Tapescripts
Unit 1. Management – An Art or a Science? Listening p. 14 ex. 3 Part 1 (I = Interviewer, CH = Colette Hill)
I:
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What are some of the qualities or skills needed for a successful career in business?
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CH:
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That’s difficult one because, of course, it does depend on what field you’re in … but if you press me, I would offer three particular qualities, I think. Erm, first, you need to be able to get on with people. Whatever job, you’re going to have colleagues and customers. You need to be able to get on with people at all levels. Second, er..., you need to be adaptable: businesses go through constant change. Your role will change, as will people you work with, even the place where you work sometimes. And finally, of course, you need a sense of humour to keep it all in proportion.
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p. 15 ex. 4 Part 2 (I = Interviewer, KN = Kriengsak Niratpattanasai)
I:
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Kriengsak, what do managers need in order to be good managers of people?
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KN:
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Well, I think good managers need to be good at four things, really. First of all, they need to be good at observing – that’s so they can understand the behaviour, the strengths and weaknesses of their staff. The second thing is, I suppose, that they need to be good at listening – so they can learn about their staff’s problems. The next thing is, it’s important for them to be good at asking questions – so they can find out all the information they need to make the right decisions. And last of all, I think they have to be good at speaking so they can communicate their objectives clearly to all their staff.
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Unit 2. The Four Management Functions of Business Listening p. 30 ex. 2 Part 1 (Steve Moody = SM)
SM:
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So, as the store manager in Cambridge, which is probably the fortieth largest of the 280 stores we have got, I am responsible for the day-to-day running of the store. All the products are delivered to me in predescribed quantities, and obviously I’m responsible for displaying that merchandise to its best advantage, obviously I’m responsible for employing the staff to actually sell that merchandise, and organizing the day-to-day logistics of the operation. Much more running stores is about the day-to-day operation, and ensuring that that’s safe, and obviously because of the two hundred people that we would normally have working here it’s ensuring that they are well trained, that they are well motivated, and that the environment they work in is a pleasant one, that they are treated with respect, and that they are committed to the company’s principles.
| p. 30 ex. 3 Part 2 (Interviewer = I, Steve Moody = SM)
I:
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How much freedom do those people have within their jobs to make decisions themselves? How much delegation is there of responsibility down the chain?
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SM:
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We would, as a business, like to encourage as much accountability and delegation as possible. Of course that does depend on the abilities of the individuals, the environment in which you’re working, and the time of year. With 282 stores we have a corporate appearance in the United Kingdom’s high streets. It is quite important that when customers come into Marks & Spencer’s Cambridge they get the same appearance and type of looking store and the same level of service that they would expect if they went into Marks & Spencer’s Edinburgh in Scotland, for example, and it’s very important that we have a corporate statement that customers understand. So, there are obviously parameters and disciplines that, you know, not only the staff but supervision and management would follow. Within that, in terms of development and training, training is obviously an investment for all staff. If staff are trained to do their job well and they understand it, they will feel confident in what they’re doing, that in turn will give a better service to the customers, obviously from Marks & Spencer’s point of view it could well lead to increased sales.
| p. 30 ex. 4 Part 3 (Interviewer = I, Steve Moody = SM)
I:
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Do you have meetings for members of staff where they can express views about what’s going on in the store?
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SM:
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We have a series of meetings, management and supervisory every week, we have something which Marks & Spencer’s call a focus group, which is members of staff who get together regularly from all areas of the store, so from the food section and perhaps the menswear section, from the office who do the stock and accounting, and indeed the warehouse where people receive goods. They have meetings, they discuss issues, they discuss problems that they feel are going on in the store. They also discuss suggestions of how they can improve that we run the store, and they discuss that amongst themselves first. They will then have a meeting with members of management and obviously myself, and we will discuss those issues and work together to try and provide solutions. However, Marks & Spencer’s philosophy, I suppose, is that meetings should not be a substitute for day-to-day communication and therefore if problems do arise in terms of the operation, or an individual has got a problem in their working environment, or indeed their immediate line manager, or indeed if they have a problem outside, which might be domestic, or with their family, we would like to discuss that as it arises and would like to encourage a policy that they will come and talk to their supervisor or their manager, to see what we can do to solve the problem.
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Unit 3. Business Ethics Listening p. 51 ex. 2 Part 1 (Interviewer = I, Claire Bebbington = CB)
I
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Why should companies be ethical or what are the advantages of a company in behaving ethically?
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CB
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Mm, I think the whole issue of ethics is a very complex one. Companies are made up of people. Multinationals are made up of many different nationalities. I think that companies are part of society and as such they should reflect society’s standards. Companies, especially multinational ones, do have responsibilities in the world and should try to be a positive influence and I think if a company is not ethical, then it will not survive as a company.
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I
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Should a company have a code of ethics?
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CB
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I think from my point of view it’s useful on two counts. First, it makes a commitment to certain good behaviour and so it’s a way of communicating the importance of good behaviour to all of its employees and partners. Secondly, if a company has a code of ethics and spends time communicating it, it does actually contribute to its ethical behaviour. If you express these things in writing, especially, then you can be held accountable for them. This tends to mean that you are much more likely to act on them as well. I think following up that code is difficult. People tend to have different ethical standards, and defining the term ‘ethics’ can I think be a problem. But I think generally to express what your ethics are is a positive thing to do.
| p. 52 ex. 4 Part 2 (Interviewer = I, Claire Bebbington = CB)
I
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What kinds of moral dilemmas do large companies face? Can you think of any examples?
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CB
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I think if you were to look at any company’s ethical code you would usually find in it a section about offering bribes and this can be an area where I think people can get themselves into hot water. Facilitation payments are part of doing business in many countries, and bribes are something which most companies are not going to get involved in. But when does a facilitation payment become a bribe? And that is a question that can be quite difficult to answer.
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I
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Can you think of an example where a facilitation payment is clearly a facilitation payment and not a bribe?
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CB
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I think that there are many examples. When you are paying consultants to make introductions to new business contacts, obviously the reason you choose these consultants is because they are well placed to give that kind of advice in a particular country. And you’re paying for that introduction.
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I
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Can you give an example of a facilitation which is closer to a bribe?
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CB
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I would say size is important. Sometimes facilitation payments are out of proportion to the kind of business that you are expecting to win. I think there are many instances. Also, you have to be careful with such issues as nepotism.
| Social Skills p. 54 ex. 2
A
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OK, we agree then, we know Louisa has a drink problem, but we don't know why. Anyway her drinking is definitely affecting her work. And her relations with staff.
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B
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Yes, so what are we going to do about it? In my opinion there are several ways we could deal with this.
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A
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Oh yes?
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B
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Well, we could have a talk with her and suggest she gets some professional help or we could do nothing and hope the problem goes away. Having said this, I think we should give her a verbal warning. I think it's a serious matter.
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A
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Mmm, let's look at the pros and cons of giving her a verbal warning…
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B
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I agree with you. Maybe it's too soon for a verbal warning. Let's look at this from a different angle. We don't want to make the problem worse, do we? So, how about this? It might be worth asking a friend to have a quiet chat with her. It could help a lot, I think…
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A
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OK, let's think about the consequences of doing nothing. The drink problem could get worse or in time we may find she solves her personal problems. Who knows…
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B
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OK, then, we've looked at all the opinions. And we agree, I think. The best way forward is to advise her to get professional help.
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A
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Right. So it's decided. So the next thing to do is to contact our medical officer. He'll give us some suitable names…
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Unit 4. Organization Listening p. 69 ex. 1 Part 1 (I = Interviewer, CB = Chris Byron)
I:
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Chris Byron, you’re the project manager for British Airways’ new office complex at Waterside. Could you please tell us what your job involves?
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CB:
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My job was to make sure that the building got built on time, was built inside budget and that we moved in smoothly and successfully. I had a further role to also make sure that we were able to change the culture of British Airways through a relation because British Airways see very clearly the quality of office that you give somebody affects their performance.
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I:
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Now Waterside has some unusual features. Could you tell us about some of those and their purpose?
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CB:
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It was designed specifically to make sure that we encourage teamwork. So we have a street, we also have open plan offices, and the whole design is built around the idea that people should be able to bump into each other, meet each other easily and frequently, and manage each other's conversations in a very informal way. So that’s one feature.
A second key feature was that we cut down on paperwork, we reduced that to the minimum by the way in which we’ve introduced electronic forms and electronic e-mails and electronic manuals.
And a further component was that we also encouraged flexible working, so that quite literally from virtually nobody working flexibly, what we now have is out of 2,800 people who work here, 700 people neither have an office nor their own desk. They are very much mobile, but we do support them with the technology that we provide them.
| p. 70 ex. 2 Part 2 (I = Interviewer, CB = Chris Byron)
I:
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So this is the practice of hot-desking.
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CB:
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Yes, it includes hot-desking, it also includes home-working, which is why we tend to call it flexible working. And we’ve laid out certain of our offices very much with the concept of flexible working in mind. So what we do is that we identify a person’s task, and we try to provide a space in the building to meet that task. So instead of one single space that you occupy, you can come into a wing of this building, of which there are six, you can come in, you can read your e-mails at what we call a ‘drop-in point’, you can have a conversation and a meeting with somebody in a relaxed informal club setting. Or at another part of the wing, you can find space where there’s a quiet area where you can either read your manuals or whatever you want to study, or alternatively sit in, in effect, a library environment and write a paper to somebody.
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I:
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What other advantages does Waterside offer BA’s employees?
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CB:
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Waterside's a very flexible building but at the same time, it’s very much driven by trying to make it easy for you and informal for you to actually work within. So the... what we like to feel is that when you go home at night, you really, do feel valued. And to take you into a bit more detail on that, the sort of facilities we provide you is a very ready access to education – we have open-learning piped through to your desktop; we’ve introduced electronic shopping so you can literally shop at one of the local supermarkets and it gets delivered here ... or your weekly shopping. Thirdly, there’s video conferencing. So there’s accessibility to other people in other parts of our building. We’ve also introduced I believe very high quality catering arrangements with a very pleasant look from our restaurant overlooking a lake. We also provide you with car parking down in the basement, so it’s very easy to come to Waterside. And we also have a gymnasium as well. So there’s a whole variety of facilities all designed to get the best out of our people.
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I:
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It sounds a marvellous environment. Have there been any problems for the staff moving in to Waterside?
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CB:
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Surprisingly few given the size of the organisation and the task. But I do think that was largely down to some very good planning, and I hasten to say that’s by all my team rather than just myself. We did a lot of planning, we thought through very carefully the move, we trained people very well, and we communicated with people ... erm... to death, you could say. So that nobody had any surprises when they came in here, and they had a lot of confidence that things would be up and running.
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Listening p. 86 ex. 2 Part 1 (I = Interviewer, MS = Marjorie Scardino)
I:
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How do you develop a strategy for a large company?
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MS:
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There are lots of ways to go about it. I think the way we've done it is to first think about what assets we have – what's unique about those assets, what markets we know about and what markets are growing, and which of those markets can make the best use of our assets. We then put that into a bowl, heat it up, stir it around, and come out with a strategy.
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I:
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And in broad terms, what is your strategy at Pearson?
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MS:
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Well I, we have approached our strategy ... Let me answer it this way, by looking at it as three simple steps. When I joined Pearson a couple of years ago, we needed to improve our operations. We needed to just run the companies we had, and the businesses we had better. So our first step in our strategy was simply to operate better. To create better profits, and better cash generation, and better long term value for the shareholders. We then ... the second step which was not happening in a serial way but happening at the same time, the second step was to look at the assets we had and see which ones we should keep and which ones we should dispose of. Those we disposed of, we did because they would be worth more to other companies than to us because they didn't fit with the rest of our company, or were things we didn't actively control – we had a passive interest in – so those disposals were an important part. And then the third step was to stitch together all our businesses, so that they were able to use each other's assets, to make a greater whole.
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p. 86 ex. 3 Part 2 I = Interviewer, MS = Marjorie Scardino
I:
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What trends do you see emerging in the strategy of large companies?
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MS:
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I'm not a great student of everybody else's strategy, but I would suspect they are trends towards globalism, toward having more international operations, rather than simply having a national business. They are probably trends towards more focus on people, and more focus on the people who work in a company as the company. And probably more a change in the management style of companies towards more teamwork and more collegiality and less sort of authoritarian ways of running the company, and therefore the ideas that come from that kind of an organisation.
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I:
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What strategies have influenced or impressed you?
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MS:
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There's one ... Strategies that impress me are strategies that are extremely clear, and define a very unique goal. I think one of the strategies that impresses me is Coca-Cola's. And I'm sure it's strategy has several levels. But it is encompassed in what they call their 'goal' or their 'mission', which is something like: Put a cold bottle of Coca-Cola within arm's reach of every thirsty person in the world. So that means: here's what their main product is – and they're going to focus on that; they're going to focus on international markets, not just parochial markets; and they're going to focus on distribution, wide distribution and promotion. And so that sort of encompasses everything. That's a good strategy, very clear, I'm sure nobody who works in Coca- Cola doesn't understand what they're after.
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Social Skills p. 89 ex. 1, 2
In my opinion, the best time would be just before the summer season. I suggest we launch the racket in May.
I’d say that's a bit late. Why don’t we introduce it in March or April? That would give people time to see it in shop windows and get used to its new design.
Don’t you think we should launch it even earlier than that? Don't forget, retailers will need time to study our sales literature. And we'll have to set up a lot of point-of-sale display material – that'll take time too. I propose we start supplying our sales outlets at the beginning of the year.
I agree. But it might also be worthwhile getting a few people to play with it in indoor courts. Then, re-launch the racket with a big bang later in the summer.
Unit 7. Leadership Listening p. 122 ex. 1 Part 1 (I = Interviewer, SC = Stuart Crainer)
I
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Is there such a person as an ideal manager, and if so what essential qualities should they have?
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SC
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I don’t think there’s such a thing as an ideal manager in the same way as there’s no such thing as an ideal chair or an ideal piece of furniture. Er, it’s an impossible aim. The qualities er, managers need are increasingly complex and many in number. First of all they’ve got to be able to manage their time successfully, because they’re inevitably juggling lots of activities and projects. Secondly, they need to be able to deal with complexity. Increasingly the management task is not about simple budgeting but is about far more complex issues. Er, thirdly, they have to be able to deal with uncertainty. In the past, management was about creating certainty. Now managers have to live with uncertainty. Er, the uncert... uncertainty of not knowing what will happen in the future, how secure their jobs will be, what their organisation will do in the future. The fourth aspect of management is being able to deal with people. Er, managers, for all the training they’ve received, are notoriously poor at managing people and relating to people. Added to that are other ingredients such as flexibility. Managers have to be able to change their... their styles to fit the circumstances and they have to be sensitive to these circumstances. They have to recognise when things are different and they have to behave in different ways. They have to change their styles to fit the moment. So, if you put all these er, skills and competencies together then you would have an ideal manager. But in the real world, there aren’t any ideal managers out there.
| p. 122 ex. 2 Part 2 (I = Interviewer, SC = Stuart Crainer)
I
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And which management styles have particularly impressed you and why?
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SC
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Er, well there are an array of management styles, er ... the trick is to be able to produce the right style at the right time. Perhaps the person who has done this best is er, Jack Welch the Chief Executive of General Electric, who, over the last ten years, has re-energised er... the company and created one of the biggest companies in the world, and certainly the best-managed company in the world. He has done that by an ability to change and keep changing constantly. So he’s changed the company and he’s changed his management style. Initially he was referred as Neutra... Neutron Jack because of his capacity to er, decimate areas of the company. But since... since then, he has reinvented himself as a person who is very tuned in to people and a person totally committed to training people for the future; and also a person totally committed to communica... communication. So I think Jack Welch stands apart as a ... a manager who really has mastered the art. Er, other ones I would pick out are people who are driven by er, values, such as er, Richard Branson of Virgin and Anita Roddick of Body Shop, who whatever the fortunes of their companies, have proved that er, management can be led by values and organisations can be created around sound values. Talking of companies, I would select er, Scandinavian compi... companies such as IKEA and the Finnish company, Nokia, er, as exemplars of what good management can do. IKEA is a brilliantly-managed, networked organisation and Nokia is an incredibly innovative and imaginative organisation which has turned itself from a er, wood products maker in Finland into the er, leading maker... leading maker of mobile phones worldwide. So those are the people and the companies I would say who have management styles that are worth emulating.
| p. 123 ex. 3 Part 3 (I = Interviewer, SC = Stuart Crainer)
I
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Now business is becoming more and more international, how would you advise managers to prepare themselves for dealing with cultural difference abroad?
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SC
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Yes, management is becoming more international and truly global, er, and the companies that appreciate that will be the ones that succeed in the future. Seems to me that the key to working globally and managing globally is the ability to reconcile difference. If you can reconcile differences between cultures and between peoples, you will be well-set to succeed as a global manager. Increasingly that’s something that women are traditionally better at than men. However there aren’t many er, women at the higher-most echelons of er, international corporations. So I think if you can prepare yourself and sensitise yourself and be able to reconcile differences then you will succeed globally.
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Unit 8. Human Resource Management Listening p. 136 ex. 1, 2 Part 1 (I=Interviewer, AL= Alan Lawson)
I:
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Alan, how can a candidate impress an interviewer?
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AL:
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Well, David, I feel it’s basically all down to good preparation. First of all find out about the job. You could ring up the Press Officer or the Marketing Department and get the latest press releases or perhaps an annual report. The annual report, for example, will say where the company operates and the products it sells. Then, when you get there, you perhaps could congratulate the interviewer on a recent success the company’s had. In a nutshell, find out about that company. Show that you’ve taken an interest in the company and show enthusiasm for the job because, after all, that’s what they’re looking for in the candidate. They want somebody not only who’s qualified for the job but will want to do the job, and will be interested and enthusiastic about the job. Secondly, you could go to the company maybe a few days before the interview, talk to the receptionist, get a company newspaper – you can always pick up literature on the products maybe you’ll be involved in. A very good tip – find out what the dress code is. You need to fit in and you need to make a good impression. Finally, your CV. Make sure it’s well written, but it’s concise – don’t ramble. I must say that I have done all of this, I’ve prepared my CV, it was really good. I left it behind – I didn’t get the job!
| p. 137 ex. 3 Part 2 (I=Interviewer, AL= Alan Lawson)
I:
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Alan, are there any key questions that you regularly use when interviewing candidates?
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Al:
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Yes, there are and it’s almost a ritual with me. Following the CV tells you about the person and their qualifications. What you also want to know is their personality. So key questions I ask – what do they like most and what do they like least about their present job? They might say that they like travelling and they like meeting new people. These are standard answers. I think more interestingly perhaps are what don’t they like about the company. They might not like working weekends at their current company. You might have the same problems with yours, working weekends might be something essential for the job. Also, ask them what their weaknesses are. They’re usually generally I would say, quite honest when they’re giving their weaknesses. And ask them what their strengths are. It gives you an in-depth, if you like, feeling about their personality rather than just the straightforward qualifications that they have on their CV. Do they fit in? That’s what you’re really looking for.
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Social Skills p. 140
A:
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Good, everyone's here now. There's coffee if you want it. Right, can we start please? As you all know, Roberto's been working as assistant to Carla Nunez for six months now. He's just finished his probationary period. How do you feel about offering him a full time contract?
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B:
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I'm not sure we should do it really. It says in this report that he's been late to work a few times and he can be rather ...
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C:
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Oh I don't think that's too important ...
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A:
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Could you let her finish please?
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C:
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Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to butt in ...
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C:
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Another thing about Roberto I'm not happy about. He leaves exactly on time every day. Also he doesn't have lunch with us very often, you know, he goes off on his own ...
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A:
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I'm not sure that's relevant.
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C:
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Mmm, maybe.
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A:
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I think we should move on now if we're going to finish by 11 o'clock. We do have other promotions to consider.
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B:
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But what about his actual work? In my opinion, it's fine. He's done some really good things.
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A:
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Well, I think we should discuss this a bit more. What exactly do you mean by good things'?
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A:
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Well, thanks very much, Maria. You've made your views very clear. OK, let's go over what we've agreed. Roberto will have a further probationary period of three months. After that ...
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