually have ___________________. Of course, we make a wide range of products but recently we have closed some ___________________ and reduced the number of products being made at others. However, distribution is still as local as possible and we have ___________________, depots and distribution centres in almost every country in which we operate. We have also closed some of the smaller ___________________ and moved many of our best scientists and technicians to two major centres in France and the United States. We think that staff development is essential to our present and future success and we run more than 5,000 courses for our employees in the fifty ___________________, which we have across the words. Well, that’s all I want to say about our presence worldwide. Now, if you would like to follow me, first of all, I’ll show you my ___________________ and then we’ll start the tour of the ___________________. Ex. 5: Circle the odd word out in each of the groups of basic business words. 1. a) firm b) company c) enterprise d) manager 2. a) plant b) factory c) office d) works 3. a) client b) customer c) consumer d) employee 4. a) manager b) profit c) executive d) business person 5. a) export b) division c) section d) department 6. a) timetable b) plan c) schedule d) market 7. a) staff b) personnel c) product d) workforce 8. a) aim b) target c) reach d) objective 72 DISCUSSION POINT 1. Discuss the importance of the location of economic activity in connection with environmental protection. 2. What would location efficiency mean and how would you connect it with a company/organisation/factory? 3. What is the importance of warehouse equipment and machinery? 4. Why is constant training and knowledge-improvement important for people employed in an organisation? How can this contribute to more profit and better visibility and recognisability of the company/organisation on the market? 5. Should the process of a certain product or service be constantly changing and adapting to novelties on the market or is it better to stick to the existing one if it works well for the company/organisation and brings success? 6. What are the characteristics of a good manager? 7. How does good organisation of the work process and clear allocation of the employees’ tasks and assignments contributes to the company’s/organisation’s success? Ex. 6: Complete the sentences below with the following verbs. carry out identify launches recall release trial 1. When designing new product or services, it is very important for companies to ______________ market research. 2. Before the final version of a new programme is ready, software developers usually ______________ a beta version. 3. When a product is ready in its final form, the company ______________ it on the market. 4. Pharmaceutical companies ________________ new drugs to make sure they are safe and effective. 5. If a newly launched product has a design fault, the company may need to _____________ it. 6. Market research can help a business __________________ unfulfilled customer needs. 73 Ex. 7: Look at the following typical development stages in designing and developing a new product below and put them in order. conception development design market research testing/trialling rollout/product launch Ex. 8: Reading comprehension: read the text titled The lifecycle of a cup of coffee. Before reading, discuss the fol owing questions with your colleagues. 1. Do you enjoy drinking coffee? Why/Why not? 2. How much do you drink each day? How do you prepare it? 3. Would you say that coffee is a popular drink in your home country? Where do people usually drink it? How many people does it take to make a cup of coffee? For many of us, all it takes is a short walk and a quick pour. But this simple staple is the result of a globe-spanning process whose cost and complexity are far greater than you might imagine. It begins in a place like the remote Colombian town of Pitalito. Here, family farms have clear cut local forests to make room for neat rows of Coffea trees. These shrub-like plants were first domesticated in Ethiopia and are now cultivated throughout equatorial regions. Each shrub is filled with small berries called "coffee cherries." Since fruits on the same branch can ripen at different times, they’re best picked by hand, but each farm has its own method for processing the fruit. In Pitalito, harvesters toil from dawn to dusk at high altitudes, often picking over 25 kilograms per shift for very low wages. The workers deliver their picked cherries to the wet mill. This machine separates the seeds from the fruit, and then sorts them by density. The heaviest, most flavourful seeds sink to the bottom of the mill, where they’re collected and taken to ferment in a tub of water for one or two days. Then, workers wash off the remaining fruit and put the seeds out to dry. Some farms use machines for this process, but in Pitalito, seeds are spread onto large mesh racks. Over the next three weeks, workers rake the seeds regularly to ensure they dry evenly. Once the coffee beans are dry, a truck takes them to a nearby mill with several specialised machines. An air blower re-sorts the seeds by density, an assortment of sieves filter them by size, and an optical scanner sorts by colour. At this point, professionals called Q-graders select samples of beans to roast and brew. In a process called "cupping," they evaluate the 74 coffee’s taste, aroma, and mouthfeel to determine its quality. These experts give the beans a grade, and get them ready to ship. Workers load burlap sacks containing up to 70 kilograms of dried and sorted coffee beans onto steel shipping containers, each able to carry up to 21 metric tons of coffee. From tropical ports, cargo ships crewed by over 25 people transport coffee around the world. But no country imports more coffee than the United States, with New York City alone consuming millions of cups every day. After the long journey from Colombia to New Jersey, our coffee beans pass through customs. Once dockworkers unload the container, a fleet of eighteen-wheelers transport the coffee to a nearby warehouse, and then to a roastery. Here the beans go into a roasting machine, stirred by a metallic arm and heated by a gas-powered fire. Nearby sensors monitor the coffee’s moisture level, chemical stability, and temperature, while trained coffee engineers manually adjust these levels throughout the twelve-minute roasting cycle. This process releases oil within the seed, transforming the seeds into grindable, brewable beans with a dark brown colour and rich aroma. After roasting, workers pack the beans into five-pound bags, which a fleet of vans deliver to cafes and stores across the city. The coffee is now so close you can smell it, but it needs more help for the final stretch. Each coffee company has a head buyer who carefully selects beans from all over the world. Logistics teams manage bean delivery routes, and brave baristas across the city serve this caffeinated elixir to scores of hurried customers. All in all, it takes hundreds of people to get coffee to its intended destination- and that’s not counting everyone maintaining the infrastructure that makes the journey possible. Many of these individuals work for low pay in dangerous conditions- and some aren’t paid at all. So, while we might marvel at the global network behind this commodity, let’s make sure we don’t value the final product more than the people who make it. Ex. 8.1: Find the information in the text and circle the correct answer. 1. In Pitalito harvesters work for low wages and pick more than ... of coffee cherries per shift. a. 20 pounds b. 25 kilogrammes c. 20 kilogrammes d. 25 pounds 2. At the wet mill, the machine sorts the seeds according to their a. weight b. size c. density d. colour 3. After drying, seeds are sorted again according to their a. size, density and colour. b. weight, quality and size. c. density, size and quality. d. texture, density and colour. 4. The grade of the beans is given by Q-graders who evaluate a. the quality, smell and colour of the beans. b. the region where the beans have come from. c. a small sample of the beans. d. the way the coffee feels in the mouth and its taste and smell. 75 5. In New Jersey, the coffee is roasted for a. 10 minutes. b. 11 minutes. c. 12 minutes. d. 13 minutes. 6. Each coffee company has a head buyer who a. ensures that the beans are of the highest quality. b. chooses beans from around the globe. c. bargains for the best prices. d. manages the delivery routes. 7. Although the system of getting a cup of coffee is amazing, it’s important to a. value the people who make it as much as the final product. b. choose the best quality coffee. c. ensure you’re not paying too much for your coffee. d. avoid low-quality, fake brands of coffee. Ex. 8.2: Match the words in the table with the correct definition. complexity harvester equatorial logistics ferment marvel fleet stability 1. to change chemically due to bacteria or yeast __________ 2. connected to a geographical area close to an imaginary line between the Northern and Southern hemispheres __________ 3. a group of vehicles working together for the same purpose __________ 4. a person or machine that collects newly grown crops __________ 5. the way in which a plan is organised __________ 6. to be really impressed or amazed by something __________ 7. the state of something not changing and being reliable __________ 8. a state of being difficult to understand __________ Ex. 8.3: Discuss the following questions with your colleagues. 1. What do you think can be done to make the process of producing coffee fairer to everyone involved? 2. Was there anything that surprised you about the production process for coffee? If so, what? Ex. 9: Do some research on one of the following or use your own ideas. Write 150 words about how it is made. • How to make chocolate • How to make hit song • How to make beer 76 8 BUSINESS PROBLEMS LEAD-IN 1. What typical problems can one face at work? (think of possible office problems, personal work problems, company problems, etc.) 2. What kinds of breakdowns and faults can you think of? 3. Is it acceptable to produce goods and provide services that are not 100% perfect? Do you know what “built-in obsolescence” is? You work for a very successful company. It is your first week there and you are already faced with a problem. In general, what people normally do is: • get afraid and uncomfortable and wish it could go away • feel you have to come up with an answer and it has to be the right one • look for someone to blame What would you do? How would you tackle the problem? Ex. 1: Which of the following verbs go together with ‘a problem’ and ‘a suggestion’? Which can be used with both words? Write P (problem) and/or S (suggestion) next to the verbs. have ___ make ___ offer ___ accept ___ solve ___ ignore ___ handle ___ deal with ___ reject ___ create ___ Ex. 1.1: Now use the verbs to complete the sentences below. 1. The accountant suggested several ways to __________ our cash flow problem. 2. The consultant advised us to focus more on training, but his suggestion was _________. 3. Our customer relations specialist ___________ customers’ problems. 4. Last year’s economic downturn ____________ serious problems for many companies. 5. Mary ____________ some very interesting suggestions at the meeting yesterday. We are going to take them into consideration. 6. Her suggestions seemed very practical, so we decided to ______________ them. 77 Ex. 2: There is a list of adjectives in the table that can be used to describe problems or issues. Use the adjectives to describe the fol owing problems. critical insignificant irrelevant minor ongoing persistent severe trivial unimportant urgent 1. You are stuck in traffic and will be a few minutes late for your English lesson. ________ 2. Your computer suddenly breaks down. ________ 3. You are making breakfast and you discover that you have run out of coffee. ________ 4. One of your colleagues is late for work almost every day. ________ 5. A financial crisis has seriously affected your company’s profits. ________ 6. You are at an important business meeting and it starts to rain outside. ________ Ex. 3: Study the following sentences and complete the definitions below with the underlined terms. Make sure you are familiar with the meaning of the terms. 1. If you have a problem with your computer, call Mike. He is very good at troubleshooting. 2. You could try emailing Kate. It is a bit of a long shot, though – she rarely replies. 3. After a slight hiccup, we managed to launch the product on time. 4. Taking out a loan to pay for your bills is just a quick fix. You will need to find a more permanent solution. 5. Lack of employee motivation is a serious obstacle to a company’s financial success. 6. The television screen is not very clear. I think there must be some sort of a defect. 7. Scientists are studying long-term solutions to the problems of global warming. 1. _______________: a technical problem that prevents something from working properly 2. _______________: a problem, which causes a delay but is not very serious 3. _______________: a solution that has little chance of being successful 4. _______________: something that prevents you from making progress 5. _______________: a fast and easy solution that solves a problem only for a short time 6. _______________: discovering and solving problems 7. _______________: solutions, which solve a problem for an extended period of time Ex. 4: Here are various problems that can appear in an office, in business in general. Work in pairs and try to come up with a solution. 1. You are working as a secretary in an international company. Your boss has been waiting for an important phone call all morning. You have stepped out just for a second and in the meantime missed that important call. 78 2. You are the manager of the business and you have a number of important meetings scheduled for next week. However, because you are so busy, you have become preoccupied and a number of meetings are now running into each other. 3. You are in charge of a board meeting that starts in 5 minutes and you still need to make some copies of the report you will be presenting to your team. The copy machine has just broken down. 4. Your colleague asks you for help with a project. You cancel all your plans for the afternoon and give your best to help her. The following day you participate in a staff meeting and your colleague presents the project. She takes all the credit for that and is given a lot of praise from the boss. 5. Although you have been working for the same company for a long time, you decide it is time to change jobs. You meet with the manager of your company’s rival, to discuss the potential job and your current boss walks in on you. 6. One of your main customers has not paid you in three months. You want to put some pressure on them to pay but you do not want to lose their business. When solving problems and making dialogues, it is advisable to follow the FLOW CHART below. A Ask about a problem. B Explain the problem. A Ask for more details. B Respond. A Make a diagnosis. B Respond. A Suggest action. B Respond and thank A. 79 Ex. 5: Read the two problems described below. Follow the flow chart on the previous page and make a dialogue with your colleague. 1. Your team members often have meetings without you, so you do not know what is happening with the project. 2. You have received fifteen complaints in the last week about one of your products not working. It is a piece of software that does not work on some systems. Ex. 6: There are some problems and issues described in the sentences below. Match halves to form correct whole sentences. 1. The campaign has gone wrong… _______ 2. We can't do any work on our computers at the moment… _______ 3. We didn't get the products in time for Christmas… _______ 4. It has definitely broken down… _______ 5. I need to exchange my new keyboard… _______ 6. I can't open this file… _______ 7. There must have been a misunderstanding… _______ 8. We'll have to use the stairs… _______ a) because it's faulty – the space bar doesn't work. b) because the lift is out of order. c) because the product has a major flaw and it won't be ready in time for the launch. d) because I asked for 40 but I got 14! e) because our supplier let us down. They are very unreliable. f) because the format of it is incompatible with the software I use. g) because the server is down. There must be a bug that needs to be fixed. h) because it won't do anything and this red light is on. 80 Ex. 7: Below are three extracts from defect policy statements. Match them with the products in pictures. 1. In the case of product failure, please contact the number below to obtain a returns code. Please return the defective unit to us in its original packaging together with a description of the fault and a note of the returns code. 2. If you are not completely satisfied with the quality of our products or if the packaging is damaged, please retain the product and the packaging and return to the address above within 48 hours of receipt. Please include a note about the nature of the problem and state whether you would prefer a refund or replacement. 3. Products may be returned for product dissatisfaction, size changes and manufacturer defect. If a product is damaged we will pay for shipping. Ex. 8: Complete these sentences with words from the list. You will need to change the form of the words. fault rely break understand defect damage fail 1. Poor translation caused a major _________ between the parties. 2. The job advertisement was a _________. It didn’t produce any suitable applications. 3. It broke down because of a _________ contact in the electrical circuit. 4. These communication _________ between departments are becoming a real problem. 5. We can’t have anyone _________ on the team. We need to depend on each other 100%. 6. The screens on all of these calculators are cracked. They were probably _________ during transportation. 7. I don’t believe it! We’ve had yet another delivery of _________ goods from that supplier. We won’t be using them again. 81 Ex. 9: Complete this email with the correct answer from the options below. Circle the letter in front of the correct letter. Dear Help Desk I really need your help. I’m trying to use a disk on my computer, but it keeps going _____. I think it could be that the disk is _____ with my computer, or maybe the CD-ROM driver is out of _____. It could even be a _____ in the programme or a _____ on the disk. It would be great if you could fix the problem as soon as possible. I need to use the disk today because I know that the system will be _____ tomorrow for maintenance. Please, don’t _____ me down. Best regards Joe Morris 1. a) up b) wrong c) away 2. a) included b) incomplete c) incompatible 3. a) touch b) time c) order 4. a) bug b) rug c) plug 5. a) patch b) spot c) flaw 6. a) off b) down c) up 7. a) let b) put c) got Ex. 10: Read the two dialogues below and complete them with the words from the table. Dialogue 1 I’m not sure it’s in that case it’s probably it could have something to do with I’ll come over I seem to have a problem what about have you tried sounds like you may have Can you be a bit more specific? A: Technical support. B: Hello Sam, it’s Bob here. A: Hello Bob. What’s gone wrong today? B: Err...yes, well _________________ sending emails. A: _________________? B: Well, when I click on the ‘Send’ button, the emails just remain in the outbox and don’t get sent. A: _________________ closing and opening the programme? 82 B: Yes, I have. It didn’t help one bit. A: _________________ restarting your computer? That might help. B: I’ve done that too. No change either. Has something gone wrong with the server again? A: I don’t think so. Everything’s working fine for me... Hmm... _________________ somehow altered the settings on your email programme. Either that or _________________ your Internet connection. B: _________________ the connection. I have no problems accessing the internet. A: Hmm. _________________ your settings. _________________ and try to sort it out. B: Thanks. Dialogue 2 Right. That makes what I suggest is that the best thing would are you saying sense. be to I don’t suppose you It looks like we have a I’m not sure about I’ll send down serious problem. that idea A: Hi Daniel, _________________. I’m at the conference and I’ve got my presentation on in 25 minutes but the damn laptop has just crashed on me and I’ve lost all my PowerPoint slides! B: Good grief! _________________ it won’t even start up? A: Yes, exactly. B: OK, let’s not panic. _________________ made a backup of the data? A: Yes, I did actually. There should be a CD on my desk. B: Yes, I can see it from here. Look, _________________ you get on to the organisers and have them reschedule your presentation. _________________ my assistant with a replacement laptop. A: _________________. The conference centre seems quite far from our office. How long will it take her to get here? B: Only about 30 minutes, assuming the traffic doesn’t hold her up. So, _________________ arrange your presentation for 3 o’clock. A: _________________. I’ll go and sort it out right away. 83 Ex. 11: Reading comprehension: read the text on Customer complaints. How far do you agree with the points raised? A guide for small businesses Many business people regard a customer complaint as a negative experience. However, if your business handles complaints properly, previously unhappy customers may start singing your praises. Consider a complaint as one of the best opportunities you have to show your commitment to creating another satisfied customer. Customer loyalty is one of the biggest assets a business has; fight for this loyalty - be passionate about it! Complaints should be handled sympathetically and promptly. Some businesses believe that if they don’t receive many complaints, their customers must be satisfied. Wrong! Only a few customers will complain to you. The majority will not return to your business and will tell others of their bad experience. WHY SHOULD YOUR BUSINESS WELCOME COMPLAINTS? Some published statistics say that: • a typical business hears from only 4% of its dissatisfied customers; the other 96% just go quietly away and 91% of them will never come back; • a typical dissatisfied customer tells more than 8 people about his or her problem; • 7 out of 10 complaining customers will do business with you again if you resolve the complaint favourably. HANDLING COMPLAINTS Try putting the following points into practice: • Set up a complaints handling system and train your staff to handle complaints well; • Make it easy for customers to lodge a complaint; • Welcome customer complaints and deal with complaints promptly. Adapted from a Consumer Affairs Factsheet by the Australian Department of Justice Northern Territory Government 84 Ex. 11.1: Find words and phrases in the text, which mean: 1. take action in order to solve a problem (two synonyms): 2. showing your approval (idiom): 3. willingness to give your time and energy to something (noun): 4. useful qualities or advantages (plural noun): 5. repeatedly purchasing goods or services from one company (phrase): 6. immediately (adverb): 7. not satisfied (adjective): 8. to your advantage (adverb): 9. make an official complaint (phrase): Ex. 11.2: Match the following complaints with the possible excuses/reasons. 1. damaged goods _____ a delay at the border 2. goods never arrived _____ a lost invoice 3. a late delivery _____ a missing order 4. an overcharge _____ an accounting error 5. an overdue payment _____ bad handling 6. lack of customer service _____ business is short-staffed Ex. 12: Role play: form groups of three and take turns to read out the problems from the list. Think about the ways how the problems could be solved and elaborate on your answer. 1. You have to submit an important report to your boss, but your laptop has just broken down and you have lost all the data. You don’t know what to say to him. 2. You are the manager of the production department of a manufacturing company. One of your most efficient employees has been persistently turning up late for work recently. 3. You work for a multimedia production company. You are currently making a documentary on wine-making in France. Unfortunately. The main consultant, who was supposed to be featured in the programme, has fallen ill and is unable to continue working with you. The filming is scheduled to start in three days’ time. 4. You are an office furniture manufacturer. A new competitor has entered the market with a similar but much cheaper product line as yours. A few of your main customers have decided to start purchasing from them. 85 Ex. 13: Complete the crossword puzzle. If the expression consists of 2 words, they are spel ed as one word. The letter in brackets is the first letter of the words or expressions in the crossword. 86 9 BUSINESS TRAVEL LEAD-IN 1. What is business tourism? 2. Is there a connection between business tourism and business travel? What kind? 3. What are the most common reasons for business travel? 4. What are the benefits of business travel (from the businessperson’s/company’s point of view)? 5. What kind of business people travel the most (which sector, which profession)? 6. What does one have to bear in mind when planning a business trip? 7. What kinds of things do travel expenses cover? 8. Since a lot of business meetings and conferences are held online nowadays, do you think the number of business trips is going to increase or decrease in the future? 9. Is there still the need for business travel? Linking business travel with tourism and business travellers with tourists seems unsuitable and almost a nonsense. Tourists are conventionally defined as people who are taking time off work to visit a place on holiday for pleasure or culture. Which makes sense, who would like to be a tourist and be working at the same time. If in the past, work and leisure were two separate categories, nowadays we can talk about a hybrid category: someone who is travelling or living away from home for work purposes (Garrod, 2012, In Robinson, 2012, pp. 18-19). Similarly, The United Nations World Tourism Organisation defines tourists as people “travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business or other purposes” (WTO, 1995, p.1). Compared to regular tourism, business tourism includes a smaller part of the population with different motivations for travelling. Destinations of business tourism are much more likely to be areas considerably developed for business purposes (bigger towns, cities, industrial areas, etc.) (Lennon, 2003, p. 106). Since business travel is defined as a journey specifically taken for work purposes and does not include daily commutes, leisure trips and holidays, the acronym ‘MICE’ is used to categorise business travellers according to the purpose of their trip. ‘MICE’ stands for meetings, incentives, conferences (or conventions or congresses) and exhibitions (or events) (Garrod, 2012, In Robinson, 2012, p. 19). When planning a business trip, the first and most important thing is to prepare for the event you are sent to. But in order to get to the destination, there are many other things to be taken into consideration, i.e. the accommodation, the flight (or some other transportation), your travel documents, etc. 87 Ex. 1: Below are some verbs that you need to match to the words on the right to make phrases about planning a business trip. 1. purchase _____ accommodation 2. book _____ an itinerary 3. create _____ for meetings 4. research _____ tickets for travel 5. pack _____ your destination 6. prepare _____ your travel documents Ex. 1.1: Is there anything else you would do to get ready for a business trip? As mentioned before, there are various reasons why businesspeople go on a business trip. 1. CORPORATE EVENTS Despite the fact that many corporate events, i.e. meetings, conferences, board meetings, shareholder meetings can be conducted by teleconference or videoconference, face-to-face meetings are still needed for some events (i.e. product launch, etc.) and are also preferred by many businesspeople. In case of international meetings, there are instances when the meeting is not held in any of the participant’s home countries but in a third country. This is done for the participants’ convenience and for the same reason airports can be chosen for the venue of the meeting. The airports have, out of necessity, developed special meeting facilities to cater this need. 2. INCENTIVES This term is used to describe tourism that is taken on by employees who have been awarded the prize of a holiday by their company or organisation. This is usually a reward for a job well done and is intended to incentivise employees to work hard. 3. CONFERENCES (CONVENTIONS, CONGRESSES) This is tourism that employees take on in order to attend a conference or convention, which is actually a meeting that a lot of people belonging to the same profession or organisation go to in order to discuss things (solve problems, discuss ideas, find facts, consult each other, etc.). Conferences and conventions can be done on any scale, from only a few delegates to several thousand; this formal meeting of representatives can in this later case be called a congress. Conference venues are usually situated near the airports or train stations for easier accessibility and greater convenience of the participants. These venues are usually multipurpose facilities, which can host a number of events at the same time. 4. EXHIBITIONS (EVENTS) In this special type of event, various products and services are put on display for the audience to see. Exhibitions are predominantly used in business-to-business (B2B) selling context and therefore encourage travel by business people, but public events and exhibitions can attract also people from non-business world, like tourists and leisure visitors. Product launches are part of this category, too. 88 Ex. 2: Match the reasons for businesspeople to go on a business trip. 1. to network 2. to close a deal 3. to check conditions 4. to show sample products to a client 5. to meet clients face to face _____ It’s often essential to see the place where your product is made and packaged. _____ Potential customers are much more likely to sign with you if you meet them in person. _____ Seeing that the client understands how it works is often better than any other way. _____ Take the time to take your clients for a drink or meal to show your gratitude. _____ The more connections you have the greater your business opportunities will be. Ex. 3: Imagine you are travelling to a conference. Put the events in the correct order. Arrive at your hotel _____ Board the plane _____ Check your flight status _____ Get your bags at baggage claim _____ Make a new contact while in the air _____ Meet your colleagues at dinner to discuss the conference _____ Pick up your rental car _____ Ex. 4: What other events can take place before, during or after a conference? Ex. 5: When returning from a business trip, you are usually asked to say something about what the trip was like. Complete the sentences below with the words from the table. complete eventful hectic low-budget profitable worthwhile 1. The trip was a ____________ disaster. The flight was delayed and we didn’t manage to close the deal. 2. The trip was ______________. We met some potential clients that could help grow the business. 3. It was quite __________. Our driver got lost several times and there was even a fire at the hotel! 4. It was very _____________. We had a lot of meetings in only a few days and had to travel a lot. 5. We chose _______________ options for the trip to keep down costs. 6. It was very _______________. The trip didn’t cost a lot and we got some big orders on the new product. 89 Ex. 6: Reading comprehension: read the article below about air travel in the USA titled Hubs and spokes and complete the exercises connected with it. Domestic flights in the USA are organised on the principle of hubs and spokes, like a bicycle wheel which has a hub at the centre and lots of spokes radiating out from it in all directions. One such hub is Houston in Texas: flights to over 100 other airports radiate out in different directions from there and half of these are non-stop flights. For example, if you want to get from Miami to Los Angeles, you can catch a Continental Airlines flight from Fort Lauderdale (a few miles north of Miami and less hassle than Miami International Airport), change planes in Houston and fly on to Orange County (John Wayne Airport!) or Hollywood-Burbank Airport - both of which are much more relaxing and less crowded ways into Los Angeles than the appalling LAX (Los Angeles International Airport). The hub and spoke network has made flights cheaper and means that even quite small places are connected to each other by a major airline or feeder service. Another advantage of the system is that connecting flights are to some extent guaranteed. If one incoming flight is up to one hour late, all the connecting flights (up to 30 or 40) will be held until it arrives. So, if you're on a delayed flight, that's good news - but it's bad news for everyone else because they all have to wait for your plane to land. From the point of view of overseas connections, many hubs also operate as entry points or 'gateways', where passengers flying in from another country can join the hub and spoke system. The same type of system does operate in other parts of the world: for example, you can fly from one part of Europe to another via Frankfurt or Paris or Amsterdam or London, but the difference in other parts of the world is that the fares are not any cheaper so there's no special advantage. Flying in to the USA it's advisable, if you possibly can, to avoid any major gateway, such as Los Angeles International, Miami and JFK (New York) in favour of a smaller gateway like Charlotte, Pittsburgh or Orlando. Ex. 6.1: Find words and phrases in the text that mean: 1. relating to the country being talked about, not other countries (adjective, P.1) _____________ 2. a situation that causes problems for you and that annoys you very much (noun, P.2) _________________ 3. very unpleasant and shocking (adjective, P.2) ________________ 4. an airline that takes passengers fairly short distances to airports where they can catch long-distance flights (phrase, P.3) ____________________________ 5. a place that allows you to reach or enter a larger place (noun, P.4) _____________________ 6. the money that you pay for a journey (noun, P.5) ____________________ 7. preferring to choose someone or something that you believe is better (phrase, P.6) _________ 90 Ex. 6.2: Answer the questions relating to the article on the previous page. 1. Describe in your own words what the hubs-and-spokes principle is in connection with airports and travelling. 2. What can you do if you want to avoid flying into LAX (Los Angeles International)? 3. If your flight is delayed, what is going to happen to your connecting flights? 4. What are the fares like if you fly from one European city to another with a connecting flight in comparison to similar route in the USA? 5. What should you do when entering the United States from abroad? Ex. 7: Read the text on air tickets and complete it with the words from the table. business flight full-fare advance open fare restricted _______________ tickets cost you more. All First and _______________ class tickets are open. i.e. you can change your _______________ times. _______________ Economy tickets are usually open. Cheaper tickets are usually _______________, i.e. you can't change them. The best known-type is APEX (_______________ Purchase Excursion - a reduced airline or long-distance rail _______________ that must be paid a specified number of days in advance). Often you have to stay overnight - something most business travellers won't want to do! Ex. 8: Complete the text below with the appropriate words from the table. economy excess airlines limit departure the place of charge boarding pass luggage fasten Most _______________ have at least 2 classes of travel: first class and _______________ class which is cheaper. Each passenger of more than 2 years of age has a free _______________ allowance. Generally, this _______________ is 20kg for economic class passenger and 30kg for first class passenger. _______________ luggage must be paid for except for some articles that can be carried free _______________. Each passenger is given a _______________ to be shown at _______________ gate and again to the stewardess when boarding _______________. Watch the electric sign flashes when you are on board, when the " _______________ Seat Belts" sign goes on do it promptly and also obey the "No Smoking" signal. 91 Ex. 9: Reading comprehension: read the text about how to arrive relaxed and ready to do business after a long flight. Match the headings to the paragraphs in the article. Research your destination Be smart when you are packing Be smart with what you eat and drink Stay connected Fight jet lag The Business of travel: How to get the perfect long-haul routine 1. If you are clever about how you pack, plan, and eat it can make a big difference, says international businessman and author Marco Robinson. 2. When you’re exhausted, your sleep pattern is irregular because of travelling through different time zones, and you’re often living out of a suitcase, which can make international business feel even more stressful. For many of us business travel is necessary, but if you do a few simple things to make the process easier you will enjoy the benefits. 3. ____________________ Pack as little as possible, take carry-on luggage and pack a small, clear toiletries bag so it is ready to go, rather than preparing it each time you travel. This will allow you to get through security quickly when you arrive at the airport and avoid baggage reclaim. Also, high quality luggage is a good investment. It doesn’t have to be made by a designer, it just has to be strong and practical to prevent problems. 4. ____________________ A traveller who doesn’t get enough sleep will not be well prepared to do international business. Someone who is rested and relaxed will do much better. Arrive at your destination a couple of days before and give your body time to adjust. If this is not an option, reset your watch to the new time zone before you leave, and try to fix your sleeping pattern so it works in your destination. Once you have arrived, do not sleep unless it is dark outside - even though you might be very tired. 5. ____________________ If you eat too much when you are flying, you will feel tired and full. If you are offered a lot of food, try not to eat it all, and avoid carbohydrates. It is much better to wait and have a good meal at your destination. If you don’t drink enough water, it can be a big problem when flying because of the low humidity levels in the plane’s cabin. So that you don’t get things such as headaches and dry eyes, drink plenty of water and avoid tea, coffee and alcohol. 6. ____________________ A broadband USB stick will give you an internet connection anywhere for a monthly payment, so you can do business as usual when you are travelling. This means you don’t have to get different log-ins and passwords when you connect to airport Wi-fi. It might be a bit more expensive but it is much more convenient. 7. ____________________ Being sensitive to cultural differences is vital to make sure a foreign business trip goes well. To avoid feeling embarrassed, spend time learning about a region’s religions, customs and politics. 92 8. And a few last, brief tips... 9. Wear shoes without laces so security don’t stop you. Do some exercises on the plane so you don’t get cramps and always wipe your tray table as they usually aren’t cleaned. Ex. 9.1: Match the following words with their correct definition. 1. long haul _____ something you spend money on now to give you future benefits 2. exhausted _____ the feeling of being tired after flying 3. toiletries _____ the place at the airport where you get your bags after a flight 4. baggage reclaim _____ things that you use to keep clean and smell nice (e.g. shampoo) 5. an investment _____ to get used to something 6. jet lag _____ to stop something from happening 7. prevent _____ travelling long distance, usually by plane 8. adjust _____ very tired Ex. 9.2: Read the article again and decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F). 1. When you buy good quality luggage for flying it should be a designer brand. _____ 2. You should arrive a few days in advance of your meeting to allow your body to get used to the new time zone. _____ 3. Not drinking enough water on the plane is a problem because it is usually very hot. _____ 4. Using airport Wi-Fi or your own mobile’s internet are not the only ways to get an internet signal in an airport. _____ 5. You should use something to clean your tray table as it might be dirty. _____ Ex. 9.3: Look at the text and try to find the synonym for the following expressions. 1. intelligent (P.1): _______________ 2. useful (P.6): _______________ 3. an area (P.7): _______________ 4. important (P.7): _______________ 5. habits (P.7): _______________ 6. ashamed (P.7): _______________ 7. quick (P.8): _______________ 8. advice (P.8): _______________ 93 Ex. 9.4: Find the words and phrases in the text which mean: 1. travelling around with the same clothes (phrase, P.2): _____________ 2. a region of the world where it is the same time in all places (noun, P.2): _____________ 3. out only what you need in your suitcase (phrase, P.3): _____________ 4. substances that give your body energy (plural noun, P.5): _____________ 5. the amount of water in the air (noun, P.5): _____________ 6. the place where passengers sit on a plane (noun, P.5): _____________ 7. continue like things are normal in a difficult situation (phrase, P.6): _____________ 8. pains that you get when your muscles are tight (plural noun, P.9): _____________ 9.1 Vocabulary Look at the vocabulary connected with flying and business travel. Translate the words and phrases into your language and make sure you are familiar with the English definitions. AT THE AIRPORT/ON THE PLANE to book a flight on time to land airline delayed landing airport tax cancelled immigration check-in counter to board immigration officer boarding pass/card on board customs security to take off customs duties arrival take-off customs officer departure turbulence to declare an item arrival and departure screen flight attendant/cabin crew duty-free shop gate pilot jet lag TYPES OF FLIGHTS domestic flight low-cost flight connecting flight international flight scheduled/point-to-point flight stopover/layover intercontinental flight direct flight charter flight non-stop flight 94 LUGGAGE suitcase checked luggage/bags baggage (re)claim luggage carry-on bags/cases conveyor belt liquids overhead locker/compartment TYPES OF TICKETS first-class ticket one-way ticket non-refundable ticket business-class ticket round-trip ticket paper ticket coach ticket refundable ticket electronic ticket TYPES OF SEATS aisle seat window seat middle seat ACCOMMODATION B&B full-board hotel/motel half-board apartment vacancy Ex. 10: If you come up with any other words and expressions, add them to the existing vocabulary on airports and business travel. Ex. 11: Complete the text with appropriate words or expressions. The first letter is given for a little help. When your boss sends you o_____________ a business trip, you have to make sure you make all the necessary r_____________________ before your departure – the plane ticket, the transport and the hotel. When b_____________________ a plane ticket, be careful that you really buy a r____________________ ticket, so that you do not come across any unnecessary problems at the airport when returning back home. Check in advance if your flight is a direct one or if there will be a l_________________, so there are no surprises during your trip. If you need more leg space, make sure to book an a__________________ seat. When choosing your a_________________________ (=nastanitev), it is best to book a hotel close to the v_____________________, in your case the conference hall, so that you do not spend any additional time commuting every day. If that is not possible, make sure to book a taxi that will d____________________ you o________________ ( phrasal verb) in front of the conference hall, in case if it is difficult to park there. 95 When you arrive at the airport, immediately go to the check-in desk to get your b____________________ pass. Then check if your flight is o________ t_____________ and that it is not delayed or, in worst-case scenario, cancelled. Check your g___________________ number and wait for boarding. If you experience any sickness on the plane, do not hesitate to talk to the c_____________ c______________. They will ease your discomfort in some way. When you reach your destination, do not forget to pick up your l______________________ from the c________________________ belt. Do not worry when you go through C____________________________, they will only check if the goods you are bringing back home are legal. Ex. 12: Complete the text with appropriate words or expressions. If it does not say differently, you fill the gap with only one (1) word. ON THE PHONE Ben: I’d like to ___________________ a plane ticket to London for this Saturday. Woman: OK, which airport would you like to fly to? I can offer you a _________________ flight from Ljubljana to London Stanstead or a flight from Zagreb to Trieste with a ______________________ flight to London Gatwick. Ben: Thank you. How long is the _____________________ in Trieste? Woman: Only 20 minutes. Ben: Oh, I worry that wouldn’t be enough, so I prefer the first one. Woman: Very well, then. When are you flying back? I assume you need a return ticket. Ben: No, I’ll take a _________________ ticket. And I’d also like to book a seat in advance. I would like an ___________________ seat, since I want more space to stretch my legs. Woman: All right. So, a flight from Ljubljana to London Stanstead on Saturday at 9 am. I’ll send you the confirmation via email. Ben: Thank you. Good bye. AT THE AIRPORT (at the counter) Ben: Hello. I’d like to _______________________. Woman: Yes, of course. I need your ticket and your ID or passport. Ben: Here it is. And I have 1 big ___________________ I’d like to leave here and 1 smaller bag I’ll carry on with me. 96 Woman: Certainly. The one that you’ll take with you on ___________________, will have to be placed in the ______________________________ (2 words) on the plane. The __________________________ (2 words) will help you find the seat on the plane and also attend you with your bag. Ben: OK, thank you. Woman: Here is your ________________________ (2 words) with the flight number, terminal and _______________ number. Unfortunately, your flight is a bit ____________________, but only 15 minutes. I apologise for that. Ben: That’s OK, no worries. Thank you. AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT Voice: __________________ (= potniki) from flight number 205918 from Ljubljana can collect their checked luggage from the ______________________ (2 words = tekoči trak) at the _____________________ (2 words) number 4. Then go through _______________ where the officer will check the products you are bringing to the country. If you have some time to spare, you can shop at the ___________________ (3 words), where we offer products at cheap prices. Non-residents who go through ___________________, however, make sure you prepare your passports, so you are officially allowed into the country. Ex. 13: You have just landed at the airport in Barcelona and your colleague is waiting for you to help you get around. Below are some phrasal verbs that you or he could use during your stay. Combine the verbs and prepositions to make the correct phrasal verbs. 1. freshen _____ out 2. pick _____ around 3. look _____ (someone) off 4. check _____ up 5. meet _____ (someone) up 6. show _____ up with 7. drop _____ someone around 97 Ex. 14: Match the words from the table to definitions. conference entertainment exhibition excursion venue facilities hospitality nightlife sightseeing speciality 1. visiting interesting buildings and places as a tourist 2. a large meeting where people with the same work or interests come together 3. the place where a conference or a big event is held 4. space, equipment and services provided (e.g. by a hotel) 5. friendly and welcoming behaviour to guests 6. a type of food or product that a restaurant or place is famous for 7. things to do in the evening (e.g. bars, restaurants, etc.) 8. somewhere you go to see different products or works of art 9. a short, organised trip made for interest or pleasure 10. activities which people do for fun and relaxation Ex. 15: Two visitors are coming to speak at a conference in your nearest city. You are in charge of looking after them. Use the information in the table to organise their itineraries. Work with a col eague and use the phrases from the previous two exercises (ex. 13 and 14). VISITOR A VISITOR B arrival Thursday 15:30 Friday 9.30 time of presentation Saturday 11.00-12.30 Saturday 13.00-14.30 departure Sunday 6.45 Saturday 15.30 - needs one hour on Saturday to - wants to see conference venue prepare for the presentation and facilities on Thursday - needs access to a laptop and a - wants an early night on photocopying machine on Thursday preferences/requests Saturday - does not want any activities - wants to see the city planned on Friday - wants to go shopping - is vegetarian and would like to try some traditional food - is a meat-lover and would like to try some traditional food 98 10 REVISION Ex. 1: Complete the two crosswords. Ex. 1.1: CROSSWORD 1 99 CROSSWORD 1: NOTES: 100 Ex. 1.2: CROSSWORD 2 101 CROSSWORD 2: NOTES: 102 Ex. 2: The next couple of exercises focus on written correspondence. Write the letters/emails/memorandums according to the instructions. Pay attention to the layout of the letters, the formality, content and grammar. Ex. 2.1: You are Jane Brown and you are organising a business trip to London for yourself and four colleagues. Write to a travel agency for information, using the following guide. • Say what you are planning to do • Ask the travel agency to send details of flights and hotel tariffs for the month of May. Find out if it is necessary to pay a deposit on the trip. • Tell them that you would also like to hire a car for two days during your stay and ask them to send the details. • Thank them, mentioning that you need a prompt reply. Ex. 2.2: Read the memo below that was sent to the Maintenance Manager and write a memo back in response. MEMORANDUM To: B. Johnson (Maintenance Manager) From: Sabrina Delko Date: 1 August 2022 Subject: Air conditioning system Hi, Ben. Can you come and check the air conditioning system of my office (2nd floor, office 215), since it is not working properly. It was completely fine yesterday, but today it’s been making some funny noise and it doesn’t cool the room anymore. Thanks. SD 103 Ex. 2.3: You are thinking about buying a new laptop. Write a letter to the Sales Director of Big Bang to ask for general information about their computers – laptops and what software they offer. You would also like to get a brochure to take a look at their entire offer and their price list. Their address is: Big Bang, trgovina in storitve d.o.o., Madžarska ulica 12, 1000 Ljubljana. Ex. 2.4: You have ordered a new laptop and it has finally arrived. However, it has a small fault. Also, there is a mistake on the invoice – you would like the receipt to be written on your company and not you personally. Write an email or a letter to Big Bang, trgovina in storitve d.o.o., Madžarska ulica 12, 1000 Ljubljana. Ex. 2.5: You are a chairperson of a club. Write a letter to the club you already had some contacts. • Open by thanking the club for their email or letter saying that… /referring to their letter. • Let them know that… • Suggest that you have a meeting together to discuss your future projects / cooperation in more detail. • Suggest time and place when it would be convenient. • You have some bad news as well. 104 11 REFERENCES 1. Ammon, U. (2006). Language Conflicts in the European Union. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 16(3), 319−338. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1473-4192.2006.00121.x 2. Ashley, A. (1998). A Correspondence Workbook. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 3. Carney, D. R., Cuddy, A. J. C. and Yap, J. A. (2010). Power Posing: Brief Nonverbal Displays Affect Neuroendocrine Levels and Risk Tolerance. 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