Е. Я. Городецкая, Е. Н. Евсюкова, Л. А. Курылева

Деловой английский язык для менеджеров

Учебное пособие

ebooks@prospekt.org

Информация о книге

УДК 42(075)

ББК 81.2англ

Г70

Рецензенты:

Беляева С. А. — канд. филол. наук, профессор (Дальрыбвтуз) ;

Макаренкова Л. И. — канд. филол. наук, профессор (МГУ им. Г. И. Невельского).

Авторы: Городецкая Е. Я., Евсюкова Е. Н., Курылева Л. А.

Пособие предназначено для обучения английскому языку бакалавров, магистров и аспирантов по направлениям 080500 «Менеджмент» и 080100 «Экономика», а также может быть использовано в системе дополнительного профессионального образования.

Целью пособия является формирование коммуникативной и профессиональной компетенции специалиста в сфере экономики, менеджмента и делового администрирования, владеющего английским языком и умеющего его использовать как средство общения в ситуациях профессиональной деятельности.

УДК 42(075)

ББК 81.2англ

© Дальневосточный государственный технический университет, 2008

© ДВФУ, 2015

© ООО «Проспект», электронная версия книги, 2015

Предисловие

Настоящее учебное пособие предназначено для формирования коммуникативной и профессиональной компетенции у студентов, специализирующихся в области экономики и менеджмента, которым предстоит использовать английский язык как средство общения в разнообразных ситуациях профессиональной деятельности.

Пособие состоит из трёх частей и глоссария. Первая часть включает три раздела (Units), каждый из которых освещает определенную понятийную сферу: введение в менеджмент, управление персоналом, финансы и бухгалтерский учет. Каждый раздел объединяет несколько секций (sections), предназначенных для формирования у обучающихся навыков и умений смысловой интерпретации прочитанного, профессионально ориентированной речи на материале изученной тематики.

Система упражнений, представленная в пособии, соответствует этапам формирования речевых умений и навыков как в области подготовленной речи, так и в области неподготовленных высказываний в форме диалогов, полилогов, дискуссий и т.д. Учебно-речевые упражнения, предназначенные для формирования умений и навыков, связанных с порождением неподготовленных высказываний, основаны на усвоении лексического и грамматического материала в процессе его репродукции и комбинированной обработки в тренировочных упражнениях условно-речевого характера.

Специальная секция (Checkups) посвящена самоконтролю сформированных умений и навыков, что позволяет обучающимся самостоятельно оценить уровень своих речевых умений на английском языке.

Часть II «Cases in management» содержит материалы для анализа реальных ситуаций профессиональной деятельности. При формулировке всех заданий авторы стремились построить серию заданий так, чтобы пробудить у обучающихся интерес к выполнению той или иной речевой задачи.

Часть III включает грамматические, лексические тесты, а также тесты на проверку понимания прочитанного. Все тесты снабжены ключами, что позволяет обучающемуся самостоятельно оценить уровень своих знаний и умений.

В пособии представлен глоссарий английских терминов, наиболее часто встречающихся в сфере менеджмента, делового администрирования и финансов, что значительно облегчает осознанное употребление обучающимися данной терминологии в речевых высказываниях и способствует формированию понятийной базы по специальности.

Пособие может использоваться как в системе вузовского и послевузовского образования на занятиях по английскому языку с бакалаврами, магистрами и аспирантами, так и в системе дополнительного профессионального образования.

PART I. TEXT STUDY

UNIT I. MANAGEMENT AND ITS FUNCTIONS

Section 1. MANAGING AND MANAGERS. DEFINING MANAGEMENT

Words and Terms to be Remembered

goal

to sell

to achieve

to manufacture

to advertise

sales executive

to set

to accomplish

responsibility

subordinate

to motivate

to define

definition

resources

aptitude

skill

to engage

(in) to imply

to effect

effectiveness

to assure

performance

Read the text and find the answers to the following questions.

1. How is the concept of management defined?

2. Why is management defined as a process?

3. What are the four basic functions of managers?

4. What resources do managers use to attain the goals stated by an organization?

For most of our lives, we are members of one organisation or another – a university, a sports team, a musical or theatrical group, a religious or civic association, a branch of the armed forces, or a business. The organisations we belong to will obviously differ from one another in many ways. Some, like the army or a large corporation, may be organized very formally. Others, like a neighbourhood football team, may be more casually structured. But regardless of how they differ, all the organisations we belong to have several basic things in common.

Perhaps the most obvious common element our organisations will have is a goal or purpose. The goals will vary – to win a league championship, to entertain an audience, to sell a product – but without a goal no organisation would have any reason to exist. Our organisations will also have some program or method for achieving their goals – to win a certain number of games, to rehearse a certain number of times before each performance, to manufacture and advertise a product. Without some plan for what it must do, no organisation is likely to be very effective. Finally, our organisations will all have leaders or managers responsible for helping the organisations achieve their goals. Who the leaders actually are probably will be more obvious in some organisations than in others. But without some manager – a coach, a conductor, a sales executive – the organisation is likely to flounder.

Our emphasis will be on the so-called formal organisations – such as businesses, religious organisations, government agencies, or hospitals – that provide goods or services to their customers or clients and offer career opportunities to their members. It is easier to discuss the management of these organisations, because in such organisations people will usually have various well-defined responsibilities, and the role of the manager will be clear-cut and visible. But regardless of how formal their role is, all managers in all organisations have the same basic responsibility: to help other members of the organisations set and reach a series of goals (objectives).

DEFINING MANAGEMENT

Management has been called “the art of getting things done through people”. This definition, by Mary Parker Follett, calls attention to the fact that managers achieve organisational goals by arranging for others to perform whatever tasks may be necessary – not by performing the tasks themselves.

Management is that, and more. So much more, in fact, that no one definition has been universally accepted. Our discussion will start with a somewhat more complex definition, so that we may call attention to additional important aspects of managing.

Management is the process of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling the efforts of organisation members and of using all other organisational resources to achieve stated organisational goals.

A process is a systematic way of doing things. We define management as a process because all managers, regardless of their particular aptitudes or skills, engage in certain interrelated activities in order to achieve their desired goals.

1. Planning implies that managers think through their goals and actions in advance. Their actions are usually based on some method, plan, or logic, rather than on a hunch.

2. Organizing means that managers co-ordinate the human and material resources of the organisation. The effectiveness of an organisation depends on its ability to marshal its resources to attain its goals. Obviously, the more integrated and co-ordinated the work of an organisation, the more effective it will be. Achieving this co-ordination is part of the manager’s job.

3. Leading describes how managers direct and influence subordinates, getting others to perform essential tasks. By establishing the proper atmosphere, they help their subordinates do their best.

4. Controlling means that managers attempt to assure that the organisation is moving towards its goals. If some part of their organisation is on the wrong track, managers try to find out why and set things right.

Our definition also indicates that managers use all the resources of the organisation – its finances, equipment, and information as well as its people – to attain their goals. People are the most important resource of any organisation, but managers would be limiting their achievements if they did not also rely on the other available organisational resources. For example, a manager who wishes to increase sales might try not only to motivate the sales force but also to increase the advertising budget, thus both human and financial resources to attain the goal.

Finally, our definition says that management involves achieving the organisation’s “stated goals”. This means that managers of any organisation – a university, the Department of Social Security, or the Sydney Swans – try to attain specific ends. These ends are, of course, unique to each organisation. The stated goal of a university might be to give students a well-rounded education in an academic community. The stated goal of a football team might be to win every game in a season. Whatever the stated goals of a particular organisation, management is the process by which the goals are achieved.

Exercises and assignments

Ex. 1. Give the initial forms of the following words:

organisation, association, corporation, achievement, performance, responsibility, management, accomplishment, discussion, definition, coordination, equipment, information, education.

Ex. 2. Find in the text all sentences in which the words given above are used and translate them into Russian.

Ex. 3. Arrange the words below into the pairs of synonyms:

goal, important, achieve, manufacture, let, reason, achieve, customer, duty, purpose, attain, produce, cause, client, responsibility, start, begin, significant, reach, objective, allow, team, crew, security, safety.

Ex. 4. Arrange the words below into the pairs of antonyms:

accept, particular, reliable, available, increase, reject, general, unreliable, inavailable, decrease, unique, common, win, lose, sell, unreasonable, buy, reasonable.

Find in the text all sentences in which the words given above are used and translate them into Russian.

Ex. 5. Match each of the words in column 1 with its definition given in column 2.

I | II
1. Management | a) finances, equipment, and information as well as the people
2. Resources of the organisation | b).implies that managers think through their goals and actions in advance
3. Planning | c) means that managers attempt to assure that the organisation is moving towards, its goals
4. Controlling | d) is the process of planning organizing leading and controlling the efforts of organisation members and of using all other organisational resources to achieve stated organisational goals

Ex. 6. Translate the following text from English into Russian without a dictionary and say what idea this text confirms. Score your time.

Usually, when people become employees, their first task is learning to be successful subordinates. The importance of being a good subordinate should not be underestimated. Before they can become managers, most people have to first prove themselves as subordinates. Besides, virtually every member of an organisation is subordinate to someone else. Even an organisation’s chief executive is subordinate to the board of directors, and the board members in turn are, in principle, responsible to the shareholders. One of the best ways to be an effective subordinate is to understand the job of the boss. This means understanding the demands placed upon the boss by the needs of the organisation. Effective subordinates should also be able to view their own role in relations to others in the department or subdivision, the role of the subdivision in relation to the organisation, the responsibilities of the subdivision manager, and the goals of the organisation as a whole.

Ex. 7. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate words given below.

1. Organisations such as universities, museums, and corporations are ____________, because they store and protect most of the important __________that our civilization has gathered and recorded.

2. In this way, they help to make that knowledge a continuous bridge between past, present, and future _____________.

3. In addition, organisations themselves add to our knowledge by new and more _____________ ways of doing thing.

4. Organisations are important for still another ________: they provide their ____________with a source of _______________and perhaps even personal____________and ____________.

Essential, generations, efficient, livelihood, self-fulfillment, knowledge, developing, reason, employees, satisfaction.

Ex. 8. Answer the following questions:

1. Do you agree that management may be called the art of getting things done through people?

2. Why is management defined as a process?

3. In what activities are managers engaged in order to achieve their desired goals?

4. Why are people considered the most important resource of any organisation?

5. What is planning based on?

6. What does organizing mean?

7. What is leading aimed at?

8. What do managers attempt to achieve through controlling?

9. What goals does the organisation you are involved in set?

Ex. 9. Translate the text from Russian into English.

Многие из нас большую часть жизни работают в различных организациях, фирмах, предприятиях, исполняя при этом обязанности либо менеджеров (управленцев), либо подчиненных. Для того, чтобы управлять любым предприятием, с тем, чтобы оно работало эффективно, нужно уметь правильно ставить цели и находить пути достижения поставленных целей.

Обычно те, кто становятся служащими (или подчиненными), должны сначала научиться быть хорошими подчиненными. Прежде, чем они станут хорошими управляющими, они должны попробовать себя в роли подчиненного, поскольку в рамках любой организации каждый сотрудник обычно подчиняется кому-либо. Успешная работа каждого зависит от того, насколько он/она осознает свою роль в том или другом отделе (отделении фирмы), а также роль своего отдела в общей структуре предприятия. Тот, кто понял систему управления предприятием, поведение управляющих, их действия, связанные с достижением целей и решением различных проблем, может использовать этот опыт в достижении своих личных целей – стать не только менеджером, но эффективно работающим менеджером.

Section 2. WHAT MANAGERS DO

Words and Terms to be Remembered

to specify

effort

to supervise

supervisor

to supply

supplier

long-range

short-range

to account

accountable

to be held accountable

to be in charge of

to fail

failure

obligation

to carry out (functions, activities)

to compete

concept

feasible

to produce

productivity

mediator

to settle (a conflict, a problem, a quarrel)

to run for office

to persuade

persuasion

to dismiss

to put off

Read the text and find the answers to the following questions.

1. What roles may an effective manager take on to move the organisation towards its stated objectives?

2. Why do managers act as channels of communication within the organisation?

3. What functions does a manager carry out?

4. Why are managers compared with politicians and diplomats?

WHAT MANAGERS DO

Our working definition describes managers as organisational planners, organizers, leaders, and controllers. Actually, every manager – from the president of a university club to the chief executive of a multinational corporation – takes on a much wider range of roles to move the organisation towards its stated objectives. In this discussion of the more detailed aspect of what managers do, we will specify more completely what managers are.

Managers work with and through other people. The term “people” includes not only subordinates and supervisors but also other managers in the organisation. “People” also includes individuals outside the organisation – customers, clients, suppliers, union representatives, and so on. These people and others provide goods and services or use the product or service of the organisation. Managers, then, work with anyone at any level within or outside their organisations who can help achieve unit or organisational goals.

In addition, managers in any organisation work with each other to establish the organisation’s long-range goals and to plan how to achieve them. They also work together to provide one another with the accurate information needed to perform tasks. Thus, managers act as channels of communication within the organisation.

Managers are responsible and accountable. Managers are in charge of seeing that specific tasks are done successfully. They are usually evaluated on how well they arrange for these tasks to be accomplished. Managers are responsible also for the actions of their subordinates. The success or failure of subordinates is a direct reflection of managers’ success or failure.

All members of an organisation, including those who are not managers, are responsible for their particular tasks. The difference is that managers are held responsible, or accountable, not only for their own work but also for the work of others.

Managers balance competing goals and set priorities. At any given time, every manager faces a number of organisational goals, problems, and needs – all of which compete for the manager’s time and resources (both human and material). Because such resources are always limited, each manager must strike a balance between the various goals and needs. Many managers, for example, arrange each day’s tasks in order of priority – the most important things are done right away, while the less important tasks are looked at later. In this way managerial time is used more effectively.

Managers must think analytically and conceptually. To be an analytical thinker, a manager must be able to break a problem down into its components, analyze those components, and then come up with a feasible solution. But it is even important for a manager to be a conceptual thinker, able to view the entire task in the abstract and relate it to other tasks. Thinking about a particular task in relation to its larger implications is no simple matter. But it is essential if the manager is to work towards the goals of the organisation as a whole as well as towards the goals of an individual unit.

Managers are mediators. Organisations are made up of people, and people disagree or quarrel. Disputes within a unit or organisation can lower morale and productivity, and they may become so unpleasant or disruptive that competent employees decide to leave the organisation. Such occurrences hinder work towards unit or organisational goals; therefore, managers must at times take on the role of mediator and iron out disputes before they get out of hand. Setting quarrels requires skill and tact; managers who are careless in their handling of disputes may be chagrined to find that they have only made matters worse.

Managers are politicians. This does not mean that the organisation expects its managers to run for office (unless that is the purpose of the organisation!). It means, rather, that managers must build relationships, and persuasion and compromise in order to promote organisational goals, just as politicians do to move their programs forward.

Managers should develop other political skills, also. All effective managers “play politics” by developing networks of mutual obligations with other managers in the organisation. They may also have to build or join alliances and coalitions. Managers draw upon these relationships to win support for proposals or decisions or to gain co-operation in carrying out various activities.

Managers are diplomats. They may serve as official representatives of their work units at organisational meetings. They may represent the entire organisation as well as a particular unit in dealing with clients, customers, contractors, government officials, and personnel of other organisations.

Managers make difficult decisions. No organisation runs smoothly all the time. There is almost no limit to the number and types of problems that may occur: financial difficulties, problems with employees, or differences of opinion concerning organisation policy, to name just a few. Managers are the people who are expected to come up with solutions to difficult problems and to follow through on their decisions even when doing so may be unpopular. One of the most unpleasant measures a manager has to take is to dismiss an employee, and managers – even good ones – often put off dismissing someone, even though they know the morale of their whole unit may suffer until action is taken.

A manager is what a manager does, and a manager obviously does many different things – so many, in fact, that the roles and activities described above are only some of the possibilities. However, the brief descriptions of these roles show that managers must “change hats” frequently and must be alert to the particular role needed at a given time. The ability to recognize the appropriate role to be played and to change roles readily is a mark of an effective manager.

Exercises and assignments

Ex. 1. Complete this table with all missing derivatives. Consult the text.

Find in the text the sentences in which these words are used and translate them into Russian.

Noun | Verb | Adjective | Adverb
| specify |  |
supervisor |  |  |
organisation |  |  |
|  | controlling |
|  |  | completely
| execute |  |
|  |  | effectively
|  | accountable |
|  |  | successfully
failure |  |  |
|  | analytical |
| produce |  |

Ex. 2. Give all possible word combinations with the following verbs and make up one-two sample-sentences of your own with these word combinations. Consult the text:

to carry out, to hold, to run, to put off, to make up, to promote, to deal with, to solve (settle), to take, to achieve, to set, to require.

Ex. 3. What adjectives may be used with the nouns given below.

Consult the text:

planner, manager, executive, objective (goal, aim), information, task, subordinate, factor, thinker, skills, difficulties, decision, employee.

Ex. 4. What words of the same root are met in the text. Give the sentences in which they are used and translate them into Russian:

to organize, to control, to execute, to supervise, to communicate, to fail, to account, to relate, to assign, concept, to occur, to differ, to govern, to employ, to solve, active, able.

Ex. 5. Arrange the following words into the pairs of synonyms:

objective, provide, achieve, perform, be responsible for, goal, supply, reach, carry out, be in charge of, assistance, aid, settle, often, solve, frequently, particular, specific, hinder, worsen.

Ex. 6. Arrange the following words into the pairs of antonyms:

failure, inside, careful, direct, appropriate, success, outside, careless, unappropriate, common, indirect, particular, simple, promote, gain, easy, complex, hinder, loss, difficult, quarrel, agreement, anxiety, tranquility.

Ex. 7. Fill in the blanks. Make use of the active vocabulary items and structures:

1. Every manager ___________ on a much wider range of roles to move the organisation towards its stated _________.

2. Managers act as channels of ___________ within the organisation.

3. Manager ______________ responsible and not only for their own work but for the work of others.

4. Many managers arrange each day’s tasks in order of _____________.

5. Managers are not expected to ____________ office, they must build ___________, and use ___________ and ____________ in order to promote organisational goals.

6. One of the most unpleasant _____________ a manager has to ___________ is to ___________ an employee.

Ex. 8. Match each of the functions a manager performs (column II) with a role taken on by a manager (column I).

1.Manager as a channel of communication within the organisation | a) plans, organizes, leads, controls and moves the organisation towards its stated objectives; sets long-range goals and plans how to achieve them
2.Manager as a politician | b) irons out disputes and settles quarrels among employees
3.Manager as a diplomat | c) provides his colleagues with the accurate information needed to perform tasks
4.Manager as an organizer | d) builds relationships, and use persuation and compromise in order to promote organisational goals and move organisational programs forward
5.Manager as a decision-maker | e) serves as an official representative of the organisation or its particular unit in dealing with different structures
6.Manager as an analytical thinker | f) comes up with solutions to difficult problems and follows through on his/her decision
7.Manager as a mediator | g) must be able to break a problem down into its components, analyse those components, and then come up with a feasible solution

Ex. 9. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate words from the text.

1. The chief _____________of this chapter is to prepare most readers to work as __________and help them understand how ____________are managed; that is, what __________managers must ____________to keep their organisations running _________and ___________.

2. The reader will also learn how managers ________their tasks and how they _________their skills and knowledge in order to ___________organisational goals.

3. Before people can become ___________, most people have to first ___________themselves as __________.

4. The employee can use this learning ___________to improve his or her chances ___________of not only a manager but an ___________ manager.

Ex. 10. This is the summary of the section. Render it in English.

На практике любой менеджер, работающий в крупной организации (корпорации, предприятии), должен осуществлять различные функции, чтобы управляемая им организация достигла поставленных целей. Менеджер обязан работать с людьми как внутри организации, так и вне ее, поскольку эффективная работа всего предприятия во многом зависит от того, как менеджер может управлять людьми, работающими на различных уровнях деятельности предприятия. Следовательно, менеджер одновременно исполняет различные роли. Он может планировать, организовывать, руководить и контролировать деятельность предприятия, а также быть посредником, политиком и дипломатом, осуществляющим функции аналитика, умеющего принимать решения по поводу финансовых, кадровых, организационных проблем и строго следить за своевременной и эффективной реализацией принятых решений.

Многие менеджеры сначала работали подчиненными и наблюдали за деятельностью опытных менеджеров, с тем, чтобы понять структуру деятельности предприятия, роль каждого отдела в общей системе деятельности предприятия и функции менеджеров как в каждом отделе, так и в структуре всего предприятия.

Section 3. MANAGERIAL AND ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCE

Words and Terms to be Remembered

subject

to confuse

confusion

to give rise to

criterion (criteria – pl)

to evaluate

effect

efficiency

effectiveness

input

output

to minimize

to measure up

resource

to upgrade

demand

Read the text and find the answers.

1. What is a key factor in the performance of a society or a nation?

2. In what terms can a manager’s performance be measured?

3. What does efficiency mean?

4. How can you describe the term “effectiveness”?

5. Why is a manager’s effectiveness considered critical in his/her performance as a manager?

MANAGERIAL ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCE

How well managers do their jobs – managerial “performance” – is often the subject of much debate, analysis, and confusion in the press and in management magazines. How well the organisations of a society do their “jobs” – organisational performance – gives rise to an equally lively debate. The chapters which follow discuss a number of criteria and concepts for evaluating managers and organisations. Underlying many of these are two concepts suggested by Peter Drucker, one of the most respected writers on management. Drucker has argued that a manager’s performance can be measured in terms of two concepts: efficiency and effectiveness. As he puts it, efficiency means “doing things right”, and effectiveness means “doing the right thing”.

Efficiency – that is, the ability to get things done correctly – is an “input – output” concept. An efficient manager is one who achieves outputs, or results, that measure up to the inputs (labour, materials, and time) used to achieve them. Managers who are able to minimize the cost of the resources they use to attain their goals are acting efficiently.

But it is not enough to measure the efficiency of a manager’s use of employees only in terms of keeping their costs low. Because people are the major resource of most organisations, efficiency might also mean developing or upgrading the skills of the people who do the work.

Effectiveness, on the other hand, is the ability to choose appropriate objectives. An effective manager is one who selects the right things to get done. A manager who selects an inappropriate objective – the production only of large cars when demand for small cars is soaring – is an ineffective manager. Such a manager would be ineffective even if the large cars were produced with maximum efficiency. No amount of efficiency can compensate for lack of effectiveness.

A manager’s responsibilities require performance that is both efficient and effective, but although efficiency is important, effectiveness is critical. For Drucker, effectiveness is the key to the success of an organisation. The manager’s need to make the most of opportunities, says Drucker, implies that effectiveness rather than efficiency is essential business. The pertinent question is not how to do things right, but how to find the right things to do, and to concentrate resources and efforts on them.

Exercises and assignments

Ex. 1. Give the initial forms of the following words:

successful, objective, organisation, performance, confusion, efficiency, effectiveness, employee, inappropriate, responsibility, concentration, production.

Ex. 2. Make use of the words above in the sentences of your own.

Ex. 3. Arrange the words below into the pairs of synonyms:

subject, input, aim, demand, evaluate, worker, theme, contribution, objective, requirement, duty, estimate, employee, responsibility, concentrate, focus, production, manufacture, control, monitor.

Ex. 4. Give antonyms to the following words:

failure, rise, overestimate, input, dependent, right, minimize, low, appropriate, ineffective, important, major, large, change, steady.

Ex. 5. Review the vocabulary items. Match the definitions with a vocabulary items.

Vocabulary items | Definitions
1. efficiency | a) is the ability to get things done correctly
2. effectiveness | b) is the ability to choose appropriate objectives
3. an effective manager | c) is one who achieves outputs, or results, that measure up to the input
4. an efficient manager | d) is one who selects the right things to get done
5. the input-output concept | e) means that outputs (results) measure up to the inputs (labour, materials, and time)

Ex. 6. Supply English equivalents for the following expression:

добиться целей, удовлетворить потребности общества, быть предметом споров, порождать (дать толчок), снижать затраты, спрос на, сосредоточить усилия на …, ключевой (основной) фактор.

Make up sentences of your own with these word combinations.

Ex. 7. Comment on the following statements. Agree or disagree with them.

1. How successful an organisation is functioning depends on its organisational performance.

2. A manager’s performance can be measured in terms of efficiency and effectiveness.

3. Some amount of efficiency can compensate for lack of effectiveness.

4. Effectiveness is less important than efficiency.

5. Efficiency means doing the right thing.

6. Effectiveness means doing things right.

7. Efficiency also means developing or upgrading the skills of the people who do the work.

Ex. 8. Translate the text from English into Russian without a dictionary.

Modernizing a business to increase its profitability and competitiveness is a complicated affair. It requires a management team which is aware of such aids and tools of efficiency as electronic data processing, O.R. (Operational Research), D.C.F. (Discounted Cast Flow), budgetary control, corporate planning, P.E.R.T. (project Evaluation and Review Technique), automation, etc.

Business management is a rapidly developed science (some call it an art), and new techniques and words, very often of American origin, are used more and more in everyday business conversation.

Ex. 9. Answer the following questions:

1. What can the performance of an organisation depend on?

2. What is the role of managers in achieving the goals set by an organisation?

3. What is the difference between the terms “efficiency” and “effectiveness”?

4. Why is it not enough to measure the efficiency of a manager’s use of employees only in terms of keeping their costs low?

5. What are a manager’s responsibilities?

6. Why does Mr. Drucker consider effectiveness to be the key to the success of an organisation?

Section 4. TYPES OF MANAGERS

Words and Terms to be Remembered

subordinate

diverse

function

supervise

implement

compose

division

establish

interaction

environment

execute

executive

guide

engage

Read the text and find the answers to the following questions.

1.What are two principles of classification of managers?

2.How can you define the functions of first-line managers?

3.What is a principal responsibility of middle managers?

4.What managers are often called supervisors?

5.What are the functions and responsibilities of a top manager?

TYPES OF MANAGERS

We have been using the term “manager” to mean anyone who is responsible for subordinates and other organisational resources. There are many different types of managers, with diverse tasks and responsibilities. Managers can be classified in two ways: by their level in the organisation – so-called first-line, middle, and top managers and by the range of organisational activities for which they are responsible – so-called functional and general managers.

First-line managers. The lowest level in an organisation at which individuals are responsible for the work of others is called first-line or first-level management. First-line managers direct operating employees only; they do not supervise other managers. Examples of first-line managers are the “foreman” or production supervisor in a manufacturing plant, the technical supervisor in a research department, and the clerical supervisor in a large office. Note that first-level managers are often called supervisors.

Middle managers. The term middle management can refer to more than one level in an organisation. Middle managers direct the activities of other managers and sometimes also those of operating employees. A principal responsibility of middle managers is to direct the activities that implement the politics of the organisation. A plant manager in an electronics firm is an example of a middle manager.

Top managers. Composed of a comparatively small group of executives, top management is responsible for the overall management of the organisation. It establishes operating policies and guides the organisation’s interactions with its environment. Typical titles of top managers are “chief executive officer”, “managing director”, and “general manager”. Actual titles vary from one organisation to another and are not always a reliable guide to membership in the highest management classification.

FUNCTION AND GENERAL MANAGERS

The other major classification of managers depends on the scope of the activities they manage. The functional manager is responsible for only one organisational activity, such as production, marketing, sales, or finance. The people and activities headed by a functional manager will be engaged in a common set of activities. The general manager, on the other hand, oversees a complex unit, such as a company, a subsidiary, or an independent operating division. He or she will be responsible for all the activities of that unit, such as its production, marketing, sales, and finance.

A small company may have only one general manager – its chief executive – but a large organisation may have several, each at the head of a relatively independent division. In a large food company, for example, there might be a grocery products division, a refrigerated products division, and a frozen food products division, with a different general manager responsible for each. Like the chief executive of a small company, each of these divisional heads would be responsible for all the activities of the unit.

Exercises and assignments

Ex. 1. Give all possible derivatives of the following verbs:

to subordinate, to diverse, to organize, to respond, to classify, to function, to supervise, to produce, to manufacture, to employ, to compose, to compare, to operate, to execute, to vary, to engage, to relate, to depend, to divide, to differ.

Ex. 2. Find in the text sentences in which each of the derivatives is used and translate them into Russian.

Ex. 3. Read the text and find the vocabulary items which mean:

a) a person who directs operating employees only; b) those who execute the overall management of the organisation; c) a person who gives some job; d) a person who was given a job; d) a person who supervises other managers.

Ex. 4. Arrange the words below into the pairs of synonyms:

diverse, vary, produce, manufacture, perform, interactions, divide, handle, execute, relationships, share, operate, employ, use, engage, control, involve, oversee.

Ex. 5. Give antonyms to the following words:

general, hire, large, top, reliable, complex, independent, direct, success, complete, liberty, quarrel, important, effective.

Ex. 6. Give Russian equivalents for the following English word combinations:

first-line managers, chief executive officer, managing director, a reliable guide, the scope of activities, to be engaged in, a frozen food products division, to implement the politics of the organisation.

Use these expressions in the sentences of your own.

Ex. 7. Match each of the functions a manager performs with his/her position in the organisation hierarchy.

1. first-line manager | a) establishes operating policies and guides the organisation’s operations with its environment
2. middle manager | b) directs the activities of other managers and the activities that implement the policies of the organisation
3. top manager | c) directs operating employees
4. functional manager | d) is responsible for only an organisational activity, such as production, marketing, sales, or finance
5. general manager | e) oversees a complex unit, such as a company, a subsidiary, or an independent operating division

Ex. 8. Read the text and translate it into Russian in writing (it helps to recycle the familiar vocabulary and structures).

WAITING FOR THE WATERS TO CLEAR SO LIFE CAN BE SIMPLE

Massimo Malavasi, founder and managing director of Aquaman UK, is waiting patiently for the day when all translations can be handled via one currency. “the world is shrinking so fast,” he says “Why are we making life so difficult for each other?”

Mr. Malavasi does not shy from new ideas. The company he founded at the age of 22 exists because he wanted to listen to his personal stereo while windsurfing. Fifteen years on, Aquaman is a thriving international business whose waterproof covers now protect anything from mobile phones and cameras to radio equipment used by the oil industry and the emergency services.

Aquaman exports some 90 per cent of its products, which are marketed under the Aquapac brand, with 50 per cent going to European states. Aquaman’s staff of just 30, in London, Ireland and the US, produce an annual turnover of $2m.

The same practical philosophy that led Mr. Malavasi to come up with a plastic cover for his Walkman informs his approach to the euro. He points out that selling in one currency, rather than 10, will end the stress of dealing with what he describes as sterling’s “rollercoaster exchange rate” over the past year and will eliminate currency fluctuations for his euro-zone customers.

Aquaman is well placed to operate in a euro-denominated trading environment. The location of one of its factories in County Cork, Ireland, means that the company can use euros to buy raw materials, imported products and components from the Irish operation and hedge its exposure to sterling’s fluctuations against the euro.

Price stability can be offered to customers who will save on translation costs. Budgeting and cash-flow processes – which will become less complex for the euro area of business – will be linked to the company’s sales and marketing plan and purchasing.

Even upgrading the technology does not pose a problem, according to Mr. Malavasi.

The last step in the run-up to the currency launch is preparing a price list in euros. As the exchange rates of participation countries will be fixed on December 31, 1998, “we have close approximate rates already” which means that “the bulk of the work can be done in advance and ready to fax or e-mail to customers on January 2”.

Prompt communication with customers to discuss in advance the implications of the euro package is also important, he says.

While Europe is a big market for Aquaman, Japan and the US are important sources of sales and it is now trying to break into South America by setting up a distribution office in Brazil. In these markets it invoices in dollars, but should clients there wish to trade in euros, Mr. Malavasi says: “That’s fine with us”.

He is confident that the euro will eventually become a leading world currency, possibly one to rival the dollar. But above all, Mr. Malavasi is looking forward to the day that much of his business will be free from the whims of foreign exchange fluctuations.

“We are not currency speculators,” he says. “We specialise in manufacturing and we don’t have the time to work out the way foreign exchange dealers’ minds work. We’re in the business of making products that people want to buy, can get at a decent price and will enjoy using – and that’s a hard enough job as it is”.

Ex. 9. In the name of Massimo Malavasi defend the euro. Speak about its benefits for business people – group A. Speak against the euro as a single currency – group B. Make use of the vocabulary of the text.

UNIT CHECKUPS

Review and Research

I. Reviewing the facts and main ideas.

1. Define the concept of management and discuss why managers are needed in organisations.

2. List and describe the four basic functions of managers.

3. Describe several additional roles and responsibilities of managers.

4.Identify what is meant by top, middle, and first-line managers, and functional and general managers, and describe how their work activities differ.

II. Questions for Discussion

1. Why may management be called “the art of getting things done through people”?

2. What is needed to achieve stated organisational goals?

3. Why do managers use all the resources of the organisation to attain their goals?

4. Explain what manager may be considered an effective one.

5. Why is management treated as a process?

6. Why does every manager take on a wide range of roles to move the organisation towards its stated objectives?

7. What is management: art, science, or profession?

Research and Projects

1. Divide into small groups (or pairs) to prepare and present reports on the management organisation of the firm (company, enterprise) you work in.

2. Describe in a brief oral report how the goals set by the organisation you work in are achieved.

3. Identify the role of management in the organisational performance of the firm (company, enterprise) you work in.

4. Speak on the process of management and comment on its advantages and drawbacks.

Case Study: Talking with George

The scene: | The controller’s office in a large corporation early Monday. George, director of economic planning, has submitted a report to his immediate superior, the controller.
Controller: | Sit down, George, while I look this over.
George: | (virtually collapsing in a chair) This is the first chance I’ve had to sit down for a week
Controller: | (after examining hey aspects of the report) This is fine, George, just what we need. But why couldn’t it have been ready for the treasurer on Friday, as we had agreed?

George:
Frank became ill on Monday, that new woman’s husband asked her to move to Des Moines – that makes three good people I’ve lost in as many weeks – and by the time I had a look at the first draft, it was already late and the draft was absolutely incomprehensible. Irving could have worked on it with me, but he has been scheduled for months to go on vacation to California as of last Wednesday, and all his plans were made and I couldn’t ask him to delay leaving. So, hard as we tried, and God knows we slaved over this report, it was just impossible to finish it by Friday. As it was, I finished it up on Saturday and Sunday. I’ve worked like a dog on this project, and all I get are questions about why it wasn’t ready sooner. There is very little appreciation around here for what goes into a report like that. The treasurer wants something, probably minor to him, and the word filters down to us until it is a major project. We go all out on it, then no one gives a damn what we put into it. You can ask Phil – I was here until six o’clock Saturday working on that damn thing.

Controller:
I know you work hard, George. I have never suggested that you don’t. This report is an excellent job, just what I wanted – but you shouldn’t have done it. We have had this assignment for two weeks. We discussed it again ten days ago at my initiative. You never at any time during that period said it wouldn’t be ready – until you came in here Friday morning asking me to phone the treasurer for an extension.

George: | He didn’t really need it until tomorrow, anyhow. The board meeting isn’t until them.
Controller: | But he asked us to have it ready, by Friday and we had plenty of time to do it. Why can’t we schedule jobs and be sure they come out on time?
George: | (Repeats previous explanation, emphasising again his own hard work and how much overtime he devoted to the report [for which he received no extra compensation].)
Controller: | George, I don’t want you to work harder. I don’t want you to work overtime. I want you to organise your department so that jobs come out when they are scheduled.
George: | I don’t know what you want. I work harder than anyone around here. (Again repeats explanation for the report’s delay, with some elaborations and additions.)
Controller: | Let’s go to lunch and talk some more about this.

George:
I can’t go out for lunch. I don’t have time. My desk is piled high with papers. I’ll probably be here until eight tonight. You don’t have any idea how much work goes through my office. I’ve got to get back to it. (Gets up and moves towards the door, muttering that he works gives a damn. “Those people in investment go home right at five o’clock …”)

Case questions

1. Why is George having so much trouble meeting deadlines?

2. How does George define his responsibilities as a manager?

3. How do you think George got into the habit of managing the way he does?

4. Can the controller help George perceive his job differently and change his ways of managing his job?

5. What would it be like to have George as a supervisor? As a coworker? As a subordinate?

UNIT II. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Section 1. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, IT’S DEFINITION, IMPORTANCE AND PROBLEM

Words and Terms to be Remembered

human resources

personnel

to recruit

to hire

to fire

to evaluate

to select

to train

to retrain

to develop

incentive

job analysis

job description

job specification

job sharing

inefficient

ineffective

scarce

application

forecast

inventory

Read the text and find answers to the following questions.

1. How is human resource management defined?

2. Why is human resource management receiving increased attention now?

3. What is called the ultimate resource? Why?

4. How may human resource management be viewed in the future?

5. What are current issues in human resource area?

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT. IT’S DEFINITION AND IMPORTANCE

There is an old story about the student who wanted to go into personnel “because I want to work with people.” It is true that personnel managers work with people, but they are also deeply involved in planning, record-keeping, and other administrative duties. To begin a career in personnel, you need to develop a better reason than “I want to work with people”. The personnel function involves recruiting, hiring, training, evaluating, and compensating people. Today, personnel management is often called human resource management.

Human resource management is the process of evaluating human resource needs, finding people to fill those needs, and optimizing this important resource by providing the right incentives and job environment, all with the goal of meeting the objectives of the organization. (See the chart after the text)

One reason human resource management (or personnel management) is receiving increased attention now is because of the major shift from traditional manufacturing industries to service industries and high-tech manufacturing organizations that require more technical job skills. A major problem today is retraining workers for new, more challenging jobs. For example, when Crown Zellerbach recently modernized a Lousiana pulp mill plant, it set up a training facility nearby and paid workers full wages to learn new skills. There are also other examples.

Boeing enrolled laid-off electronics technicians in college to learn new microprocessor skills. The idea was to retrain their own people before going outside for skilled employees.

GE has a $6 million learning center in Pennsylvania and conducts training programs worldwide.

Motorola spends 2.6. percent of its payroll budget, or $42 million, on training blue-collar employees to use a production method called statistical-process control that employs complex mathematical guides to manage quality. The company was thus able to free its engineers to work in other essential tasks.

IBM is experimenting with a program that involves work at home for parttime employees who cannot report regularly to an IBM location.

Some people have called employees the ultimate resource, and, when you think about it, nothing could be more true. People develop the ideas that eventually become the products that satisfy our wants and needs. Take away their creative minds and organizations such as IBM, GE, Hewlett-Packard, GM, and other leading firms would be nothing. The problem is that this resource has always been relatively plentiful, so there was little need to nurture and develop it. If you needed qualified people, you simply went out and hired them. If they didn’t work out, you fired them and found others. Labor is more scarce today than it has been for 15 years. That makes recruiting more difficult.

Most firms assigned the job of recruiting, selecting, training, evaluating, compensating, motivating, and, firing people to the various functional departments. For years, the personnel department was viewed more or less as a clerical function responsible for screening applications, keeping records, processing payroll, and finding people when necessary.

Today, the job of human resource management has taken on an entirely new role in the firm. In the future, it may become the most critical function in that it is responsible for the most critical resource – people. In fact, human resource function has become so important that it is no longer the function of just one department; it is a function of all managers. What are some of the problems in the human resource area that managers face?

The ability of a business system to compete in international markets depends on an increase in new ideas, new products, and a higher level of productivity from its workers. All of these factors critically depend on the ultimate resource – people with good ideas. Some of the problems being encountered in the human resource area include:

Shortages in people trained to work in the growth areas of the future such as computers, biotechnology, robotics, and the sciences.

•A huge population of skilled and unskilled workers from declining industries who are unemployed or underemployed, and who need retraining.

•A shift in the age composition in the work force, including many older workers.

•A complex set of laws and regulations involving hiring, safety, unionization, and equal pay that limits organizations’ freedom to create an optimum labor force; for example, it is becoming very difficult to fire an inefficient or ineffective worker.

•A tremendous influx of women into the labor force and the resulting demand for day care, job sharing, maternity leave programs, and special career advancement programs for women.

•A shift in employee attitudes toward work; leisure time has become a much higher priority, as have concepts such as flextime and a shorter workweek.

•A challenge from overseas labor pools available for lower wages and subject to many fewer laws and regulations; this results in many jobs being shifted overseas.

•A growing concern over such issues as health care, day-care facilities, smoking on the job, and equal pay for jobs of comparable worth.

Given all these issues, and others that are sure to develop, you can see why human resource management has taken a more central position in management thinking.

Human Resource Management

Exercises and assignments

Ex. 1. Fill in the missing words in the table. (See example).

Verb | Person noun | General noun | Adjective
manage | manager | management | managerial
| employer |  |
|  | production |
train |  |  |
|  |  | organizational
|  | creation |
experiment |  |  |
|  |  | leading
|  |  | special

Ex. 2. Match the words on the left with their synonyms on the right:

goal

personnel

produce

shift

problem

skill

pool

conduct

critical

encounter

skilled

hire

fire

evaluate

incentive

pay

change

important

wages

challenge

appraise

ability

qualified

run

objective

manufacture

meet

people

lay off

engage

encouragement

source

Ex. 3. Match the words on the left with their antonyms on the right:

skilled

hire

full-time

complex

scarce

growth

inefficient

fire

part-time

plentiful

efficient

decline

simple

unskilled

Ex. 4. Give the nouns related to the following adjectives.

Then use them in the sentences of your own:

1) efficient_______________

2) major_________________

3) creative______________

4) important____________

5) human_______________

6) equal________________

7) free__________________

8) special_______________

9) responsible__________

Ex. 5. Match nouns in the box with as many as possible of the verbs below to make collocations. Many of the nouns can follow more than one of the verbs.

1) to fill_______________

2) to evaluate________

3) to develop_________

4) to encounter______

5) to provide_________

6) to assign__________

7) to conduct________

8) to create__________

9) to meet___________

10) to fire____________

11) to hire____________

Ex. 6. Complete the following sentences with appropriate expressions from above. Consult the text if necessary.

1. Motorola ________to train blue-collar employees to use new production methods.

2. Nowadays human resource managers ________of shortages in people trained to work in the areas of the future such as computers, biotechnology etc.

3. Human resource managers perform their function with the goal of ________.

4. People ________which eventually become the products that satisfy our needs and wants.

5. A complex set of laws and regulations makes it very difficult ________an inefficient or ineffective worker.

6. Labour is more scarce today and that makes more difficult ________.

7. Managers optimize human resource by ________.

8. In the past most firms ________of recruiting, selecting, training, evaluating, compensating, motivating and firing people to the various departments.

Ex. 7. Find in the text the equivalents for the following:

внутренняя среда организации, смета фонда заработной платы предприятия, статистический контроль производственного процесса, обработка платежной ведомости, ведение документации, сдвиг в возрастном составе рабочих и служащих, свободное время, сталкиваться с проблемами, законы и правила, здравоохранение, канцелярская работа, производственный отдел, зарубежные трудовые резервы.

Ex. 8. Match the words in the box with the definitions given below. Then find in the text sentences in which these words are used and translate them into Russian.

1) to hire or appoint new staff

2) the strategic management of company’s employees in order to achieve objectives in the best possible way

3) a system in which employees can choose the times at which they start and finish work

4) the process of gathering information to decide who should be hired

5) the practice of dividing up a job normally performed by one person for two (or more) part-time employees

6) an encouragement or inducement or motivation to do something

7) a particular ability or capacity, often acquired by training

Ex. 9. Read the following text without a dictionary, give it a title and define the highlighted terms.

All management, including human resource management, begins with planning. Six steps are involved in the human resource planning process. They include:

1.Preparing forecasts of future human resource needs.

2. Preparing a human resource inventory that includes ages, names, education, capabilities, training, specialized skills, and other information pertinent to the specific organization (for example, languages spoken). Such information reveals whether or not the labor force is technically up-to-date, thoroughly trained, and so forth.

3. Preparing a job analysis. A job analysis answers the question, “What do employees who fill various job titles do?” Such analyses are necessary in order to recruit and train employees with the necessary skills to do the job. The results of job analysis are two written statements: job descriptions and job specifications. Job descriptions specify the objectives of the job, the type of work to be done, the responsibilities and duties, the working conditions, and the relationship of the job to other functions. Job specifications specify the qualifications (education, skills, etc.) required of a worker to fill specific jobs. In short, job descriptions are statements about the job, whereas job specifications are statements about the person who does the job. Job analysis information can be obtained through observation, interviews, and diaries, or some combination of techniques.

4. Assessing future demand. Changing technology often means that training programs must be started long before the need is apparent. Human resource managers that are proactive, that is, anticipate what the future of their organization will be, have trained human resources available when needed.

5. Assessing future supply. The labor force is constantly shifting: getting older, becoming more technically oriented, attracting more women, foreign workers and so forth. There are likely to be increased shortages of some skills in the future (for example, computer and robotic repair) and oversupply of others (for example, production line workers).

6. Establishing a strategic plan for recruiting, selecting, training and developing, appraising, and scheduling the labor force, given the previous analysis.

Ex. 10. Write out of the above text the key words and terms to describe the steps in human resource planning. Step 6

Ex. 11. Chose the best alternative to complete each sentence.

1. The personnel department ________a job analysis, which is a detailed study of the elements and characteristics of each job.

a) carries on b) carries out c) goes on d).goesthrough

2. They write a job description specifying the________ of the job.

a) objects b) objectives c) results d) characters

3. After________ our training program, we made some changes.

a) evaluating b) valuing c) vindicating d) validating

4. If we have to fire an employee this means the ________process has failed in some way.

a) selective b) chosen c) selection d) choice

5. We have a policy of ________own employees before going outside for skilled workers.

a) recruiting b) retraining c) screening d) selecting

6. Personnel managers are deeply ________in planning, record keeping, and other administrative duties.

a) required b) employed c) involved d) skilled

7. Computers, biotechnology and other growth areas of the future suffer ________ in trained people.

a) influx b) shift c) shortages d) sharing

8. Many companies set up training ________and pay workers to learn new skills.

a) budgets b) regulations c) plans d) facilities

Ex. 12. Complete the text using the verbs in the box.

THEORIES OF MOTIVATION

One of the most important elements of any manager’s job is to motivate his or her subordinates to do their jobs well and to be productive. Two very wellknown theories of motivation among managers are those of Abraham Maslow and Frederick Herzberg.

In Motivation and Personality (1954), Maslow identified what he considered to be a hierarchy of basic human needs and classified them under five headings. First come physiological needs such as food, water, air and sleep. If these needs are not satisfied, people will not (1) ________other needs. The second category is security needs: clothing, shelter, the necessity to be free from danger and physical pain, and – most relevant to management – to be free from the threat of losing one’s job.

Where these first two categories of needs are satisfied, people feel social needs: to belong to a group, to be liked and loved and accepted by others. Next come esteem needs: people do not only want to be accepted, they want to have selfrespect and to be esteemed by others. Maslow believes that people all (2) ________power and status, respect and self-confidence. The fifth and highest category concerns self-actualization needs: to develop as a person, to (3) ________ one’s potential, and to (4) ________the goals one has (5) ________for oneself. According to Maslow, employees will be motivated if they are able to realize their goals (concerning creativity, responsibility or whatever) through their work.

As a need is satisfied, it becomes less important. For example, the more money one has, the less motivating it is to (6) ________ more – although of course this doesn’t stop people wanting it! In fact? Pay becomes a social or psychological matter rather than an economic one. When needs are satisfied, their capacity to (7) ________ and act as an incentive diminishes. In Work and the Nature of Man (1966), Frederick Herzberg argued that things like salaries and fringe benefits, job security, status, good company administration and labour relations, cannot motivate workers. They are merely “satisfiers” or, more importantly, “dissatisfiers” where they do not (8) ________“Motivators”, on the contrary, include things such as having a challenging or interesting job, recognition, responsibility, promotion, and so on.

Clearly, not everybody in manufacturing industry or routine service industry jobs can (9) ________challenging and interesting work or promotion to the highest positions of responsibility. For their reason, many people have disputed Maslow’s theory. For example, self-realization and self-actualizing needs are probably far more prominent among university graduates and at higher levels of a company than at levels, where social and security needs, and even a desire to (10) ________ responsibility, might be dominant. Not everybody can (11) ________himself or herself at work. Yet even workers who cannot be, or do not want to be, involved in planning, decision-making, controlling and organizing, can be given a variety of tasks, rather be expected to (12) the same boring, repetitive, mechanical task eight hours a day or more.

Ex. 13. According to the above text, are the following statements TRUE or FALSE?

1. The possibility of losing their job generally motivates people to work harder. | TRUE/FALSE
2. Workers need to be accepted and respected by their colleagues and superiors. | TRUE/FALSE
3. After a certain point, people are no longer motivated by money. | TRUE/FALSE
4. According to Maslow, a good working environment will motivate and fulfill employees. | TRUE/FALSE
5. According to Herzberg, providing good working conditions is unnecessary. | TRUE/FALSE
6. Educated people are more likely to want to achieve things in their jobs. | TRUE/FALSE
7. Managers have to ensure that everybody has an interesting job. | TRUE/FALSE
8. Switching among several boring, repetitive tasks is better than doing only one. | TRUE/FALSE

Ex. 14. Think and answer.

1. Does human resource management seem like a challenging career nowadays?

2. Do you see any other issues likely to affect personnel area?

3. What has your experience been in dealing with people who work in human resource management?

4. Would you enjoy working in such an environment? Why “yes”? Why “no”?

Ex. 15. Write paragraphs on the basis of the following statements.

1. Today, job of human resource management has taken on an entirely new role in the firm.

2. A major problem today is retraining workers for new, more challenging jobs.

Ex. 16. Say it in English.

Цели и ценности людей дают ключ к пониманию движущих мотивов. Мотивация исходит из желания человека вложить свою энергию и время в выполнение определенной задачи.

Мотивация определяется степенью вовлечения человека в определенную деятельность.

Люди рассчитывают на определенное вознаграждение за свою работу. Существуют теории, которые изучают во взаимосвязи цели, устремления, ценности и поведение людей на работе.

Они определяют мотивы как устремления и потребности людей. Проблема активности работающих людей тоже очень важна.

Люди работают и реализуют свои карьерные устремления с разной степенью активности.

Перед тем, как затратить энергию, нужно оценить общее количество присущей данному человеку энергии.

Некоторые люди много работают, потому что хотят получить общественное признание, для других большое значение имеет вознаграждение за труд.

Виды вознаграждения могут быть внутренними и внешними.

При устройстве на работу людей в первую очередь интересует размер заработной платы.

Заработная плата, оклад, премии, пенсии, условия труда и тому подобные стимулы называются внешними, потому что они очевидны и конкретны.

Внутренние стимулы более сложны.

Они определяются стремлениями каждого человека.

Некоторых людей интересует не столько размер материального (денежного) вознаграждения, сколько общественное признание, положение в обществе, чувство удовлетворения достигнутым, интересные задачи, вызов их способностям и т.д.

Удовлетворение работой может стать стимулом, если руководитель правильно понимает и признает устремления своих подчиненных.

Чаще всего активность людей можно стимулировать различного рода поощрениями.

Section 2. RECRUITING EMPLOYEES

Words and Terms to be Remembered

recruitment

selection

discrimination

teamwork

applicant

interview

to communicate

background

to screen

to discharge

trial period

turnover

physical exam

employment test

Read the text and find the answers to the following questions.

1. What is recruitment?

2. What factors make it difficult to recruit qualified employees?

3. What costs are involved in selection?

4. What are the six steps in the selection process?

RECRUITING EMPLOYEES

Recruitment is the set of activities used to legally obtain a sufficient number of the right people at the right time, to select those that best meet the needs of the organization. One would think that, with a continuous flow of new persons into the work force, recruiting would be easy. But the truth is that recruiting has become very difficult for several reasons:

•Legal restrictions make it necessary to consider the proper mix of women, minorities, and other qualified individuals. Often people with the necessary skills are not available and must be hired and trained internally.

•The emphasis on corporate cultures, teamwork, and participative management make it important to hire skilled people who also fit in with the culture and leadership style of the organization. As we noted previously, firing unsatisfactory employees is getting more difficult to justify legally. This is especially true of discharges involving possible discrimination by age, sex, sexual preference, or race. Therefore, it is necessary to screen and evaluate employees very carefully to be sure they will be effective, long-term members of the organization.

Some organizations have unattractive workplaces, have policies that demand promotions from within, operate under union regulations, or have low wages that make recruiting and keeping employees difficult or subject to outside influence and restrictions.

Because recruiting is a difficult chore that involves finding, hiring, and training people who are an appropriate technical and social fit, human resource managers turn to many sources for assistance. These include internal promotions, advertisements, public and private employment agencies, college placement bureaus, management consultants, professional organizations, referrals, and applicants who simply show up at the office. An interesting trend in human resource management has been the increase in the number of temporary workers. Today, temporary, parttime and contract workers make up nearly one third of the U.S. work force.

Selection is the process of gathering information to decide who should be hired, under legal guidelines, for the best interests of the individual and the organization. Because of high turnover, the cost of selecting and training employees has become prohibitively high in some firms. Think of the costs involved – interview time, medical exams, training costs, unproductive time spent learning the job, moving expenses, and so on. It’s easy to see how such expenses can run over $50,000 for a manager. Even entry-level workers can cost thousands of dollars to recruit, process, and train. Thus, the selection process is an important element in any human resource program. A typical selection process would involve six steps:

1.Completion of an application form. Such forms help discover educational background, past work experience, career objectives, and other information directly related to the requirements of the job.

2. Initial and follow-up interviews. Applicants are often screened in a first interview by a member of the human resource department staff. If the interviewer considers the applicant a potential employee, the manager who will supervise the new employee interviews the applicant as well. Many managers and even some human resource managers are not highly skilled in conducting job interviews. However, such interviews are helpful in testing an applicant’s ability to communicate clearly, to adapt to a stressful situation, and to clarify his or her goals, career objective, and background. It’s important that managers prepare adequately for the interview process to avoid selection errors they may regret.

3. Employment tests. Organizations use them to measure basic competencies, to test specific job skills (for example, welding, typing), and to help evaluate applicants’ personalities and interests. In using employment tests, it’s important that the test be directly job related. This will make the selection process more efficient.

4. Background investigations. Most organizations are becoming more careful about investigating a candidate’s work record, school record, and recommendations. It is simply too costly to hire, train, motivate, and lose people and then have to start the process over. Background checks help weed out candidates least likely to succeed and identify those most likely to succeed.

5. Physical exams. A complete medical background and checkup helps screen candidates. There are obvious benefits in hiring physically and mentally healthy people.

6.Trial periods. Often an organization will hire an employee conditionally. This enables the person to prove his or her worth on the job. After a period of perhaps six months or a year, the firm has the right to discharge that employee based on evaluations from supervisors. Such systems make it easier to fire inefficient or problem employees, but do not eliminate the high cost of turnover.

The selection process is often long and difficult, but worth effort because of the high costs of replacing workers. The process helps assure that the people an organization hires are competent in all relevant areas, including communications skills, education, technical skills, experience, social fit, and health.

Most firms recruit people who have the potential to be productive employees. They realize that potential involves effective training programs and proper managerial incentives. Carefully orienting individuals to their new environment can be an important step for the human resource manager.

Exercises and assignments

Ex. 1. Practice reading the following pairs of words. Note the stress.

Nouns: - Verbs:

'increase - in'crease

'decrease - de'crease

'record - re'cord

'progress - pro'gress

'contract - con'tract

'conduct - con'duct

'subject - sub'ject

Make up one – two sentences of your own with the words given above to show difference in usage.

Ex. 2. Give Russian equivalents for the following international words:

social, technical, department, selection, process, candidate, program, interest, discrimination, agency, professional, consultant, physical, productive, interview, test, career, typical, recommendation.

Ex. 3. What words of the same root are used in the text? Find the sentences in which they are used and translate them into Russian.

To employ, to select, to investigate, to apply, to produce, to lead, to participate, to restrict, to require, to supervise, to attract, to promote.

Ex. 4. Match the words on the right with their synonyms on the left:

applicant

exam

costs

promotion

motivate

healthy

person

benefit

remove

advancement

fit

individual

advantage

data

checkup

to fire

benefit

to obtain

information

error

staff

eliminate

to screen

to discharge

encourage

candidate

to get

expenses

mistake

personnel

to sort

Ex. 5. Match the words on the left with their antonyms on the right:

to succeed

long-term

legal

true

temporary

easy

include

discharge

unattractive

costly

increase

permanent

difficult

exclude

attractive

decrease

to fail

illegal

cheap

short-term

false

to hire

Ex. 6. Match the words in the box with the definitions given below:

1) the set of activities to obtain a sufficient number of the right people at the right time to select those that best meet the needs of the organization;

2) testing time within which an employee hired conditionally can prove his or her worth on the job;

3) a person who applies for a job;

4) a person’s education, qualifications, work experience and other information;

5) a purposeful conversation between two or more people that follows a basic question-and-answer format;

6) a complete medical background and checkup;

7) the process of gathering information to decide who should be hired;

8) a special form most employers ask to fill out;

9) public or private organizations providing help in recruiting staff for companies.

Ex. 7. Find in the text the equivalents for the following:

Комплекс мероприятий; отвечать нуждам; соответствовать культуре и стилю руководства организации; обосновывать юридическим путем; трудная работа; обращаться ко многим источникам за помощью; агентство по трудоустройству; рабочий, занятый неполный рабочий день; временный рабочий; в соответствии с юридическими нормами; медицинский осмотр; заявление о приеме на работу, сведения об образовании; избегать ошибок при подборе персонала; испытательный срок.

Ex. 8. Choose the correct alternatives to complete the following.

Employees who leave a company are not always replaced. Sometimes the company examines the (1) ________ for the post, and decides that it no longer needs to be filled. On other occasions the company will replace the person who resigns with an internal candidate who can be (2) ________ (or moved sideways) to the job. Or it will advertise the position in newspapers or trade journals, or engage an employment (3) ________ to do so. For junior management positions, employers occasionally recruit by giving presentations and holding interviews in universities, colleges and business schools. For senior positions, companies sometimes use the services of a firm of (4) ________, who already have the details of promising managers.

People looking for work or wanting to change their job generally read the (5) ________ advertised in newspapers. To reply to an advertisement is to (6) ________ for a job; you become an (7) ________or a candidate. You write a/an (8) ________, or fill in the company’s application form, and send it, along with your (9) ________(GB) or resume (US). You are often asked to give the names of two people who are prepared to write a (10) ________ for you. If you have the right qualifications and abilities, you might be (11) ________, i.e. selected to attend a/an (12) ________.

It is not uncommon for the (13) ________department or the managers responsible for a particular post to spend eighty or more working hours on the recruitment of a single member of staff. However, this time is well-spent if the company appoints the right person for the job.

1 | a. job description | b. job satisfaction | c. job security
2 | a. advanced | b. employed | c. promoted
3 | a. agency | b. centre | c. company
4 | a. headhunters | b. headquarters | c. headshrinkers
5 | a. openings | b. opportunities | c. vacancies
6 | a. apply | b. applicate | c. candidate
7 | a. appliance | b. applicant | c. Application
8 | a. appliance | b. application | c. demand
9 | a. job history | b. curriculum vitae (CV) | c. life story
10 | a. reference | b. report | c. testimony
11 | a. appointed | b. employed | c. short-listed
12 | a. examination | b. interview | c. trial
13 | a. personal | b. personnel | c. resources

Ex. 9. Complete sentences with the appropriate words from the text.

1. Legal ________complicate hiring and firing practices.

2. Finding suitable employees can also be made more difficult if companies are considered unattractive ________.

3. It is important to hire skilled people who fit in with the culture and style of the organization.

4. Selection is the process of _______ _______ to decide who should be hired.

5.________ ________ helps discover educational background, past work experience, career objectives, etc.

6. In a first interview ________are screened by a member of the human resource department staff.

7. Employment tests are conducted with the purpose________ basic competencies ________specific job skills, and to help ________applicants’ personalities and interests.

8. Background investigations help weed out candidates least likely ________and ________those most likely to succeed.

9. Most firms recruit people who have the potential to be ________productive employees.

Ex. 10. There are several steps in the selection process. Write out of the text the key words and terms odescribe each step. Then comment onthe whole procedure.

Ex. 11. Read the abstract and write out the verbs that mean “to dismiss”. Then use them in the sentences of your own.

There are several verbs in English that mean to employ one or more new members of staff, including to hire, to engage, to appoint, and to take on. Significantly, there are a far greater number of verbs and expressions that mean to dismiss staff.

If you do something wrong your employer can sack you (or give you the sack) or fire you. Other idioms include to give someone the boot or the elbow or the chop. But even if you have done nothing wrong, your employer can chose to lay you off or make you redundant, i.e. to dismiss you because you are no longer needed.

Ex. 12. Think and answer.

1. What methods does your organization use to employ new employees? What problems make recruitment difficult?

2. How do you think a continuous flow of new persons into the work force т may affect recruitment?

3. Why do you think it is necessary to screen and evaluate employees very carefully?

4. What legal restrictions concerning recruitment have you encountered?

5. What sources for assistance in recruitment do you have at your disposal?

6. What part do temporary, part-time and contract workers play in your organization?

7. Do you agree that the costs of selecting and training employees have become very high?

8. Why do you think the selection process should be paid increased attention?

9. Does your organization use employment tests? Do they make the selection process more efficient?

10. What do you think background investigations may reveal about a candidate?

Ex. 13. Write a summary of the section in 6-10 sentences.

Ex. 14. Say it in English.

Менеджеры всегда пытаются предсказать будущую работу людей.

Они обращают особое внимание на способности, опыт, цели и энергию принимаемых на работу людей.

Если у людей есть необходимые способности и опыт, если их цели и устремления совпадают с целями организации, то они будут хорошо работать.

Способности определяются на основе специально разработанных тестов. Опыт не менее важен, чем способности.

Под опытом мы подразумеваем знания, навыки и практические умения, а также знание рабочей ситуации.

Качество работы улучшается, если человек обладает необходимым опытом, однако, это случается тогда, когда знания и навыки имеют прямое отношение к работе.

Опыт и способности являются лишь потенциалом личности, они не всегда способствуют хорошему выполнению работы.

Менеджер должен уметь использовать практические преимущества опыта и способностей работающих людей, чтобы более эффективно решать поставленные задачи.

Section 3. TRAINING AND DEVELOPING EMPLOYEES

Words and Terms to be Remembered

craft

to simulate

apprentice

apprenticeship

assignment

journeyman

employee

orientation

training and development j

ob simulation

job rotation

to imitate

to duplicate

to implement

to assign

mentor

networking

vestibule training

Read the text and find the answers to the following questions.

1. What do training and development include?

2. How is career development viewed at present?

3. What is employee orientation?

4. What are some of the procedures used for training?

TRAINING AND DEVELOPING EMPLOYEES

New technologies such as word processors, computers, and robots have made it necessary to do more and more training, much of which is quite sophisticated. Today’s forward-thinking organizations are recognizing that people are their most vital resource and an integral part for achieving increased productivity. Therefore, many firms are getting much involved in continuing education and development programs for their employees. Career development is no longer just a haphazard system of promotions, moves, and occasional training programs. Rather, it is a long-term organizational strategy for employees to optimize their skills and advance their education. Training and development include all attempts to improve employee performance through learning. We shall look at various training and development programs: employee orientation, on-the-job training, apprenticeship, off-the-job training, vestibule training, and job simulation.

Employee orientation is the activity that initiates new employees to the organization, to fellow employees, to their immediate supervisors, and to the policies, practices, and objectives of the firm. Orientation programs vary from quite informal, primarily verbal efforts, to formal schedules that have employees visit various departments for a day or more and include lengthy handouts. Formal orientation programs may cover:

History and general policies of the organization.

Descriptions of products or services provided by the organization to the public.

The organization’s chain of command (organizational chart).

Company safety measures and regulations.

Human resources policies and practices.

Compensation, benefits, and employee services.

Daily routines and regulations.

Introduction to the corporate culture – the

values and orientation of the organization.

Organization objectives and the role of the new

recruit in accomplishing those objectives.

The most fundamental training programs involve on-the-job training. Onthe-job training means that the employee immediately begins his or her tasks and learns by doing, or watches others for a while and then imitates them, right at the workplace. Salespeople, for example, are often trained by watching experienced salespeople perform. Naturally, this can be either quite effective or disastrous, depending on the skills and habits of the person being watched. On-the-job training is obviously the easiest kind of training to implement and can be effective where the job is easily learned, such as clerking in a store, or performing repetitive physical tasks such as collecting refuse, cleaning carpets, and mowing lawns. Training for more tedious or intricate jobs require a more intense training effort.

Many skilled crafts, such as bricklaying or plumbing, require a new worker to serve several years as an apprentice. An apprenticeship is a period of time when a learner works alongside a skilled worker to learn the skills and procedures of a craft. Trade unions often require such periods to assure excellence among their members as well as to limit entry to the union. Workers that successfully complete an apprenticeship earn the classification of journeyman.

Training is becoming more sophisticated as jobs become more sophisticated. Furthermore, training is expanding to include education, and personal development (for example, time management, stress management, heath education, wellness training, physical education, nutrition, and even classes in art and languages).

Some firms do such training internally and have elaborate training facilities. Other firms move such training to outside sources. Off-the-job training consists of internal and external programs to develop a variety of skills and to foster personal development that occurs away from the workplace. This includes classroom lectures, conferences, films, as well as workshops, tapes, reading programs, and the like.

Vestibule training is done in schools where employees are taught on equipment similar to that used on the job. Such schools (oddly enough called vestibule schools) enable employees to learn proper methods and safety procedures before assuming a specific job assignment in an organization. Computer and robotic training is often completed in a vestibule school.

One of the faster-growing aspects of training is simulation exercises. Job simulation is the use of equipment that duplicates job conditions and tasks so that trainees can learn skills before attempting them on the job. This is the kind of training given astronauts, airline pilots, army tank operators, ship captains, and others who must learn highly skilled jobs off the job. Imagine the benefits of simulating the landing of an airplane in a major storm for the first time or docking a huge ocean liner in a small port facility. Such tasks are better learned in a simulator where many variables can be programmed to give people practical experience in a laboratory setting.

Exercises and assignments

Ex. 1. Give verbs corresponding to the following nouns:

performance, education, training, simulation, promotion, productivity, development, regulation, compensation, introduction, classification, equipment.

Ex. 2. Match the words on the left with their synonyms on the right:

sophisticated

to accomplish

to initiate

immediate

regulation

effort

schedule

include

to implement

to assure

repetitive

craft

trade

direct

monotonous

to accomplish

to guarantee

to achieve

attempt

elaborate

to introduce

rule

involve

plan

Ex.3. Match the words on the left with their antonyms on the right:

long-term

formal

internal

apprentice

experienced

proper

artificially

variable

to limit

external

journeyman

inexperienced

naturally

short-term

informal

constant

improper

to expand

Ex. 4. Form as many as possible verb-noun collocations. Consult the text.

Verbs:

to assign

to assume

to implement

to perform

to optimize

to complete

to develop

to duplicate

to learn

to simulate

Nouns:

job conditions

apprenticeship

skills

task

assignment

training

jobs

methods

procedures

craft

Ex. 5. Use the collocations above in the sentences of your own.

Ex. 6. Form as many as possible adjective – noun collocations. Then use some of them in the sentences of your own.

Adjectives:

sophisticated

occasional

repetitive

intense

effective

skilled

elaborate

internal

external

integral

Nouns:

craft

training

jobs

facilities

equipment

worker

model

part

program

task

Ex. 7. Find in the text English equivalents for the following:

цепь инстанций, заведенный порядок и правила, производственная школа, ученик, квалифицированный работник, моделирование производственных условий, обучение по месту работы без отрыва от производства, обучение с отрывом от производства, продвижение по службе, обучение и повышение квалификации, профессионально-техническое обучение (ученичество), правила и меры техники безопасности.

Ex. 8. Translate the sentences with the above expressions into Russian.

Ex. 9. What are the terms for the following?

1. A person who works alongside a skilled worker to learn the skills and procedures of a craft is an ________.

2. A worker that successfully completes an apprenticeship is a________.

3. The use of equipment that duplicates job conditions and tasks so that trainees can learn skills is ________.

4. Schools where employees are taught on equipment similar to that used on the job are ________.

5. The activity that initiates new employees to the organization is ________.

6. Learning by doing, watching others and imitating them, right at the workplace is ________.

7. All attempts to improve employee performance by increasing an employee’s ability to perform through learning is ________.

8. Internal and external programs to develop a variety of skills and foster personal development away from the workplace are ________.

9. A time when a new worker works alongside a master technician to learn the appropriate skills and procedures is ________.

Ex. 10. Read the text and a) define terms “networking” and “mentors”; b) state the main ideas discussed.

DEVELOPING MANAGERS

Managers need different training than most employees. They need to be good communicators and especially need to learn listening skills and empathy. They also need time management, planning, and human relations skills.

Management development, then, is the process of training and educating employees to become good managers and then developing managerial skills over time. Management development programs have sprung up everywhere, especially at colleges, universities, and private management development firms. Managers participate in various role playing exercises, solve various management cases, and are exposed to films, lectures, and all kinds of management development processes.

In some organizations managers are paid to take college level courses. Most management training programs also include several of the following:

On-the-job coaching. On-the-job coaching means that a senior manager will assist a lower-level manager by teaching him or her needed skills and generally providing direction, advice, and helpful criticism. Such programs are only effective when the senior managers are skilled themselves and have the ability to educate others. This is not always the case.

Understudy Positions. Job titles such as undersecretary of … and assistant to … reveal a relatively successful way of developing managers. They work as assistants to higher-level managers and participate in planning and other managerial functions until they are ready to assume such positions themselves. Such assistants may take over when higher-level managers are on vacation or on business trips.

Job Rotation. To expose managers to different functions of organization, they are often given assignments in a variety of departments. Top managers, of course, must have a broad picture of the organization and such rotation gives them that exposure.

Off-the-job Courses and Training. Managers periodically go to schools or seminars for a week or more to hone their technical and human relations skills. Such courses expose them to the latest concepts and create a sense of camaraderie as the managers live, eat, and work together in a college-type atmosphere. This is often where case studies and simulation exercises of all kinds are employed.

Over time, male managers have developed what has been called an old boy network through which certain senior managers become mentors to certain junior managers. They introduce them to the important managers, enroll them in the “right” clubs, and guide them into the “right” social groups. Young managers are thus socialized regarding proper dress, behavior, and procedures to follow to rise up the corporate hierarchy.

Networking, then, is the process of establishing and maintaining contacts with key managers in one’s own organization and in other organizations and using those contacts to weave strong relationships that serve as informal development systems. Of equal or greater importance to potential managers is the need for mentors, corporate managers who supervise, coach, and guide selected lower-level employees by introducing them to the right people and groups and generally act as their organizational sponsors. In reality, an informal type of mentoring goes on in most organizations on a regular basis as older employees assist younger workers. However, many organizations such as Merrill Lynch and Federal Express use a formal system of assigning mentors to employees considered to have strong potential.

Ex. 11. Agree or disagree.

1. Personnel training is a good investment for an organization.

2. Employees can enhance their earning capacity through education.

3. Training and development provide long-term benefits for employees. These benefits are partly in the form of higher earnings, partly in the form of gaining access to more interesting, challenging, or pleasant jobs, and partly in the form of prestige.

4. Employee orientation is very important for a recruit successful adaptation in an organization.

5. Experience gained in a laboratory setting may prove quite useless in real-life situations.

6. Networking is the most effective way of developing managers.

Section 4. COMPENSATING, SCHEDULING AND APPRAISING EMPLOYEES

Words to be Remembered

hourly wage

piecework

commission

bonus

fringe benefits

job sharing

flextime

core time

absenteeism

compensation

salary

to attract

to protect

to maintain

to assure

to appraise

compressed workweek

in – home employment

performance appraisal

cafeteria – style fringe benefits

to evaluate

to schedule

to compensate

Read the text and answer the following questions.

1. What part does employee compensation occupy in the operating costs of

2. an organization?

3. What kinds of compensation systems are used?

4. What are fringe benefits?

5. What is the purpose of offering cafeteria-style fringe benefits?

COMPENSATING EMPLOYEES

Employee compensation is one of the largest operating costs for many organizations. The long-term success of a firm – perhaps even survival – may depend on how well it can control employee costs and optimize employee efficiency. For example, service organizations such as hospitals, airlines, and banks have recently struggled with managing high employee costs. This is not unusual since these firms are considered labor intensive; that is, their primary cost of operations is cost of labor. Firms in the airline, auto, and steel industry have asked employees to take reductions in wages to make the organizations more competitive or risk going out of business and losing jobs forever. In other words, the competitive environment is such that compensation and benefit packages are being given special attention and are likely to remain of major concern in the near future.

Several objectives can be accomplished by a carefully managed compensation and benefit program. They include:

Attracting the kind of people needed by the organization and in sufficient numbers.

Providing employees with the incentive to work efficiently and productively.

Keeping valued employees from leaving and going to competitors or starting competing firms.

Maintaining a competitive position in the marketplace by keeping costs low through high productivity.

Protecting employees from unexpected problems such as layoffs, sickness, and disability.

Assuring employees of funds to carry them through retirement.

Pay Systems One of the heroes in China is a man named Bu Xinsheng. He runs a highly successful shirt factory. From the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, Mr. Bu raised the factory’s assets and its number of workers from $10,000 and 73, respectively, to $600,000 and 630. China is not known for its creative management techniques and highly productive work force. So, how did Mr. Bu do it? He switched his factory from straight wages to piecework. That increased the maximum possible wage from $18 a month to the equivalent of $41 a month, but workers had to work much harder to earn more. The government was thrilled with Mr. Bu’s success and now supports. Mr. Bu in implementing ideas such as market research, developing private brands, implementing graduated benefits for his workers, and buying equipment to expand production for export sales.

It’s evident from this story that the type of pay system in an organisation can have a dramatic effect on efficiency and productivity. Different pay systems include the following:

Salary systems are systems of fixed compensation that are computed on weekly, biweekly, or monthly pay periods.

Hourly wage or daywork is the system used for most blue-collar and clerical workers. Often employees must punch a time clock when arrive at work and when they leave. Hourly wages vary greatly.

Piecework means that employees are paid according to the number of items they produce rather than by the hour or day. This system creates powerful incentives to work efficiently and productively. It was so effective for Mr. Bu that he has become a model manager in China.

Commission plans are used to compensate salespeople. They actually resemble a piecework system; the commission is based on some percentage of sales.

Bonus plans are used for executives, salespeople, and employees. They earn bonuses for accomplishing or surpassing certain objectives.

Profit sharing plans give employees some share of profits over and above their normal pay.

Fringe Benefits Fringe benefits include sick-leave pay, vacation pay, pension plans, and health plans that provide additional compensation to employees. Fringe benefits in the 1980s grew faster than wages. According to a recent study by the Chamber of Commerce, U.S. companies now spend for benefits about 37 percent of the average worker’s salary, compared with 30 percent a decade ago. Many employees request more fringe benefits instead of more salary to avoid higher taxes. This is resulted in much debate and much government investigation.

Fringe benefits can include everything from paid vacations to health-care programs, recreation facilities, company cars, country club memberships, daycare services, and executive dining rooms. Managing the benefit package is an important human resource issue. Employees want packages to include dental care, legal counseling, eye care, and shorter workweeks.

To counter these growing demands, many firms are offering cafeteria-style fringe benefits from which employees can choose the benefits they want up to a certain dollar amount. Choice is the key to flexible, cafeteria-style benefits plans. At one time, most employees’ needs were similar. Today, employees are more varied and more demanding. Managers can equitably and cost-effectively meet employees’ individual needs by providing benefits choices.

Benefits are as important to wage negotiations as salary. In the future, they may be more important.

Exercises and assignments

Ex. 1. Write out of the text the derivatives of the following verbs:

to produce, to employ, to compensate, to implement, to equip, to share, to cost, to operate, to differ, to compete.

Ex. 2. Match the words on the left with their synonyms on the right:

compensation

pay

bonus

benefit

costs

rival

reward

advantage

expenses

wage

optimize

accomplish

competitor l

ayoff

item

achieve

dismissal

remuneration

maximize

piece

Ex. 3. Match the words on the left with their antonyms on the right:

maximum

success

important

disability

different

expand

include

failure

unimportant

similar

exclude

minimum

ability

limit

Ex. 4. Form as many as possible adjective – noun collocations. Then use some of them in the sentences of your own. Consult the text.

Adjectives:

sufficient

competitive

intensive

creative

private

productive

powerful

flexible

unexpected

major

wage

Nouns:

incentive

position

management

brand

work

labour

organisation

plan

work force

environment

Ex. 5. Find in the text English equivalents for the following:

затраты на рабочую силу; основные эксплуатационные затраты; обанкротиться; условия конкуренции; комплекс соглашений по льготам и заработной плате; сохранять конкурентоспособную позицию на рынке; гарантировать служащим пенсионное обеспечение; сдельная оплата труда; твердая заработная плата; почасовая заработная плата; повременная заработная плата; участие в прибылях; оплата по больничному листу; дополнительные льготы; места отдыха и развлечения; членство в загородных клубах, меню льгот; вести переговоры.

Ex. 6. What are the terms for the following?

1) paying employees according to the numbers of items they produce

2) fixed compensation

3) extra payment, often given as a reward for good work or high productivity

4) a system in which an agreed proportion of company’s profits is paid to employees

5) advantages given to employees in addition to their salary, such as health insurance etc.

6) money paid to sales representatives, proportional to the total value of the goods they sell

Ex. 7. Comment on the following:

1) the objectives of employee compensation programs

2) profit sharing plans

3) fringe benefits

4) cafeteria-style fringe benefits

5) piecework system

6) bonus plans

Ex. 8. Say it in English.

Вознаграждение – это оплата за использование труда, умственного или физического. Термин “заработная плата”, (обычно в форме еженедельного вручения работнику конверта с деньгами) как правило, используется для обозначения оплаты фабричных рабочих или других работников физического труда, а термин “жалование” (в форме ежемесячных чеков, банковских кредитов и т.д.) – для обозначения оплаты руководящего состава и специалистов (работников умственного труда). Как зарплата, так и жалование могут, кроме оплаты основного рабочего времени, включать оплату сверхурочных работ по “сверхурочным ставкам”, превышающим в полтора-два раза обычную почасовую ставку оплаты труда, а также целый ряд премиальных выплат, таких как поощрительная премия, связанная с уровнем производительности труда и зависящая от достигнутой нормы выработки, или премия по итогам года, выплачиваемая в конце года и основанная на совокупных прибылях за год.

Ex. 9. Read the text and define the highlighted terms.

SCHEDULING EMPLOYEES

By now, you are quite familiar with the trends occurring in the work force. You know, for example, that many more women are working now. You also know that managers and workers are demanding more from jobs in the way of flexibility and responsiveness. From these have emerged several new or renewed ideas such as job sharing, flextime, and in-home employment. Let’s see how these innovations effect managing human resources.

Job sharing is an arrangement whereby two part-time employees share one fulltime job. The concept received great attention in the 1980s as more and more women with small children entered the labor force. Job sharing enabled mothers and fathers to work part-time while the children were in school, then return to the home when the children came home. Job sharing has also proved benefits to students, older people who want to work part-time before fully retiring, and others who can only work part-time. The following are some of the benefits of job sharing.

It offers employment opportunities to those who cannot or prefer not to work full-time.

An employee is more to maintain a high level of enthusiasm and productivity for four hours than eight hours; therefore, two part-time employees are often much more productive than one full-time employee.

Problems such as absenteeism and tardiness are greatly reduced by using part-time employees. Part-time people are usually better able to handle other duties or problems in their off hours.

Employers are better able to schedule people into peak demand periods (for example, banks on payday) when part-time people are available.

However, as you might suspect, disadvantages include having to hire, train, motivate, and supervise twice as many people and to prorate some fringe benefits. Nonetheless, most firms that were at first reluctant to try job sharing are finding the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.

Flextime plans give employees some freedom to adjust when they work as long as they work the required number of hours. The most popular plans allow employees to come to work at 7, 8, or 9 AM and leave between 4 and 6 PM. Usually flextime plans will incorporate what is called core time. Core time refers to particular hours of the day when all employees are expected to be at their job stations. For example, an organization may designate core time hours as between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM. During these hours of work all employees are required to be there. Flextime plans, like job-sharing plans, are designed to allow employees to adjust to the new demands of the times, especially the trend toward two-income families. Specific advantages of flextime include:

•Working mothers and fathers can schedule their days so that someone can be home to see the children off to school and the other partner can be home soon after school.

•Employees can schedule doctor’s appointments and other personal tasks during working hours by coming in early and leaving at 3 or 4 PM.

•Traffic congestion is greatly reduced as employees arrive over several hours instead of all at once.

•Employees can work when they are most productive; some people are most alert early in the morning, while others can’t get going until 9 AM.

•A big psychological boost comes when an employee has some choice about sleeping late once in a while or taking off early on Friday afternoon in the spring.

There are some real disadvantages to flextime as well. Flextime is certainly not for all organizations. For example, it does not work in assembly line processes where everyone must be at work at the same time. It also is not effective for shift work.

Another disadvantage to flextime is that managers often have to work longer days to be to assist and supervise employees.

Another popular option that developed in some organizations is a compressed workweek. That means that an employee works four 10-hour days and then enjoys a long weekend, instead of working five 8-hour days with a traditional weekend. There are the obvious advantages of working only four days and having three days off, but some employees get tired working such long hours, and productivity could decline. Many employees find such a system of great benefit, however, and are quite enthusiastic about it.

In nations such as Japan, in-home employment has traditionally been very common. These “cottage industries”, as they are called, are often key suppliers to many of the large multinational firms in Japan. In the United States, the number of people working at home leaped 90 percent in just a couple of years. By now, it is estimated that 15 to 20 percent of all workers are working at home. Almost three fourths of these home-bound workers are women who want to pursue career goals and family goals at the same time.

Ex. 10. Think and answer.

1. How do you think flextime may affect employees productivity and morale?

2. What scheduling plans can be introduced to adjust to employees needs for flexibility in you organization?

Ex. 11. Comment on.

1. Benefits and shortcomings of job-sharing.

2. Advantages and disadvantages of flextime.

3. Compressed workweeks.

4. Trend to in-home employment.

Ex. 12. Read the text and answer the questions.

1. What is a performance appraisal?

2. What is the primary purpose of a performance appraisal?

3. What does a performance appraisal involve?

APPRAISING EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE

All managers must supervise employees. Therefore, they must be able to determine whether or not their workers are doing an effective and efficient job, with a minimum of errors and disruptions. Such a determination is called a performance appraisal. A performance appraisal is an evaluation of the performance level of employees against established standards to make decisions about promotions, compensation, additional training, or firing. Performance appraisals consist of these following six steps:

1. Establishing performance standards. This is a crucial step. Standards must be understandable, subject to measurement, and reasonable.

2. Communicating those standards. Often, managers assume that employees know what is expected of them, but such assumptions are dangerous at best. Employees must be told clearly and precisely what the standards and expectations are and how they are to be met.

3. Evaluating performance. If the first two steps are correct, performance evaluation is relatively easy. It is a matter of evaluating the employee’s behavior to see if it matches standards.

4. Discussing results with employees. Most people will make mistakes and fail to meet expectations at first. It takes time to learn a new job and do it well. Discussing an employee’s successes and areas that need improvement is an opportunity to be understanding and helpful and to guide the employee to better performance. Additionally, the performance appraisal can be a good source of employee suggestions on how a particular task could perhaps be better performed. Employees know their jobs often better than anyone. It’s important for the manager to remember that employees are not always to blame when standards are not met. An astute supervisor will learn that top management asks four questions when employees don’t do well: (1) who hired them? (2) who trained them? (3) who motivates them? and (4) who should be fired if they fail? The answers make it pretty clear that supervisors are responsible for performance through others.

5. Taking corrective action. The performance appraisal is an appropriate time for a manager to take corrective action or provide corrective feedback to help the employee perform his or her job better. Remember the keyword is performance. The primary purpose of conducing a performance appraisal is to increase employee performance, if possible.

6. Using the results to make decisions. Decisions about promotions, compensation, additional training, or firing are all based on performance evaluations. An effective performance appraisal system is a way of satisfying certain legal conditions concerning promotions, compensation, and firing policies. The measure of any employee’s work is results. Were the objectives met or not? Management means getting results through top performance by employees. That is what performance appraisals are for – at all levels of the organization.

Ex. 13. Comment on dos and don’ts for the manager to make the performance appraisal more meaningful and effective.

1. DON’T attack the employee personally. Critically evaluate his or her work.

2. DO allow sufficient time, without distractions (take the phone off the hook or close the office door) for appraisals.

3. DON’T make the employee feel uncomfortable or uneasy. Never conduct an appraisal where other employees are present (such as on the shop floor).

4. DO include the employee in the process as much as possible. (Let the employee prepare a self-improvement program).

5. DON’T wait until the appraisal to raise problems about the employee’s work that have been developing for some time.

6. DO end the appraisal with positive suggestions for employee improvement.

UNIT CHECKUPS

I. Review questions.

1. What is human resource management?

2. What are current problems in human resource area?

3. What are the steps in human resource planning?

4. Why has recruitment become more difficult?

5. What are the six steps in the selection process?

6. What are some of the procedures used for employee training?

7. What is a performance appraisal?

8. How is performance evaluated?

9. What kinds of compensation systems are used nowadays?

10. What are innovative ways of scheduling workers?

11. What methods are used to develop managerial skills?

12. Can you define terms networking and mentors?

II. Explain the difference:

core time – flextime

apprentice – journeyman

bonus – fringe benefits

job simulation – job rotation

vestibule training – apprenticeship

job sharing – profit sharing

on-the-job training – off-the-job training

piecework – compressed workweek

III. Case studies.

CASE ONE. THE EXPERIMENT AT STEELCASE

Cindy and Scott Keech are living the future everyday at Steelcase, Inc., an office-furniture company in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Cindy works as a receptionist, but only works every other week. She shares her job with another employee who works the weeks Cindy is at home. Scott upholsters chairs in the factory and earns approximately $9 per hour. However, he more than doubles his pay through profit sharing bonuses and “piecework” – incentive pay for each chair he upholsters. Every December, Scott and Cindy sit down and choose medical, dental, life insurance and disability coverage from a flexible-benefits package offered by Steelcase. Just last year, Cindy was able to earn an additional $900 in unused benefit allowances by piggybacking on Scott’s coverage. How do they manage to do all this?

Steelcase, Inc., is one of a handful of companies that currently uses “flex” policies. At Steelcase, employees have a direct say in how they wish to be compensated for their work. According to James Soule, vice president for human resources, “People are becoming good at choosing what they need, as opposed to us playing God.” The company also advocates flextime work schedules in addition to its cafeteria-style benefits package.

How has the experiment at Steelcase fared? Employee morale is strong and the firm has experienced significant cuts in costs. The annual rate of employee turnover is only 3 percent. Is Steelcase a forerunner of things to come?

Discussion questions

1. What do you think about innovative systems of paying and scheduling employees Steelcase Inc. introduces?