Curs Limba Engleză An 2 Sem 1

BUSINESS ENGLISH
2ND YEAR STUDENTS

1ST SEMESTER

Contents
Unit 1a ............................................................................................................................ 3
Reporting results ............................................................................................................. 3
Measuring performance ................................................................................................... 3
Annual reports................................................................................................................. 4
Unit 1b ............................................................................................................................ 6
Green initiatives .................................................................................................................. 6
Assessing environmental impact...................................................................................... 6
Recyclebank .................................................................................................................... 7
SELF-STUDY ................................................................................................................ 9
Unit 2a .......................................................................................................................... 18
Health and safety .............................................................................................................. 18
Injuries at work ............................................................................................................. 18
How safe is your workplace? ......................................................................................... 20
Unit 2b .......................................................................................................................... 24
Rights at work .................................................................................................................. 24
Know your rights .......................................................................................................... 24
Problems at work .......................................................................................................... 26
SELF-STUDY .............................................................................................................. 27
Unit 3a .......................................................................................................................... 36
Business expenses ......................................................................................................... 36
Claiming expenses ........................................................................................................ 36
A new expenses claims system ...................................................................................... 38
Unit 3b .......................................................................................................................... 42
Business Travel ............................................................................................................. 42
Airline services ............................................................................................................. 42
SPEAKING................................................................................................................ 43
SELF-STUDY .............................................................................................................. 47
Unit 4a .......................................................................................................................... 54
Flexible benefits............................................................................................................... 54
Benefits ......................................................................................................................... 54
How flexible benefits work ........................................................................................... 55
The advantages of flexible benefits................................................................................ 57
LISTENING ................................................................................................................. 58
Unit 4b .......................................................................................................................... 60
Staff appraisal ............................................................................................................... 60
The role of appraisals .................................................................................................... 60
SPEAKING ................................................................................................................... 60
Monitoring performance................................................................................................ 62
SELF-STUDY .............................................................................................................. 65
Unit 5a .......................................................................................................................... 71
Marketing disasters ....................................................................................................... 71
1
The marketing mix ........................................................................................................ 71
Promotions that failed ................................................................................................... 73
Unit 5b .......................................................................................................................... 75
Going global .................................................................................................................... 75
Choosing the right product ............................................................................................ 75
Entering the market ....................................................................................................... 77
2
Unit 1a
Reporting results
Measuring performance
SPEAKING
1 Which of these can give you information about the performance of a company? The
share price, the annual report, newspapers or magazines? Which information is the
easiest to find? Which information do you think is the most accurate?
LISTENING
2 Listen to a television report about Fairways, a supermarket chain. Which of the

following are mentioned? Did they rise or fall?
profit turnover share price sales volume dividend
3 Listen again and answer the questions below.

1 What is Fairways' current strategy? Give examples.
2 How successful is the e-shop service?
3 Why did Fairways' share price rise so quickly?
4 What helped the share price at the start of 2011 ?
4 These words are also used to describe trends. Use them in different contexts.
to plummet to decrease to go up to soar to plunge to increase to go down
What’s the meaning of 'to bottom out' and 'level off’ or 'remain stable'? Do you
know which word is the opposite of this?
3
5 Adverbs and adjectives can be added to indicate how large or small a change is
or how quickly or slowly it takes place. Work in pairs. Sort these adjectives /
adverbs into the correct place and write them into the chart.
Adjectives / adverbs
sudden / suddenly; substantial / substantially; significant / significantly; gradual /
gradually; steady / steadily; sharp / sharply; consistent / consistently; dramatic /
dramatically; marginal / marginally modest / modestly considerable / considerably
Size of change Speed of change
Annual reports
READING
Look at the following extracts from the CEO's statement in four annual reports. Which
extract does each sentence below refer to?
A
Strike action and unfavourable exchange rates led to losses that were almost balanced by
gains from our ongoing resource efficiency programme, which delivered an impressive
£100m of cost performance improvements. Another source of revenue was the recent
disposal of Dennox, our wholly-owned subsidiary.
B
The company made steady progress, with profits before tax and exceptional items
increasing to £596m. Careful cash management continues to be a major feature of the
company's strong performance. Despite pressures from increased investment activity, the
balance sheet shows net cash at £3.2bn after expenditure of £346m.
4
C
Trading volume increased by 4.5%, which was well up on recent years, and
turnover rose by 3%. Operating margins also increased, as a result of the
restructuring programme that was completed at the end of last year. Although
successful, the programme meant a reduction in net cash to £472m.
D
Our major achievement last year was the £4.8bn acquisition of a speciality
chemicals business. This investment, along with the planned sale of assets, will
help streamline the company's range of businesses. Trading profit fell by 7% due
to disappointments in non-core activities, confirming the logic of the actions we
are taking.
1 The company enjoyed a substantial increase in its sales.

2 The company offset some of its poor trading results by selling assets.
3 The CEO explains why substantial investment was necessary.
4 The CEO refers to the success of previous organisational changes.
5 The company's cost-cutting measures are proving very successful.
6 The CEO refers to the company's success in controlling new spending.
7 The company is currently implementing a major transformation programme.
SPEAKING
2 Which company has the best results? Which has the worst?
5
Unit 1b
Green initiatives
Assessing environmental impact
SPEAKING
1 Work in pairs. Find out the following information about your partner's
workplace, school or company. Add up the total score. Then read the assessment
of the environmental impact.
Western College of Higher Education

Environmental Questionnaire
As part of our research into environmental practices in companies and schools, we kindly ask
you to complete this questionnaire.
Please tick (/) if the following statements are true of general practice at your workplace or school.
Waste management
We buy recycled paper for office use. +3
We separate all waste for collection and recycling +3
We re-use paper in the office. +2
We have guidelines in place for waste management and enforce them
throughout the institution/company. +1
Energy consumption
We make use of sustainable energy sources such as solar or wind power. +3
We have a formal energy consumption policy. +3
We use energy efficent-computer hardware. +2
We use energy efficient-light bulbs. +2
The company or school uses no energy outside working hours. +2
6
Transport
We subsidise employees' or students' use of public transport. +3
We provide transport for our employees or students. +2
We encourage car sharing. +1
Total
Thank you for your co-operation.
Environmental questionnaire assessment
0-9 The company or school is not very aware of its impact on the environment.
Management needs to do an environmental audit and then pass on the
information to employees or students.
10-18 Although the company or school has begun to think about environmental
matters, it has no formal policy or clear understanding of how to reduce its
environmental impact. But at least the company recognises the fact that it has
an impact.
19-27 The company or school is taking the simple but necessary action required
to protect and preserve our natural world. In future, these actions will be
standard practice for all public and private institutions.
2 Think of three things your company or school could do to reduce its impact
on the environment.
Recyclebank
LISTENING
1 Jonathan K. Hsu, CEO of Recyclebank gives a presentation on the strategic

direction of his company as it enters the UK market. Listen and choose one letter (A,
B or C) for the correct answer.
1 Mr Hsu is giving his presentation
A to promote Recyclebank in the UK.
B to give information about recycling problems in Britain.
C because his company won a prize for their UK campaign.
2 Mr Hsu began by
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A talking about the situation in the UK.
B giving information on the company in general.
C praising the success of the PR campaign in the UK.
3 The UK is trying to reduce waste produced by
cities by
A making it more difficult for people to use landfills.
B charging more for putting rubbish into landfills.
C cutting municipal waste in half.
4 The programme encourages residents to recycle by
A charging them penalties if they don't recycle.
B giving them discounts at local and national shops.
C awarding points they can use for purchases at partner shops.
5 The major change in the philosophy of recycling is that
A residents receive something in return when they help the environment.
B the carbon footprint should be reduced.
C residents are not penalised for ignoring environmental policies.
6 The main goals of the scheme are to
A make it easy to recycle and re-use.
B help the public cut back on purchases and learn to use items they have again.
C change the way people behave and create economic and environmental benefits.
7 The PR campaign
A focused on comments by celebrities.
B was in line with Recyclebank's corporate goals.
C concentrated on statements made by residents.
8 Mr Hsu was pleased with the campaign because
A residents and reward partners were involved in it.
B they were able to get their message across.
C the campaign concentrated on how the programme itself showed the advantages of
being green.
8
'Recyclebank provides me the privileged opportunity to make
a positive impact on our environment and in our communities.
We will demonstrate that doing good and doing
well go hand-in-hand.' Jonathan Hsu
SPEAKING
2 What do you think this quote means? Discuss this with your partner. Then summarise
the main points of the Recyclebank scheme. Which do you think will convince people to
change the way they think about the environment? Can you think of examples of re-using
household items rather than buying new ones?
3 The company you work for has had problems implementing their environmental
policies. The management needs to find ways to encourage employees to follow these
regulations.
You and your partner have been asked to make some recommendations. Discuss the
situation together and decide:
• how to convince employees to separate rubbish and re-use paper
• how to encourage employees to turn off machines and lights when they are not in use.
You have three minutes to discuss this topic and come to a conclusion. Then work with
your partner to write out five questions an examiner might ask after your discussion.
Discuss the questions and the answers you would give.
SELF-STUDY
1 Complete the description of the graph with the correct form of the following verbs.
recover peak fall shoot up collapse rise
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Share price
January-December
2 Complete each sentence with a suitable preposition.

1 The shares peaked ________________260p in September.
2 Sales fell _________________ £5.6m _________________ £4.8m.
3 There was a decrease ______________ net profit.
4 Sales rose _____________ £2m. This was a rise ______________ approximately 4%.
3 Use these words in the correct form to connect the ideas below. There is more than
one possible answer.
lead to; due to; mean; as a result of
1 sharp fall in profits <= long strike

There was a sharp fall in profits due to a long strike.
2 favourable exchange rate => increase in profits
______________________________________________________________________
3 sales fell <= bad weather in the summer
______________________________________________________________________
4 strong competition => reduction in margins
______________________________________________________________________
5 share price collapse <= bad publicity
_____________________________________________________________________
4 Complete the crossword.
10
Across
1 An annual payment made to shareholders
4 Before tax is deducted
5 A company's ...activities are its most important
7 The purchase of another company
8 Money spent now in order to bring future benefit
Down
1 The sale of a subsidiary
2 ... profit = profit after costs have been deducted
3 The sales of a company
6 The things a company owns which have value
Adjectives and adverbs

5 Complete each sentence with the correct form of the word in capital letters.
1 SUDDEN
The share price (1) ________________ collapsed in the summer.
2 SUBSTANTIAL
The annual report showed __________ losses last year.
3 STEADY
at the moment.
Growth is looking _____________at the moment.
4 NOTICEABLE
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Prices have risen ___________________ since last year.
5 MARGINAL
Sales are _____________ up on this time last year.
6 SLIGHT
We have seen a _____________ recovery in the economy this quarter.
6 How many words can you find in the unit and the audioscript which go after the word
environmental?
environmental performance
____________________
green initiatives
____________________
____________________
____________________
Now use the words to complete the sentences.
1 The Recyclebank wanted to make it clear that they were supplying consumers and
communities with a green ____________________________________.
2 When everyone realises that what they do has an environmental _________________
on our planet, we hope that people will begin to reduce energy consumption.
3 The Recyclebank did not use celebrities in their green ___________________.
4 Socially responsible companies try to improve their environmental
________________.
5 Many communities today are implementing green __________________ to help with
waste management.
6 Companies and communities working together can find environmental
___________________ to many of the problems caused by consumption and waste.
1 CONSUME
We're reducing our energy _______________ .
2 REDUCE
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We hope residents will start to work on the _____________ of waste in our communities.
3 PENALTY
The municipal government prefers not to ______________residents who do not follow the
environmental guidelines.
4 COMPLY
We're hoping to achieve 100% ______________ with all major government regulations.
5 PUBLICISE
Our campaign has received a great deal of __________________
6 HAZARD
We are reducing the __________________ by-products arising from our production
processes.
7 STRENGTH
When we began our company, we felt _________________ that helping the environment
could also help the economy.
8 Match the verbs with a similar meaning. Then think of a noun to follow each pair
of verbs.
reduce approach
provide use
found cut down on waste
deal with start
increase supply
consume raise
Determiners
9 Choose the correct word to fill each gap.
To: All Heads of Department
Re: Waste Management
It has come to the board's notice that the

company wastes far too (1) ....... paper in its offices
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and that not (2) ........ is being done to address
(3).......... situation. Therefore, the company has
recently drawn up a formal waste management
policy for (4) ....... offices in the group. In the
future, (5) ........ Head of Department will be asked
to write a brief waste management report (6) ....
month. The report will include (7) .... detailed
information about the previous month's progress
and proposed targets for (8) ........following month.
The report will also give (9) ...... information about
current practices for the collection and separation
of waste. (10) ......... expenditure that arises from
(11)...........reports will be charged to each
department's Health & Safety budget. We would like
to thank you for your cooperation in (12) .... matter.
1 A many B much C plenty

2 A all B any C enough
3 A that B this C these
4 A all B each C any
5 Aa B each C all
6 A any B all C every
7 A much B enough C both
8 A this B that C the
9 A some B much C several
10 A An B Any C This
11 A these B those C them
12 A that B this C any
Reading Test
• Read the advertisement below about a mobile phone company.
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• Choose the correct word A, B, C or D to fill each gap.
• For each gap 1-15, mark one letter A, B, C or D.
XCelfon - The future of global communications
XCelfon is fully committed to the research, development and manufacture of state-of-the-

art equipment for global telecommunications. (0) … in over 50 international markets, the
company now exports 87 per cent of its production. Our high definition displays (1) … the
use of various alphabets, and have won awards (2) ................................. … the world.
This success is a result of our extensive marketing strategy, which (3) … us in touch with the
constantly changing (4) … of our customers. XCelfon designs its phones with its customers
in (5) … Our mobile phones are extremely user-friendly, have a long battery (6) … and
excellent voice quality. Produced to the highest quality (7) …, each phone is thoroughly tested
before being (8) …
XCelfon has grown rapidly due to its (9) … to quality. Our investment record speaks for
itself. Ten percent of net sales are (10) ..... in research and development, ensuring that the
company (11) … its position as market leader in mobile phone technology.
XCelfon products are the perfect (12) … of superb design and technological know-how.
Each of our technical (13) … helps make our products easier to use. One such unique (14)
… is the customiser menu, which allows users to (15) … only the most frequently needed
functions in their own user menu.
Example
0 A Active B Fit C Physical D Energetic
A B C D
1 A make B allow C prepare D mean
15
2 A throughout B over C about D within
3 A holds B remains C stays D keeps
4 A claims B calls C demands D enquires
5 A mind B thought C vision D sight
6 A duration B course C time D life
7 A standards B grades C marks D results
8 A transferred B conveyed C given D dispatched
9 A awareness B attention C consideration D intention
10 A spent B paid C re-invested D supplied
11 A maintains B provides C continues D supports
12 A connection B unity C join D combination
13 A introductions B modernisations C innovations D differences
14 A character B feature C property D factor
15 A prefer B select C limit D reduce
Reading Test
• Read the newspaper bulletin about a joint venture.
• In most lines 1-12 there is one extra word which does not fit in. Some lines, however,
are correct.
• If a line is correct, write CORRECT.
• If there is an extra word in the line, write the extra word in CAPITAL LETTERS.
0 – IT
00 - correct
Roysten plans US joint venture

0 Roysten, the engineering group, it plans to launch a US joint venture with
00 HarvestTate to set up a factory to make up to 1,000 buses a year. The
1 agreement is one the first product of the strategic alliance with HarvestTate
2 that Roysten announced the last May. Roysten's joint venture partner will be
3 Freerider, a HarvestTate subsidiary and leading manufacturer of school buses.
4 The two parties are aiming to lease out or buy a factory capable of producing
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5 1,000 buses a year, which selling at $150,000 each. Until now the US school
6 bus market has been being dominated by the reassuring shape of John Lloyd's
7 yellow buses which have been made familiar to many all over the world
8 through an appearances in countless Hollywood films and American TV
9 series. This situation looks set to be change, however, with Roysten and
10 HarvestTate promising that a revolutionary new design with a number of
11 inbuilt safety features which are sure to find appeal to the nation's parents
12 regardless of cost. The market seemed to approve the move, with Roysten's
shares closing up 22p at 246p.
Writing Test
• You are the office manager at an insurance company. You have arranged for contractors
to upgrade your computer system. This means the system will be shut down for a full day.
• Write a memo of 40-50 words:
• informing staff why the upgrade is necessary
• telling them when it will happen
• asking them to prepare alternative work for the day.
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Unit 2a
Health and safety
Injuries at work
SPEAKING
1 Think of three accidents that can happen in an office.
READING
2 Read the questions below and try to decide on the correct answer.
1 The largest number of office accidents are caused by
A bumping into objects.
B falling or tripping over things.
C lifting heavy objects.
2 In the UK between April 2009 and March 2010 about
A 2.5 million
B 1.5 million
C 1.3 million
people said they were suffering from work-related illnesses.
3 The percentage of office workers in the UK who suffer from repetitive strain injury is
A 68%.
B 59%.
C 75%.
4 A recent survey found that the most stressful salaried job was
A Public Relations Officer
B Corporate Executive
C Commercial airline pilot
1 B Most reports agree that the most common type of accident in an office
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occurs when someone slips or trips, loses their balance and then falls. This can
happen due to exposed wiring, bumping into a drawer that was left open, standing
on a chair to reach an object or slipping because floors are slippery or wet.
2 C According to statistics published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
in the UK in 2010, about 1.3 million people said they were suffering from illnesses
caused by their jobs or which were made worse by their work. This was up from 1.2
million in 2008/09.
3 A An article published in a leading newspaper claimed that approximately
two-thirds of office staff (68%) were suffering from repetitive strain injury. This
injury can cost the economy up to £300,000 in lost working hours. Also known as
repetitive stress injury, this causes aching backs, shoulders, wrists and hands and is
often blamed on companies not providing ergonomic workstations for their
employees.
4 C A survey done in 2011 found that the most stressful salaried job was that of
a commercial airline pilot. Although salaries are high, pilots are responsible for the
safety of their passengers and crews, are expected to keep to their schedules even
in bad weather and often work irregular hours without enough time to really rest
or relax. The second most stressful job was that of PR officials who are responsible
for the images of their company and often deal with hostile members of the press.
This was followed by corporate executives who have to make major decisions
affecting large numbers of people.
SPEAKING
3 How do accidents happen? What can companies or schools do to prevent them?
SPEAKING
4 An employee is taken to the company doctor after he has had an accident at

work. Listen and complete Part D of the accident report form below with one or
two words or a number.
Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995
Report of an injury or dangerous occurrence
Filling in this form
This form must be filled in by an employer or other responsible person.
Part A
About the injured person
Full name: Peter Gouch
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Home address: 7-5 Canterbury
Job title: Export Document Supervisor
Part B
About the incident
Date and time of the incident: 18 /6/201 1
Place of the incident: Office 039
PartC
About the injury
Description of the injury
Small cut on left leg, and bruise on right arm.
PartD
Description of the incident
The patient was on his mobile in the (1) ………. He was crossing the shop floor and was
hit by a forklift. He then lost (2) ……………. and fell. He sustained a small cut to his leg
and bruised his arm. I cleaned and dressed the wound. No (3) ............. were needed. The
patient did not feel sick or dizzy but complained that he was experiencing pain. I gave him
some (4) ………………. and told him to come back the next day.
SPEAKING
5 What health and safety regulations are there at your company or school?
How safe is your workplace?
READING
1 Read the leaflet about risk assessment. Choose the best title for each of the five steps.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
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Step 5
A Decide who might be harmed
B Look for the hazards
C Revise your assessment
D Record your findings
E Evaluate the risks arising from the hazards
2 Now choose the correct sentence from the opposite page to fill each gap. The first one is
already done for you.
5 STEPS TO RISK ASSESSMENT …
Risk assessment is nothing more than a careful examination of what, in your work,
could cause harm to people, so that you can decide whether you have taken enough
precautions or should do more to prevent harm. Its aim is to make sure that no one gets
hurt or becomes ill. Accidents and ill health can ruin lives and affect your business too
if output is lost, machinery is damaged, insurance costs increase, or you have to go to
court.
The important things you need to decide in risk assessment are whether a hazard is
significant and whether you have it covered by satisfactory precautions so that the risk
is small.
If you are a small firm and you are confident you understand the work, you can do the
assessment yourself. (0) ..I.. If you are not confident, ask your local Health and Safety
Inspector to advise you. But remember: you are responsible for seeing that adequate
precautions are taken.
Step 1 Walk around your workplace and look afresh at what could reasonably be
expected to cause harm. Ignore the trivial and concentrate only on significant hazards
which could result in serious harm or affect several people. (1) … Because they
21
experience the workplace and work practices on a daily basis, they may have noticed
things which are not immediately obvious.
Step 2 Think about people who may not be in the workplace all the time, e.g.
cleaners, contractors, maintenance personnel. (2) … There is a chance that they could
be hurt by your activities.
Step 3 Even after all precautions have been taken, usually some risk remains. What
you have to decide for each significant hazard is whether this remaining risk is high,
medium or low. First, ask yourself whether you have done all the things that the law says
you have got to do. Then ask yourself whether generally-accepted industry standards
are in place. (3) … Remember: your aim is to make all risks small by adding to your
precautions if necessary.
Step 4 If you have fewer than five employees, you do not need to write anything
down, but if you have five or more employees, you must record the significant findings
of your assessment. This means writing down the more significant hazards and
recording your most important conclusions. You should keep the written document
for future reference. It will be particularly useful if an inspector questions your
precautions or if you become involved in an action for civil liability. (4) … And it can
remind you to keep an eye on particular matters or causes for concern.
Step 5 At some time, you will undoubtedly bring in new machines, substances and
procedures which could lead to new hazards. (5) … In any case, it is good practice to
review your assessment from time to time. Don't amend your assessment for every trivial
change or each new job; but if a new job introduces significant new hazards of its own,
you will want to consider them in their own right and do whatever you need to keep the
risks down.
A It also helps to show that you have done what the law requires.
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B Improving health and safety need not cost a lot.
C Where such hazards are unavoidable, use appropriate safety equipment.
D But don't stop there - think for yourself, because the law also says that you must
do what is reasonable to keep your workplace safe.
E If there is any significant change, you should take this into account.
F Members of the public who visit your workplace should also be included.
G Ask your employees or their representatives what they think.
H For instance, electricity can kill, but in an office environment the risk is remote.
I Alternatively, you could ask a responsible employee, safety representative or
safety officer to help you.
What helped you to choose your answers? Underline the key words or phrases.
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Unit 2b
Rights at work
Know your rights
SPEAKING
1 Discuss the following questions about rights and the use of the internet.
• Should employees who have a grievance be allowed to complain about their jobs in
emails to family and friends?
• Should employees have the right to post comments about their jobs on social media
sites?
• Do companies have the right to dismiss someone for making a comment about their
job on a social media site?
• Should companies be allowed to monitor social media sites and dismiss employees they
think may be critical of their policies?
READING
2 Read the article on the opposite page about court cases involving employees and
social media sites. Who lost the case? Do you think the judgement of the court was
fair? Why/Why not?
3 Read the article again. Are the following statements true or false?
1 Sarah felt she had been criticised unfairly.
2 Sarah's boss read the comment on Facebook.
3 Sarah was not surprised that she lost her job.
4 The company began the court case against Sarah.
5 Staff who have been dismissed were not informed about the use of Facebook by their
employers.
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6 Management consultants feel that companies should start thinking about formal policies
regarding social media usage by employees.
7 Companies will have to spend a lot of time in the future on retraining because many
good workers are leaving for better jobs.
Is posting comments always a good idea?

Two years ago Sarah James had a bad day at the office and when she came home she
logged into Facebook. A project Sarah had put a great deal of time and effort into was
criticised by her boss. As Sarah felt these comments were not justified she was very angry
and made a comment on her Facebook page. While Sarah thought she was just letting off
steam, the post was seen by a friend who told her boss about it. Sarah's boss then went to the
management of the company and got Sarah fired. Sarah, who had been working in the same
job for the past eight years, was shocked. She found an attorney and took her company to
court. She claimed that as her comment mentioned no names, it would be impossible for
anyone to know who the comment was about. The company's team of lawyers convinced
the judge that the image of the company had been damaged by the plaintiff. Although Sarah
feels that this was an unfair dismissal, one year later she is still looking for a job.
These cases are becoming more and more common. Employees who have lost jobs because
they posted comments or jokes on Facebook feel that companies are being unfair. They claim
that staff must be informed about the consequences of using Facebook to communicate with
people they have on their list of friends. Management consultants are saying that formal
policies should be drafted to avoid future problems. A ban on social networks seems to be an
extreme answer to the problem. Many employees who have lost their jobs are beginning to
look into lawsuits. This means that in the future companies may be faced with more and
more time battling these cases in court. And in the end this means that good workers may
be dismissed and companies will be forced to spend time retraining others to take over these
jobs as well as lose their reputations as employee-friendly companies.
SPEAKING
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4 Do you think the judgement was fair? Why/Why not?
5 Formulate an internet and social media policy for your company which is fair to
both management and employees. Write a 40-50 word memo informing all staff of the
policy.
Problems at work
SPEAKING
1 Five people talk about why they lost their jobs. Listen and decide the reason each
1… A failure to meet targets

2… B personal use of company property
3… C poor time keeping
4… D refusal to observe safety regulations
5… E refusal to commute
F refusal to work overtime
G repeated absence from work
H sexual harassment
SPEAKING
2 Do you think any of the speakers were treated unfairly?
3 Work in pairs. As a manager, how would you deal with the incidents below? Would
you:
• take no action against the person?
• have a friendly word with the person?
• give an official verbal warning?
• give an official written warning?
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• dismiss the person?
1 An employee who repeatedly refuses to observe safety requirements has caused a

small fire. Little damage has been caused and no-one has been hurt.
2 You hear that an employee has physically threatened a colleague. This is the first
time he has behaved this way.
3 An employee has told a friend (a journalist) about confidential negotiations your
company is having about the takeover of another company. The story appears on the
front page of a national newspaper.
4 You suspect that an employee is not keeping up with his work. You discover that
he has just put unfinished work in his desk drawer although he told his supervisor
that he had finished it.
5 You discover that information a new employee has included on her curriculum
vitae is not true. She has exaggerated her experience and lied about her
qualifications.
6 A new member of the office support staff arrives a few minutes late and leaves
a few minutes early every day. She also takes fifteen minutes or more extra at
lunchtime. Several of her colleagues have been heard to complain about this.
7 As you are leaving the office, you notice an employee putting a packet of
photocopier paper in his bag.
8 An employee, frustrated with his computer, has hit it violently. The machine is
irreparable and a replacement will cost £1,200.
SELF-STUDY
1 Choose the correct word to complete each

sentence.
1 When doing risk assessments, it is a good idea to (remember / review) them on a
regular basis.
2 Health and safety measures are designed to (prevent / protect) employees.
3 You can seriously injure your back if you try to (handle / lift) a heavy object.
27
4 The cleaners had just washed the floor in the washroom, and I (slipped / tripped)
on it.
5 We hope to avoid any further (accidents / incidents) of theft.
6 He wasn't seriously (wounded / injured). It was just a small cut.
7 Could I see the doctor? I've fallen and (harmed / hurt) my back.
8 You must take all reasonable (precautions / predictions) against accidents.
9 You are (enquired / required) to keep a record of all significant hazards.
10 Please consider the risks faced by maintenance (personnel / personal).
2 Complete each sentence with the correct form of

the word in capital letters.
1 HARM
None of the substances we use here are _________________, so there's no danger.
2 INJURE
How did the ________________ happen?
3 OBLIGE
Employers have a legal _______________ to protect staff.
4 FIND
Only the significant _______________ of your assessment need to be written down.
5 HAZARD
You need to take extra care when handling ________________ materials.
6 SAFE
Health and ______________ representatives will be meeting next week.
7 LIABLE
Keep a record of all accidents in case you become involved in a civil _____________
action.

1 I was in the factory and got a call _________________ my mobile.
2 The risk _______ an accident happening is remote.
3 Their first aid facilities are cause _____ concern.
28
4 The written document will be useful _____ future reference.
5 Concentrate _________________ the most significant hazards.
6 You should take ______________ account members of the public who might visit your
workplace.
7 These accidents resulted in two company cleaners
being absent _________ work for two days.
8 How can such incidents be prevented ______ happening again?
Modal verbs
4 Choose the correct verb to complete each sentence.
1 You (needn't / mustn't) amend your assessment for every trivial change - only the most
significant ones.
2 Even after all precautions have been taken, some risks (could / should) still remain.
3 (Shall / Will) I fill in the accident report form?
4 Not all hazards (must I can) be avoided.
5 NB: Employees (must not I cannot] lift heavy objects without proper training.
6 If you're not too busy, (will I shall) you help me put up these safety notices?
7 If the employer is found responsible for an accident, he (could I is able to) be in
trouble.
8 (May / Will) I use your phone to make a quick call?
9 I don't think they'll find anything wrong with the ventilation system, but, of
course, they (might / can).
10 I (don't need to / mustn't) see the doctor. It isn't a very serious injury.
11 This first aid box is very old. Do you think we (should / would) get a new one?
12 When you are assessing risks, you (could / would) ask a responsible employee to help
you.
5 Complete the sentences with the correct forms of the following verbs.
prioritise; take; keep up with; post; deal with; lose.
1 Sometimes employees _____________ their employers to court.
2 We try to _____________ all complaints reasonably.
29
3 Employees should be careful about _____________ comments about their jobs on
social media sites.
4 Companies don't want to ______________ their reputations as being employee-
friendly.
5 He tried to ___________________ the ever-increasing workload, but it was too much
for him.
6 If you are very busy, it is important to __________________ all the things to be done.
6 Choose the correct word to complete each sentence.

1 If an employee has a (grievance / failure), the company should deal with it promptly
and fairly.
2 I refused to (rest / stay) late at work every day.
3 We lost the case but it was no-one's (guilt / fault).
4 Employees must (observe / watch) safety regulations.
5 He caused a lot of (damage / hurt) to his computer.
6 If you ban internet usage at work, some people will (complain / threaten).
7 Some employees take (frequent / often) breaks.
8 He failed to (hit / meet) his monthly sales targets.
9 She complained that she didn't (mention / write) any names.
10 If your boss (dismisses I criticises) your work, what can you do?
7 Complete the table.

Verb Noun
exaggerate .................
justify .................
abusing .................
ban .................
behave .................
negotiate .................
refuse .................
30
complain .................
8 Put these in order from the least to the most serious.

A His boss gave him an official verbal warning.
B His boss dismissed him.
C His boss took no action against him.
D His boss gave him an official written warning.
E His boss had a friendly word with him.
Passives
9 Change sentences A-D from Exercise 8 into the passive.
A He was given an official verbal warning.
B ___________________________________
C ___________________________________
D ___________________________________
10 Complete this conversation with the correct

passive form of the verbs in brackets.
• What's happened to Dave Wright from Accounts?
T Haven't you heard? He (1 sack) 's been sacked .
• He's lost his job? But why? How?
T Well, when the company (2 take over)
___________________ last June, he was told he'd
have to relocate. He refused and he (3 just/tell)
___________________ to go.
• That's terrible! Poor Dave! What do you think
he'll do?
T Well, actually, he's not so upset. He's been applying for some other jobs and he's sure
that he (4 offer) ___________________a job by Elite Finance.
• Do you think he'll take it?
V I'm sure he will - if he (5 offer) _____________
31
enough money.
• And has anybody else (6 tell) ___________
to leave?
T I'm not sure. Let's wait and see.
Reading Test
• Look at the text below about a department store group and answer questions 1-6.
• Each question has four suggested answers or ways of finishing the sentence A, B, C and
D.
• Mark one letter A, B, C or D for the answer you choose.
Walters Department Stores
Walters is a familiar name on the UK's high streets, operating from 32 department
stores situated either in prime city-centre locations or out-of-town retail parks. Although
some competitors have successfully branched out into gourmet ready-to-eat foods or
experimented with financial services, Walters has chosen to specialise in the clothing,
accessories and home product markets. By offering a range of competitively-priced
merchandise of a high standard to its customers, Walters has become one of the country's
favourite department stores.
Over recent years there has been a steady decline in the number of UK
department stores which do not belong to a chain. On the other hand, the top three
national department store groups account for an increasing proportion of the department
store market. This clearly reflects their ability to make a success of this retailing format
in the UK. Walters is a market leader within this group, differentiating itself from its
main competitors as a large space clothing-led retailer offering its own, as well as
international brands.
The creation of an attractive selling environment is one of the most important
aspects of successful retailing. Walters has devoted a significant amount of
management time to providing an appealing, highly visual and efficient environment
which makes shopping there a pleasure. Exciting and creative merchandise stands
provide each section with a clearly distinguishable look, and these are frequently
updated in all stores.
32
Department stores can appeal to people of all age groups, from teenagers to
money-conscious pensioners, but they are particularly popular with the 30-50 age
category. Consumers here are generally in the higher income groups and are more
demanding in terms of the quality of service they expect. This age group is expected to
account for an increasing proportion of the overall population over the next decade. By
the year 2025, this age group is projected to grow by five times as much as the total
population.
We aim to give our customers the widest possible product choice, and we have
been highly successful in developing our own brands, which now account for almost 50
per cent of sales. We have also recently commissioned a number of leading designers,
who are designing additional clothing, accessories and home furnishing lines to suit our
customer profile. Despite the lack of TV commercials or newspaper advertisements,
these exclusive ranges are already attracting new customers into the stores through
innovative online advertising and use of social media sites. We are also considering
running magazine adverts. To maximise the profit generated by each store, we at Walters
constantly monitor and adjust the allocation of retail space dedicated to each of these
product categories.
1 What is Walters best known for?
A Providing quality and value for money.
B Locating all their stores in retail parks.
C Introducing new banking services.
D Offering a variety of pre-cooked meals.
2 Independent department stores have found it difficult to
A become part of a chain.
B compete in this retail sector.
C occupy large space premises.
D supply international goods.
3 Walters realises the need to
A regularly modernise in-store displays.
B appeal to customers of all ages.
C always provide a relaxed atmosphere.
33
D encourage creativity amongst staff.
4 Who are the typical department store customers?
A Retired people with little money.
B Well-off people of all ages.
C High income young people.
D Mature people with good salaries.
5 Walters' contract with leading designers aims to
A emphasise value for money.
B change the customer profile.
C increase the product range.
D develop own-label goods.
6 Walters have succeeded in attracting new customers by promoting their products
A on television.
B in newspapers.
C in magazines.
D on the Internet.
Writing Test (i)

• You are a manager at an auditors called Golding & Co. Your company has just merged
with a competitor to become MasonGolding. You have been asked to inform staff of the
change of name.
• informing staff of the reason for the change of name

• telling them when to start using the new name
• asking staff to use only the new name on all correspondence after that time.
Writing Test (ii)
34
• You are the manager of a small office. In order to reduce costs and improve the company's
environmental practices, you have decided to collect and recycle all paper used in the
office.
• informing staff of the new policy

• explaining how the paper will be collected
• requesting staff to co-operate with the scheme.
35
Unit 3a
Business expenses
Claiming expenses
SPEAKING
1 What expenses do people typically incur on a business trip?
2 What would you do in the following situations? Discuss them with your partner.
Situation One
On a three-day business trip to Paris, you travel around the city using the underground
system to visit clients. You find this the cheapest and most convenient way of travelling.
On your last night there, you begin filling in your expenses claim sheet. When you read the
small print, you notice you are authorised to claim a lump sum of £25 per day for taxis.
Situation Two
Your first business trip for your new company has been successful and you have secured an
important new contract. You invite your client out to dinner at an expensive restaurant.
However, at the end of the meal, he insists on paying the bill. It comes to £125. He passes
you the receipt after he has paid and says you could claim this back on expenses. 'Everyone
does it,' he says.
Situation Three
You discover that a colleague has made a false claim for expenses for a five-day trip to
Hamburg. He was booked into a hotel which cost £80 per night, but he only stayed there
for one night. He then checked out of the hotel and spent the rest of the week with an old
friend. However, he made an expenses claim for all five nights.
LISTENING
36
3 Roger Hargreaves works in an accounts department. He telephones three people
about their expense claims. Listen and complete the forms below with one or two
words or a number.
Sofrac Limited
Expenses Claim Form - Management
Name: David Holdos
Full details (inc Accommodation Business Travel Client Entertaining Other Expenses Total
date)
July 3. 2011 Carilands Train Meal/Drinks
Business Trip Hotel

(1) One night 1st class return (3) (4)
(2)
£84 £56.70 £9
Telephone Message
To: Alan Haywarth Taken by: Alison
Date: 30.7.2011 Time: 3.30 pm
Roger Hargreaves from Accounts called about expenses for your trip to (5) _________
last. He hasn’t got the (6) ________________ . He needs this asap. If you can’t find it,
you should (7) ________________ . He’s sorry but Accounts can’t make (8) _________
like last time.
Expenses Claim Form - Management
Name: Chris Evans Date: 24.7.2011
Full details Accommodation Business Travel Client Entertaining Other Expenses Total
(inc date)
Two-day One night (11) N/A (12)
recruitment
trip to Paris €6
(9) (10)
June
SPEAKING
37
4 Explain the system for claiming expenses in your company or another institution.
Do you have any suggestions for improvement? Discuss this with your partner.
A new expenses claims system
READING
1 Read the memo below about a new expenses claims system. Answer the questions.
1 What are the three main components of the new system?
2 How will the new system save the company money?
3 What updates will be made to the personal expense account?
4 What do employees need to do once the updates are done?
5 What additional information will the claimant be required to give?
6 How will employees know when the information is needed?
7 How will the system control spending?
8 What are employees told to do about personal expenses?
To: senior managers

From: Julie Singh
Subject: IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW EXPENSES SYSTEM
Date: 3 March 2011
Dear all,
As you know, this department has undertaken an extensive survey into alternative systems
of handling corporate travel expenses and expenses claims. In recent months, a corporate
charge card [Amex] and an automated expenses reimbursement system have been trialled
successfully in several departments. This system will now be implemented throughout the
organisation. The main benefits of the new system are that cash advances will no longer be
necessary and administrative time can be reduced. It will also cut the cost of processing each
claim and should produce a substantial saving on the time employees spend on claiming
38
expenses. The system should be fully operational within the next ten weeks. A brief outline
of how the system works is given below.
Claiming Expenses
All charges on the company credit card for business travel will be automatically updated
in an online personal expense account. Employees are then asked to log in to their accounts
and fill in the relevant details of their expenses. This will include codes for hotels or airlines
and any other necessary information indicating the business purpose of each expense.
Employees who have entertained guests will be asked to supply their names and companies
for our records. The system will automatically send reminders when the information is due
and payment will follow in the subsequent month. There are built-in limits for client
entertainment and meal allowances so you need to have these cleared if you go over them.
Please scan receipts and attach them to the online expense claim. Remember to keep
originals of receipts.
Auditing procedures
Line managers will receive automatic emails when claims are submitted and are asked
to monitor them. All employees are advised to use a private credit card for personal
expenses.
Full details of the new system will be sent to all senior managers within the next few
days. Please distribute this information within your team.
Many thanks,
Julie
Account Manager
SPEAKING
39
2 Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this system.
LISTENING
3 Five people call the Accounts Department and leave messages about their expenses.
Listen and decide what each speaker is trying to do.
1 ...
2 ...
3 ...
4 ...
5 ...
A arrange a meeting
B ask for help
C ask for information
D ask permission
E cancel an appointment
F explain a delay
G make a complaint
H thank someone
WRITING
4 You work in the Accounts Department and are responsible for checking
employees' expenses. Write a 40-50 word memo to staff:
• reminding them of the importance of receipts
• telling them how expenses will be paid
• saying how long expenses payments take to process.
SPEAKING
40
5 The Accounts Department of the company you work for is considering a new
policy for client entertainment. At the moment, sales people are given a fixed amount
each month and many of them feel it is too low. They find it difficult to take clients to
good restaurants and often find they cannot take taxis.
You have been asked to make suggestions on how to change this policy. Discuss the
situation together and decide:
• if salespeople should have unlimited amounts provided they turn in all receipts and
write a report for their line manager explaining the expenses
• if sales people should be given a company credit card for client entertainment and
asked to put all client-related expenses on the card.
41
Unit 3b
Business Travel
Airline services
SPEAKING
1 Work in groups. Look at this list of airline services. Agree on the three
most important services for the business traveller.
• higher airmiles awards for frequent flyers
• valet service airport parking
• additional baggage allowance
• priority status at check-in
• exclusive business lounges
• advanced seat selection
• wider, fully-reclining seats
• in-seat phone facilities
• premium food and beverage service
• laptop power points
• individual entertainment systems
2 Which of these services do you think help business people to work?

Which of these services are not necessary, but just luxuries?
LISTENING
3 Five business travellers talk about different air travel services. Decide which one each
speaker is talking about.
1…
2…
42
3…
4…
5…
A business class section
B flat beds
C free newspapers and magazines
D airmiles
E in-seat power facilities
F in-flight entertainment
G on-board duty-free sales
H business lounges
SPEAKING
4 Work in pairs. Ask your partner about airline trips he or she has taken. What kind
of service was offered? Which was the best and why?
Taking on the grown-ups
SPEAKING
1 What differences are there between mainstream airlines and low-cost airlines?
READING
2 Read the article on the following page. What advantages and disadvantages are
mentioned for business travellers on low-cost airlines?
Taking on the grown-ups
43
Low-cost airlines looking to compete in the lucrative world of business travel
1 Low-cost carriers have been competing with mainstream airlines for a number of
years, but have mostly targeted economy class passengers with their policy of
undercutting prices. Several, however, are beginning to look into the profitable
business travel market segment by expanding their routes and offering a more flexible
flight schedule.
2 However, a no-frills airline will still have problems competing in areas that
business travellers have long taken for granted. One of these currently in discussion
is in-flight entertainment. Low-cost carriers argue that most passengers have their own
entertainment with them and prefer to listen to their mp3 players or watch DVDs
on their laptops. They are not interested in the standard programme offered by the
airlines. Providing refreshments, however, is another matter. Whether or not business
travellers will be ready to exchange premium
food service and a choice of beverages for packaged sandwiches and water they have to
purchase is certainly questionable.
3 Another area to look at carefully is the cost-benefit ratio. Many low-cost carriers
advertise extremely low fares but when the customer adds in the charges for fees, taxes,
luggage, check-in, priority check-in, seat selection and paying by credit card, the costs
may be the same, and in some cases even higher than on mainstream airlines. This is an
area that will certainly need to be addressed or low-cost carriers will fail to survive in the
competitive world of air travel. They have to keep in mind that value-for-money is a high
priority in the business world.
4 A number of low-cost carriers have also been using more remote airports where
the fees are lower. Several are considering returning to primary airports and hubs. Their
corporate sales departments are looking into the benefits they can offer business travellers
and convenience will certainly be at the top of the list. After all, a businessperson who
can take a taxi to a primary airport will not
be interested in a long bus trip into the city from an airport located too far away from
where he or she needs to be. As time equates to money on business trips, this factor alone
may be the deciding one in choosing a carrier.
44
5 Another problem the no-frills market will have to face is in-flight comfort. Business
travellers are used to fully reclinable seats and a great deal of legroom as well as a feeling
of privacy, something most low-cost carriers cannot offer. However, it will be interesting
to see how this market develops, as airlines such as AirAsia are already offering flat bed
style comfort at a fraction of the price. In addition, business travellers like having a
dedicated check-in desk, fully-refundable flexible tickets and the feeling of being
pampered. If they are expected to insert a coin into a slot on the toilet door, stand in a
queue and hope they get the seat they prefer or carry their lunch onto the plane, most
will stay with the mainstream airlines.
6 There are, of course, a number of factors the no-frills airlines can consider. In some
cases they offer the only direct flight between certain locations which is an advantage for
them. However, if passengers need to transfer to a connecting flight, most will choose
the mainstream airline which guarantees rebooking on the connecting flight if the first
flight is delayed. It will be interesting to see how the low-cost carriers respond to the
market over the next few years and we may see a major change both in business travel and
the expectations of business travellers.
3 Read the article again. Think of a title for each paragraph.
4 Read the article again. Are the following statements true or false?
1 The differences between mainstream and low-cost airlines are becoming less clear.
2 Low-cost airlines are always cheaper than mainstream airlines.
3 Low cost carriers are looking into ways to attract businesspeople.
4 Business people are used to having special treatment when they travel.
5 Most no-frills airlines can offer the same services as mainstream airlines.
6 The future of low-cost airlines versus mainstream airlines regarding business travel
shows very positive signs.
SPEAKING
45
5 How do you see the future for mainstream and low-cost airlines?
READING
6 Look at the comments below from passengers who flew with low-cost airlines.
Which airline does each of the following sentences refer to?
1 This airline provided the best service.
2 This airline provided the worst service.
3 This airline offered no in-flight food for its passengers.
4 This airline offered the best value in terms of in-flight catering.
5 The check-in procedures for this airline were confused.
6 The check-in procedures for this airline were highly efficient.
7 The interior of this airline's plane was dirty.
Sophie Little, a passenger with Fastjet

The check-in person told me to collect
my ticket at the ticket desk. But there, they
told me I didn't need one and sent me back to
check-in. On the plane itself I was surprised to get
lunch and a free drink. I didn't think that usually
happened with low-cost airlines. It was very
nice, but it didn't make up for the fact
that we left an hour late.
Marion Palmer, a passenger with Presto

Incredibly, from check-in desk to my seat
took less than twenty minutes. My seat was a little
uncomfortable, but the fact that there were no delays
made this bearable, as did a nice cup of real
coffee and a tasty cheese sandwich, both
reasonably priced.
46
Johnathan Ives, a passenger with Prestige
They announced there would be a delay
on the flight - but didn't give a reason for it. On
board, duty-free goods were available, but the same
couldn't be said about any form of refreshment.
Luckily, I'd had a big breakfast at
the airport.
Simon Stevens, a passenger with World Air

Checking-in took forever, as did take-off. Inside, the
level of comfort and standard of cleanliness were
extremely disappointing, and there weren't enough
sandwiches for all the passengers, so most went hungry.
I was one of the unlucky ones who got one!
SPEAKING
7 Work in pairs. Tell your partner about your best and worst experiences of air travel.
SELF-STUDY
1 Complete the telephone conversation with questions.

T Hello. This is David Bridge from Accounts. I'm just ringing about your expenses
claim for your Paris trip. You only wrote down the total figure you spent - but I need
more information.
• Oh, sorry. What do you need to know?
T Well, first of all, (1) __________ ?
• Let me see. Yes. It was the 1 st and 2nd of June.
T Right. And (2) ___________ ?
47
• It was a sales conference I was attending.
T I see. And (3) ___________ Paris?
• By plane. I flew from Gatwick.
T OK. Now (4) ___________ ?
• At the Hotel Deluxe.
T Right. And (5) ____________ ?
Just one night. I flew back on the 2nd.
OK. And (6) ________________ ?
Dupont. Pascale Dupont.
(7) ________________ ?
Dupont? Yes, it's D-U-P-0-N-T.
Thanks. And now could you just send me the receipts?
2 Match the words.

1 false manager
2 meal claim
3 small allowance
4 line print
5 short notice
Now use the combinations to complete the sentences.

1 All expenses claims must be authorised by your __________________
2 He had to leave at ____________ and had no time to update me.
3 The system has a built-in limit for employees claiming their ________________ .
4 The new automated system should help us catch anyone trying to make a
____________.
5 If you read the ________________, you'll see that we do not accept liability for any
loss or damage.
3 Complete the table.

Verb Noun
48
supply .................
reimburse .................
claim .................
authorise .................
require .................
automate .................
Relative pronouns
4 Correct any mistakes with the relative pronouns
in the note below. Can any of the pronouns be omitted?
Dear Mr Rivers
I enclose the expenses claim form who you sent to me last week as it is incomplete. I need
to know the names of the clients that you took for lunch and the name of the restaurant
where you took them to. I also need to know the reason for the £25 what you put in the last
column. Please also note that it is only line managers whom can authorise expenses, not
colleagues whose work in your office.
Kind regards
5 Join each pair of sentences using a relative pronoun.

1 I took Mr Fuller to lunch. He is a client.
2 Employees travel on company business. They will be sent a form by email each month.
3 The expenses claims system will be implemented next month. It will cut costs
considerably.
4 I received the expenses claim reminder. You sent it to me last week.
5 Those are the employees. We paid their expenses last week.
6 Match the words.

duty flight
49
baggage free
check-in allowance
scheduled desk
in-flight catering
reclining status
priority seat
7 Change the following words into adjectives. Put them into the correct group below.
reason; exclude; bear; annoy; disappoint; compete; refund; entertain; transfer; recline; select.
- ive:
- ing:
-able:
8 Put these actions into a logical order.

A Our flight was called.
B We checked in.
C We took off.
D We landed in Paris an hour later.
E We waited in the departure lounge.
F We went through passport control and customs.
G On board we bought some duty-free perfume.
H We went to the ticket desk to collect our tickets.
I We boarded the plane.

1 The free meal didn't make up _______ the delay.
2 Their attraction is based _______ price.
3 No reason ________ the long delay was given.
4 The in-flight meal was good value ______ money.
5 No-frills carriers target economy class customers _______ their policy of cost-cutting.
6 These times don't fit in ____________ your plans.
50
7 Fastjet provides the best value ________ terms __________in-flight catering.
8 Some low-cost carriers are trying to take the grown-ups.
10 Complete the sentences with the following verbs

undercut; transfer; survive; fail; raise; compete.
1 Heavy competition means some no-frills airlines may not __________________.
2 Several mainstream airlines ______________on price with low-cost carriers.
3 Normally, low-cost airlines do not guarantee a __________ to a connecting flight.
4 We don't intend to _________ ticket prices. We intend to lower them.
5 Their prices_______________ most other airlines by as much as 50% on some routes.
6 Certain airlines may ______________ to attract customers if they maintain such high
prices.
Indirect questions
11 Re-arrange the words to make indirect questions.
1 you where could check me in tell we
Could you tell me where we check-in?
2 when know 'd to off like I take we
______________________________
3 refundable just can this if I ticket ask is
______________________________
4 is tell could why delay a there me you
________________________________
5 tell if meal could board you me get on we a
______________________________
12 Make these questions more polite.

1 Is there any in-flight entertainment?
_______________________________
2 Do you offer a frequent flyer programme?
______________________________
51
3 Where's the business lounge?
______________________________
4 What time do we leave?
______________________________
5 Are the seats reclining?
______________________________
6 Where can I exchange money?
______________________________
Reading Test
• Read the text below about flexible working.
• Choose the correct word from A, B, C or D to fill each gap.
• For each gap 1-15, mark one letter A, B, C or D.
Flexible working
The term 'flexible working' has become familiar to any company, regardless of size, that
needs to look at how (0) … jobs are structured. The thinking behind this is not only the
realisation that this (1) … has potential cost benefits, but also the recognition that it can lead
to a more (2) … and contented workforce.
One company with a long (3) … of flexible working is Remploy, the UK's largest employer
of severely (4) … people and people with complex barriers to work. Remploy has a UK
workforce of almost 20,000 (5) … working in various (6) … of the economy including
textiles, furniture and manufacturing services.
Training and development (7) … are a key aspect of Remploy s employment policy, and
each hourly- paid employee has an individual training and action (8) … Throughout the
company, there is also an awareness that progression, and the opportunity to progress, is a
(9) … factor. In the Manufacturing
Services Group, for example, the policy is to (10) … as many employees as possible in two
of the core businesses. Once they have achieved this, the employees are (11) …
In addition, Remploy has (12) … to changing markets in recent years by changing
products and expanding into new areas. This has enabled the company to (13) ... competitive
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and keep the workforce in full-time (14) … On these occasions, Remploy's flexible
approach has enabled employees to be fully retrained while (15) … to work.
Example 0 A individual B sole C single D unique
1 A course B manner C approach D technique

2 A fruitful B inventive C beneficial D productive
3 A history B story C report D account
4 A disabled B weak C sick D injured
5 A employees B colleagues C subordinates D workmates
6 A pieces B divisions C quarters D sectors
7 A agendas B lists C programmes D tables
8 A project B plan C system D procedure
9 A prompting B motivating C persuading D moving
10 A train B improve C guide D learn
11 A raised B supported C promoted D developed
12 A replied B answered C returned D responded
13 A remain B continue C rest D stand
14 A use B C exercise D employment
15 A maintaining engagement C continuing D lasting
B staying
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Unit 4a
Flexible benefits
Benefits
SPEAKING
1 Work in pairs. How would you define benefits? What is the difference to pay? What
benefits do most companies in your country offer? Can people choose the benefits they
want?
READING
2 PricewaterhouseCoopers, the global professional services firm, operates a flexible

benefits system called Choices. Which of the following might the employees below be
interested in?
additional holiday; childcare vouchers; company car; additional cash; accident insurance;
pension scheme; retail vouchers; travel insurance; critical illness insurance.
Julie is in her thirties and has a baby daughter. She has plans to return to work as soon as her
daughter is old enough to go into day care.
Mark joined PricewaterhouseCoopers after graduating from university. He enjoys

travelling. He would like to take a trip around the world with his girlfriend, who is still a
student.
Susie and her partner both work full-time in well-paid jobs. Since they have no children,
security is not a high priority. They are more concerned with enjoying life.
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SPEAKING
3 Imagine that a company you work for introduced a flexible benefits package. What
benefits would you choose?
How flexible benefits work
1 Look at the information from a PricewaterhouseCoopers booklet about the

firm's flexible benefits system. What are the three categories of benefits?
How Choices works
The way your pay and benefits are put together under Choices is easy to understand:
Rewards and benefits
At PwC our goal is to provide you with the best combination of financial rewards and
benefits possible. We work hard at finding the most competitive offers in the marketplace
for your benefits package and understand how important financial reward is to employees.
Your reward package is made up of your base pay, 25 days of annual leave and bonus
opportunities which increase with grade and length of service.
Choices allowance
Your Choices allowance is the additional amount over and above your base pay and your
annual leave which is provided to help you fund your benefits. With your Choices
allowance you can put together a package of benefits to suit your needs. This includes 4°/o
base pay pension funding for managers and above, as well as for all employees who have
been with the company for at least five years.
Core benefits
As part of Choices, you are provided with certain minimum benefits which are funded by
the firm and are not optional. These benefits include a minimum number of days' holiday,
life assurance, personal accident insurance, income protection and private medical
insurance. All employees will also be able to join the pension plan from the day they begin
work and benefit from the matched funding provided by the company. Matched funding
ranges from 2-15% of base pay, depending on your grade and length of service.
Flexible benefits
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Staff can choose to make use of holiday trading. This means that employees can opt to have
a minimum of 20 days or a maximum of 30 days annual leave by agreeing to adjustments
in salary. In addition, employees can choose from a package which offers additional
pension contributions, dental insurance, health screening, bicycles (part of the 'Cycle to
Work' scheme) and childcare vouchers. And as lifestyles and needs change, you have the
chance to review your package every year and make any necessary changes to better suit
your needs.
Voluntary benefits
There is a wide variety of voluntary benefits which employees can opt into. These include
retail vouchers for discounts at shops, discounted gym memberships and a concierge
service which can be used to book holidays or theatre tickets. Due to PwC's bargaining
power, negotiations with third-party suppliers enable us to offer excellent deals for our
employees.
2 Are the following statements true or false?

1 The amount of pension contribution made by the company depends on how long you
have worked there and your position.
2 The employee has to pay for all of the benefits offered by the firm.
3 Employees can have cash rather than life assurance.
4 All employees receive medical insurance.
5 Holiday trading allows employees to vary the amount of days off in exchange for
pay.
6 Voluntary benefits are paid for by the company.
SPEAKING
3 How important are benefits to you when considering a job offer?
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The advantages of flexible benefits
READING
1 Look at the information about the advantages of Choices. Complete the document with
the correct benefit from the list below.
A Childcare vouchers
B Car leasing agreement
C Critical illness insurance
D Extra holidays
E Pension
F Personal accident insurance
G Retail vouchers
Your options
1…
This benefit may appeal to you if you like the idea of inclusive maintenance, servicing and
insurance. The purchasing power of the firm means that employees enjoy the most
competitive rates.
2…
This may appeal to employees for all sorts of reasons. If you like the idea of more frequent
breaks or extra time off, this could be a worthwhile option for you.
3…
This scheme is available to anyone who has parental responsibilities. As the scheme is
subsidised by the firm, your costs will be reduced.
4…
The key benefit is that the lump sum is paid directly to you. This allows you to spend the
money as you see fit. If you had a heart attack, for example, the money might be used for
home improvements to make your life more comfortable.
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5…
With Choices you can decide how much cover to have and whether to include members of
your family. This may be useful when you start to think of the additional childcare costs
if you or your partner were to suddenly die or become disabled.
LISTENING
2 Carolyn Wilkinson, Senior Employee Benefits Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers,

talks about the Choices scheme. Listen and choose one letter for the correct answer.
1 PricewaterhouseCoopers launched Choices in order to
A cater for the different needs of its employees.
B reduce the company payroll costs.
C keep employees happy after the merger.
2 PricewaterhouseCoopers can offer benefits more cheaply because
A it deals with cut-price providers.
B all its benefits are tax-free.
C of its bargaining power.
3 The purpose of the roadshows was to
A distribute the printed information across the country.
B give employees a chance to ask about Choices.
C stop employees worrying about the merger.
4 In what way were the roadshows successful?
A They allowed employees to choose their benefits.
B They were attended by the majority of UK
employees.
C They increased awareness of the Choices scheme.
5 PricewaterhouseCoopers encouraged participation by
A providing further details on its intranet site.
B sending detailed information to all employees. C telephoning all employees with
more information.
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6 Carolyn Wilkinson said that the most popular benefit has been
A the flexible amount of holiday employees can take.
B the opportunity to buy or lease a company car.
C the pension scheme offered by PricewaterhouseCoopers.
7 What impact does Carolyn Wilkinson feel Choices has had on
recruitment?
A It has improved the response to advertised vacancies.
B It has helped the firm recruit the people it
wants.
C It has raised brand awareness among
graduates.
8 The main benefit to PricewaterhouseCoopers is
A the reduced cost of recruiting new staff.
B the positive effect on the brand name.
C the knowledge gained from running the scheme.
SPEAKING
3 Complete the table below with information about Choices.

Advantages for the employee Advantages for the company
flexible choice reduces staff turnover
4 Work in pairs. Do you think flexible benefits are a good idea? Which benefits would
you choose and why?
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Unit 4b
Staff appraisal
The role of appraisals
SPEAKING
1 Work in pairs. What do you know about staff appraisals? What is their purpose?
2 Look at the list of reasons for appraising staff. Which do you think are the three
most important? Why?
• to assess training and development needs

• to help improve current performance
• to review and evaluate past performance
• to assess promotion prospects
• to set performance objectives
• to review pay
LISTENING
3 Five people talk about their appraisals. Listen and decide the main topic of each extract.
1.....
2....
3....
4....
5....
A current performance
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B future targets
C job description
D past performance
E pay
F promotion prospects
G training
H working environment
SPEAKING
4 How can you best prepare for an appraisal? Work in pairs and discuss the
questions on this form. Choose either your current job or a job you are training to
do.
Job: ________________________
1 What are your main duties and responsibilities?
2 Are you satisfied with your performance in the last year? Why/why not?
Give examples.
3 What would you consider to be your most important achievements of the last year?
4 What parts of your job do you find to be the most difficult?
5 What parts of your job are the most/least interesting?
6 What could be done to improve your performance? What can you do? What can your
boss do?
7 What kind of work would you like to be doing in one/two/five years?
8 What kind of professional or personal development would benefit you in the next two
years?
5 Look at these points below and rate yourself.
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Need for Satisfactory Excellent N/A
improvement
A Time management □ □ □ □
B Communication skills □ □ □ □
C Budgets and financial planning □ □ □ □
D Administration work □ □ □ □
E IT skills □ □ □ □
F Meeting deadlines □ □ □ □
G Creativity □ □ □ □
H Problem-solving □ □ □ □
I Decision-making □ □ □ □
J Team work and co-operation □ □ □ □
K Working under pressure □ □ □ □
L Leadership skills □ □ □ □
M Adaptability □ □ □ □
6 Now take turns holding an interview. Ask your partner the questions from the
form and discuss his or her performance and career goals. Find out how your
partner plans to work on the areas where he or she needs improvement. Ask for
specific examples.
Monitoring performance
READING
1 Read the article about staff appraisals. Do you agree with the article? Can you
suggest any ways to change the system to make it more effective?
Staff appraisals - more trouble than they're worth?
62
Ask any empl oyee at any level in any company what they dislike about their job and
somewhere on the list you will find a complaint about the system of performance appraisals.
It does seem strange that an idea which was supposed to benefit both individuals and the
company should be so universally disliked, but the staff appraisal is now one of the biggest
causes of dissatisfaction at work. In the United States there have even been cases of unhappy
workers taking their employers to court over appraisal interviews. It is in a company's interest
to combat this situation, but, before reversing the appraisal's negative associations, an
organisation needs to pinpoint the underlying reasons which have contributed to them.
Problems with appraisals can fall into two main areas -those arising from the scheme
itself and those arising from the implementation and understanding of that scheme.
Naturally it is easier to tackle those in the former category, indeed some companies have
developed schemes following legal guidelines. These guidelines suggest that a successful
scheme should have a clear appeal process, that any negative feedback should be
accompanied by 'evidence' such as dates, times and outcomes and that, most importantly, ratings
should reflect specific measurable elements of the job requirements.
It is not always necessary to resort to legal advice however. Some changes to current
schemes are simply a matter of logic. For instance, if employees are constantly encouraged
to work in teams and to assume joint responsibility for their successes and failures, it makes
little sense for the appraisals to focus on individuals, as this may lead to resentments and create
divisions within the group. It is possible, and in some cases more suitable, to arrange
appraisals where performance is rated for the group.
Staff also need to be educated about the best way to approach appraisals. Managers often
find that they are uncomfortable being asked to take on a more supportive role than they are used
to without having had any training. Those being appraised may see it as a chance to air
their grievances and highlight the company's failings rather than consider their own role.
Both parties view the process as a necessary evil, to be gone through once or twice a year, and
then forgotten about. The importance given to the appraisal stems from the fact that, despite
all the talk of the interview being a chance for management and employees to come together
and exchange ideas, set joint targets and improve the way decisions are reached, the reality
is that they are often nothing more than the pretext on which pay rises are given, or not
given. Pay is, of course, a subject that always leads to problems.
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Given the problems associated with staff appraisals, why is it that, with no legal
requirement, companies continue to run them? The answer is simple: it is impossible to
manage something you know nothing about. As any HR Manager can tell you, the best way to
learn about someone is to talk to them. Effective people management relies on knowledge
and appraisals are still the best way to build up that bank of knowledge.
2 Read the article again and choose one letter for the correct answer.
1 All employees complain about
A the system of benefits.
B dissatisfaction with their job.
C the way they are assessed.
D company performance.
2 Why are there so many problems with appraisals?
A People think that there are too many categories.
B People are not sure how the system works.
C People think that the feedback is too negative.
D People are not happy with the legal aspects.
3 Individual appraisals are not always very effective because
A teams much prefer to be awarded a group rating.
B everybody works in teams these days.
C team members share liability for results.
D team leaders sense resentment between members.
4 What do senior staff find difficult about doing appraisals?
A Relating to their staff in a different manner than usual.
B Having to listen to staff complaining about the company.
C Managing to find time to attend proper training sessions.
D Knowing the best way to educate staff about their role.
5 In an ideal world an appraisal is an opportunity to
A improve your salary.
B moan about the boss.
C discuss and agree goals.
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D meet every six months.
6 How are personal appraisals important for companies?
A They help HR managers to talk to staff.
B They provide the best way to build new targets.
C They help the company meet legal requirements.
D They provide valuable information to the employer.
3 You work in the HR department. Look at writing tips on page 85, then write a
40-50 word email about staff appraisals to managers in your firm:
• telling them when the appraisals should take place
• asking them to send a copy of the appraisal report to you
• reminding them to book an interview room if necessary.
SELF-STUDY
1 Read through the unit. Find more benefits.
holidays
2 Match the words.

1 call power
2 pension centre
3 base costs
4 bargaining leave
5 payroll discount
6 annual scheme
7 bulk turnover
8 staff pay
1 DIVERSE
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The system recognises the _______________ of all our employees.
2 IMPLEMENT
The _________________ of the system took longer than expected.
3 APPLY
We are interested in attracting the best __________.
4 CHALLENGE
After the merger took place, we had to answer a lot of ___________________ questions
from employees.
5 OPTION
The other benefits are all _______________ .
6 RECRUIT
We need to focus on _______________ .
7 SECURE
The health insurance gives me and my family some financial __________________,
which is important.
8 AWARE
The booklet helped raise _______________ .

1 You can choose according ___________________ your needs.
2 I've decided to take some time _________________
3 We hope staff will participate ___________________ the scheme.
4 One advantage ______ the scheme is its flexibility.
5 The scheme caters_______ all types of employees.
6 There's been a lot of interest _________________ the scheme.
7 The scheme has had an effect ___________________ recruitment.
8 I took extra holidays in exchange ___________________ base pay.
Gerunds and infinitives

5 Complete the text with the gerund or infinitive.
66
The advantages of flexible benefits
Saving you time and money
The concept of flexible benefits is straightforward.
They give you the opportunity (1 put) ______
together the mix of pay and benefits that best suits
you. As well as (2 provide) ______ you with an easy
way of (3 meef) _______ your own individual needs,
flexible benefits allow you (4 select) ______ benefits
such as a company car, insurance or childcare
vouchers, which can save you money. You are very
likely (5 find)________that the options available are
things you have already considered (6 purchase)
________ , such as dental insurance. Our exhaustive
research helps you (7 make) ________ the right
__ to do all the work decisions without (8 have) _ yourself.
Giving you peace of mind
(9 Choose) ________ the right insurance provider can
be difficult for anyone not used to (10 deal) _________
with such matters. That is why we are always
extremely careful (11 select) _____ only the best
providers.
Meeting your changing needs
The real beauty of the flexible benefits system is that
your options every it lets you (12 review)___________
twelve months, which means you
can change your benefits (13 surf) ____________
your changing lifestyle.
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6 You are a manager of an electrical goods wholesaler. Due to a computer error, you
have not paid an important supplier's invoice. Write an email of 40-50 words to the
supplier:
• apologising for the mistake
• explaining how it happened
• saying when the invoice will be paid.
7 Choose the correct word to complete each sentence.

1 We feel it is important for management and employees to (exchange / change)
ideas.
2 Many employees see appraisals as a chance to (propose /air) grievances.
3 We managed to (achieve / meet) all our deadlines this year.
4 We (estimated / evaluated) last year's performance at my appraisal.
5 I complained about my workload, so we had a detailed look at my (description /
responsibilities).
6 We discussed my (progress / promotion) prospects.
7 Could you (update / remind) me on our performance so far this year?
8 We don't have a formal training (culture / policy).
8 Complete the appraisal questions with the correct form of the following words.
Then answer the questions about yourself.
frustrate develop success responsible good
1 What are the most important responsibilities in your job?
2 What has gone ____________ in your job over the past year?
3 What helps you do your job ___________ ?
4 What causes you concern or ____________ ?
5 How would you like your job to _________ in the future?
Reading Test Part Two

• Read the article below about corporate travel.
• Choose the correct sentence from A-G to fill each gap.
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• For each gap 1-5, mark one letter A-G.
• Do not use any letter more than once.
Airlines look to make loyalty pay
The high-flying lifestyle of corporate travel addicts is under threat. Driven from
their natural environment of the airport business lounge, they can be seen comparing
airmile accounts in ordinary departure lounges across Europe. (0) … The more airmiles
an executive had, the more willing he was to put himself out for the good of the company.
However, the travel budget has become the latest target of the corporate cost-cutter.
Increasingly, cost-conscious companies are now looking for ways of reducing
both the amount and the cost of corporate travel. (1) … Facilities such as email and
video-conferencing, for example, mean that information can be distributed and
responded to far more quickly, reducing the need for face-to-face meetings. Cheaper
telecommunications means that Virtual meetings', using video-conferencing, are
undoubtedly becoming more common.
Even when journeys are unavoidable, the club-class ticket is no longer
guaranteed. More and more executives now find their full-fare business class tickets
replaced by discounted promotional tickets or even economy class seats. (2) … It also
affects their ability to collect airmiles.
Some airlines have reacted by looking for other ways to woo business travellers
with special loyalty cards and by upgrading them from economy whenever there are free
seats in business class. (3) … The only problem with doing so is that it often means
ignoring company travel policy by booking flights with non-approved airlines.
The attraction of airmiles is easy to understand. (4) With these benefits in mind,
it is easy to see why gold or platinum card holders may be tempted to take extra trips to
retain this preferential treatment. When the card is due for renewal, some corporate
travellers will always find an excuse for a full-fare business ticket with their favourite
carrier.
Most major airlines are now part of a reward scheme alliance. (5) For airlines,
loyalty schemes such as airmiles are no longer a way of filling empty seats, but an
important source of revenue.
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The schemes also provide airlines with useful information about their customers.
Airlines all have relationship marketing departments that use this information to build
detailed profiles of scheme members. This allows them to approach the right person
with the right product at the right time.
Example 0 - G
A There is a fast growing trade in the sale of unused airmiles.
B For frequent flyers this means more than just reduced levels of comfort.
C As well as free flights, they provide access to airport lounges and priority on over-
booked flights.
D This means air mileage addicts can shop around for the best deal and still add miles
to their accounts.
E With communications systems cheaper and easier to use, many journeys are now
unnecessary.
F Oneworld members, for example, are awarded points by partner airlines such as
British Airways, Qantas, Japan Airlines and Iberia air.
G Traditionally, frequent flying was seen as a measure of commitment to the company
cause.
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Unit 5a
Marketing disasters
The marketing mix
SPEAKING
1 Look at the advertisement below. Discuss these features of the marketing mix:
Product, Place, Promotion and Price. How do each of these apply to the advert?
the freedom to be...

tel: 0800 969798 www.solaris.com
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2 Look at the four stories on about marketing disasters. Which story does each piece
of marketing advice below refer to?
1 Don't change something which is already a proven success.
2 Don't spend more on the promotion than the product.
3 Don't let competitors dictate your strategy.
4 If things go wrong, change the name.
5 A marketing mistake can put a company out of business.
6 Doing things too quickly can produce disastrous results.
7 Work out the exact cost of a promotional gift.
A good idea at t h e ti m e...
Some marketing ideas seem heaven sent. But what happens when they become promotions from hell?
Adrian Stoppard reports.
Every advertising executive knows that golden moment when inspiration

strikes and the 'perfect' idea appears out of the blue. However, as the following
examples show, it is easy to get carried away with the excitement and not think
things through carefully enough.
A Cleaned out
Hoover offered any customer who spent at least £100 on its products two
complimentary flights to Europe and the US. The offer attracted more than double the
anticipated applications, leading to the dismissal of three senior managers and a bill
for£19m.
B Another one bytes the dust
A large computer hardware retailer positioned itself at the bottom end of the market by
undercutting all its competitors. To attract customers, it offered a 0% interest Buy Now, Pay
One Year Later deal. People did buy, but unfortunately, serious cash flow problems forced the
company into liquidation before customers repaid them.
C Washday blues
Lever Brothers rushed Persil Power onto the market to coincide with a rival
company's launch of its own new washing powder. Despite millions of pounds spent on
research, Persil Power was fatally flawed, having the unfortunate effect of damaging
clothes. It was quickly withdrawn and reformulated.
D The unreal thing
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The best has been made even better,' said the CEO of Coca-Cola about its decision to
change the flavour of Coke for the first time in its 99-year history. However, of the 150
million people who tried the new Coke, nearly two-thirds preferred the original. The
company was forced to re-launch the old Coke as Coke Classic three months later.
SPEAKING
3 How could the companies have avoided these mistakes?
Promotions that failed
READING
1 Work in pairs. Read these stories about promotions that failed. How do you think each
story ended?
Promotion A
A well-known manufacturer of confectionery organised a treasure hunt, which was long
considered by the marketing industry as the 'promotion from hell'. The company buried a
number of small boxes around the country - their locations to be found in a book of clues. The
finder of each box would receive a prize of £10,000.
Promotion B
A petrol station chain wanted to boost sales in a particular town in Scotland where competitors
were winning market share. Its Marketing Department came up with what they thought was an
imaginative yet safe promotion. The petrol station in question would offer free fuel to any two
customers that looked like each other.
Promotion C
A well-known building company ran a competition as part of its campaign to attract customers.
The winner of the first prize would receive a top-of-the-range conservatory plus garden
furniture and a barbecue set. Thousands of people entered the competition.
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LISTENING
2 Three people talk about these failed promotions. Listen and decide which promotion
each person is talking about.
1…
2…
3…
SPEAKING
3 Work in pairs. Your company is considering launching a new healthcare

product. They are interested in selling to both men and women and are looking
into marketing strategies to reach both groups.
You have been asked to come up with marketing ideas.
Discuss the situation together and decide:
• where to advertise the product and what type of promotions to do
• where to sell the product.
4 Work in pairs. Look at the promotions again. Which disaster would have
been the easiest/most difficult to avoid? Explain why.
5 Have you heard of any marketing disasters or failed products? What were they?
Which of the four Ps of marketing did the companies get wrong? What should they
have done?
74
Unit 5b
Going global
Choosing the right product
SPEAKING
1 Think of three successful products. Why are they successful?
Put each of the three products in the appropriate quarter of the framework below.
Which products are most suitable for globalisation?
Framework for choosing products to globalize
Suitability of product lines for globalisation
Degree of Low 2 1
local adaptation
required High 4 3
Low Expected returns High
3 The Marriott Corporation had been in the hotel business for about thirty years when
the management decided they needed to become an international company. It was
therefore necessary to decide on a strategy of globalisation. Put these Marriott brands
into the framework.
• 'Marriott' brand (full-service hotels)

• 'Courtyard' brand (mid-price hotels)
• 'Residence Inn' brand (long-term-stay hotels)
• Marriott Senior Living Services (retirement communities)
4 Now read the case study and check your answers.
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Marriott
CASE STUDY
As the company began its globalisation, it had to decide which product lines to start
with. Figure 1 represents a framework to identify those product lines suitable for
early globalisation. As indicated, each line of business in the company's portfolio should
be evaluated along two dimensions - potential pay-off (expected returns) and potential risk
(degree of local adaptation required).
The first dimension focuses on the potential profits of globalisation. In Marriott's case,
the two products with the highest margins were its full-service hotels (the 'Marriott' brand)
and long-term-stay hotels (the 'Residence Inn' brand). In a business such as the Marriott
hotels, where the principal customers are globetrotting corporate executives, a worldwide
presence can create significant value because the company can use a centralised reservations
system and develop globally standardised services which assure customers of high quality.
The second dimension refers to the level of adaptation required to enter foreign markets.
Since any new development involves risk, the greater the degree of local adaptation
required, the greater the risk of failure. For the Marriott Corporation, both its 'Marriott' and
'Courtyard' brands could successfully offer globally standardised services, whereas the
retirement communities and the long-term-stay hotels would require far more local adaptation.
Thus, full-service hotels offered both a greater pay-off and less risk and seemed to be the
best candidate for globalisation. However, since Marriott began to expand internationally, the
'Courtyard' brand has become more popular in the international market. It proved to be an
extremely adaptable brand and the management team quickly realised that offering ergonomic
work space, Internet access, business libraries and 24-hour food service would attract business
travellers around the globe. The marketing strategy of billing it as 'The business hotel designed
by business travellers, for business travellers' has certainly paid off. The cost of staying at a
Courtyard is lower than the up-scale Marriott hotels, but being a high volume product has
greatly improved the returns on the brand.
SPEAKING
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5 Work in pairs. Discuss the following questions.
1 How can a worldwide presence add value to a company?
2 What are the risks involved in adapting a product for a foreign market?
3 What needs to be taken into account when adapting a brand to an international market?
Entering the market
LISTENING
1 Donald Fraser, a consultant at Kennedy, McLeish & Partners (KMP), talks about
advising companies on exporting. Listen and choose one letter for the correct answer.
1 Companies approach KMP for advice on choosing
A the right products to export.
B the most suitable foreign market.
C the best way of entering a market.
2 The safest method for a company to enter a foreign market is
A having an agreement with a local company.
B setting up its own local production.
C finding a joint venture partner.
3 What is the main advantage of joint ventures?
A They are the cheapest way of entering a market.
B They are a risk-free way of doing business.
C They provide important market knowledge.
4 The danger with a joint venture is that one company might
A refuse to share know-how with the other partner.
B use the arrangement as the basis for a takeover.
C exploit and then leave the other partner.
5 A subsidiary is the best way of entering a market when
A high sales volumes are expected.
B the products are cheap to produce.
C a foreign market is near home.
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6 Companies can improve their chances of success by
A developing new products exclusively for the market.
B changing the product to suit the target market.
C using designers recruited from the target market.
7 A company is forced to expand quickly when
A cheaper competition appears on the market.
B it has a successful formula that sells well.
C its production costs are very high.
8 Donald advises companies to prepare for expansion by
A training their key managers.
B having a comprehensive business plan.
C assessing their financial resources.
2 Listen again. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the following ways
of entering a market?
Franchise: lower financial risk
Joint venture: can share costs and risks
Wholly-owned subsidiary: complete control
SPEAKING
3 Work in pairs. Discuss the major exports of your country and the companies
involved in this business. Talk about how businesses decide what to export and if they
sell the same products in their home markets.
SELF-STUDY
78
1 Read through the unit and find more words and phrases connected with promotion.
to offer a prize
to attract customers/interest
2 Complete the sentences with market or marketing.

1 The company positioned itself at the bottom end of the _______________
2 A __________________ failure can put a company out of business.
3 He's the manager of the ________________ Department.
4 A rival company stole their ____________ share.
5. They rushed their new product onto the ________________ before they had fully
tested it.
3 Match the words

1 boost a product
2 undercut sales
3 attract competitors
4 withdraw market share
5 run customers
6 avoid a competition
7 win mistakes
Now complete the sentences with the combinations.

1 They plan to _______________ where the top prize is a flight to the US.
2 They're hoping the promotion will _______________ away from competitors.
3 A good promotion can _________________ by as much as three or four per cent.
4 We have ten per cent of the market and plan to ______________ by focusing on price.
5 They planned to lower prices and ____________ in order to win customers.
79
6 Sometimes you can't ______________ because you can’t anticipate everything that
could go wrong.
7 They had to ________________ two days before the launch because it was fatally flawed.
4 Match the words to make compound nouns.
1 pay- over
2 know- off
3 joint building
4 take venture
5 decision- how
6 team- making
5 Match the words to make compound adjectives. Then think of a noun to go after
each adjective.
1 mid- wide
2 long- price
3 world free
4 wholly- volume
5 risk- term
6 high owned
6 Rewrite each of the sentences without changing its meaning. Use a form of the word
in italics.
1 They decided on a global approach to operations. They decided to globalise
operations.
2 We acquired a company last year.
We _______________ last year.
3 We expanded into international markets successfully.
The global _________________ was a success.
4 They own the company completely.
They have _____________________ the company.
80
5 We agreed to license our products.
We signed a ____________________.
7 Correct the mistake in each sentence below.

1 I need some information)s(about the meeting.
2 Their news were very encouraging.
3 It's the service what really matters.
4 I look forward to hear from you in due course.
5 This type of problem is very normally.
6 We are very interesting in your product range.
7 I didn't manage finishing all the work on time.
8 Who's offer did you finally decide to accept?
9 The report bases on the most recent figures.
10 The company is a lot bigger as it used to be.
11 Last year's sales figures have to be checking.
12 So the company's doing well, does it?
13 It's a lot more harder to find clients than keep them.
14 She didn't give me many advice on what to do.
15 When I told him the problem, he said me that it wasn't important.
Listening Test
Questions 1-12
• You will hear three telephone conversations.
• Write one or two words or a number in the numbered spaces on the forms below.
• You will hear each conversation twice.
Conversation One (Questions 1-4)
• Look at the form below.
• You will hear a woman placing an order for office supplies.
Customer Order Form Order Reference XR 4930

Date Received 15/10/2O11
81
Customer Name Lacey Graphics
Delivery Address (1) …
Hailsham Industrial Estate
Hailsham
For the attention of: (2) …
Order Details Ten boxes of (3) …
Delivery Date (4) …
Payment Method Invoice
Conversation Two (Questions 5-8)

• You will hear a woman checking details about a job advertisement.
Computer hardware wholesaler requires a (5) …for immediate employment.
(6) …+ full benefits.
Applicants should include full CV, references and details of (7) … Interviews to be
held in the week starting (8) …
Closing date for applications 17 March.
Conversation Three (Questions 9-12)

• You will hear a woman checking details of her appointments.
FRENCH BUSINESS TRIP: Wed 2 /10 - Fri 4 /10
Appointments
11.30 Meeting at Maplo with (9) ...............
She's their new (10) ........................................
15.30 Meet Monsieur Belois at (11) ……………. to discuss new products.
Don't forget
Call office tomorrow.
(12) .......................to Rome on Friday.
82
Listening Test Part Two Questions 13-22
(Questions 13-17)
• You will hear five telephone calls.
• For each piece, decide which place A-H each speaker is at.
• Write one letter A-H next to the number of the piece.
• Do not use any letter more than once.
• You will hear the five pieces twice.
13 .....
14 .....
15 .....
16 .....
17 .....
A bank
B car rental company
C credit card company
D insurance company
E real estate office
F office supply shop
G courier service
H travel agency
Section Two (Questions 18-22)

• You will hear another five short pieces.
• For each piece, decide what the speaker is trying to do.
Write one letter A-H next to the number of the piece.
Do not use any letter more than once.
You will hear the five pieces twice.
18 …
19 …
83
20 …
21 …
22 …
A make an enquiry
B offer help
C cancel an appointment
D accept an invitation
E refuse an offer
F confirm information
G make a complaint
H change an order
Listening Test Part Three

Questions 23-30
• You will hear a radio interview about supermarkets choosing to go green.
• For each question, 23-30, choose one letter A, B or C for the correct answer.
• You will hear the interview twice.
23 Jilliana Fatal says that supermarkets
A have long been in favour of green initiatives.
B are not overly concerned with supplying value for money.
C have not previously been advocates of being green.
24 A major UK supermarket chain
A is not planning to change the way they look at their carbon footprint.
B plans to equalise the carbon they use in production with the amount of carbon they
consume.
C has already begun to plant trees and grow produce.
25 Supermarkets hope that carbon labels on products
A will encourage consumers to buy more fair-trade items.
B will add nutritional information to products.
C will help consumers reduce their carbon footprints and become more eco-friendly.
84
26 High-end retailers feel
A they need to protect their brand by becoming eco-friendly.
B their customers expect them to be concerned about climate change.
C their customers can afford to buy more expensive green products.
27 Wealthy customers
A make the laws regarding the products which can be sold in shops.
B will spread the word about shops which sell eco-
friendly products.
C are loyal customers.
28 The other shops are also 'going green' because
A their customers are putting pressure on them.
B they are having problems with expansion.
C they are concerned about the influence of newspapers and TV.
29 It is necessary for shops to become greener because
A they are in a very competitive market.
B they have to create a sustainable future.
C they are interested in creating PR campaigns.
30 Ben says
A the pressure to change is coming from the government.
B more regulations are needed to protect the planet.
C shops might be forced to keep up with others in their field regarding green initiatives.
Writing Test Part One (i)

• You have planned a meeting with your staff to discuss ways to cut costs in the
department.
• Write a memo of 40-50 words to all staff:
• telling them when the meeting will be

• explaining what the reason for the cost-cutting is
• asking them to bring along ideas to discuss.
Writing Test Part One (ii)
85
• You are a key account manager for a telecommunications company. You are going to
be out of the office for a week on business.
• Write a note of 40-50 words to your assistant:
• telling him how long you will be away
• explaining where you will be
• suggesting who they can contact while you are away.
86
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Ian Wood, Paul Sanderson, Anne Williams, Marjorie Rosenberg: PASS CAMBRIDGE
BEC VANTAGE, Second Edition, Student’s Book, National Geographic Learning, 2013.
Guy Brook-Hart: Business BENCHMARK, Upper-Intermediate, Student’s Book, 2nd

Edition, Cambridge University Press, 2014.
87

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BUSINESS ENGLISH

2ND YEAR STUDENTS

2 Listen to a television report about Fairways, a supermarket chain. Which of the

3 Listen again and answer the questions below.

Size of change Speed of change

1 The company enjoyed a substantial increase in its sales.

Assessing environmental impact

Western College of Higher Education

Environmental questionnaire assessment

1 Jonathan K. Hsu, CEO of Recyclebank gives a presentation on the strategic

2 Complete each sentence with a suitable preposition.

lead to; due to; mean; as a result of

1 sharp fall in profits <= long strike

4 Complete the crossword.

Adjectives and adverbs

It has come to the board's notice that the

1 A many B much C plenty

XCelfon - The future of global communications

XCelfon is fully committed to the research, development and manufacture of state-of-the-

1 A make B allow C prepare D mean

Roysten plans US joint venture

Health and safety

1 Think of three accidents that can happen in an office.

3 How do accidents happen? What can companies or schools do to prevent them?

4 An employee is taken to the company doctor after he has had an accident at

How safe is your workplace?

5 STEPS TO RISK ASSESSMENT …

Know your rights

Is posting comments always a good idea?

1… A failure to meet targets

2 Do you think any of the speakers were treated unfairly?

1 An employee who repeatedly refuses to observe safety requirements has caused a

1 Choose the correct word to complete each

2 Complete each sentence with the correct form of

3 Complete each sentence with a suitable preposition.

6 Choose the correct word to complete each sentence.

7 Complete the table.

8 Put these in order from the least to the most serious.

10 Complete this conversation with the correct

Writing Test (i)

• informing staff of the reason for the change of name

Writing Test (ii)

• informing staff of the new policy

1 What expenses do people typically incur on a business trip?

Business Trip Hotel

A new expenses claims system

To: senior managers

2 Which of these services do you think help business people to work?

Taking on the grown-ups

Taking on the grown-ups

3 Read the article again. Think of a title for each paragraph.

Sophie Little, a passenger with Fastjet

Marion Palmer, a passenger with Presto

Simon Stevens, a passenger with World Air

1 Complete the telephone conversation with questions.

2 Match the words.

Now use the combinations to complete the sentences.

3 Complete the table.

5 Join each pair of sentences using a relative pronoun.