Business Eng Ag

Business
En
g
lish
Meetin
g
s
Instant Aendas
Jereiy CoJfor ad Nick Breger
11 111: P1L1 111
^L11^ \\1
PENGUIN BOOKS
Published by the Pengin Group
Penguin Books Ltd, 27 Wrghts Lane, London WS 5T, Englad
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Penguin Books Ltd, Registerd Ofces: Hanondswor, Middlesex, Englad
Published by Penguin Books 1998
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Copyright OJermy Comfor ad Nick Breger 1998
Argt rsexed
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to rprt te photogphs on p.158.
Pted in Englad by WJClowes Limited, Beccles ad Lndon
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Contents
I
l0tf00U0tl00
Student's Notes
Teacher's Notes
Agendas
Case study agendas

1 Company language
Z Competition
/
J Corption
4 Dress
The environment
Equal opporunities
7 Food terrorism
f 6 Going interational
V Inforation fow
1 Interational assignments
11 Interational joint venture
1Z Managing the project

/
1J The millennium meeting
14 Multicultural project
1 New technology
1 Outsourcing
17 Pay versus benefts

l
16 Quality
1V Relocation
Z Reorganization
Z1 The safety committee
ZZ Teleworking
ZJ Traning weekend
Z4 Workload
Staf committee meetings

Staf committee meeting 1
Staf committee meeting Z

Staff committee meeting J
/
Staf committee meeting

Staf committee meeting

Staff committee meeting 6
Specialist agendas
1 Management
Z Quality
J Human resources (1)

v
3
37
J6
4
4Z
4
4
46
J0
JZ
J4
6
7
7Z
74
7
76
6
6Z
64
67
66
V
VZ
V4
V
V6
1
1Z
14
1
Language functions for meetings 17
4 Promotion 16
The training dilemma 11
Sales and marketing 11Z
7 Finance 114
6 Legal affairs 11
Human resources (Z) 116
1 Production 1Z
Decision-making agendas
1 Outsourcing or not? 1ZZ
Z New training manager 1Z4
3 The budget 12
Problem-solving meetings
1 Time management 1Z6
Z Staf morale 1J
J Personality clash 1JZ
4 Working time and lunch-time 1J4
Use of the Interet 1J
Poaching 1J6
7 Delegation 14
6 Open-plan 14Z
V Training course vs.
on-the-job training 144
1 Employment of disabled people I 4
11 Recycling 146
1Z An attractive remuneration
package 1J
Strategy meetings
1 Mission statement 1J2
2 Job advertisement 1J4
J Market research questionnaire I
4 Early retirement document 1J6
Brainstorming meetings
1 Managing your time 1
2 Management tools I I
3 What's in a name? 12
4 A new logo I 4
The company excursion I
Introduction
To the teacher
Bu8ac88 Eagl8b Mcctag8 has been written in response to the demand for more materials to
develop professional communication skills in the classroom. Its aim is to give foreign students
of Business English specifc practice in the skills and language of meetings in order to develop
fuency and efectiveness. Te materal addresses a wide range of adult themes from a variety
of professional aeas, however, most of the activities do not require specialist knowledge. The
material is completely independent of any course book and can, therefore, be used on any
Business English course.
Bu8ac88 Eagl8b Mcctag8 consists of sixty-six activities. The activities are in one book
containing:
the details of the agenda for each meeting
the role information for the students
teacher's notes
handling notes for meetings
language notes for meetings.
Target learners
The activities ae aimed at leaers of Business English at interediate level or above. All the
activities can be done by in-serice leaers: people who need English for their work. Most of
the activities ca also be done in thei existing for by pre-serice leaers: people taining for
a caeer in the busiess world. The few remaining activities can be done by pre-serice lea
ers after minor adaptations have been made and explanations of key concepts have been given
by the teacher.
Description and organization
The book contains sixty-six meeting activities. These are aranged in sections, according to the
type of meeting (see Contents page). The activities can be done in any order. All the infora
tion for each activit is given in the bk, though students should be encouraged to contibute
their own ideas and professional experience to the role-plays. Each activity consists of:
an agenda or background brief to the meeting
the student roles, where necessa.
All of the activities are intended for groups. In some cases the number of participants has been
specifed by the roles allocated, in others, the number of participants is open. Where specifc
roles have been allocated; the teacher can add or reduce the number of participants by making
small changes to the agenda.
v
Introduction
Activit types
The agendas are divided into seven sections; each contains agendas for diferent types of
meetings:
I Case studies (Z4agendas)
Z Staf committee meetings (6 agendas)
3 Specialist meetings ( 1 0 agendas)
4 Decision-making meetings (3 agendas)
J Problem-solving meetings (I 2agendas)
Strategy meetings (4 agendas)
7 Brainstorming meetings (5 agendas).
The aim is to provide a wide range of contexts and meeting types. For more inforation about
te meeting types see pp. 15-19.
Communication skills
By doing the activities, students will practise communication sklls and develop effective
communication techniques. Tus they focus on both fuency ad efectiveness.
Timing
Efective meetings requie caeful prepaation by M pacipat. Therefore, before the meet
ing itsel it is imporant for the teacher to brief te student on:
their roles
the procedures for the meeting
the timing for the meeting
the taining objectives of the activity.
Most of the meetings will take at least an hour to complete; in addition, the teacher will need
to set aside time for giving feedback on the vaous elements that make up efective meetings.
(See Teacher's notes.)
Additional resources
As some of the activities involve fgures, a pocket calculator may be usefl.
To the teacher: Efective meetings template
Te key to improving performance is to agree frrst what constitutes an efectve meeting. The
following moel, though not exhaustive, captures may points which ae relevant to diferent
types of meetngs and provides a useful template for perforance feedback and evaluation.
Ecoglcrefers to everone involved in the meetng and their roles:
the chairperson/the paricipats/the secreta
the boss/the subordinate
the experthe non-expert
Ae the right people present i order to acheve the purose of the meeting? Do tey know what
roles they 8 expected to flftl?
V
Introduction
Eroccdurc8 refers to the steps and stges of the meeting and their management. The style of
meetings can va enorously: fom informal to foral; fom highly controlled to very free;
fom impersonal to personal. Whatever the style, all meetings will beneft from some suppor
ive chairing. It is the chairperson who can ensure that the meeting achieves its objectives.
The chairperson is responsible for overall control, in particular:
1 opening the meeting by introducing:
a) the objectives
b) the agenda
c) the participants (if necessary)
d) the procedure (order of speakg etc.)
e) the timing
the output (minutes, report, etc.).
Z facilitating and moderating by:
a) making sure everybody gets a chance to speak
b) interpting speakers who talk too much
c) encouraging speakers who talk too little.
3 summarizing by maing sure everybody knows what has been said/agreed.
4 controlling the procedures by:
a) keeping an eye on the time
b) handling the agenda, for example, by cutting an item or shortening discussion.
5 concluding the meeting by:
a) closing the meeting
b) making sure the action/decisions are clear to everybody.
The roles of the participants are more open-ended. However, they can be summarized as:
contributing through a mini-presentation.
In this case, the gaMcgaatpresents point. Make sure it is clearly presented and is concise.
(KSS: Keep it shor and simple)
2 contributing through discussion, ivolving:
a) giving and seeking opinions
b) interpting
c) commenting
d) agreeing and disagreeing
e) advising and suggesting
requesting inforation and action
g) checking and confrrming inforation.
The 8ccrctary is responsible for recording:
a) the names of the participants
b) the topics discussed
c) brief details of arguments for ad against
d) decisions made
e) voting details
follow-up actions to be carried out (who, what and when)
g) the date, time and place of the next meeting
h) distributing the minutes within a reasonable time.
vi
Introduction
Results refers to the outcomes of the meeting. A lot of meetings fail because te participants
are unsure of the purpose and therefore dissatisfed with the results. Therefore efective meet
ings depend entirely on:
communicating the purpose
satisfying expectations
clarifying the outcome in terms of action.
Language refers to the traditional categories of laguage fors:
gramma
Key vocabulary
pronunciation.
Are these used corectly?
In order to derve the greatest beneft fom classroom time on shor courses, it is imporant that
classroom activities focus on meeting practice ad feedback. This meas tat once te elements
of efective meetings have been agreed classroom actvities move tough a series of prepaa
tory steps to the meeting itself - te practice tough which the leaers m to improve their
perforace in an obserable way in one or more of the above aeas.
So, referng to the efective meetigs template te main concers of tpical Business English
leaers can be sularized as:
the procedural elements
the linguistic elements
practice
feedback.
Using the material
Instant agendas provides the teacher with great fexibility in organizing simulated ad role-play
meetings.
Whichever agenda you choose, a successful meeting will depend on te following factors:
Understanding the situation and roles: students must be given time to gasp what the meet
ing is about and their role.
Z Appointing a chairperson: all of the meetings will beneft fom someone to lead the meet
ing; this role can be rotated withn te meeting (fom item to item) to give oter stdents a
chance to chair.
J Setting clear objectives in terms of:
a) output of the meeting ( a decision, recolendaton, etc.)
b) communication skills (chairing, participatng, etc.)
c) language knowledge (fnctions, vocabula, grm a).
Stages of the activity - standard procedures
Before the meeting
1 Choose an agenda.
Te agendas ae a concered wit issues fm te business world. Some, however, more
spiast ta ote. Choose a agenda whch sut te itrest ador kowledge of you gup.
. '
I
/
I

Introduction
The sixty-six agendas are a anged in seven sections:
Section 1 Case study agendas ( 1-Z1)
These ae based around a situation. Roles are described in terms of position in the company
and position on the agenda items.
Section Z Staf committee meetings (1-d)
These are composed of six diferent situations. Participants have no specifc role. The objec
tive is to make recomendations to the Board.
Section J Specialist agendas ( 1-1)
These agendas focus aound issues concering a single management area or the problems
faced by one deparment. Therefore they lend themselves to working with groups of students
who work in or are studying the same fnction (e.g. marketing, finance, etc.).
Section 1 Decision-making agendas (1-J)
These agendas present more complex situations. Roles are allocated and difcult decisions
have to be taken.
Section J Problem-solving meetings (1-1Z)
These agendas require creative, problem-solving skills. Roles are kept to a minimum.
Section Strategy meetings ( 1)
These agendas ae based around strategic business issues often involving a wrtten document
after the meeting decisions have been taken. Roles ae kept to a minimum.
Section / Brainstoring meetings (1-J)
These are creative meetings in which a idea/name/design has to be created. The roles are
fairly minimal, allowing students to express their own ideas to a large extent. This type of
meeting typically has no agenda. However, it still requires a framework and some control to
be successful.
Z Assign roles.
The chairman (or chairperson) has overall control of the meeting. In some agendas, the role
of chairerson is fxed; in others either you or the paricipants can choose who will chair the
meeting. There are diferent styles of chairing. Some people have a more autocratic manner
and control the meeting more strictly; others have a more organic manner and let the meet
ing fow. You should give diferent students the possibility to chair meetings. This is impor
tant for thee reasons:
it allows them to gain confidence in that role
they get feedback on their perormance from the other participants and the teacher
it helps them develop their skills.
3 Give time for preparation.
Every meeting needs preparation. The handling notes for each agenda suggest the length of
time for preparation. This is only a guideline. Some groups may need more time. others less.
The preparation can be done either in class or, where possible, at home. It is also important
to tell the students what to prepae. This will vary with each agenda. However, as each meet
ing is intended to provide free practice, participants should not come with notes to be read
to the meeting. Rather. they should have prepared notes of what they intend to say. The chair
person may need to refer, during the meeting, to the language for chairing a meeting (acc
pages l7-).
4 Make sure they know your objectives in terms of language and communication.
These practice meetings are intended to provide material for developing:
accuracy of language know ledge
fluency of general communication
efectiveness of professional communication.
ix
Intrducon
Accuracy refects the corect use of language fors; fuency the smooth fow of language;
and effectiveness the ability to use appropriate behaviour and procedures in order to have
the right impact on the other members of the meeting. It is imporant for you to clarify what
the focus of the activity is. In this way, the students will focus on the content of the meet
ing, but also on aspects of their perforance.
During the meeting
l Tae notes on language and communication strengths and weaesses.
In order to provide feedback afer the meetng, you will need to agree objectives before the
meeting (see 4 above). During the meeting you should mae notes on tose elements of
language or communication that will provide te basis for feedback to individuals and/or to
the group. Remember that leaers respond to both positive and negative feedback. Therefore,
you should aim to strike a balance between what was wrong ad what was rght Oanguage),
what was good and what was not so good (comunication).
2 Use a video or audio cassete recorder to give you a record of their perorance.
Recording the meeting can be a usefl way of providing feedback. However, it can also be
time-consuming and inefectve to watch a whole metng again. It is, perhaps, usefl to record,
where possible, and then watch/listen to selected passages which iustate good practice
and/or poor practice.
J Try to be a 'fy on the wall'. Do not intrde in te meeting.
Your presence should be as a sient supporer, providing help where absolutely necessary.
Help mght be needed if a paricipant is stuck for a word, or the group is stuck for a stategy.
Afer the meeting
1 Ask the students what they thought of the meeting.
As meetings are a group actvit, the participants should be invited to shae teir experence
with you and with the others. Of course, you will be the arbiter of language, but they should
be encouraged to provide feedback on fuency and efectiveness - their own and others'.
2 Give te students coherent feedback on comunicaton skills (chaing, pacipating etc.).
To be efective, the teacher's feedback on communication skills should be based on a fame
work; such as 'Procedures for te chairerson' on page I.
3 Give them more detailed feedback on language use.
You will need to be selective as to how much language feedback to give. It is impornt to
remember to balance positive and negatve feedback, to tell the group what language was
good ad what was not so good.
How to ...
I Choose a chairan and appoint a secretary.
Every meeting needs a chaa and a secretary. Everone should have a chance to under
take both roles. Terefore, eiter you can choose or the group can choose. If you plan to have
a series of meetings, the role(s) could be rotated on a fxed basis so tat each person kows
when tey will have a chance to chair, pacipate and wrte minutes.
2 Reach a decisione
A efetve meetng needs a result. In these practce materals, tis will be a decision. Te
decision may be unanimous, but it needn't be. mgeneral, to befectve, any deision needs
to reached according to ageed procedures (technicaly corect) and accepted by te major
ity of te group (attudinally appropriate). Te precise mehanism for reaching a decision
will depnd on the local meeting culture. msome caes votng may bapproprate; in oter
the paCipants will express thei decision to the rest of te goup.
3 Write B outut document.
Te matrals suggest document tat ae to bprouce ar te metg, includng mutes,
X
Introduction
memos and action plans. In addition, the strategy meetings integrate writing documents
within the aims of the meeting.
Minutes
Minutes are an ofcial record of the decision of the meeting. They should include:
the names of the members attending
the topics discussed
concise details of arguments for and against
motions carried and rejected
voting details, where appropriate
responsibility for actions agreed by the meeting.
Memos
Memos (memoranda) provide a bref report or instructions. There is no precise forat for
memos. It will depend on the audience and the purpose. Headings can include:
the person(s) to whom the memo is addressed
all who are to be made aware of its contents
the name of the sender
the date
the subject matter.
Action plan
Action plans take the decisions of a meeting and foralize them so that there is a clear frame
work for caring the action through. There is no precise forat for action plans. However. they
should include:
who (the name(s) of the person(s) who ae to carry out the action)
what (the action)
when (the timescale or deadline).
They may also include:
how (the methods or tools to be used)
where (the place for the action(s) to be carried out).
Other documents
The above list should not limit the output documents to be produced and you should feel free
to agree or set other writing tasks.
xi
'
Y .
Student's notes
Planning and preparing for a meeting
These agendas will give you practice in to main skills:
Chairing meetings
Z Paricipating in meetgs.
You will fnd notes on the procedures on pages l-Zand notes on language to suppor these proce
dures on page 167 f. Having selected an agend it will help if you follow these steps:
Before the meeting
l Study the agendasituation; make sure you understand the objectives.
Z Prepae your role (sometimes you will be expected to present a point; other times respond
to other people).
J Note key language (vocabulary and expressions) which you feel will be useful during the
meeting.
During the meeting
l Listen actvely (clarif when necessary, show agreement where appropriate).
Z Take your opporunity to speak (interpt and get your point across).
J Speak clealy; check everybody understands your point.
Afer the meeting
1 Give your teacher feedback on what you thought of the meeting.
Z Refect on your comunication skills (chairing, participating).
J Refect on your language use.
Special notes on chairing
Sometmes you will be allocated the role of the chairperson. Study the chairing notes below.
The procedures of meetings
The following list shows the major moves that are required for:
the chairperson
the participants
the secretary.
Some steps are fairly mechanical and ritualized, e.g. opening the meeting and thanking partic
ipants for their paticipation; others, such as summarizing the various views aound the table
are more complex (conceptually and linguistically); and yet others may be more dependent on
the meeting type or the agreed conventions. So, you should view the procedures as a starting
point for exploring diferent styles rather than as a list of rles to be followed.
Procedures for the chairerson
Open the meeting.
State purose/objectives of meeting.
Welcome new participants, if necessary.
Give apologies for absence.
Read secretary's repor of last meeting.
Deal with Mattcrs Arisng from rcport.
Introduce agenda for curent meeting and review/amend/proritize, as necessa.
Student's notes
Introduce item I and invite oral report.
Invite discussion, if appropriate.
Summaze points discussed.
Lead into decision-making process. if appropriate.
Conclude point and thank presenter.
Introduce next item and invite report, until all points have been covered or time has run out.
Summaze points covered and decisions made. Relate to objectives.
Invite Any Other Business (AOB).
Agree time, date and place for next meeting.
Thank participants for attending.
Close meeting.
Procedures for the participants
Present information in the form of an oral report or mini-presentaton
Paticipate in discussion, involving:
giving ad seekng opinions
- interpting
- comenting
- agreeing ad disagreeing
- advising and suggesting
- requesting information and action
- checkng and confming inforation.
Procedures for the secretar.
To record:
the naes of the participants
the topics discussed
brief details of arguments for and against
decisions made
voting details
follow-up actions to be caried out (who, what and when)
te date, time and place of the next meeting.
Note: Te lst of phrases in 'Laguage fnctions for meetngs' (see pp. 167 V)shows te lagae
coresponding to the steps to be ca ed out.
2
/
Teacher's notes
Case study 1
0m0l80gu8g0
nh0ducmn
Ts case deals with the role of English as the laguage
of interatonal communication. This ca be a sensitive
d contoversial issue where it is felt that English is
underminng the local language(s) and culture. However,
English usage and th
e
interest in English language lea
ing ae both growing at a dramatic rate. The fgure of l.Z
billion users of English (estimated l997)is set to rise as
more and more non-native speakers use the language as
a tool of interational communication.
The six roles provide a form in which diferent views
about the interational role of English and its impact on
the local environment can be explored.
Lrod-n
Wa up the group by discussing:
te cur ent role of English in local companies
the fte role of English in interational environ
ment
the benefts of having a single interational language
the risks of having a single interational language.
Mrl0d
(See also 'Stages of the activity-stndad procedures',
g. V.)
l After the lead-in discussion, look at the case itself.
2 Ask your students to read through the issue.
3 Make sure they all fully understand the case.
4 Assign roles (not only fnctional roles, but also a secre
tay to take minutes).
Allow minutes to read through, prepare roles and
language (see pp. viii-ix).
6 Agree on the timing for the meeting.
7 Run the meeting (audio- or video-record it if possible).
8 Give the students language and communication feed-
back.
Follow-up
(See also 'How to ... wrte an output document', p. x.)
Ths type of case lends itself to written follow-up in te
for of:
i) a memo about taining policy to be circulated thug
out the company
ii) a document drawn up by the training depaent
explaining their role in supporting (or not supporting)
English training.
Encourage your students to draw up check-lists for
improved performance in their next meeting.
Key vocabular
communication skills - language skills
domination
growing infuence
laguage taining
local culture
3
Teacher's notes
Case study 2
Competition
Introduction
This case deals with contracts of employment and, in
particular, competition clauses which attempt to prevent
employees fom leaving the compay and tang customers
with them. Tis is always a difcult legal issue a, however
tght the legal contact, the cours will ofen favour the indi
vidual over the organization, arguing that you cannot stop
someone from trying to ea a living.
None of te six roles require special experise, although
it is usually best to assign roles according to professional
interest.
Lead-in
Wa up the goup by discussing the issue of competi
ton. Do your students feel mfors of competton should
be allowed? Or should the authortes t to protect people
fom the worst efects of compettion?
Method
(See also 'Stages of the activity- standad procedures',
p. viii.)
1 Afer the lead-in discussion, look at te case itself.
Z Ask your stdents to read though the issue.
J Make sure they all flly understand te case.
4 Assign roles (not only fnctona roles, but also a secre
tary to take mnutes).
J Allow J mnutes to read though, prepare roles and
Agree on te timing for the meeting.
6 Give the students language ad communication feed-
back.
Follw-up
(See also 'How to . . . write an output document\ p. x.)
Tis type of case lends itself to written follow-up in the
form of minutes or a memo.
Key vocabul
clause in a contract
contact - to break a contract
law - legal - to break the law
to compete - competition
to resign - to hand in your resignation
to take to cou
to tighten a contact
Case study 3
Coruption
Introduction
This case deals with the issue of coruption in business.
Discussion will be focused on the fne line between look
ing after your customers and actually bribing them. Tere
ae large diferences in what is interreted as corupton
in diferent business cultres. Teachers should be awae
of what is considered as corption in the culture they ae
working in.
Lad-in
Discuss the meaning of te word coruption. Wat do
your students consider as corupt in business and oter
walks of life? This discussion could be widened to u
about ethics in business and what is considered as ethi
ca/unetca.
Method
(See also stages of te actvity- stadad procedues',
p. viii.)
1 After the lead-in discussion, look at the case itself.
Z Ask your students to read tough the issue.
3 Make sure they M flly undertd te case.
4 Assign roles (not ony fctonal roles, but aso a sere
tary to take mnutes).
J Allow J minutes to read tough, prepae roles and
Agree on te tg for te metng.
7 Run te meeting (audio- or viderecord it if possible).
6 Give te stdents language ad comunicaton feed-
back.
Follow-up
(See also How to . . . wrte a outut document', p. x.)
Diferent wrten folow-up tk ca be set:
a memo informing staf of new guidelines
mnutes of te meetng (includg actions)
draf regulations.
Key vocabulr
bribe- to brbe- bribery
company/cororate image
corpt - corpton
libel - to sue for libel
to abuse - abuse
to be in te headlines
to take to cour
to win a case
'wining ad dning'
Case study 4
UW
Intoduction
Dress code in a compay is usually a reflection of the
culte of the organization. However, some people in the
font line with customers may feel they have to dress
forally whatever the interal culture of the company.
Ts case focuses on the potential confict in this area.
Lad-in
Discuss with the students what sort of dress is appropri
8in thei workng cultures. Are there diferences between
te dess code of those dealing with customers and those
only working interally? What are the dress codes for
men and women?
Method
(See also 'Stages of the activity - standad procedures',
p. vii.)
l Afer the lead-in discussion, look at the case itself.
3 Make sure they all flly understand the case.
4 Assign roles (not ony fnctional roles, but also a secre
to take minutes).
5 Alow 5 minutes to read through, prepare roles and
6 Agee on the timg for te meeting.
7 Ru the meetng (audio- or video-record it if possible).
8 Give te students laguage ad comunicaton feed-
back.
FoUw-up
(See also 'How to .. . write an output document', p. x.)
Written minutes or a memo spelling out the dress code
of the company could be written.
A surey on dress codes amongst your paicipants/insti
tution could be another lively follow-up task.
Key 1ocabulr
dess
shir
skr
suit
T-shirt
/
tie
casual clothes
/ foral clothes
jeas
scrfly dressed
smaly dressed
Teacher's notes
Case study 5
Environment
Intoduction
This case centres round the clash between environmentl
and fnancial constraint. Many businesses have to resolve
simila conficts of interest. There is no legal issue involved
here, it is simply a matter of balancing opposing interest.
Lead-in
Find out where your students stand on envionental issues.
What sort of laws are enforced to protect the environ
ment? How important is a good workng environment - is
it a priority?
Method
(See also 'Stages of the activity- standard procedures.
p. viii.)
Z Ask your students to read through the issue.
4 Assign roles (not only functional roles, but also a secre
tary to take minutes).
5 Allow J minutes to read through, prepare roles ad
back.
Follow-up
(See also 'How to .. . write an output document', p. x.)
The output from the meeting could be:
a written memo to all staf
a brief presentation to staff.
Key vocabular
purpose-built ofce block
site
split-site
extension
relocation
space
to stock (with fish)
wildlife habitat
J
Teacher's notes
Case study 6
Equal opporunities
Introduction
Tis case deals with equal job opportunities for men and
women in a traditionally male environment: coal mining.
It provides an opporunity for discussing whether there ae:
jobs for which one sex is better suited
work environments for which one sex is better suited.
Lad-in
WM up the goup by discussing:
if there is equality of opportunity in their local work
ing environment(s)
if job equality is desirable
what steps should be taken to improve the
orking
environment for men and women.
Method
(See also 'Stages of the activity - standad procedures' ,
p. viii.)
I Afer the lead-in discussion, look at the case itself.
Z Ask your students to read tough the issue.
J Mae sure they m flly understand the case.
4 Assign roles (not only fnctonal roles, but aso a secre
5 Allow 5 mnutes to read through, prepare roles and
6 Agree on the timing for the meetng.
J Run the meeting (audio- or video-record it if possible).
Give the students language and communication feed-
back.
Follow-up
(See also 'How to . . . write an output document', p. x.)
This type of case lends itself to written follow-up in the
for of a polcy document on te employment of women
at BritPit.
Key vocabulr
human eror
jobsharng
legislation
man's world - a male presere - male-domnated
physical strength
productvity
proftable - proftability
sceptical
Case study 7
Food terrorism
Introduction
This case focuses on the ability of lobby groups to hit
sof tagets in their eforts to change society. Activists,
aiming to protect animals, may have sabotaged food prod
ucts in a superaket in order to raise awaeness of their
campaign. At first sight, the resulting publicity could
damage the supermaket's reputation. On the other band,
all publicity can be seen as good publicity.
Lm-n
Wmup the group by discussing:
which lobby groups ae actve in teir societ
what methods they use to raise awaeness
the efects of their actions
whether their metods ae justfed
what tey achieve
Method
(See also 'Stages of te actvit- stdad procedures' ,
p. viii.)
I After the lead-in discussion, look at the cae itself.
Z Ask you students to read tough te issue.
J Make sure they m flly understand the case.
4 Assign roles (not only fnctona rles, but also a secre
u to te minutes).
5 Allow 5 mnutes to read trough, prepae roles and
6 Agree on the tming for the meeting.
7 Run the meetng (audio- or video-record it upossible).
8 Gve te stdent laguage ad comunicaton feeback.
Follow-up
(See also 'How to . . . wrte a output document' , p. x.)
Tis case lends itself to wrten follow-up in te for
m
i) an acton plan for the pares involved
ii) a statement to the press.
improved perorance in their next meetng.
Key vocabulr
activist - animal actvist
false ala
hoax
hostile
scae
to contnate
to witdraw
Case stud
y
Going International
Intoduction
This case deals with interationalization. It raises ques
tions of:
the desiability of doing business across national borders
the methodology for interational operations
te opportunities ad threats of interationalization.
Lead-in
which local companies work in an interational envir
onment
what opportunities tey see of interationalization
what threats they see of interationalization.
Method
(See also 'Stages of the activity- standard procedures',
p. viii.)
2 Ask your students to read though the issue.
tar to take minutes).
J Allow J minutes to read through, prepare roles and
5 Give the students laguage and communication feed-
back.
Follow-up
(See also 'How to ... write an output document', p. x.)
This case lends itself to wrtten follow-up in the form
of:
i) a statement formalizing the partners' position on
interationalization
ii) an action plan of any steps to be taken to implement
the policy.
Key vocabular
costs -to reduce costs
job opportunities
productivity- to increase productivity
to downsize
to expand
to rationalize
xenophobia -xenophobic
Teacher's notes
Case study 9
Information flow
Intoduction
This case deals with sharing comunication and how to
get the right balance in terms of quantity and quality.
Meetings are the main form for exchanging inforation.
However, many managers complain that they spend too
much time in meetings. The question for the meeting is
how to balance the need for communication in a busy
company.
Lead-in
how much time they spend in meetings
if meetings provide the best forum for exchanging
opinions
if their meetings could be improved.
Method
(See also 'Stages of the activity- standad procedures',
p.viii.)
5 Allow 5 minutes to read through, prepare roles and
back.
Folow-up
(See also 'How to ... wrte an output document', p. x .)
This case lends itself to written follow-up in the for
of guidelines for meetings.
Key vocabular
chairperson -to appoint a chairperson
communication
meetings (discussion, decision-making, briefng, brain
storming )
minutes - to write the minutes - to circulate the minutes
time-keeping
to run a meeting
to streamline
to transmit messages
7
Teacher's notes
Case study 1
lntemationa/ assignments
Introducton
This cae centes aound the role ad work of 'interatona'
managers. Many companies face the problem of persuad
ing managers to take diffcult assignments overseas.
Companies with little interational experience often make
mistakes in these sorts of assignments. Statistcally 60
per cent of expatriations fail and the main reason is the
unhappiness of the spouse and family.
Lm-n
Discuss with your students whether they like/would like
to work abroad. What problems would they encounter?
Which countres would they like to work and live in and
which would they prefer not to?
Method
(See also 'Stages of the activit - standad procedures',
p. v.)
1 Afer the lead-in discussion, look at the case itself.
J Make sure tey flly understand te case.
4 Assig roles (not ony fnctonal roles, but aso a secr
5 Allow 5 minutes to read trough, prepae roles ad
6 Agree on the tming for the meeting.
7 Run the metng (audio- or video-record it upossible).
Give the stdents language ad comunicaton feed-
back.
Follow-up
The group could draw up written policy guidelines for
the company.
Key vocabulr
accompanied/unaccompanied
assignment
cross-cultural taining
fast-tack promotion
holiday entitlement
salary/expenses/allowances
to compensate
to ea-mark
workg conditions
8
Case study 1 1
International joint ventur
Introducton
This cae deals with the problems of enterng a new maket
It also illustates the difculties for lage global compa
nies to succeed locally.
Lm-n
Discuss how large companies can best respond to local
conditions. What alteratives ae there to joint ventures
as ways of entering a new maket?
Method
(See also 'Stages of the activity - standard procedures',
p. viii.)
Z Ask you stdents to read tough the issue.
J Make sue tey flly understad the case.
4 Assig roles (not only fnctona rles, but also a sere
tary to te mnutes).
5 Allow 5 minutes to read trough, prepae roles ad
langage (see pp. viii-ix).
6 Agree on te tng for te meetng.
7 Run te meetng (audio- or video-record it if possible).
8 Give te stdent laguage and comunicaton feed-
back.
Follw-up
(See also 'How to . .. wrte an outut document' , p. x.)
The wrtten agenda should be fnalized.
Key vocabulr
cash fow
goodwill
joint venture
royalty
sales ofce
subsidiar
taget - to be above/elow/on target

to enter a maket
to invest
to pull out
tuover
Case study 1 Z
Managing te project
p Intoductn
This case deals with the tensions between members of a

team and the ways to resolve them. The underlying philo
sophy of team-working is that a well-balanced team can
achieve, though combined eforts, more than is possible
through te individual efors of the members. However,
it is important to get the team balance right. Imbalanced
teams ae unproduct
i
ve in results and destrctive to their
members.
Lea-in
their experience of workig on projects
their experience of team-working
the requirements of high-perforing teams
the results of poorly constituted teams.
Method
(See also '
S
tages of the activity- standard procedures',
p. viii.)
3 Mae sure they all fully understand the case.

4
Assign roles (not only fnctonal roles, but also a secre

t to tae minutes).
Alow J minutes to read though, prepae roles and
laguage (see pp. viii-ix).
Agree on the timing for te meeting.
Run the meeting (audio- or video-record it if possible).
back.
Folow-up

form of guidelines for managing projects.
Key vocabulr
challenge
creative- creativity- creative force
deadline
delay
edge - to have the edge - to lose the edge
efor- to make an effort
endeavour
innovative - innovation
inspiration
overn
overtime
Teacher's notes
Case study 1 3
The milennium meeting
Intoducton
The millennium will be celebrated in different ways aound
the globe. This case looks at a number of competng projects
which mto make a lasting impression on a loca comu
nity. The discussion will cente aound the utty of diferent
initatives in order to decide which one(s) to contibute to.
Lead-in
how the millennium will be celebrated in their coun
try/ies
how the mllennium should be celebrated
whether money should be spent on helping groups
within the comunity
what types of initiatives they favour.
Method
p. viii.)
l After the lead-in discussion, look at the cae itself.
J Make sure they all fully understand the case.
4 Assign roles (not only fnctonal roles, but also a secre
Allow J mnutes to read through, prepae roles and
Agree on the timing for the meeting.
back.
Folow-up
(See also 'How to ... wrte an output document', p. x.)
form of:
minutes of the meeting
an action plan for spending the fund
a letter to the chosen recipient(s).
Key vocabular
charity - charitable contribution
landmark
to fund - a fund
to raise the company's profle
to sleep rough
to sponsor- asponsor - sponsorship
to support
worthy - worthy cause
9
Teacher's notes
Case study 1 4
Multicultural project
Introduction
Tis case centres aound cross-cultural issues. Many com
panies fnd project teams are now composed of staf fom
diferent countres. A project therefore shaens the focus
on diferences in working practices. This is paculaly
tre where there are big time pressures.
Lad-in
Discuss attitudes towads time (punctuality, the working
day, etc.}, meetings (forality, length, etc.) and wrtten
communication (how much is wrten down) inside the
organizations your students know.
Method
(See also 'Stages of the activity- standad procedures' ,
p. viii.)
Z Ask your stdents to read though the issue.
J Make sure they all flly understand the case.
4 Assign roles (not only fnctona roles, but aso a secre
5 Allow 5 minutes to read through, prepae roles ad
Agree on the timing for the meeting.
Give the students language ad comunication feed-
back.
Follow-up
(See also 'How to . . . write a output document' , p. x. )
Following the meeting, written minutes or a memo with
recommendations could be written.
Key vocabulr
hierarchy - hierachical - fat
meetings - chairing - minutes
reports - memos - agendas - minutes
time - deadline - milestone - to come in on time
Case study 1 5
New technology
Intoducton
New technology refers to the use of computers for process
ing lage quantities of inforaton. The speed with whch
computers can handle data has made them a vital tool i
every compay. However, their widespread use has le to
drawbacks. This case provides a opporunity to explore
the advantages and disadvatages of computer use ad
1
the practica problems associated with supporing computer
users.
Lead-in
Wmup the group by discussing:
what they use their computers for
how much time they spend in front of their computers
how necessa computers are
how they see the fture uses of new technology in their
jobs.
Method
p. viii. )
Z Ask your students to read trough te issue.
J Make sure they all flly understd the cae.
4 Assign roles (not ony fnctona roles, but aso a secre-
ta to take minutes).
5 Allow 5 minutes to read though, prepae roles and
7 Run the meetg (audio- or videorecord it upossible).
8 Give the stdents language ad communcation feed-
back.
FoUow-up
(See also 'How to . . . write an outut document', p. x.)
This tpe of case lends itself to written follow-up in the
for of:
guidelines for more efective computer use in the
compay.
Key vocabulr
computer application
surey
to aalyse - analysis
to disrupt - disrpton
to install . . . a computer
to keep track of
to process orders - to process purchases
to upgrade the system
Case study 1 6
Outsouring
Intoduction
Outourcing is contractng out jobs or tasks which ae not
cental to a company' s core activities. It is one of the
measures that companies have adopted to reduce costs
and improve efciency. This case deals with the out

sourcing of cleaning services. In the past the company
"
had employed its ow1 cleaners. It now proposes to use the
serices of an exteral cleaning company. The dilemma

is human, fnancial and practical, and the meeting should
address all these questions.

Lead-in
their experence of outsourcing in their companies
the benefts and drawbacks of outsourcing.
Method

p. V.)
7
6
7
t to tae minutes).
Allow J minutes to read through, prepae roles and
Agee on the timing for the meeting.
Ru the meeting (audio- or video-record it if possible).
Give the students laguage ad comunicaton feedback.
Follow-up
(See also 'How to . . . wrte an output document' , p. x.)
This type of case lends itself to wrtten follow-up in the
for of:
a letter to Mavis and Bill confrming the company' s
decision
a statement of company policy on outsourcing.
Key vocabulr
labour relations
loyal
morale
shift
shop-foor - shop-foor workers
stae
to outsource - outsourcing
to subcontract
workorce
Teacher's notes
Case study T 7
Pay verus benefits
Intoducton
Benefts covers the rewads given to employees for their
services to the company. The case concers the balance
between fmacial ad non-fnancial remuneration in order
to provide a balance between the employees needs and
company' s needs.
Lead-in
what types of benefts ae paid/given by local compaies
the balance between fnancial and non-fnancial bene
fts
the motivational efects of benefts.
Method
(See also 'Stages of the activity - standard procedures' ,
p. viii.)
J Allow J minutes to read through, prepae roles ad
6 Agree on the timng for the meeting.
back.
Follow-up
(See also 'How to . . . wrte an output document' . p. x. )
form of:
a policy document outlining the company's position.
Key vocabulr
bonus
insurance - assurance
payroll
remuneration - remuneration package
salary
to subsidize - subsidized lunches
wage
I |
Teacher's notes
Case study 1
Qualit
Introduction
This case raises questions about the importance of system
atizing quality control. Many medium- to large-sized
companies have gone for ISO 9000 accreditation as a way
of institutionalizing quality management throughout their
company. For small companies the cost of gettng accred
itation is relatively higher.
Lead-in
Discuss what is meant by quality. Are your stdents famil
ia with Total Quality Management (TQM), an approach
to quality developed in the late 1 970s?
Method
(See also 'Stges of the activity - stadad procedures' ,
p. viii.)
l Afer te lead-in discussion, look at te case itself.
2 Ask you students to read through the issue.
J Make sure tey all flly understnd the case.
5 Allow 5 minutes to read through, prepare roles ad
Give the students language and comunication feed-
back.
Follow-up
(See also ' How to . . . write an output document' , p. x.)
Minutes or a memo.
Key vocabulr
check-lists
documentation
systems
to accredit - accreditaton
to approve - a stamp of approval
to assess
Z
Case study 1 9
Relocation
Introduction
This case centres around the problems of relocating a
company. The tend to relocate away fom metropolita
centres has been world-wide, so your students should be
familiar with the issues.
Lead-in
Ask your students where they would prefer to work
in the city/in the count?
in the capital/in the regions?
Method
(See also 'Stages of the actvity - standad procedures' ,
p. viii.)
1 Afer te lead-in discussion, look at te cae itself.
Z Ask your stdent to read through te issue.
J Make sure tey M fully understand the cae.
4 Assig roles (not only fnctional roles, but aso a secre
5 Allow 5 mnutes to read though, prepae roles and
6 Agree on the tng for te meetng.
7 Run the meetng (audio- or video-record it if possible).
Give the students laguage and communication feed-
back.
Folow-up
(See also 'How to . . . write an output document' , p. x. )
l Draw up a writen acton pla.
2 Then da a memo to all staf informng tem of the
decision.
Key vocabulr
accommodation
lifestyle
removal
staf cuts
cost of living
to relocate - relocaton - relocation budget
to spread rmours
Case study Z
Reranition
Intoductin
Delayerg is a fashionable way of reorgag a company.
/ Recently there has been a move away fom hierarchical
pyrad stctures to fat and lean organizations. Suppos
edly decisions are made more quickly, staf feel more
involved ad companies work more efciently.
La-in
Ask you stdent how may employers they expect to have
durng a lifetme. Do they expect a continual rise in salary

throughout teir caeers? What do they feel about shar
ing ofces?
Method
p. vii.)
l Afer te lead-in discussion, look at the case itself.
Z Ask you students to read through the issue.
3 Mae sure they M flly understand the case.

Assign roles (not ony fnctional roles, but also a secre
t to tke minutes).
4
7
6
T
8
AOw J mnutes to read through, prepare roles and
Agee on the timng for the meeting.
Run te meeting (audio- or video-record it if possible).
Give te students language and communication feed
back.
Folw-up
(See alo 'How to . . . write an output document' , p. x.)
Minutes or a memo.
Key vocabul
ealy retirement
fat
lean
open-plan ofce
redundancy (compulsory, voluntay)
salay cutreduction
salary grade
to delayer
to downsize
to make somebody redundant
Teacher's notes
Case study Z1
The safet commitee
Intoduction
This case focuses on safety issues. The tension in the
meeting is created by reconciling two conflicting needs
of the company: to save money and to implement safety
measures.
Lead-in
Discuss with your students any recent industal accidents.
What do they think are the main causes of industrial acci
dents?
Method
p. viii. )
8 Give the students laguage ad comunication feedback.
Follow-up
(See also 'How to . . . write an output document' , p. x.)
The recommendations should be written out.
Key vocabulr
lighting - badly-litwell-lit
safety versus security
to conver - a conversion
to cut costs
to implement a recommendation
to sideline
| J
Teacher's notes
Case study 22
Teleworking
Introduction
Teleworking means workng fom home. Companies seek
ing to find alteratives ways of working and reducing
costs have found that teleworking ofer attactive possi
bilities to the company and the employee. However, it has
its dawbacks. This case explores the positive and nega
tive apects of teleworking for the compay ad its employ
ees in human, technical and fnancial terms.
Lead-in
Warm up the group by discussing:
their experience of teleworkng
the advantages of teleworking
te disadvatages of teleworking
if they m te practice of teleworkng will grow in
teir busiess aea.
Method
(See also 'Stages of te actvity - standard procedures' ,
p. viii.)
1 After the lead-in discussion, look at te case itself.
Z Ask your students to read trough te issue.
5 Allow 5 mnutes to read through, prepare roles and
6 Agree on te timng for the meeting.
7 Run te meeting (audio- or video-record it if possible).
back.
Folow-up
(See also 'How to . . . write an outut document', p. x.)
Tis type of case lends itself to written follow-up in the
for of a policy statement about teleworking.
Key vocabulr
autonomous
communication - interpersonal comunication
isolation
overheads
telecommuting
teleworking
to outsource - outsourcing
14
Case study 23
Training weekend
Introduction
This case centres on the clash between company and indi
vidual cultures. Many companies have invested in tain
ing to develop better team work. Not ever employee likes
working in a team.
Lead-in
Find out if any of your students have participated in tain
ing to develop better teamwork. Has it been a by-product
of other types of taining? What do they tink about adven
ture/outdoor training being used to help develop team
work?
Method
(See also 'Stages of te actvity - stadad procedues' ,
p. viii.)
1 Afer the lead-i discussion, look at te case itself.
Z Ask your student to read tough te issue.
3 Make sure they M flly understad te case.
4 Assign roles (not only functioal roles, but also a sece
5 Allow 5 minutes to read through, prepae roles ad
6 Agree on the ting for te meeting.
7 Run the meeting (audio- or video-record it upossible).
back.
Follow-up
Write a memo or guidelines concerg the tg policy.
Key vocabulr
outdoor taining
supportive
sympathetic
.
teawork - team-building - team spirit
to develop people
to lose your temper
to waste time
Case study Z4
Workoad
Intoduction
Many managers have to work longer hours now than pre
viously. Tis may be partly due to a cult of hard work,

^
but is probably mainly to do with working in a more
competitve environment.
- Lead-in
Discuss what hours your students work. How do they

balace tme between home/personal life and work? Do
they thin it is efcient to work long hours?

Method
p. viii. )
Z
Ask your students to read through the issue.
J Make sure they all fully understand the case.
4 Assig roles (not ony functional roles, but also a secre

5
6
7
8
Allow J minutes to read through, prepae roles and
Agee on the tg for the meetng.
Ru the meeting (audio- or video-record it if possible).
Give te students laguage and communication feed
back.
Follow-up
The minutes of the meetg should record any action plan.
Key vocabulr
breaking point
hard-working
illness
lazy
lead times
stess
to take time off
working day
Teacher's notes
Staf commite meting 1
Intoduction
This type of meetng provides a range of agenda items with
no specifc roles. In this way the students are encouraged
to express their own views on the issues.
Lead-in
Te issues ae all accessible and need no speciaist knowl
edge.
Method
(See also 'Stages of te activity - standard procedures' ,
p. viii . )
l Ask your students to skim through the notes to the
agenda (5 minutes).
Z Assign or ask for volunters for the following roles for
each item (in other words, the chairan should change
for each item):
- a chairan
- a secretar (to take the minutes)
- a observer (optional role if you want someone to
observe te meeting in terms of its effectiveness).
J Decide on the time for each item ( l minutes should
be sufcient).
4 Allow a further l minutes to prepare for the meeting.
(see pp. viii-ix). Suggest the following procedure for
each item:
- intoduce and clary the issue
- ask for opinions
- seek consensus and make a decision.
5 Make sure the students don't only prepare for the item
they ae going to chair. They will be asked for their
opinions on all the other items.
6 Hold the meeting.
7 You can either give language and communication feed
back after each item or wait till the end.
Follow-up
Minutes of the meeting (collected from the secretaries'
for each item).
Key vocabulry
early retirement
' first come, first served'
job (temporary, permanent)
open-plan office
quiet area
racial abuse - a racist - racism
smokng area
to ban
l J
Teacher' notes
Staf commitee meeting 2
Introduction
Tis type of meeting provides a rage of agenda items with
Lead-in
The issues ae all accessible and need no specialist knowl
edge.
Method
(See also ' Stages of the activity - standard procedues' ,
p. viii.)
l Ask your students to skm through the notes to the
agenda (5 minutes).
Z Assign or ask for volunteers for the following roles for
each ite: (in other words, the chairman should chage
for each item):
- a chairman
- a secretary (to take the minutes)
- an observer (optional role if you want someone to
obsere the meeting in terms of its efectiveness).
3 Decide on the time for each item (minutes should
be sufcient).
4 Allow a fer lminutes to prepae for the meetg.
each item:
- introduce ad clarify the issue
- ask for opinions
tey ae going to chair. Tey will be asked for thei opin
ions on all the other items.
Hold the meeting.
7 You can eiter give languag and comunicaton fed
back afer each item or wait till the end.
FoUow-up
Minutes of the meeting (collected fom the 'secretaes'
for each item).
Key vocabulr
canteen
shelter
absent - absenteeism
ageist - ageism
drain - drainage - a drainage pipe
loyal
middle aged
sick leave
sponsor - sponsorship
to renovate
to suppor a charity
to take time off
Staf commitee meeting. 3
Introduction
Tis type of meeting provides a range of agenda items with
no specific roles. In this way the students are encouraged
Lead-in
Te issues are all accessible and need no specialist kowl
edge.
Method
(See also 'Stges of te actvit-stdrd pus', p. .)
l Ask your students to skm tough the notes to the

agenda (5 minutes).

each item (i other words, the chairman should change
for each item):
- a chairman
- a secretary (to take te minutes)
- an observer (optonal role if you want someone to
obsere the meeting in ters of its efectiveness).

3 Decide on the time for each item (l minutes should
be sufcient).
4 Allow a frter l minutes to prepae for the meeting.

each item:
- intoduce and clarif the issue
- ask for opinions
they ae going to chai. Tey wbasked for their opin-
Hold the meetng.
7 You can either give language ad communication feed
back afer each item or wait till the end.
Follow-up
.
Minutes of the meeting (collected fom the 'secretares'
for each item).
Key vocabulr
access to Interet
appraisal (perforace, upward)
domestic/foreign product
good cause
orphanage
perk
to aford
to be at ease
to hold a pay
to seach on the Interet
Intoducton
This tpe of meeting provides a range of agenda items with
Lea-in
The issues are all accessible and need no specialist knowl-
edge.
Method
p. viii. )
I Ask your students to skim through the notes to the
agenda (5 minutes).
each item (in other words, the chairman should change
for each item):
- a chairman
- an obserer (optional role if you want someone to
obsere the meeting i ters of its efectiveness).
3 Decide on the time for each item ( l minutes should
be sufcient).
4 Allow a furher l mutes to prepae for the meeting.
each item:
- intoduce and clarif the issue
- ask for opinions
5 Make sure the students don' t only prepare for the item
they ae going to chai. They will be asked for their opin
Hold the meeting.
Folow-up
(See also " How to . . . write an output document' . p. x. )
Minutes of the meeting (collected from the 'secretaries'
for each item).
Key vocabular
abuse - verbal abuse
charisma - charismatic
charity - charitable organization
convict
Teacher's notes
environment - environmental fiendliness
pilfering
premises (p.)
racial harassment
relocation
shop-foor
smoothly
subsidy
to sponsor - sponsorship
Staf commitee meeting b
Intoduction
This type of meetng provides a range of agenda items with
no specific roles. In this way the students ae encouraged
Lead-in
The issues ae all accessible and need no specialist knowl
edge.
Method
p. viii. )
agenda (5 minutes).
for each item) :
- a chairman
- a secretary (to take the mnutes)
obsere the meeting in ters of its effectiv
.
eness).
3 Decide on the time for each item ( l minutes should
be sufcient).
4 Allow a further lminutes to prepare for the meeting.
each item:
- introduce and clarify the issue
- ask for opinions
J Make sure the students don' t only prepare for the item
they ae going to chair. They will be asked for their opin
6 Hold the meeting.
Follow-up
Minutes of the meeting (collected from the 'secretaries
for each item).
| 7
Teacher's notes
Key vocabulr
casualty
competent
horfed
scepticism - sceptical
to get through
to sexualy harass - sexual harassment
upset
Intoducton
Tis Qof meeting provides a rage of agend items with
Lea-in
Te issues ae accessible ad need no specialst knowl
edge.
Method
p. viii.)
agend (5 minutes).
for each item):
- a chairman
- a obserer (optiona role if you want someone to
obsere the meeting in ters of its efectiveness).
3 Decide on the time for each item (I 0minutes should
be sufcient).
4 Allow a further l0minutes to prepare for the meeting.
each item:
- intoduce and clarify the issue
- ask for opinions
5 Make sure the students don' t only prepare for the item
they ae going to chair. Tey wbe asked for teir opin
ions on M the other items.
Hold the meeting.
7 You ca either give language and communicaton feed
back aer each item or wait m the end.
Folow-up
(See also ' How to . . . write an outut document' , p. x.)
Minutes of the meeting (collected fom the 'secretares'
for each item).
I 8
Key vocabulr
disgusted
incompetent
libel
promotion
referee - reference
relieved
remark
row
statutory
subordinate
to appoint
to frre
to inherit
to ofend - ofensive
Intoductn
Tis tpe of meetng provides a rage of agend items with

no specifc roles. mthis way the students are encouraged
Lad-in
Te issues ae accessible and need no speciaist kow]-
.
edge.
Method
p. viii.)
l Ask your stdents to skim through the notes to the
agenda (5 minutes).
Z Assign or ask for volunteers for the followig roles for
each item (in other words, the chaman should change
for each item):

- a chairman
- a secreta (to take the minutes)
observe the meeting in ters of its efectveness).
3 Decide on the tme for each item ( l 0minutes should
be sufcient).
4 Allow a further I0minutes to prepare for the meeting.
(see pp. V ~u). Suggest the following procedure for
each item:
- intoduce and claif the issue
- ask for opinions
5 Make sure te students don't only prepae for the item
they ae going to chair. Tey will basked for teir opin-
ions on the other items.

Hold the meeting.
7 You can eiter give language and communcation feed-
back ar each item or wait till the end.

Follow-up
/
Minutes of te meeting (collected fom the 'secretaries'
for each item).
Key vocaulr
morale
overndulgence
rmour - to spread a rmour

speculaton
subordnate
t
akeover
to cite
to contbute
to freelance - a feelance - freelancing
/
to take someone out
Staf commitee meeting
Intoducton
This Qof meetng provides a range of agenda items with

no specifc roles. In this way the students ae encouraged
to express teir own views on the issues.

Lad-in
^
f
/
/
/
^

Te issues al accessible and need no specialist knowl
edge.
Method
(See alo 'Stges of te actvit-stdrd predus' , p. vi.)
agenda (J minutes).
for each item):
- a chairman
- an observer (optional role if you want someone to
obsere the meeting in terms of its effectiveness).
J Decide on the time for each item ( l minutes should
be sufcient).
4 Allow a further l minutes to prepare for the meeting.
each item:
- intoduce and clarfy the issue
- ask for opinions
5 Mae sure the students don' t only prepare for the item
they ae going to chair. They will be asked for mcuopin-
ions on all te other items.
Hold the meeting.
T You can either give language and communication feed-
Teacher's notes
Follw-up
(See also ' How to . . . write a output document' , p. x.)
Minutes of the meeting (collected from the 'secretares'
for each item).
Key vocabulr
compensation
contoversy
devastating
envionmentalist
hype
irritation
leak
loan
reluctant
repetitive strain injury (RSI)
self-fulflment
shaeholder
tabloid newspaper
to approach
to cite
waste - waste treatment
1 9
Teacher's notes
Specialist agenda J
Management
Introduction
As this is the introductor agenda in the section of special
ist agendas. it aims to draw on the students' own experi
ences in their professional area. The frst agenda takes
the broad feld of management and explores the question:
What is management? Anyone from a management back
ground will be able to contribute.
Lad-n
Ask your students:
what the tasks of a manager are
what the atbutes of a good manager are
bow far training helps to develop managers.
Method
(See also ' Stages of the activity - standd procedues' ,
p. viii. )
J Make sure they all fully understand the problem.
J Allow mnutes to read through, prepare roles and
Agree on the timing for the meeting (between J and
minutes).
B Give the students language and communication feed
back.
Follow-up
Minutes
Key vocabulr
ambition
ani tude
commitment
common sense
enthusiasm - enthusiastic
pride
sound
stability
to accomplish - accomplishment
to delegate - delegator - delegation
to forecast
to motivate - motivation
Z
Specialist agenda 2
Qualit
Introduction
This type of agenda encourages the students to draw on
their role and own experience in teir professional aea.
This agenda focuses on the area of quality. In the eight
ies, many companies saw the quest for quality as a 'holy
grail ' . Today quality is still imporant, though it is recog
nized that there is a point at which tying to improve qual
ity still further can be more expensive than the benefts.
All managers are concered with quality ad should have
something to say about this issue.
Lad-in
Ask your students:
who looks after quality in their companies
if quality is imporant for them
how they ensue quality.
Method
(See also 'Stges of the activity - stdad procedures' ,
p. viii. )
I Afer te lead-in discussion, look at the case itself.
Z Ask your stdent to read tough te issue.
J Make sure they all fully understd the problem.
Allow mnutes to read though, prepare roles and
minutes).
8 Give the students lanuage and communication feed
back.
Follow-up
(See also 'How to . . . wrte an outt document' , p. x.)
Minutes
Key vocabulr
faground
leisure - leisure indust - leisure pusuit
to cut comers - to cut costs
to favour
to reassure
Specialist agenda 3
Human rsoures (t)
Introductin
This type of agenda encourages the stdents to draw on
their role and own experience in their own professional
area. Every manager is involved in managing people and
should have something to say about the scope and prac
tice of human resources management.
Lead-in
Ask your students:

uthey have a hWrsouces fncton mthei compay
and what it is
what the main human resource concers are in their
companies
how these human concers can best be handled.

Method
(See also 'Stages of the actvity - standad procedures' ,
p. viii. )
l Afer the lead-in discussion, look at the case itelf.

Z Ask you students to read through te issue.
Make sure tey al flly understand the problem.
Assign roles (not only fnctional roles, but also a secre
J

4

Allow minutes to read though, prepae roles and
language (see pp. vii -ix).
Agree on the tming for the meeting (between Jand
minutes).
Give the students laguage and comunication feed
back.
/
Folow-up
/
Minutes
Key vocabulr
bottom line
manpower
shaeholder
to convene
to downsize - downsizing
to forsake
` to optimize
to rationalize - rationalization
welfare
wide-ranging
workforce
Teacher's notes
Specialist agenda 4
Promotion
Introduction
area. This agenda focuses on promotion. Promotion
concers the diferent ways of raising the public' s aware
ness of your products or services so that you can sell them
more efectively. This agenda should be of interest to all
managers involved in the felds of marketing and sales.
Lead-in
Ask your students:
what methods of promotion are used by their compa
nies to sell their products
how successful these methods are
which other promotional tools could be used to increase
sales.
Method
p. viii.)
4 Assign roles (not ony fnctional roles, but also a secre
5 Allow minutes to read through, prepare roles and
language (see pp. vii i-ix).
Agree on the timing for the meeting (between Jand
minutes).
Give the students language and communication feed
back.
Follow-up
Minutes
Key vocabular
casual
perimeter advertising
personal selling
point-of-sale advertising
potential - potential customers - existing customers
promotion - promotional - promotional tool
to go to great lengths
to launch - a launch
to sponsor - sponsorshi p
to subscribe
workout
2 I
Teacher's notes
Special ist agenda 5
Te training dilemma
Introduction
aea. Companies need a competent, up-to-date and well
developed workforce. This requires training. But should
this training be provided by in-house trainers, or should
it be outsourced? This agenda focuses on the advantages
and disadvantages of each approach. It should be of inter
est to people. working in training and human resources.
Leadin
Ask your students:
about the range of taining progrmes ofered by their
companies
whether taining is provided by in-house or exteral
tainers
about the advantages and disadvatages of in-house vs.
exteral tners.
Method
(See also stages of the activity - standard procedures' ,
p. viii.)
Z Ask your stdents to read through the issue.
J Make sure tey all flly understand the problem.
ta to take minutes).
J Allow 5 minutes to read through, prepare roles and
minutes).
back.
Follw up
Minutes
Key vocabulr
burout
commitment - committed
generic
reliable
skill
to fail
to make redundant
to outsource
2
Specialist agenda 6
Sales and marketing
Introduction
This type of agenda encourages te students to draw on
their role and own experience in the professional aea. It

P
focuses on an ethical issue related to advertising.
Leadin
Ask your student about the type of adverisements they
see. Do they ever cause ofence? If so, for what reason?

What type of ads do they like best? If you have access to
a video-recorder, a very good lead-in would be to show a
few saple Tcomercials ad ask your students for their
opinions.
Method
(See also 'Stages of the activity - stdad procedures' ,

p. viii.)
Z Ask your student to read tough the issue.
J Make sure they flly understd the problem.
4 Assign roles (not only fnctonal rles, but also a secre-
tar to take mnutes).

5 Allow 5 mnutes to read tough, prepae roles ad
language (see pp. vil-ix).

Agree on the timng for the meeting (between J ad
mnutes).
8 Give the students language and communication feed
back.
Follow-up
(See also 'How to . . . write an outut document' , p. x.)
Minutes
Key vocabulr
advertising agency
commercial (ad)
efective
over-dramatic
to apologize
to blow up out of proportion
to frighten
to offend someone/to cause ofence (to someone)
to withdraw
Specialist agenda 7
Finance
Introduction
This agenda centres around some common fnancial prob
lems for small- to medium-sized businesses. Anybody
with a fnancial background will have something to say
about these issues.
Lea-in
Discuss the role of finance i your students' workplaces.
Is it cental? Do all managers know and understand fnan
cial questions? What are the main fnancial issues facing
their organizations?
Method
(See a
lso 'Stages of the activity - standard procedures' .
p. viii. )
2 Ask your students to read tough the issue.
J Make sure they all flly understand the problem.
4 Assign roles (not ony functiona roles, but also a secre
minutes).
T Run the meeting (audio- or video-record it if possible).
Give the stdents laguage ad comunicaton feedback.
Follow-up
(See also ' How to . . . write an output document' , p. x. )
Minutes
Key vocabular
bank charges
goodwill
itemized telephone bill
management accounts
nominal accounts
overheads/overhead costs
proft & loss account
Teacher's notes
Specialist agenda
Legal afairs
Introduction
This agenda presents a variety of legal items. Not all
lawyers will face these precise problems but all will have
something to say about them.
Lead-in
Discuss te role of the legal depaent ma compay. What
are its main responsibilities? What are its main areas of
expertise?
Method
(See also ' Stages of the activity - standard procedures' ,
p. viii. )
J Allow 5 minutes to read through. prepare roles and
language (see pp. viii-ix) .
minutes) .
7 Run the meeting (audio- or video-record i t if possible).
back.
Follow-up
(See also ' How to . . . write an output document' . p. x.)
Minutes
Key vocabulr
commercial law
contractual law
insurance claim
law rm
legal experise
to afford
to draft a contract
to draw up a contract
23
Teacher's notes
Specialist agenda 9
Human resources (2)
Introduction
This agenda presents three items which often concer
human resources experts.
Lead-in
Discuss the role of the human resources deparment inside
a company. What are its main responsibilities? What sort
of problems does it face today?
Method
(See also 'Stages of the activity - standard procedures',
p. viii.)
J Make sure they M flly understand te problem.
4 Assign roles (not only fctona roles, but also a secre
Agree on the timing for the meeting (between Jand
minutes).
8 Give the students language and comunication feed
back.
Follw-up
Minutes
Key vocabulr
celebration
fair balance
glass ceiling
duplication
efcient
inefcient
jobsharing
positive discrimination
staf morale
team-building
24
Specialist agenda T
Producton
Introduction
Production Managers will be familiar with these items
which concer the management of production resources
(tme and people) and also a key production issue -safety.
Lead-in
Discuss the role of the production department inside a
company. What ae its main responsibilities? What sor of
problems does it face today?

Method
(See also ' Stages of the activity - standad procedures' ,
p. viii.)
2 Ask you students to read through the issue.
J Make sue they M flly understand the problem.
4 Assign roles (not only fctona roles, but aso a secre-
tary to tae mnutes).

5 Allow 5 minutes to read through, prepae roles and

Agree on the tmng for the meeting (between J and
minutes).
7 Run te meetng (audio- or video-record it upossible).
8 Give the students language and communcation feed

back.
Follw-up
(See also 'How to . . . wrte an output document', p. x.)
Minutes
Key vocabul
apprentice
break
frst aider
monotonous work
rest-time
shif
staf turover
to attend a course
to man a machine
Decision-making T
Ououring or not?
Intoduction
This type of agenda is designed to develop decision
mag sklls. It is imporant that the decision is made with
out resoring to voting.
This decision concers whether to outsource a company's
iforaton technology (IT) activity or not.
Lead-in
Discuss the modem tend for outsourcing. What are its
advantages and disadvantages?
Method
p. viii.)
l Afte the lead-in discussion, look at the case itself.
/
3
4
J
7
&
Make sure they all fully understand the decision that
has to be made.
Assig roles (not only functonal roles, but also a secre
t to take minutes).
AOw J minutes to read through, prepae roles and
Agree on the timing for the meeting ( approx. 45
mutes).
Ru te meeting (audio- or video-record it if possible).
back.
FoUow-up
(See also 'How to + . . write an output document' , p. x. )
Minutes
Key vocabulr
confidential
know-how
on-site
payroll
security
tender - to tender
to invest - investment
to maintain - maintenance
to outsource
to take over

to upgrade
Teacher's notes
Decision-making Z
New training manager
Introduction
mang sklls. It is imporant that the decision is mad with
out resorting to voting.
This decision concers the recritment of a new training
manager.
Lead-in
Discuss the process of recruitment. What are the diff
culties in recriting the right person? What is the best
methodprocess of selection?
Method
p. viii.)
3 Make sure they all fully understand the decision that
has to be made.
Agree on the timing for the meeting (approx. 45
minutes).
& Give the students language and comunication feed
back.
Folow-up
(See also 'How to . . a write an output document' , p. x. )
Minutes
Key vocabulr
experience - limited experience
hobbies
interests
marital status
personality:
ambitious
bright
conscientious
dynamic
easy-going
intelligent
personable
qualifications - well-qualifiedpoorly-qualified
2
Teacher's notes
Decision-making 3
The budget
ntroduction
maing skills. It is imporat that the decision is made wit
out resoring to voting.
This decision concers the cuts in departmental budgets.
Lead-in
Discuss the diffculties of prioritizing cuts in budgets.
How do you choose between cutting the training budget
and the inforation technology (IT) budget?
Method
(See also ' Stages of the activity - standad procedures ,
p. viii.)
2 Ask your students to read trough te issue.
J Make sure tey M fully understad te decision tat
has to be made.
J Allow J minutes to read through, prepare roles ad
Agree on the timing for the meeting (approx. 4J
minutes).
back.
Follow-up
Minutes
Key vocabulr
desktop systems
in-house course
overheads
redecoration
refurbishment
refuishing
sales promotion event
target - below/above/on taget
to boost corporate image
to suppor sales
26
Problem-solvi ng J
Tme management
Introduction
This agenda is designed for quick access. There is very
little briefng required. It should encourage a creative
meeting in which everbody is encouraged to give opin
ions.
This problem centres on how mangers spend their time.
Lead-in
Ask your students how they spend their time. Ask them
to draw a pie char showing how their time is used.
Method
p. viii.)
1 After te lead-in discussion, look at the problem itself.
2 Ask your students to read trough the issue.
J Make sure tey M fully understad the problem.
4 Assign roles (chairman, secrety).
J Allow 2 minutes to prepae (see pp. viii-ix).
Agree on the timing for the meeting (approx. Z
minutes).
7 Run te meetg (audio- or video-record it if possible).
back.
Folow-up
Minutes of the meeting (including action plan).
Key vocabulr
meetings:
efective
fuitl
inefective
long-winded
productive
talkng shop
time consuming
time:
to fll the time
to rn out of time
to shoren the time
to waste time
Problem-solving Z
Staf morle
Intoducton
Ts agenda is designed for quick access. There is very
little brefng required. It should encourage a creative
meeting in which everybody is encouraged to give opin
ions.
This problem centes on how to improve staf morale.
Lead-in
^

Ask your stdents how much job satisfaction they get.

What factors afect job satisfaction most?
Method
(See also 'Stages of the activity - standad procedures'
p. viii.)
l After te lead-in discussion, look at the problem itself.
4
J
Assign roles (chairman, secretary).

Allow 2 minutes to prepae (see pp. viii-ix).
minutes).
Run te meeting (audio- or video-record it dpossible).
Give the students language ad communication feed
back.
Follow-up
(See also 'How to . . . write a output document' , p. x. )
Key vocabulr
clear accountability/responsibility
job description
perforance appraisal
profit sharng
satisfaction - to be satisfed
team-building
to enjoy/don' t mind/hate/can' t stand
Teachers notes
Problem-solving 3
Personalt clash
Introducton
little briefing required. It should encourage a creative
ions.
This problem centres on an employee who does not ft into
the organization.
Lead-in
Ask your students whether they have any colleagues who
they don' t get on with. How can personality clashes best
be solved at work?
Method
p. viii. )
l After the lead-in discussion, look at the problem itself.
4 Assign roles (chairan, secretary).
6 Agree on the ti mi ng for the meeting (approx. 20
minutes).
T Run the meeting (audio- or video-record it i f possible).
Give the students language and communicaton feed
back.
Follow-up
(See also ' How to . . . write an output document' . p. x.)
Key vocabular
a ogant
demotion
distant
extrovert
introvert
promotion
to get on with someone
to mix with people
tansfer
Z7
Teacher's notes
Problem-solvi ng 4
Working time and lunch time
Introduction
meeting in which everbody is encouraged to give opin
ions.
This agenda centres on the problem of organizing work
time in order to complete all the tasks that need doing.
Lad-in
Ask your students:
if they or teir ofce staf have to take a lunch break
and for how long
if they think it's a good idea to have a break from work
at lunch time
whether their companies allow ofce staf to eat and
min their ofces.
Method
(See ol:o stages of the activity - standard procedures' ,
p. viii. )
I After the lead-in discussion, look at the problem itself.
Allow Z minutes to prepare (see pp. viii-ix).
minutes).
B Give te students language and communicaton feed
back.
Follow-up
(See ol:o How to . . . write an output document' , p. x.)
Key vocabulr
canteen
clerk - clercal staf
morale
to ban - a ban
to spill - spillage
to suit
Problem-solvi ng
Use of the Internet
Introduction
meeting in which everybody is encouraged to give opin-
ions.
This problem centes on whether the use of Interet needs
more control to prevent private access at the company's

expense.
Lead-in
Ask your students:
if they use Interet for professional purposes from their
,
ofices
if there is any control over Interet use
if there should be any control over Interet use.
Method
(See ol:o stages of the activity - standard procedures' ,
p. viii.)
I After the lead-in discussion, look at the problem itself.
J Make sure they fully understand the problem.
J Allow Z minutes to prepae (see pp. viii-ix).
Agree on the timing for the meeting ( approx. 20
minutes).
B Give the students language and communication feed-
back.
Follow-up
(See ol:o How to . . . write an output document' , p. x.)
Key vocabul r
chat line - sex line
fuss
gesture
initiative
Interet site
to search for - to search for leads - to search for contacts
to sur the net - to access the net
to wear of
Problem-solving
F
Poaching
Intoducton
f
ions.
This problem centres on the ethical issue of poaching and
'
the practical concers of confidentiality of information.
Lead-i
Ask your students:
if head-hunting and poaching are common practice in
their business community
if companies should behave (more) ethically when
recruiting managers.
Method
p. viii. )
J Make sue they all fully understand the problem.
_ 4 Assign roles (chairman, secretary).
J Allow Z minutes to prepae (see pp. viii-ix).
Agree on the timi ng for the meeting ( approx. Z
minutes).
B Give te stdents laguage and communicaton feedback.
Folow-up
(See also "How to . . . write an output document' , p. x. )
Minutes of the meeting (including action plan) .
/
Key vocabular
rcdcccssor
@ rival - rivalry
- ruthless
scandal
to head-hunt - head-hunting - head-hunter
to poach - poaching
to s|ccr
to tempt
underhand
vacant - vacant post
Teacher's notes
Problem-solvi ng 7
Delegation
Introduction
little bri efng required. It should encourage a creative
ions.
This problem centres on how to delegate tasks efectively.
Lead-in
Ask your students:
what types of task they delegate
how to delegate efectively.
ethod
(See also " Stages of the activity - standard procedures' ,
p. viii. )
1 After the lead-in discussion, look at the problem itself.
4 Assign roles (chairman, secretary).
J Allow Z minutes to prepae (see pp. viii-i x).
Agree on the ti mi ng for the meeti ng (approx. Z
minutes).
7 Run the meeting (audio- or video-record it i f possible).
back.
Follow-up
(See also ' How to . . . write an output document' , p. x. )
linutes of the meeting (including action plan).
Key vocabular
covering letter
feedback
ovcrra|cd
routine
subordinate
|o delegate
trust - to gain trust
29
Teacher's notes
Problem-solving
Open-plan
Intoduction
ions.
This problem centres on how to use ofice space most
efciently.
Lea-in
Ask your students:
if their companies have a facilities manager to look
after premses
if they have any experience of open-plan ofces
utheir companies use their ofce space efciently.
Method
(See also stages of the activity - standad procedures' ,
p. viii.)
2 Ask your students to read through te issue.
J Make stre they M fully understand the problem.
5 Allow 2 minutes to prepae (see pp. viii-ix).
minutes).
B Give the students laguage and comunication feed
back.
Follow-up
(See also How to . . . write an output document' , p. x.)
Minutes of the meeting (including action pla).
Key vocabulr
open-plan
preliminay
security
surey
to acquire - acquisition
to disrupt - disrption
to renovate - renovation
30
Problem-solving 9
Training course vs. on-the-job training
Intoduction
meeting in which everbody is encouraged to give opin-

ions.
This problem centres on the role of training in an organi

zation, how to provide it and, specifcally, how to develop
leadership skills.
Lm-n
Ask your students:
what training couses tey have been on recently
if they were tained on training courses or on the job
the advatages ad disadvatges of each tng mode.
Method
(See also stages of te actvity - standad procedues' ,
p. viii.)
2 Ask your students to read through te issue.

J Make sue they M fully understd the problem.
4 Assig roles (chaa, secrety) .
6 Agree on the timing for the meeting (approx. 20
minutes).
B Give the students laguage and comunication feed-
back.
Follow-up
Key vocabulr
challenge
exhausted
nightmae
ostensibly
relucttly
to appoint
to encounter - an encounter - an encounter weekend
to threaten
Problem-solving 1 0
Employment of disabled people
Introduction
|
" little briefing required. It should encourage a creative
ions.
This problem centes on balancing the prnciple of employ
ing disabled people with the practical considerations.
Lead-in
Ask your students:
if teir company has a policy on employing disabled
people
if companies should try to integrate disabled people
more
what steps should be taken to achieve this.
Method
(See also ' Stages of the activity - stadad procedures' ,
p. viii. )
l Afer te lead-in discussion, look at the problem itself.
3 Make sure they M fully understand the problem.
J Allow 2 mnutes to prepae (see pp. viii-ix).
mnutes).
back.
Follow-up
Key vocabulr
caring empJoyer
circuit boad
disabled
false economy
layof
payroll
redundancy
to be stretched
to load
to match
to package
to subsidize - subsidy
wage
Teacher's notes
Problem-solving 1 1
Recycling
Intoduction
ions.
This problem centes on baancing the environmental issue
of recycling with the costs.
Lead-in
Ask your students:
about their experence of recycling
if their company recycles paper, plastic, glass, etc.
what steps their companies should take to become more
environentally aware.
Method
p. viii.)
3 Make sure they all flly understand the problem.
5 Allow 2 mnutes to prepare (see pp. viii-ix).
6 Agree on the timing for the meeting ( approx. 20
mnutes).
back.
Follow-up
(See also ' How to . . . wrte an output document' , p. x. }
Key vocabular
bin
gabage - rbbish - waste
glut
to boost
to consume - consumer - consumerist
to recycle - recycling
to waver
3 1
Teacher's notes
Problem-solving 1 2
An atrctive remunertion package
Introduction
ions.
This problem centres on how to attract the right person to
the job and the type of rewards to be ofered.
Lead-in
Ask your students:
what motivates managers
how importat money is in the equation
whether more money attracts better people.
Method
(See also stages of the activity - stadad procedues' ,
p. viii.)
l Afer the lead-in discussion, look at the problem itself.
J Mae sure they M flly understand the problem.
4 Assign roles (chaiman, secretary).
minutes).
back.
Follow-up
Key vocabulr
audit
pension
remuneration
the golden yeas
to envisage
to recrit
32
Strategy meeting 1
Mission statement
Intoductn
This agenda is based aound a stategic business issue. The
meetng will decide how to tackle the issue and the parti
cipants will write a document afer the meeting decisions
have been taken.
The issue concers te contents of a mission sttement and
the writing tk is to da mission statement.
Lead-in
Ask you tudents:
if their company has a mission sttement
the purpose of a mission statement
the audence for the mission statement
how import it is for companes to have teir own
mission statement.
Method
(See also 'Stages of the actvty - standad procedures' ,
p. viii.)
2 Ask your students to read tough the issue.
J Make sure they all flly understd the problem.
4 Assign roles (chairman, secretar).
Agon te tmg for the metg (aprx. 20 minutes).
J Run the meetng (audio- or video-record it if possible).
Give the students language and communicaton feed-
back.
Follw-up
(See also 'How to . . . wrte an output document' , p. x. )
Organize goups for writng tk
Give a tme limit for drafng the mission statement.
Give te stdents laguage and communication feed
back on wrting.
Key vocabulr
conduct
customer focus
integty
lead time
lean
scadal
shaeholder
slim
stakeholder
to downsize
to steaine
Strategy meeting Z
Job adverisement
Intoducton
Ts agenda is based aound a stategic business issue. The
meetng will decide how to tackle the issue and the partic
ipants will write a document after the meeting decisions
have been taken.
The issue concers how to recrit a number of new employ
ees and the writing task is to draft the advertisements or
requirements for the

positions.
Lead-in
Ask your students:
if they have been involved in recritment
where and how their companies find white-collar work
ers
where and how their companies find blue-collar work
ers
if these ae the best methods and the best sources.
Method
p. viii. )
5 Allow 2 minutes to prepare (see pp. viii-ix).
minutes).
T Run the meeting (audio- or video-record it if possible).
back.
Folow-up
(cc ul:o ' How to . . . write an output document ' , p. x. )
Organize groups for wrting task.
Give a time limit for drafting the job advertisement.
Give the students language and communicati on feed
back on writing.
Key vocabular
bulletin board
candidate
classified ad
competent
initiative
profle
reliable
shift - shift working - shift worker
Teacher's notes
superision
to recrit - a recruit - channels of recritment
Strategy meeting 3
Market research questionnaire
Introduction
This agenda is based around a strategic business issue. Te
meeting will decide how to tackle the issue and the partc
ipants will write a document after the meeting decisions
have been taken.
The issue concers the contents of a market reseach ques
tionnaire and the writing task is to draft the questions.
Lead-in
Ask your students:
the purpose of market research
if they have been interviewed by maket reseachers
if they have received market reseach questionnaires
their view of the efectiveness of market research.
Method
p. viii.)
5 Allow 2 minutes to prepare (see pp. viii-ix).
minutes).
T Run the meeting (audio- or video-record i t if possible).
back.
Follow-up
|cc n/ao ' How to . . . wri te an output document' , p. X. )
Organize groups for wri ting task.
Gi ve a time l i mi t for drafting the questi onnaire.
back on writing.
Key vocabular
coupon
househol d
i ncome - income bracket
professi onal status
profl e
questionnai re
survey
3J
Teacher's notes
Strategy meeting 4
Early retirement document
Intoducton
This agenda is based aound a stategic business issue. Te
meeting will decide how to tackle the issue and the partic
ipants will wrte a document after the meeting decisions
have been taken.
The issue concers early retirement and the writing task
is to df a letter outlining the benefts of ealy retirement
Lead-in
Ask your students:
about the noral retirement age
if managers take early retirement and in what circum
stances
what is ofered in an ealy retirement package
the beneft ad drawbacks of ealy retrement.
Method
(See also &Stages of the activit - standad procedures' ,
p. viii.)
1 Afer the lead-in discussion, look at te problem itself.
2 Ask your stdents to read though te issue.
3 Make sue they all flly understand te problem.
4 Assign roles (chairan, secretar).
5 Allow 2 miutes to prepae (see pp. viii-ix).
minutes).
Give the stdents language and communication feed
back.
Follow-up
(See also 'How to . . . wrte a output document' , p. x.)
Organize groups for writing task.
Give a time limit for drafing the letter.
Give the stdents language and comunication feed
back on wtng.
Key vocabul
'corporate treadmill'
exper - expense
headcount
secure
to acquie - acquisition
to expand one's horizons
to make redundant
to retire - retiement - ealy retirement package
M .
. '
Brainstorming 1
Managing your time
Introduction
This meeting does not have an agenda. It is designed to
encourage students to be creative in their ideas and also
in ters of rnning the meeting.
The meeting should focus on improving time manage
ment.
Lead-in
Discuss brainstorming meetings. What ae the best ways
of handling them? How can you make them creative but
organized?
Method
p. viii.)
Aer te lead-in discussio give the group 3 minutes
to read though the situation.
2 Tell tem Uorgan te metng, i.e. chaira tng,
secrt, etc.
3 Ru te meetng (a fip chaoad will be usefl).
4 Give feedback.
Folw-up
(See also &How to . . . wrte a outut document' , p. x.)
Minutes and a memo.
Key vocabul
diar/calenda/schedule/planner
time:
to run out of tme
to save tie
to spend te
to waste tme
Brainstorming Z
Management tools
Intoducton
This meeting does not have an agenda. It is designed to
in terms of rnning the meeting.
The meeting should focus on fmding new management
tools.
Lea-in
Discuss brainstorming meetings. What are the best ways
organized?
Method
p. viii.)
l Afer the lead-in discussion, give the group 3 mnutes
to read through the situation.
2 Tell them to orgaze the meetng, i.e. chairma, timing,
secretay, etc.
3 Run the meeting (a fip chart/oad will be usefl).
4 Give feedback.
FoUow-up
Minutes and the description of a new management tool
Key vocabulr
efectveness - efective
efciency - efcient
project - project management
team - team-building - team working
to delegate - delegation
to fail - failure
to succeed - success - successful
to thrive
Teacher's notes
Brainstorming 3
What's in a name
Intoduction
This meeting is designed to encourage students to be
creative in their ideas and also in terms of running te
meeting.
The meeting should focus on brainstoring names for a
new product.
Lead-in
Discuss brainstorming meetings. What are the best ways
organized?
Method
(See also 'Stages of the activity - standard procedures' .
p. viii . )
l After the lead-in discussion, give the group 3 minutes
to read through the situation.
2 Tell them to organize the meeting, i.e. chaira, timng,
secretary, etc.
3 Run the meeting (a fip chartboad will be usefl).
4 Give feedback.
Follow-up
Minutes
Key vocabular
domestic market
mountain bike
socio-economic class
to launch
top end of the market
tourer
l5
Teachers notes
Brainstormi ng 4
A new loo
Introduction
This meetng does not have an agenda. It is designed to
in tens of rnning the meeting.
The meeting should focus on designing a new logo.
Lead-in
Discuss brainstorming meetings. What ae the best ways
orgaized?
Method
(See also stages of the activity - standad procedures' ,
p. viii.)
I Aer te lead-in discussion, give the goup 3 minutes
to read tough the sitaton.
2 Tel tem to oraz te meetng, i.e. c tg,
secret, etc.
3 Ru the meetng (a fip chaboad will be usefl).
4 Give fedback.
Follw-up
(See also How to . . . wrte a outut document', p. x.)
Minutes and a memo.
Key vocabulr
aork
classy
colour
design
dramatic
graphics
logo design
logotype
shading
typeface
36
Brainstorming 5
Te company excurion
Introduction
This meetng does not have an agenda. It is designed to
in ters of running the meeting.
The meeting centes on a decision over a company excur
sion.
Lea-in
Discuss brainstorming meetngs. What ae the best ways
organized?
Method
(See alo stages of the activity - standard procedures' ,
p. vii.)
I Aer the lead-in discussion, give the goup 3 minutes
to read tough te sitaton.
2 Tell them to ora the meetng, i.e. cha tng,
secret, et.
3 Ru te meetng (a fp chaboad will be usefl).
4 Give feedback.
Folw-up
(See aso How to . . . wrte an outut document', p. x.)
Minutes and a memo.
Key vocabul
fnfair
leisure complex
open roof bus
outdoor pursuits:
canoeing
orienteerng
rock climbing
white-water raftng
_/
^
t,
Materi al for
photocopyi ng
CASE STUDY 1
Company language
I SSUE
'English is the key to success and we must all improve. ' These were the words of the new Chief
Executive Ofcer (CEO), brought in to year ago to tum PCCor around. PCCor, a manufacturer of
personal computers, had a bref spell of sucess in the eighties, but only just surived into the nineties.
Two year ago, it was bought by the interational giant, /TCor. A new senior management team was
brought in and they introduced new management practices wih a major emphasis on
internationalzation.
Te message about learing Englsh has not been wel received throughout PCCor in Rotaronga.
Many people feel that the language is moving into too many areas. Rotarongan youth seem to be vet
infuenced by British and Amercan culture, and young people use English words for special efect. This
growing domination of English has led some politicians to suggest (in private) that the Rotarongan
language can only be presered by limiting the introduction of new wors from Englsh.
Te CEO' words have received a mixed response at PCCor. Te meeting has been caled for the
management commitee to discuss what to do about the CEO's recommendation.
AGENDA
1 The role of English in the business world
Z Cultural Implications
SWOT (Strengths Weaknesses Opporunities Threats) analysis at PCCorp
4 Training aspects
Notes to the agenda
38
1 The Managing Director wlpresent the cororate view.
2 The Human Resources Director wpresent some local vews.
3 The Marketing Manager wlpresent the SWOT analysis.
4 The Taining Manager wloutline plans for training.
5 Te Workers' Representative w present the vews fom the shop-foor.
6 The Admin (Administration) Manager w outline the cur ent demma about
documentation.
The meetng w take a decision about the fte role of Englsh in the company
and any necessar steps to implement that decision.
FBusEgl Meg b Jey CmNdBrege Pgu Bok W8 PH CCCCPl
L
\
Case Study 1
Continued . . .
ROLES
Managing Director
Mer a number of years on foreign assignments for ITCorp, you have come back to Rotaronga to
head the PCCorp operation. You know the necessity of good English langage skills. Having been
trained at Harard, you speak English and Rotarongan (as well as a number of other langages).
You ae concered about the iuence that English is having in Rotarongan society. You would like
to see English as the external company langage, but want to keep Rotarongan in place as the
company's internal language.
Human Resources Director
You joined PC Corp as a young graduate 20 years ago and have climbed the company hierachy. In
the last ten years, during PCCorp's fnancial troubles, you prevented wdespread protests within
the company, as wages and salaries were cut, emphasizing the role that PCCorp plays in the local
community. You support an independent PCCorp. However, the recent takeover by ITCorp has
changed the character of the company. You believe that the Aglicization of PC Corp is just another
sell-out and wl lead to the disappearance of the company very soon.
Marketing Manager
To suve, PCCorp must sell into the local markets, whch include neighbouring countries, where
English is already wdely spoken. Rotaronga has good ties wth these countries and you can tap
into established networks to develop the company's business. Without the local markets, PCCorp
doesn't have a fture and is lely to be closed down once the domestic market has been exploited.
For PCCorp to surve, 8your sales force need to be trained in English - and sooner rather than
later.
Taining Manager
You have been chaged with identg potential suppliers of English language training. There are
a number of local suppliers, who can provide basic langage training. However, other larger
companes tend to send their midde and senor management on trainng courses either in the US
or in the This is expensive and you favour using the local companies as this will keep the
money in the local economy. However, you are awae of the poor feedback that the local providers
have received.
Workers' Representative
The shop-foor workers have faced great changes in working practices since the takeover by
ITCorp. This has caused a degree of bad feeling. The workers are especially annoyed that a lot of
documentation is now printed in English, when it could be translated into Rotarongan. It would
cause fewer mistakes and would be less expensive than providing language support through
training. The workers are not lingists and should not be expected to be competent in English.
Admin (Administration) Manager
Havng all the documentation in English is extremely useful, as it means that there is only one
standard. Although it is not your native langage, it would make your life and the life of your
team easier.
Frm Business English Meetings by Jermy Comfor and Nick Breger Penguin Books 1998 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I A 6 L E
39
CASE STUDY 2
Competition
ISSUE
Five year ago your company employed a young computer exper, Geof Peters. He has worked in the
customer serice deparment for the last to year. Essentialy he suppors a number of key customer
doing maintenance and trouble-shootng wor. Three months ago he suddenly lef the company and he
is now working for several of your customer, providing serice as an independent computer
cnsultant. His employment cntract had a competition clause in it foridding him from working for any
customer for a to-year perod afer leaving. Te meetng has been called to discuss this case and
also to see whether any lesson can be leared for the future.
AGENDA
1 Geof Peters: repor and discussion.
Z Competition clause
Legal action
4 Employment contrc
Notes to the agenda
1 Geof Peters: report and discusion.
Te Personel Manager wrepor on the case and then tere w be a chance
U discuss why Geof lef the compay.
2 Competition cluse
Te Legal A ais Manager w cla the exact meaning of the competition
clause and the implications.
3 Legal ation
Te meeting w decide whether U tae Geof Peters U OU for breach of
contract.
4 Employment contrats
Fnally a decision on whether the competition cause need to be changed.
4 FBusEmMImyCNmBHgBIW8
@ @@@@j @g@
Case Study 2
Continued . . .
ROLES
General Manager (Chair)
You have an open mind on this case. On the one hand you can see that Geoff has broken his
contract but on the other, you feel that it is a competitive market and your company has to face
this sort of risk. Maybe the company should have worked harder to ensure that Geof stayed with
them.
Personnel Manager
You were on the interview panel which originally recruited Geof. You feel he has been very well
treated with a good salary, bonuses, training opportunities etc. You think he got geedy and
decided to cut the company out. You thin that he discussed leavng your company with key
customers in order to negotiate contracts direct wth them. You feel that he has broken his
contract and must be taken to court. The clause in the contract should be made even tighter to
ensure that employees do not dare to break it.
Legal Affairs Manager
The clause states: 'The employee is forbidden fom soliciting and accepting busiess fom any
exsting customer of the company for a two-year period following his or her resignation fom the
company.'
You feel the clause is quite clear, although Geof's lawer might argue that the customers were
no longer 'exsting' since they had decided to work with Geof. You are unsure about taking Geof
to court. The company would probably w the case but at a high cost - both fnancially and to
goodwill wth customers. You feel this sort of thing is very diffcult to legslate against and are not
in favou of changig the clause.
Customer Services Manager
You were Geof's boss for the last two years. He was ver good at his job and all the customers he
worked wth were very happy with the servce he gave them. You are not surprised that he has
lef. You feel your company does not pay computer experts enough (you think their salaries should
be nealy doubled). These sort of people are very difcult to fnd and to keep. You don't think he
should be taken to court. You think he should be ofered a better deal in order to come back to the
company.
Sales Manager
You are extremely upset about losing Geof since he had built up a very good relationship with
several key customers. You don't know what is the best next step. You would like to persuade Geof
to retur to the company. On the other hand, you feel he has been disloyal. You don't agree that he
wasn't paid enough. He was paid more than your sales people and they have to work extremely
hard.
Finance lanager
You think he should be !8K0n IO OOUtI. t0 h8S OtOK0n hIS OOnIt8O! 8nO 8n 0X8m0 mUS!be m8O0,
otherwise other employees may think they can do !h0 same. You also !hInK the employment
contract needs to be made much tighter.
From Business English Meetings by Jeremy Comfor JNick Brieger OPenguin Books 1998 P H 0 70 C 0 P lA B L E 4l
CASE STUDY 3
Corruption
I SSUE
Your company has been accused of winning a number of large contracts by paying bribes to local
counci planning ofcer. No brbes have been paid but it is tre that the company has developed a
close relationship with some planning oficer. The newspaper have prnted photographs of senior
manager dining with the Chief Planning Oficer and some of his staf.
Tis meeting has been caled to discuss the bad press you have received and how you can
counteract it.
AGENDA
1 Update on press repors
Z Relationships with council
New policy
4 Action plan
Notes to the agenda
42
1 Update on press reports
The Maketig Manager w update the meeting on any fher reports.
2 Relationships with council
A discussion about whether relationships ae too close.
3 New policy
Ageement of new guidelines on handng customers
4 Action plan
Implementation of gidelines and response U press reports
F8m EgMImCma NmB W
@@@@@j @g@
Case Study 3
Continued . . .
ROLES
Managing Director
You are aware that much of the company's success over the last fve years has been due to the
marketing department's policy of developing client relations. Your company has no written policy
about 'wining and dining' clients but you feel it's part of everyday business and acceptable as long
as it W not abused. You want the press story about bribes to be immediately contradicted and any
further damage to the image of the company limited.
Marketing Manager
During the last fve yeas you have worked hard to maintain and develop clients. You have never
bribed anybody but you have taken plannng offcers out to restaurants. You now realize that this
may have been unwse. A local jouralist has started writing stories about corruption in business.
He says that it is very diffcult for small companies to w contracts because companies lke yours
have a strong infuence over council decisions. You feel the journalist has gone too far and your
company should take his paper to court for libel.
Public Relations Offcer
Your job is to deal with the press. You feel taking legal action would be a mistake. You would prefer
to start a campaig emphasizing the positive contribution you company makes to the community.
Personnel Manager
You are concerned about how the bad image wl a ect motivation amongst the employees of the
company. On the other hand, you think the Marketing Manager has done a good job in increasing
the business over the last fve years. This has had a very positive efect on recruitment and staf
morale.
Legal Advisor
You work in the legal department. The newspaper does not have real evidence of any bribes so you
feel you would win the case i you took the paper to court. However, this would be a slow and
expensive process and would keep the company in the headlines for a long time. You would prefer
not to go to cour.
Sales Manager
You think your colleage in marketing has done a very good job and you know the talk of bribes is
untrue. You think takng clients out to dnner is absolutely normal. You think there is no need for
any gidelines and the newspaper should be sued for libel.
Fr Busine English Meeting b Jermy Cofon ad .Nick Breger Pengin Book 1998 p H OTOc 0 p I A bLb 4J
CASE STUDY 4
Dress
I SSUE
Your company has an unwritten dress polcy Male employees are expected to wear ties and jackets;
female employees smar dresses, skirs or trousers. Some staf employed in the inforation technology
(IT) deparment have stared to wear much more casual clothes, such as jeans, Tshirs, trainers etc.
This is cusing some bad feelng in the company as other staf for example in sales, accounts and
marketing, contnue to wear foral clothes.
This meeting has been caled to decide wheter the dress code should be enforced.
AGENDA
1 Dress policy
2 IT deparment 'dress policy'
Enforcing the policy?
Notes to the agenda
1 Dress policy
Te Administration Manager wl outline te reasons for havng a dress code.
Others wl give their opinions.
2 IT department 'dress policy'
Te Information Technolog Manager wl expla why he or she does not
enforce the code. Others wl state their points of vew.
3 Enforcing the polic?
A decision w be made as U whether the depament should be brought into
le with the rest of the company.
4 W8mEgM gbyImyCmNd8ncgOP8IW8
@ @@@@j @g@
Case Study 4
Continued . . .
ROLES
Administration Manager (Chair)
The company has a dress code because you are in a business where your customers tend to dress
formally. Therefore, to respect their habits, you feel all staf should follow the code. It is true that
some employees, like those in the iformation technolog (IT) department, do not come ito
contact with customers. However, you feel it is divisive for one department to be treated
df erently.
Information Technology Manager
You have allowed dress in your department to become more informal. You feel that your
department does a very good job for the company, sericing and supporting all the information
technolog needs; many of the staf work much longer hours than they are paid for. It is therefore
very important to create a relaxed and tolerant working envonment. Allowing the staf feedom
to dress as they want makes them more motivated and prepared to put in long hours. In addition
your staf have no contact with customers.
Sales Manager
You have been annoyed to see IT staf wandering around the building in jeans and T-shirts, whie
all your staf are smartly dressed. You think the tone of the company is beig lowered. There is a
dress code and it should be enforced.
Finance Manager
Athough your stado not usualy come into contact with customers, you insist that they ae
always smartly dressd. You believe smart dress refects well on the job and the company as a
whole. You thin the Inormation Techolog Manager has made a big mistake in allowing his
staf so much feedom. You admit that the inormation technolog department does a very good
job.
Marketing Manager
You think the way people dress is strongly associated with the image of the company. Al your staf
dess quite formally. You have some sympathy with the IT staf as their job is quite stressfl and
carried out entirely inside the company. You thnk the dress code should be relaxed - for example,
no need for ties and jackets, but not jeans and T- shirts.
From Business English Meetns by Jeremy Comfor ad Nick Breger OPenguin Boks 1998 P H 0 ,0 C 0 P I A 6 L E 45
CASE STUDY 5
The envi ronment
I SSUE
Your company is rnning out of space and needs to build an extension to accommodate additional
staf Te only space avaiable is presently occupied by a smal lake. When the weather is good staf sit
out by te lake at lunch-times. A small group takes a special interest in the lake and its environment.
Tey have stocked it with fish and have encouraged wildlfe to use the lake as its habitat. When plans
were announced to build the extension, around 50 per cent of the staf were strongly against the plan
on environmental grounds. The other 50 per cent are in favour of the extension, becuse it wilmean
more jobs.
Te meeting has been caled for the management commitee to discuss the issues and decide how to
handle them.
An agenda has been agreed.
AGENDA
1 Environmental implicaions
Z Financial Implications
Employment
4 Alternative sites
b Deision and communication to staf
Notes to the agenda
1 Environmental implications
Te spokesperson of the 'Save our Lake' goup wl present the arguments
against buidng the extension. Ts should be followed by dscussion
2 Financial implications
Te Finance Manager wlpresent the castings for the exension and any
alteratives
3 Employment
Human Resouces Manager will outline the plans for recrtment once the
extension is completed.
4 Alternative sites
Te Managing Director wlpresent a summary of the alterative sites whch
have been considered.
5 Decision and communication to staf
Following the presentation and discussion above, a decision wlbe made and
action decided about how to communicate to the employees.
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Case Study 5
Continued . . .
ROLES
Managing Director
You feel there is no alternative to building the extension on the site of the lake. It is the cheapest
and most efcient solution. There are alterative sites but it would mean a split site and you think
this would be ver inefcient. The only other option is to relocate the whole company. There are
some good sites in other regions and gants to support a move. However, you feel this decision
would be very unpopular with all the employees.
Spokesperson (Save our Lake)
Five years ago you and three colleages formed a goup to look after the lake. It is now a beautil
site, fourishing wth trees and fowers, and there are fsh, ducks and even a pair of swans. You feel
such sites are ver rare, especially in an industral area. The company has to fnd an alternative to
flling in the lake.
Finance Manager
The cost of building the extension w be 1
,
550
,
000. This compares with 850
,
000 i you buy a
purpose-built block to house new staf in the area. The estimated additional management and
rung costs fom managing two sites are reckoned to be 350
,
000 a year. The cheapest option is
to move to a new purpose-built site in the south-west of the countr for under 1 millon. There
would be a lot of addtional costs fom relocation, and transport costs for your products would
increase substantialy.
Human Resources Manager
Athough you like the lae, you feel the new exension must go ahead. It w mean a single site
employing 1,400 people within two years (present headcount: 850 employees). This w be good
news for the community and w increase production capacity by 75 per cent. You previously
worked for a company with severa sites and ae strongly against this solution. You also don't
think a total relocation is a realistic solution.
Production Manager
The new extension will enable you to increase capacity by 75 per cent over two years. The work
environment w improve as well. However, you are sympathetic to the Save OU Lake group. You
lke to spend your lunch-times by the lake and sometimes you come fshing in the evenings. You
feel a split site is possible although not ideal. You could use the other site for material and fnished
product storage, thus freeing more space in the exsting site to increase capacity. You thin the
lake and its environment are more important than higher profts.
Marketing Manager
You like the lake a lot. You also feel it's very good for the company's image in the local community.
You agee with the Production Manager that the company should make some sacrifces to save the
habitat around and in the lake.
! s
Frm Business English Meetings by Jermy Comfor and Nick Breger OPenguin Books 1998 P H 0 T0 C 0 P I A 6 L E 4T
CASE STUDY 6
Equal opporunities
I SSUE
BritPit is one of the newly prvatized underground coal mines. The company uses powerul equipment
to exrct the coal, a sophisticated conveyor belt to transpor the coal, and reliable suppor systems to
protect the miners from the coal above.
Mining has become much safer in recent year due to much stricter safet legislation, though accidents
stil occur Most of these are related to human eror It is therefore essential that there be extensive
training of. al people who work in mines.
BritPit employs 300 people at the coa/ace, in administration and in management. The coal-mining
industr has traditionaly been a male-dominated world - both in terms of workers and in terms of
management. In an efor to move with the times, BritPit is considerng taking on a number of women
throughout the company A meeting has been caled to discuss in what areas women should or could
be employed.
AGENDA
1 The work environment in coal mining
Z Modern times
The case for women in the workorce
Note to the agenda
48
"- . . . .
. .
1 The Production Director w present the work envonment i the mine.
2 The Human Resources Manager wpresent the needs of the company.
3 Te Workers' Representatve w outlie condtions i the pit.
4 The Women's Lobby (or thei representatives) w present their case.
5 The Health and Safety Manager w present health and safety aspects.
6 The Managing Director w revew the case.
7 The meeting W draw up a policy document on the employment of women at
BritPit.
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Case Study 6
Continued . . .
ROLES
Production Director
Athough the mining industry is tradtionally a man's world, you believe that the attitudes that
this promotes are unhealthy. You have worked in a number of heavy industries and believe that
women can be well integated into the workorce. The ming industry requires a range of skills.
Clearly those jobs whch need physical strength will best be caried out by men. However, new
technolog has decreased the reliance on physical strength and many new jobs depend on
teamwork and communcation skills - areas where you believe that a mixed workforce can excel.
BritPit is located in a traditional mining area fom which the company recruits all gades of
workers and administrative staff. Managers, however, lve in nearby small towns or villages.
Miners are not bady paid, well above the national average for workers. In addtion, overtime
payments boost the wage packets still fther. The privatization of BritPit has brought a lot of
local resentment, especially as many jobs have been lost. D fact you estimate that 40 per cent of
local families are now without a wageeaer. You believe that, by jobsharng, initially in the
admistrative area and later in the pit area, more jobs can be created. You believe that you can
attract many women to jobsharing or parttime working i the adminstrative area and you would
le to integate women into the pit workforce, though you are not sure how.
Workers, Representative
Workng in a pit is hot, smelly and dangerous. It is certaily not women's work. In fact you believe
that the whole coalmining industr should stay fmly a male presere.
Women,s Lobby
You have been members of a national goup promoting the role of women in business and industry.
You fndngs show that:
women are more fexble than men i terms of part-time and jobshare working
management teams which include women operate more efectively
women who have joined the workforce in many tradtional industries have
helped to improve productivity.
You would like your ideas to be accepted in coalminng because you beleve that women can make
a positive contribution in all areas of the workorce as wel as management.
Health and Safety Manager
You have worked for many years in the coalmiing industry and have worked your way up fom
being a miner. In your vew coal mines ae both dangerous and unhealthy, though conditions have
improved in recent years. Athough you accept that women could work in a mine, you don't believe
that it is the right envronment.
Managing Director (MD)
You have been brought in to reorganize BrtPit and improve proftability. You are sceptical about
the role of women, but are prepared to listen to the argments for and against.
Frm Busincss English Metngs by Jermy Comfon ad Nick Breger OPngn Boks 198 PH 0 I 0 C 0 P I A 6 L E 49
CASE STUDY 7
Food terrorism
I SSUE
Supero is a chain of 250 supermarkets sellng food and drnk through its nationwide stores. It stocks
many of its own brands, but also buys in wel-known producs. Afer a brising prc war with FoodCo,
Supero has just registered a 15 per cent increase in takings. FoodCo accused Supero of sellng
products at a loss in order to atract customer, but Supero denies this alegation.
Yesterday evening, the Managing Director of Supero received an anonymous phone cl from an
animal activist group saying that the company's pate de foie gras (duck's lver pate), produced by an
exteral suppler had been mixed with rat poison. Two year ago, the supermaret received a similar
phone cal saying that the baby food in its stores had also been poisoned. The products were
immediately removed from al the shelves but no evidence of any poison was found. This news was
leaked to the press and resulted in a panic among many of Supero's customer. The result was a
downtur in business that Supero's current discount campaign was intended to change.
An urgent meeting has been caled to decide what action to take.
AGENDA
1 Background to the present problem
2 Details of production
Action plan
4 Future Implications
Notes to the agenda
0
Te SuperCo team
1 SuperCo's Purchasing Director wbring the meeting up-to-date on the former
scare and the present situation.
2 The Public Relations Manager woutline the meda implications.
3 The Customer Services Manager w outline the options.
Te supplier team
4 The Production Director w explain relevant details of the production process.
5 The Sales Director wlook at the sales implications.
6 The Quality Manager w focus on the qualty procedures.
Conclusion
7 The members of the meeting w decide:
a) what steps are to be taken
b) how these steps are to be taken
c) by whom these steps should be taken.
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Case Study 7
Continued . . .
ROLES
SuperCo's Purchasing Director
(First you wl need to go over the detais of the case fom the briefng notes.)
In the last scare you ordered the immedate withdrawal of al baby food products fom the shelves.
The result was disastrous. The media got hold of the story and SuperCo was targeted by a whole
range of consumer interest goups, mostly hostie to the company This time you intend to be more
balanced. The customers come frst, but you must protect the company's interests. You would like
to be persuaded that this is only a false alarm.
SuperCo's Public Relations Manager
Last time you felt that you put on a good show for the cameras and the press. Your reassug
ways made a big impression and helped to minimize the impact of the scare. The company had
done the right thing by withdawing the products. That certainly made your life easier. You feel
that the company shoud do the same this time. In fact, you are quite looking forward to the meda
attention.
SuperCo's Customer Services Manager
You have sent 100 sample jars of pate de foie gas fom 15 local supermarkets to laboratories for
examination. Te results have show that the jars have not been opened and the pate de foie gas
has not been contamated
From your point of vew, the company has the following three options:
1 to withdraw the pate de foie gras without fher testing
2 to carout tests on samples fom al supermarkets and make a decision in the evening
3 to ignore the wag as a hoa.
Of course, you have ony tested a small sample fom a small proportion of the chain, but you feel
this is another false aarm.
Production Director
You receive the pate de foie gas fom abroad, already packaged. Your main job is to label it for
the fnal customer. You have 10 key customers for this product. You had a warning call that your
products would be targeted by an amal activst goup, but that was more than 3 years ago,
before SuperCo became a customer. You always believed it was a hoax. Maybe now you shoud take
it more seriously. Should you contact your customers or would that would simply raise the alarm?
Sales Director
Sales for pate de foie gas are booming. Customers are developing a taste for more exotic products
and you are delighted with the results. The industry is full of scare stories about activists. You feel
that this is simply another hoax.
Quality Manager
You oversee the quality procedures during manufacture abroad. You have heard on the gapevne
about animal activsts, but you have nothing which proves that they have ever taken action to
poison the producer's pate de foie gras.
Frm Business English Meetings by Jermy Comfor dNick Breger Penguin Books 1 98 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I A 6 L E
5 1
CASE STUDY 8
Goi ng i nternational
I SSUE
Streamlne is a management consultancy (six parners and 50 associates) ofering serices in
rtionalizing and streamlining small- and medium-size enterrses (SMEs). 1 the nineties, their
serices were in great demand as companies made efors to increase productivit and reduce costs.
To keep up with demand for their serices, Streamlne grew considerably in the nineties. However the
movement towards downsizing is coming to an end, as many companies have now contrcted to their
optimum (minimum) size. One of the options for Streamline is to find new markets for their serices. As
many neighbouring countries are about to face up to the chalenge of rationalization, Streamline are in
an excelent position to ofer their consultancy serices abroad. However they have no experence of
doing business abroad. How does a smal consultancy go interational?
AGENDA
1 The requirements of going i nternational
Z The i mplications of going i nernational
Notes N the agenda
52
Te si partners:
1 ofer their views on going interatonal
2 discuss the steps t be taken to go iteratonal
3 decide which steps should be taken.
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. .
Case Study 8
Continued . . .
ROLES
Partner 1
You are committed to going interational. You believe that you will fnd a market for your services.
Your main concer is that you will have contact with foreigners. Athough you don't like to admit
it, your strong feeligs of nationalism are sometimes tinged with xenophobia. You think that the
partners would be uhappy i you voiced your vews, so you have always kept them to yoursel.
Partner 3
You have mixed feelings about going interational. You see all countries as d erent and hard to
understand. You think that Streamline could sel its servces in some countries, but you are
concerned that it might require more efort than you are prepared to commit. You are not prepared
to commit money, though, to setting up local ofces.
You feel a thorough investigation should be made of possible target markets so that a balanced
evaluation can be made of the risks and threats.
Partner
Going interational would be a real personal and professional challenge, and certainly shouldn't be
underestimated. You would lke to see Streamlne ofces in al the region's major capitals. You
would derve geat satisfaction fom setting them up and paying regular visits. Local d erences
don't worry you. Te Streamline formula for rationalizing companies should work anyhere - as
long as it is in the right hands. Ad those hands should be Streamline hands.
Partner 4
You believe that expansion of Streamline will create new job and career opportunities. You like the
idea of workg with local partners since this would be less of a fnancial risk than setting up your
own ofce. You have been contacted by a number of foreign consultancies interested in local
arangements. You think that this type of association could be a very attractive proposition.
Partner 5
You believe that Streamline can expand abroad, but that it will be diffcult to manage the projects.
Havng worked abroad you realize that success depends on professional expertise, and on local
knowledge and cultural sensitivity. Many small companies have oversimplifed the business
calculations and underestimated the cultural dferences. Working abroad is much more diffcult
than working at home. You feel that the other partners don't recogize the factors involved.
Partner 0
Your earlier experience of workng in an organzation with foreig partners has made you
suspicious. On that occasion, poor communication between the offces fnally led to breakup of
the partnershp and the subsequent loss of clients. You could be persuaded, but you need to be
convnced that the partners understand the importance of building relationships and trust through
open communcation.
Frm Business English feelings by Jermy Comfor and Nick Breger Penguin Boks 1998 PH 0 I 0 C 0 PI A 6 L E 53
CASE STUDY 9
I nformation flow
I SSUE
Of all the activities that managers engage in, communication is probably the most imporant. It
maintains personal relationships and it transmits messages. There can be too much communication,
as some of the six parners of FinSere, a financial serices company feel. At present they have:
a monthly business meeting

a monthly fnance meeting - forecsting and reviewing
a monthly mareting meeting - overiew of new developments in the market place
a monthly qualt meeting - everthing from premises to business cards
a quarery personnel meeting - curent stafng needs
a half-yearly review meeting.
As the parners spend a lot of time out of the ofice with clients, these meetings are usually held in the
evenings (afer 18. 00) and, in fact, it is rare for al the parner to be present at all the meetings. The
meetings are prepared, with an agenda, a chaireron and folow-up minutes which are circulated to
the parner.
A meeting has been clled to evaluate the efectiveness of the present system and to see whether a
beter arrangement cn be made.
AGENDA
1 The purposes of the meetings
2 Other possible arrangements
Follow-up plans for information
Notes to the agenda
Te si partners:
1 ofer their vews on the efectiveness of the present arrangements
2 discuss alterative arrangements
3 decide what steps should be taken and who should take them.
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Case Study 9
Continued . . .
ROLES
Partner
You beleve that the present system works well. The meetings are the only forum in which to
discuss matters afecting the business. You feel that the marketing and fnance meetings are often
seen as low priorty.

.
Partner 2
You believe meetings take up too much time. Some of the regular meetings last two hours. You
beleve that meetings could be completed in half that time. You would like the partners to agree on
better time-keeping during the meetings with fewer interruptions and diversions. Your ideal is the
fnancia meeting, which you usually chair. Here you present the fgures for the last period, then
you present the forecasts for the next period. The meeting is usually over wthin half an hour.
Partner
The quality meeting could be handed by two or three of the partners. Your vew is that these
topics should be included in the business meeting agenda so that a decision could be made as to
who would take them over. The fnancial meeting isn't really a meeting at all. These fgures could
easiy be printed out and circulated. Any questions coud then be discussed at the business meeting.
Partner 4
You feel that the present arangements are rather cumbersome. With your young family, the
demands of late evening work are beging to cause stress. You want the meetings to be held in
the morgs. any case, that's your best time. Every week there are two to three pages of
mutes. Ts information could be circulated in some electronic form.
Partner 5
You believe that the meetings could be streamlined i more information was made available in
advance. Uthe information for the fnance meeting was circulated in advance, then the meeting
might be more productive. At present, the partners spend most of the meeting listening to an
explanation of the fgures. There are rarely any comments or questions.
Partner 0
You dislike the way the meetings are managed. You believe that there are different types of
meetings for d erent purposes: discussion meetings, decision-making meetings, briefng meetings,
and brainstorming meetings. You would like to discuss the appropriateness of these meeting tyes
for the business of the partnership. You believe that:
the monthly business meeting should be a decision-making meeting
the monthly fnance meeting should be a brefng meeting
the monthly marketing meeting should be a brainstorming meeting
the monthly quality meeting should be a discussion meeting
the quarterly personnel meeting should be a briefng meeting
the half-yearly revew meeting should be a discussion meeting.
Frm Business English
&
teet
r
gs by Jcrmy Comfor ad Nick Brcg. DPenguin Boks 1 98 P H 0 T0 CO P I A 6 L E
CASE STUDY 1 0
I nternational assi gnments
I SSUE
Your company has broken into a number of foreign markets during the last five years and you have
had to send project managers, engineers and technicians to suppor local people in these markets.
These assignments have lasted from 2 weeks to 2 year. These postings have begun to cause real
unhappiness amongst the staf involved. Some are refusing to be sent abroad again, others are
demanding much higher alowances for working abroad. It is time for you to forulate a policy for staf
working overeas.
AGENDA
1 The problem
2 Duration of assignments
Compensation for foreign assignments
4 Family suppor
b International training
b Career development
Action plan
Notes to the agenda
56
1 Te problem
The chairerson w outlie the scope of the problem.
2 Duration of asignments
The Senior Project Manager wl U about the nature of the assignments.
Discussion of duration.
3 Compensation for foreign asignments
The Personnel Manager w lead a discussion of compensation rates.
4 Family support
Discussion of whether assigments should be accompaned or not.
5 International training
The Taining Manager w introduce this item.
6 Career development
The Human Resources Manager w introduce the possible ways of developig
interational career paths.
7 Action plan
Conclusions fom the meeting and ageeing the next steps to take.
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Case Study 1 0
Continued . . .
ROLES
The Chairperson
During the last fve years, 55 staf have been sent abroad, most of them on short assignments, but
around 15 engineers have been sent on longer assignments (from 3 months - 2 years) . They have
gone to countries where conditions are hard. You have compensated staff but there have been
complaints and it is now df cult to fnd people wl g to go overseas. Ths is a major problem
since 25 per cent of your tuover is abroad and it is increasing.
Senior Prject Manager
You have been on two assignments of 6 months and 15 months. Both were unaccompanied. You
can understand why young engineers are not very keen, especially i they have families. You think
that assignments fom months should be paid double the usual salary rates. Assignments of
over 6 months should be accompanied by families. The company must treat these engeers wel i
it wants to persuade them to work abroad.
Personnel Manager
Engineers are paid their salary plus an allowance of 25 per cent extra for every working day spent
abroad. You feel this is quite generous, as the money is tax fee and livng expenses are covered by
the compay separately. Long assignments are very tough and not really for families. The
company could introduce a range of benefts:
03 months: 5 per cent extra salary
3 6 months: 25 per cent exra salary
624 months: 35 per cent extra salary
There w be no overall increase in the salary bill but it w compensate for long assignments
more generously.
Taining Manager
You do not ofer any special training for work overseas. You now think a number of options could
be ofered: language training, cross-cultural briefng, and interpersonal training support for
hardshp posts. These courses coud be ofered to both staf and spouses, where the assignment is
going to be accompanied.
You want to offer fast-track promotion for those staff who are prepared to work overseas. You
would like to develop an International Project Management Group which would administer
overseas contracts ad the staf working on them. Staff who gain international experience will
be ear-marked for senor management positions early in their careers.
Project Manager
You have been on a number of assignments. You feel pay should be double for work abroad,
except for ver shor contracts (up to 4 weeks) . You don't feel it is a good idea for the staff to
be accompanied by their partners. You think the company should pay for return air fares every
3 months, so that staf can stay in touch with their families, and holiday entitlement should O0
doubled.
Frm Buines Engllsh Metings by Jermy Comfor dNick Brieger Penguin Boks 198 P H 0 T 0 0 0 P I A B L E JT
CASE STUDY 1 1
I nternational joi nt venture
I SSUE
Your company has set up a joint venture with a local company in a new market. The aim of this joint
venture is to enter a new market with the benefi of local knowledge. The local company is smal, just
the owner and fve employees. Your company employs 2,400 staf throughout the word.
The main ters of the joint venture are that you will invest $25, 000 in the firt year for marketing and
distribution. You will ear 5 per cent of the expected turover of $200, 000 in the first year; in the
second yer, you wil invest a furher $15, 000 and take 5 per cent of an expected turnover of $350, 000.
In the third year you wil invest just $10, 000 for a 5 per cent retur on forecasted turover of $500, 000.
All conditions are subject to revision on an annual basis dependent on targets being achieved and the
contract respected.
You are midway through the firt year and turnover is rnning wel below target (ust $60, 000 in 6
months). Your investment has already been made. Relations with your foreign parner are not good.
He does not speak your language, you don't speak his. He says there have been a lot of unforeseen
problems, you feel you don't have enough control. You have asked for a meeting next month.
This meeting has been clled to discuss the optons open to you to tr and get te joint venture back
on trck.
AGENDA
1 Market rpor
Z Financial repor
Options:
a) recruitment of a local employe to oversee the joint venture
b) more regular reporing
c) plan to abandon joint venture at end of first year.
4 Action plan
Notes to th agenda
1 Market report
Te Marketing Manager wlreport on the frst 6 months of operation
2 Financial report
The Finance Manager wl repor on the fgures.
3 Option
The meetig w discuss the options.
4 Action plan
A agenda for the meeting wth the local partner wl be fnalized.
58 W8m EMImyONmBBgBW fMC3CCCf
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Case Study 1 1
Continued . . .
ROLES
Managing Director
This joint venture was your idea and you feel it much too early to talk about pulng out. You want
to go to the meeting next month in a positive frame of mind.
Marketing Mantger
You feel the joint venture is not working. You would be better of wth direct control. In the frst 6
months, the local company has gained a lot of customers (more than expected) but, in many cases,
has failed to supply them. B a result, billing is much lower than anticipated and there is a big
danger of losing the goodwill that has aleady been created by the marketing effort fnanced by
your $25,000. You think the answer is to start again at the end of the year, with a small sales
offce manned by your own people.
Finance Manager
The frst 6 months have been dsappointing ($40,000 below budget). The sales have not come
through and the cash fow is ver poor. It seems the invoicing of the local partner is slow and
iefcient. You favour taking a very strong line at nex month's meeting. You think you should
increase the per cent royalty of turnover and supply one of your team to oversee the fnances of
the joint ventue locally.
Area Sales Manager
You feel it is much too early to judge this joiut venture. You think you should be ofering more
support to the local company without charging for it i the fst year. A the market research
shows that the market potential is enormous. The fact that they have already got a lot of
customers underlines this. It seems it is more a problem of systems.
Distribution Manager
You feel most of the problems are caused by poor distrbution systems. You would like to go out
next month and see their systems. You don't think the joint venture should be charged for your
time and expenses. It needs to be given a chance to succeed.
From Business English Meetngs by Jermy Comfor and Nick Breger Penguin Boks 1 98 PH 0 T 0 C 0 PI A 6 L E
9
CASE STUDY 1 2
Managi ng the project
I SSUE
^
Adverising agencies are ofen viewed as nests of creativit where aristic ideas are convered into
business successes. Adltion, a six-peron parnerhip plus associates and 20 employees) have been
associated with many adverising campaigns for a wide range of products and serices. Recently
however they have begun to lose their edge. One project for a key clent went over budget, another
was delvered late. There have also been internal working problems in some of the project teams. The
agency needs to reappraise its project management methods to ensure that creative endeavour is
matched by organizational requirements. A meeting has been caled to discuss the key aspects of
project management.
AGENDA
1 The need for creativity
2 Managing time
Managing people
4 Overall organization
Notes to the agenda
N
1 One of the partners w present the problems facing Adlton.
2 The Production Director wfocus on the need for schedules and planning in the
production process.
3 The Marketing Director w emphasize what clients expect fom Adltion.
4 The Head of Design w outline the design concer.
5 The Financial Director wpresent the fnancial implications.
6 Te Team Leader w present problems of team-workg.
7 The members of the meeting w decide on a set of guidelines for managng
projects more efectively.
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Case Study 1 2
Continued . . .
ROLES
The Partner
Adtion has always been associated with innovation and creativty. Ideas count for everything. You
believe that the strength of Adltion's position has been achieved through a mix of inspiration and
hard work. Of course, you are well aware that deadines have to be met, but you are convnced
that wthout the creative force there woud be no deades to meet.
Production Director
Working in Adtion is a real challenge for you. There are no conventional production rules of
planning and scheduling. This makes your job a real headache, since timetables are often not
followed. Nobody has been too concerned about overruns (time), so you have taken a more fexible
approach to production. B long as the company pays generously for overtime when there is a
deadline to meet, you know that your workers will put in the extra hours.
Marketing Director
You are dismayed by the recent results of the desig teams. You have lost two key accounts
because of delays in delivery. You have also had to give generous discounts to three clients because
of the poor quality of the fnished product. The company needs to become more rigorous in project
planning and schedulg, and the terms of a project must be folowed. U not, then it is no surprise
when the client complains about late deliver or increased costs.
Head of Design
Many of the ideas that you have recently been presented with really don't deserve to go beyond
the drawing boad. You feel that the pressure to be creative is becoming counter productive. Also,
teams are now in such a rush that they present poor ideas which can't be turned ito design
wthout a much fller brief.
Financial Director
The organic culture of Adltion doesn't ft with the requirements for fnancial planning and control.
The successes of the early years allowed you to be rather more fexible than in more traditional
companies. Adltion is not a conventional company, but the recent downturn in business is
beginning to show in the books. The situation is also made worse by the discounts that you have
given to clients because of late delivery and the enormous overtime bill for the production
department.
Team Leader
You work as a team leader and liaise with other team leaders. Certain teams are not gelling and
you feel that the cause is the increased pressure on teams to produce results. This has led to a
breakdown in the working relationship in teams. This has affected the results and you believe that
more attention needs to be paid to the way that teams are formed for project work. Better balance
and more focus on personal. working styles will help teams to achieve more.
. v - m -
Frm Businrss English Meetings by
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Jermy Combn ad Nick areger Penguin Bok 1998 PH O"O co PI A 6 L E I
CASE STUDY 1 3
The mi l lenni um meeti ng
I SSUE
Your company is a manufacturer of sporswear for schools and youth clubs. The main market for your
products is the many schools and youth clubs throughout the countr which ofer spors, either as par
of their timetable or as a leisure activit At present you sponsor a number of national spors events and
make charitable contrbutions to worhy causes.
Many initiatives are being prepared for the milennium. Your company has decided to make a sum of
0, 000 available. No specific areas have been selected, but the overal idea is 'o make a lasting
contribution with some visible outcome'. A milennium commitee has therefore been set up with the
specific task of deciding how the money should be spent.
AGENDA
1 The purpose of the 'millenni um fund'
2 The various options
Decision and follow-up action
Notes to the agenda
62
1 The Managing Director wpresent the purose of the 'mlennium fnd'.
2 Each manager and representatve wpresent thei views on the best use
of the fnd.
3 The Managing Director w cha the meeting and lead it to a decision.
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Case Study 1 3
Continued . . .
ROLES
Managing Director
You beleve that the fnd is an ideal opportunity to make a contribution to sport in the community.
It is important to re-establish sporting activities and values. The recent trend towards computer
games has led to a fall in you company's turnover. P the millennium approaches, you believe that
many parents are tung a way fom the 'computer games culture' and want their children to take
up more active pirsuits. You see you role in supporting these parents.
Inforation Technology Manager
For the IT world, the millennium is a the time bomb which wl bring computer systems to a halt
as soon as their clocks reach 1 Januar 2000. Unable to df erentiate between 2000 and 1900,
systems wl crash, causing untold chaos. You would like the money to be invested in a project,
bringing together companies in the sportswear sector, to solve this problem. Cost: 15, 000
Marketing Director
You have always believed that well-targeted sponsorship wl raise the company's profle. One of
the most talked about events is 'the millennium I, a weekend I fom the north to the south,
ending up with a huge celebration in the capital. The company should provide sponsorship by
makig some of the shirts, with a prominent display of the company's logo. Ths wl promote the
compay's products and make a clear statement about the role of sports and health for the
countr's youth. Cost: 12,000
Personnel Manager
The mora decline in the younger generation seems to have lef them wthout a clear direction in
life. You are dismayed by the number of young people who sleep rough on the city's streets; even
your contrbutions to the begging bowls meet with no response. You would like to see the
company's milennium fund making a local contribution towards 'back to life' schemes. This would
take young people of the streets, provde them wth accommodation, training and fnd them jobs
withn the community - perhaps even within your company. Cost: 20, 000
Admin (Administration) Manager
Newtown, where your company is based, is a soulless place. The city's main landmark is
MegaShop, a complex of shops, restaurants and leisure centres. It is an attractive venue to
the under 40s, with loud music and bright lights. For the millennium, it is planning a local
celebration, to be funded by local businesses. Many older people, however, avoid MegaShop. They
say it is unfriendly, and there is nowhere to sit and rest, unless they go into one of the expensive
restaurants. You could pay for the installation of some benches in the main concourse where
people could rest. Cost 5, 000
Workers
,
Representative
Newtown needs more money for sport. The football team, of which you are the captain, is forever
short of cash. Other local clubs face the same fnancial problems, and it is becoming more diffcult
to get young people to play sport. You would like to see the company promote sport more actively.
For the millennium, you would like to see a special sports day, a mini-Olympics, with fnds not
ony for the event itself, but also to support sports clubs with kit after the event. LO8/. 8]Or/8 OOj
10, 000; 8]Or/8 0u08 8u]]Or/1 0, 000.
Frm Business English Meerings by Jermy Comfor ad Nick Brege OPenguin Books 1998 PH 0 T 0 C 0 PI ABL E 63
CASE STUDY 1 4
Multicultural project
I SSUE
You are working on an international project with parners from two other countries.
The project has been delayed by a variet of problems. Relationships within the project group have
deteriorated and it is becoming more and more difcult to work together A meeting has been caled
for the project leaders from each countr (to in each case) to get together and tr to sor out the
frstrations.
AGENDA
1 Timing
Z Meetings
Repors
4 Hierarchy
b Action plan
Notes to the agenda
1 'ming
There seem to be diferent attitudes towards deadlnes. Tis should be an
opportunity to sort out the important milestones for the project.
2 Meetings
Some people regard the project meetings as essential, others as a nuisance.
Again an opportunity to reach common objectives about meetigs and their
purpose.
3 Reports
Di erent approaches to report writing exst in the goup. Some write extremely
long and detailed project updates, others just a few lines. Some always write
minutes of a meeting and circulate them, others don't.
4 Hierarchy
There are supposed to be just two layers of herachy in this project: project
leader and project member.
5 Action plan
Following the discussion of the above points, decisions should be made about
how to improve relationships in the project.
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Case Study 1 4
Continued . . .
ROLES
Countr (roject leader and project member)
Tming Deadlines are absolutely vtal and they must be kept to. For you, the project will be a
failure i it doesn't come in on time.
Meetings: They are chaotic; they are not chaired very well and nobody takes minutes and they
seem to be just an opporunity to discuss things. Athe decisions seem to be taken outside rather
than durng meetings.
Reports: Athe steps of the project need to be recorded in memos, agendas, minutes and project
updates; you notice that some things are written down, others not. You always send written
memos and never rely just on the telephone.
Hierarchy: Some project leaders behave as i they are in charge of the whole project. For you, there
is no overal project manager, it is a team efor. You have noticed that some team members regad
themselves as more important than others.
Countr 2: (roject leader and project member)
Tming: Deadlines ae important but you must be fexible. If there are problems which cause
delays then the miestones whave to be changed.
Meetings: They are OK as they are an opportunity to discuss things and to stay in touch. You
don't see why they have to be chaied rigorously. Everybody knows what they have to do.
Reports: Tere is too much writing inside the project and it wastes a lot of time. You don't
uderstand why every meeting has to be minuted, you all go the meetings so why write extensive
minutes. You don't see why memos have to be written either.
Hierarchy: Some project leaders behave as i they ae in charge of the whole project. For you, there
is no overal project manager, it is a team efort. You have noticed that some team members regad
themselves as more important than others.
Countr (roject leader and project member)
Tming: Deadlnes have to be fexble. Country 1 is making things worse by being so stressed about
time. Uthere is a slight delay, it is not too serous.
Meetings: Many of the meetings are a waste of time. Most of the problems can be sorted out over
the phone or face to face between the three project leaders.
Reports: It is important to write regular project updates to keep people informed. You don't see
why the meetings need long minutes or why you need to write memos.
Hierarchy: You are aware that you have been taking some initiatives on your own but you think
this has been necessary. In fact, you think one of the project leaders should be appointed as overal
project manager.
'
`s ` `
Frm Business English
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Meeangs by Jermy Comfon ad Nick Breger Pengu|n Bks 1998 P H 0 TOC'O P I A 6 L E >
CASE STUDY 1 5
New technology
I SSUE
Two years ago a new computer system was instaled in your company to process orders and
purchases, keep track of al financial transactions, analyze perorance and provide management with
up-to-the-minute information, and wrte letters and peror other administrative tasks.
Some of the applcations work rather slowly and there are times when the system crashes and is out
of action for a shor period. From a recent surey opinions about the system are mixed, ranging from
satisfied to dissatisfied. Many of the senior managers never use their computers. They rely on their
secretaries or assistants to print out inforation and these staf members use their computers al the
time.
The meeting has been caled for the management commitee to discuss a proposal to upgrade the
system in order to provide more facilties, faster (more powerul) computer, and greater relabilit
This wil involve scrapping the present computer system and instling new machines and some new
sofware.
AGENDA
1 Work implications
2 Technological aspects
Training aspects
4 Personnel i mplications
Notes to the agenda
1 The Administration Manager wpresent admin's vews.
2 The User Group Representative wpresent the results of the suey.
3 The Information Technolog Manager wpresent the aguments for investing
in a new system.
4 The Tang Diector woutline training requiements for the existing system,
as well as for the new system.
5 The Human Resources Director woutline implications for jobs in the company.
6 The Managing Director wlead the discussion around the key areas.
7 The members of the meeting will decide what steps must be taken to use
computers more efectively within the company.
.
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Case Study 1 5
Continued . . .
ROLES
Administration Manager
You have mixed vews about computers: when they work, they are extremely useful; when they
don't they are a real barrier to efciency. At present, the system works most of the time and the
administrative and secretaial personnel can handle the technolog. You ae concered about the
dsruption caused by the proposed upgrade and the demands of learning to manage a new system.
You are also worried about the information technolog department, whom you have found
uesponsive and unelpfl.
User Group Representative
The results of the user suey breaks dow as follows:
Younger administrative and secretarial stafae happy with the technolog and keen to move
on to more powerfl machines. These will make their lives easier and enable them to work more
quickly and easily.
Administrative and secretarial stafover 35 are generally satisfed witl the present setup. They
feel that the curent machines work well and enable them to carry out their tasks efciently.
Te majority of management are satisfed with the information they get. Speed of response is
not realy a concer.
Inforation Technolog Manager
You main problem is with keeping staf. The good technicians soon move on to better jobs and
you ae lef wth the average ones. May of the cal-out requests fom users are not 'technical'
problems, they ae the resut of insuf cient training. Your job is to solve technical fauts, not teach
stafhow to use the sofwae. You feel the proposed upgrade coud make the system more stable
ad cause less techncal problems. You think that more training w be needed for the company to
beneft fom the investment.
Taining Manager
The company doesn't spend enough on traig and sofware training is a prime example. Uthe
upgade goes ahead then the company w need to arrange training couses for the new sofware;
otherise it w be a catastrophe.
You ae committed to the itroduction of new techolog. It will help to improve the poor
reputaton that the company has in the job market-place. Uyou can make the company a
technological leader i its feld, it will help to attract better personnel, including administrative
and secretarial staf , to the company.
Managing Director
You see the introduction of new technolog as a way of streamlining the operations, leading to
greater productivity and higher profts. Wen the last system was installed, there was minimal
disruption to the company's operations. There is no reason why the same should not be true this
time.
Frm Busln Eglish Metings -,Jermy Comfon ad Nick Breger OPenguin Boks l W8 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I A B LE T
CASE STUDY 1 6
Outsourci ng
I SSUE
Mavis and Bil work as cleaners at Staybright, a smal manufacturing company employing some 250
people. They are almost the longest sering member of staf apar from the family owners, who now
play a background role in the company's afairs. Since they joined the company it has gone through
many management changes. Managers have come and managers have gone and with them new
stles of management.
The latest trend in management at Staybrght is outsourcing, though Mavis and Bildon't realy
understand what's behind it. Al they know is that they may lose their jobs.
AGENDA
1 The case for outsourcing
The MD
The Finance Director
Z The case for Mavis and Bill
MavisBill
The Workers' Representative
The needs of the company
The Admi ni stration Manager
The Personnel Manager
Notes to the agenda
68
.
1 The Managg Direcor w present the genera case for outsoucing non-core
fnctions at Staybright.
2 The Finance Director w ilustrate the savings to the company by outsourcing
the cleanng.
3 Mavis/Bill wpresent their position as loya members of the workforce.
4 The Workers' Representative w present the efect on morae of mag Mavs
and Bill redundant.
5 The Admistration Manager w present Staybright's needs in terms of
cleaning.
6 The Personel Manager w review the impact of outsoucing fom the
personnel point of vew.
7 The meeting w decide whether to outsource the cleang fnction and how
to handle the case of Mavis and Bil.
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Case Study 1 6
Continued . . .
ROLES
Managing Director
You have been brought in to save Staybrght. You have to reorganize the company's operations ad
improve its proftabilty. There are some areas where subcontracting ofers the possibility of cost
savng. In the manuactue of some components, the cost of replacing specialist equipment wl be
very high and, in the long I uneconomcal. However, you are aware that outsourcing has an
adverse efect or labour relations, and Staybright has always had a good labour relations record.
Finance Director
Mavs and Bilare paid 200 a week each plus 11 per cent for employer's contributions. However,
this bil is increased by expensive cleanig materials. Mavis and Bil are now in their late 50s
and no longer provde the standard of cleaning that the company needs. P part of your bref to
look at ways of cuttig costs, you believe that an outside contractor could save about 30 per cent,
especialy i the shop-foor workers can be persuaded to do pat of the end-of-shi cleaning
themselves.
Mavisill
You have been loyal members of the workorce for amost 40 years and are nearly pa of the
famiy. You expect U continue working for Staybrght ut retirement at 65. You have always
had a good relationship with the owers, have hadly ever been of sick and have always kept
the smal factor B the offces clean. You have rcently been told that your jobs may have to
go in order to save the company.
Workers' Representative
You believe that outsourcing is a very bad move for Staybright. The company is part of the local
communit and daws its workforce fom people living in the area. UMavis and Bil lose thei
jobs, it w have a serious negative efect on the morale of the company. At a time when the
company is in fnancial diffculty, you believe that everyone should pull together.
Staybright needs new cleaners, and as this is you responsibity, you would like to see a new
arrangement. Mavis and Bil have done a good job for many years, but wth age, they are becomig
less effcient. There have been numerous complaits about the standard of cleaning in the offces
and in the workshop.
Peronnel Manager
You have been with Staybright for 15 years and have seen its performance slip. The steady stream
of managers, who have come, changed management policies and then moved on, has not helped.
You think that companies thve in a environment where employees feel that they have a stake m
the company. At Staybright this used to be the case, but the recent trend towards rationalization
and outsourcing have reduced company morale to an all-time low.
Frm Busins English Meetngs by Jermy Comfor ad Nick B O Penguin Bok 198 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I A LE
9
CASE. STUDY 1 7
Pay versus benefits
I SSUE
In te eary 1990s Systemtech was one of the leading Interet Serice Providers. Stared by two
cmputer science graduates in a garage in Newtown, it quickly grew to be a multi-milion pound
business. Last year afer increasing complaints about the management of the business, the two
founder sold out, though they stil sit as advisor directors on the board. Today Systemtech (present
headcount 250) is strggling to find new products for a more sophisticated market-place. The new
management is also strgglng to control the payrol. One method would be to reduce benefits, though
this would cerainly be met by opposition within the company
Tese ae the present benefts:
a salar
a perormance-related bonus (up to 1 per cent of the salary)
subsidized lunches
annual health screening
health club membership
addtion, detors and managers receive:
AGENDA
compay cars, paid petrol and fee pakg
prvate medical isurance
lie assurance
fnacia plan ng
1 The benefits package at Systemtech
2 The payroll bill
Motivation aspects
4 Pracical implications
Notes to the agenda
7
1 Te Managing Director wpresent the benefts package.
2 Te Fnance Director wpresent the savngs taget.
3 Te Research and Development Diector w present the advantages.
4 Te Human Resources Manager w outline motivational aspects.
5 Te Workers' Representative w outline the workers' vew.
6 Te Administration Manager w present key admi (administration) issues.
7 Te meeting w decide on the elements of the ftue benefts package for
Systemtech maagers and employees.
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Case Study 1 7
Continued . . .
ROLES
Managing Director
System tech is to surve, you need to change attitudes towards remuneration. You summarize
the benefts. You beleve that the company should only provide a salary and performance-related
bonus.
Finance Director
You need to save 300,000 fom next year's payroll bill. Each beneft costs:
a perormance-related bonus (500,000)
subsidized lunches (20,000)
annual health screening (5, 000)
health club membership ( 18, 000)
company cars, paid petrol and fee parking (120, 000)
private medical insurance (75, 000)
lie assurance (55,000)
fnancial plannng (7, 500)
You believe that performance-related bonus is a usefl incentive, but that not everyone who
receives the bonus deseres it. The other benefts should 8 be scrapped and basic salaries
increased.
R&D Director
System tech needs to attract the brightest young engineers. Many of them are now going to
Australia. The only way that you can attract them and keep them is by ofering a creative working
envonment and a excellent remuneration package. This must include a bonus system.
The more you ofer, the more people want. It is much better to have a higher basic salary, and get
rid of the unjust bonus system and all the other unnecessary benefts. You are convnced that these
elements have ony a short-term motivational value. What is important is the working
envonment and Systemtech should spend more on that.
Workers
,
Representative
The workers generally like the benefts system. It helps to increase the basic salaries and wages,
which have not changed for two years.
The benefts system involved a lot of work for you and your team, especially the health-related and
insurance-related benefts. However, you would like to keep the benefts system, as you believe it
provides motivation for company employees. You need one additional admin (administration)
person to administer the different schemes at a cost of around O, per year.
From Business English Metngs by Jermy Comfo d Nick Breger OPenguin Boks 198 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I ALE
7 1
CASE STUDY 1 8
Qual it
I SSUE
You wor for a smal information technology (IT serices company You are considering applying for
ISO d accreditation. Some of your competitors have this stamp of qualit approval and it could help
in winning new contracts. You have calculated that it would cost 6 months of one manager's time to
prepare all the documentation and procedures necessar for the accreditation. Once you have obtained
ISO dyou calculate that one manager will have to spend approximately 25 per cent of his or her
tme maintaining the qualit systems and procedures.
Tis meeting has been caled to decide wheter to tr for acreditation.
AGENDA
1 ISO 9000: procedures and systems
2 Advantges and disadvantages
Decision and action
Notes to the agenda
7Z
1 ISO 9000: procedures and systems
Te Administration Co-ordinator w briefy present the qualcation.
2 Advantaes and disadvantaes
Te meeting w dscuss the pros and cons.
3 Decision and ation
By the end of the meeting a decision must be taken and any action alocated and
scheduled.
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Case Study 1 8
Continued . . .
ROLES
Administration Coordinator
If you decide to apply, you need to to hire a consutant for about a week. The consultant w
obsere the company at work and then make recommendations for changes and, above all, for
documentation. One manager w then make sure changes are made. All systems (purchasing,
sales, consulting, accounting, etc.) must be documented with lists of procedures, check-lists etc.
Wen the company is ready, a team of assessors w retu to assess the quality systems and give
approval or not. Unot, systems will have to revsed and management must then try again. Once
accredited, all systems and procedures must be kept up to date. You feel the whole process is too
much work.
Marketing Manager
You are ver much in favour of getting ISO 9000. You think it will help to win business and w be
very good for the image of the company. It wprovide an opportunity for press releases and other
public relations activities. You youself are not a systems manwoman.
Information Technolog Support Manager
You are in favour of getting ISO 9000. You think the systems w help to improve the qualty of
the servce you ofer. You think it w help to monitor quality control inside the company. You
reaze it wbe a lot of work but you th it w be worth it.
Customer Support Manager
You are not in favour of ISO 9000. Your department is aleady overworked and you don't think it
w improve anything to have more documentation and procedures. You don't think it w make
much dif erence in winning contracts. P your customers are much more concerned about the
experience of the supplier and the prices they charge.
Purchasing Manager
^
You used to work for another company which had ISO 9000 and it was a nightmare. There were
'
hundeds of forms to be flled in and you were surrounded by check-lists. You think the time would
be much better spent improving your systems without trng for the accreditation.
&
Sales Manager
You think ISO 9000 would be very good for the company and all the employees. It would provde a
much clearer famework for working and it would also help to improve the company's image with
customers.
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H 0 0 C 0 PI A 6 L E
73
CASE STUDY 1 9
Rel ocati on
I SSUE
Your company's head ofice is based in the centre of the capital. The board of your company has
decided to relocate it in one of the regions. Te management commitee now has to meet to discuss
the implcations of this decision. Rumours about the decision to relocate are already spreading
throughout the head ofice staf (current headcount: 250). It is imporant that the facts are
communicated wel and that the commitee prepares itself to handle the next 3 months before
relocation.
Facts
AGENDA
Date of relocation: 3 months' time
Place of relocation: Purpose-buit ofce block on an industrial estate i the
north -east of the country.
Relocation terms: P moving costs paid, 3 months' temporary accommodation
(hotel), support in fnding house.
1 Communication
2 Finance
Suppor
4 Action plan
Notes to the agenda
1 Communication
The objective is to decide by whom, how and when the decision to relocate
wbe communicated to the sta .
2 Finance
The objective is to clar the fancial terms for relocation and discuss any
possible problems in ths aea.
3 Support
The objective is t identif what sort of support stawneed and to make
sue it w be available.
4 Action plan
The objective is to allocate responsibiity and deadlies for managig the
relocation process.
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Case Study 1 9
Continued . . .
ROLES
Managing Director (Chair)
Your job is to control the meeting and to represent the board. The decision to relocate canot be
changed.You must deal wth any discussion about changing the decision frmly. Your objective is to
ensure that the company moves to its new location smoothly. You anticipate that approximately 60
per cent of the staff wil move. This w mean a radical reorganization but you feel the head offce
can manage with ths sort of cut in staf numbers.
Public Relations Manager
Your job is to communicate the company's decisions both internally and externally. You know that
this decision w be unpopular wth a lot of staff. Your job is to persuade them of the advantages
(e.g. lower cost of living, better lifestyle, easier transport, etc.). You imagine that not all the staf
wbe prepared to move but your task is to persuade as many as possible.
You need to make sue that staf who move are motivated and able to do their jobs. You are aware
that the board expects only about 60 per cent of the existing staf to move and sees the relocation
parly as a means of reducing stanumbers. You feel it w be very difcult to manage the head
ofce work wth such a reduction. You would lke to aim for 80 per cent relocation.
Finance Manager
Your job is keep to the budget for relocation costs. You have calculated the followg guideles.
Cost per staff member
Removal costs
Temporary accommodation
Tavel expenses
Additional suppor serices

1, 500
3,000
500
500
You are not prepared to see the cost rising above 6,000 per staf member. The total budget is
based on 80 per cent of the staf (200) moving.
Legal Advisor
You work in the legal department. You are concerned that the company treats the workforce faily
and legally. You do not want to move. You feel the company should offer support to those who are
not wlg to move as well as those who are.
You are in charge of many of the head offce functions. You are worried that not enough stawil
be prepared to move and that the head offce will not operate effciently both before and afer the
move.
Frm Business Eglish Meetngs by Jermy Comfor dNick Brege OPenguin Bok 198 P H 0 T 0 C 0 PI A
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L E 75
CASE STUDY 20
Reorganization
I SSUE
Your company has stared a process of 'delayering', or in other words reducing the number of
hierarchical levels in the company The process has implications in a number of areas. Fist, some
jobs have disappeared and this wil naturally result in redundancies. Second, many remaining
managers wil have to accept a slight salar reduction in order to reduce the number of salar grades.
Some managers wil receive slght increases. Third, there wilbe no single ofices, al of them will
have K be shared by at least one other person. This meeting has been called so that the management
commitee can ensure that the management staf are treated fairly during this painful process.
AGENDA
1 Job redundancies
Z Salar changes
Ofice use
4 Action plan
Notes to the agenda
76
1 Job redundancies
The Personnel Manager wbriefy present the redundancy plan. The meetg
w discuss two or three special cases.
2 Salar changes
The Personnel Manager w explai the main salary changes.
3 Offce use
The Administration Manager will briefy present changes to ofce use.
4 Action plan
Folowing discussion of the above points, the meeting w decide on the next
steps to be taken.
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Case Study 20
Continued . . .
ROLES
Personnel Manager (Chair)
You have called this meeting to discuss three important issues: redundancies, salary changes and
ofce use.
Tere wbe two compulsory redundancies. Peter Knox is 52 and was ofered early retirement.
He says he cannot aford to stop working because he has children at college. He would have got a
better deal i he had accepted ealy retirement. The other person is Susan Philips, aged 44. She
was ofered a transfer but did not accept and is now being made redundant compulsorily. Salary
gades are being reduced fom fve to two. This means that nearly 20 managers will have their
salaries reduced by about 2 per cent. Eleven managers w get a salar increase of about 3 per
cent. The fnal objective is to get rid of all closed ofces and have one open-plan space. In the
interim, ten managers who have previously had their own offce will now have to share.
Finance Manager
Susan Phps works i your department. Her departure has created a lot of bad feeling. You feel it
has been badly managed. Your salary w be cut by 2 per cent, although you will have fewer staf
in your department ad wtherefore have to work harder. You think this is a mistake! You have
had your own offce for eight years, and you know you w fnd it very difcult to share wth
another member of staf.
Sales Manager
You have a lot of sympathy for Peter Kox. You have children going through college and you know
how exensive it is. You feel the company should have found something for him to do in the new
organization. Your salary w be cut by 2 per cent, although you w have fewer staf in your
department and wltherefore have to work harder. You thin this is a mstake! You have had
your ow ofce for fve years but you understand why it is necessary to share.
Maintenance Manager
You have been made redundant twce in you career and you think it's just got to be accepted.
Your salary wbe icreased by 3 per cent, so you are quite happy! You have never had your own
ofce and don't see why anybody should have.
Production Manager
You feel sorry for Susan and Peter but, in your opinion, redundancies are par of lie.
Your salary wl be increased by 3 per cent, so you are quite happy but you can see that salary cuts
for some of your coleagues wll be demotivating. You have always shared an offce and don't spend
much time in the offce anyway.
Frm Businrs English Meetings by Jermy Comfor and Nick Breger D Penguin Boks 1998 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I A5 LE TT
CASE STUDY 21
The safet commitee
I SSUE
Your company has invested a lot of money in safet over the last ten year. Most of the recommenda
tions of the safet commitee have been implemented. Recently there has been a change in senior
management and a new impetus towards cost-cuting. As a result, the safet commitee has been
sidelined. On today's agenda you have two imporant issues of safet and also a chance to discuss the
position of the safet commit ee.
AGENDA
1 Car park lighting
2 Rest room facilities
Role of the safet commite
4 Recommendations
Notes to the agenda
78
1 Car park lighting
Te staf ca park is badly lit. In the winter, this means that dvers can have
dfculty seeing people walking to or leaving their cars. It also makes the car
park a potentially dangerous place, especially for female members of staf. Tere
have been no incidents in the car park up t now. The cost of instaling lights in
the car park would be 24,000.
2 Rest room failities
The company has two rest rooms, one for ofce staf, the other for production
workers. May of the staf have complained that the faciities are ver poor.
There is ver little space, no comfortable chairs and no natural light fom
outside. Some members of the safety committee feel a larger room should be
used and well fshed and decorated. There is an old workshop i the
company gounds. This could be converted to a sort of social club and rest area.
Estimated cost of conversion: 85,000.
3 Role of the safety committee
Many of the recommendations of the safet committee are not being acted on.
The senior management argue that it is necessar to keep costs tightly under
control. Therefore only essential safety obligations wbe followed.
4 Recommendations
Following the discussion of the above points, the safety committee wl daw up
some recommendations to send to senior management.
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Case Study 21
Continued . . .
ROLES
Production Manager
You are also on the Board of Management and you understand the need for cost-cutting. You feel
only essential safety measures should be acted upon. Lighting for the car park is not essential, in
your vew. It would be nce to have comfortable rest rooms but you don't think it is necessar. On
the role of the safety committee, it is important to discuss safety issues and make
recommendations The committee must accept that decisions lie with the board of management.
Administration Assistant
You represent the interests of ofce staf on the safety committee. For many years, staf have
complained about the lack of lghtig in the car park. You think this investment is essential for
the safety and security of all staf. You can see that converting the old workshop to a rest room is
probably too expensive. The exsting rooms could be improved by better fushing and decoration.
You are wlg to look into the cost. The safety committee is vtal and you think it should have
more power. You would le someone fom the legal department on the committee to advise on the
legal requirements.
Maintenance Superisor
You represent the interests of the production workers. The car park lighting should be improved
but there is no hur The rest room for production workers is a disgrace. Very few workers use it
and it should be improved as soon as possible. Perhaps the conversion of the workshop could be
done in stages, so that the costs could be spread over a number of years. The safety committee
does not have enough power, so you would lke the senior management to pay more attention to it.
Production Foreman
You have just joined the safety committee and your impression is that senior management does
not take it seriously. You nearly had an accident last week i the car pak when you didn't see
someone walking across it. Lighting is essential. The rest rooms need to be improved and you
th the conversion of the workshop is a good idea.
Area Sales Manager
You have been on the committee for a couple of years and have noticed a change in its power. You
know that the market is getting much harder and margns are being squeezed. You have sympathy
wth the board who are tryng to cut costs. You don't thi either the car park lighting or the rest
room improvement is essential. You are happy with the current role of the safety committee.
Plant Safet Offcer
You are very unhappy about the declining power of the saety committee. You feel the car park
lighting must be improved and, in order to get this acted on, have asked a government safety
advisor to come and measure the curent lighting levels. Te rest rooms need to be renovated
urgently. You feel staff cannot be expected to take their breaks in such poor conditions.
Frm Busines English Meetngs by Jermy Comfor dNick Breger OPnguin Boks 1998 PH 0 T 0 C 0 PI A LE
T
CASE STUDY 22
Tel eworki ng
I SSUE
Folowing the breakup of the conglomerate, MegaCorp, many of its business areas have been turned
into independent business units. Many of the non-core functions have been outsourced, creating
leaner more profitable and responsive organizations. Technology has dramaticaly altered many
aspects of the organization. Electronic mail gives rapid and cheap communication between the
business units and their parners around the globe, and video conferencing is widely used for business
meetings. Tese developments have had a marked infuence on the way in which the business units
operate. In an efor to maximize the use of manpower and technology a number of business units are
now investigating the use of telecommuting or teleworking, using computers connected by telephone to
send and receive work that they do at home.
AGENDA
1 Teleworking activities and company bnefits
Z The technical aspects of home working
Social efects of home working
4 Superision of home workers
b Financial implications
Notes to the agenda
80
1 The consultant w outlne the benefts of teleworkng.
2 The Operations Director w outline the range of activties which can be cared
out fom home.
3 The Information Technolog Director w present the technical aspects.
4 The Human Resouces Director w present the social implications of home
working.
5 A Supervisors' Representative w outline plans for supervising home-working.
6 The Finance Director w present the savngs.
The meeting w decide on a fture company policy for teleworking.
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Case Study 22
Continued . . .
ROLES
Consultant
Teleworking ofers excellent opportunities for: more fexble working for the company and its
employees; savng on overheads because less desk space required for employees; less time spent on
travelg; and geater comfort for employees working fom home.
Operations Dire.ctor
You believe that the followig activties can be carried out at home: data input; data access; and
data processing.
In this way
,
the following operations can be carried out: order processing; generating sales and
purchase reports; ivoicing; generating reports for management; and purchasing.
P the sta(at present 30 in df erent departments) concered with these activities are largely
autonomous in their work, they can work equally well at home.
Information Technolog Director
Teleworking sounds very appealing
,
but you are aware of all the technical problems that you and
your team are asked to solve. It woud be a mistake to rush into this as there are many problems.
Wilyou solve problems over the phone or wyou have to visit the employee's home? How wthe
installation of new hardware (at present about once per 18 months) be managed? Who will be
responsible for training people in the new sofware?
Over the yeas, you have seen the gadual isolation of individuals and departments. Many clerical
jobs can now be completed alone and many employees spend less time in diect interpersonal
communication. This is is one of the reasons for the rapid tunover i staf i certain jobs.
Maagers, too, are spending less time interacting with each other, as much information can now
be called up on their computer screens . P this makes a less healthy working envronment.
Teleworking seems to be yet another move away fom the concept of the organization as a group
of people working together.
Supervisors' Representative
At present the supervisors work very closely wth their teams and have built up team spirit. You
cannot imagne how you will maintain contact wth the individuals in your teams i they are
working from home. You feel strongly that teleworking will increase the turnover in administrative
jobs and make your job more diffcult.
Finance Director
Under pressure to cut costs
,
you can see that teleworking offers the possibility to make savngs in
a number of areas (offce space
,
offce furniture, company canteen, etc.) and to allow expansion
without investment in additional premises.
8 1
CASE STUDY 23
Trai ni ng weekend
I SSUE
Your company recently organized an outdoor weekend to develop teamwork amongst a group of
managers. The staf had to do mountain-walking, rock-climbing, canoeing and finaly buid a bridge over
a river During this last activit one of the team, Doug Walter, suddenly announced that he was not
prepared to carr on 'laying these sily games' and lef the training centre and drove home. The rest
of the group repored that he had seemed tense over the weekend and had cleary not enjoyed the
activities. He is an introvered and thoughtul man, ver good at his job and wel-respected in the
company The weekend had been aranged by the Training Manager who is ver much in favour of this
tpe of team-buiding coure. This meeting has been caled to discuss Doug and this tpe of trining.
AGENDA
1 Repor from Training Manager on weekend and feedback
Z Doug Walters
Types and objectives of training
4 Future training policy
Notes to the agenda
82
1 Report from Taining Manaer on weekend and feedback
The Taining Manager w brefy descrbe the course, objectives and feedback
fom the other participants.
2 Doug Walters
Te Human Resouces Manager w update the meeting on Doug Walter's views
and feedback fom the weekend.
3 'pes and objectives of training .
A discussion of traing policy and plans
4 Future training policy
Any decisions to be taken concerg a change in policy.
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Case Study 23
Continued Q
ROLES
Human Resources Manager (Chairan)
You have had a meetig wth Doug Walters. He said he hates outdoor activties and found the idea
of usig them for team-buildng childish and insulting. He is in favour of training but only with
concrete objectives. He felt the weekend was a waste of his time and the company's traiing
budget. He apologized for losing his temper and leaving suddenly. He thinks the Taing Manager
needs to revew the objectives of such training.
You are sympathetic to Doug's vews although you are in favour of team-buidng courses. Doug
is an excelent employee who contributes a lot on the technical side. People like him should not be
forced to participate i such trainng.
Taining Manager
You carried out a revew of the weekend with all the participants except Doug. They enjoyed the
weekend and thought it was valuable in buildng team spirit. You feel this tye of outdoor weekend
is excelent for motivation and understanding each other. You think Doug is not a team player
and is unsuited to the company. Your position is simple. 'you're not one of the team, then you
should't be i the company.'
R&D Manager
You ae Doug Walters' boss. He is one of the most important members of your team. He les to
work on hs own but he is aways supportive and sympathetic to other members of the team. You
don't lke the type of trang the Taining Manager is organizing.
Sales Manager
You support the Taing Manager. You think this type of outdoor training is excellent. You want
to send your sales people on a couse. You don't know Doug Walters but, to you, he sounds like
'trouble'.
Production Manager
Doug has helped the production department a lot in developing new methods. You fnd him quite
df cult to talk to but you value his ideas. You don't have a strong opinion about the traning but
you feel the company should be able to employ all types of personality.
You have had to deal with Doug on a number of occasions. He has often complained about
administrative procedures. You found him a difcult person. You feel he needs to adapt more
to working with people i an organization.
Frm Busines English Meetngs by Jermy Comfor ad Nick Breger ( Penguin Books l998 P H 0 T 0 C 0 PI A e L E 83
CASE STUDY 24
Workload
I SSUE
Folowing a reorganization in your company many staf have complained of the increased workload.
The tpical working day for managers has become 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The level of stress amongst many
staf has increased and days of due to ilness have also increased. Although the company is more
competiive (profits are up), the cost in human ters seems ver high. Opinions var amongst senior
managers. Some argue that the modern business world is the same for everbody and staf have to
leam to take the pressure, others feel that something must be done to reduce worloads.
This meeting has been caled to discuss the issue and decide if any action needs to be taken.
AGENDA
1 Review of workloads from deparmental heads: sales, finance, production and
administration
Z Work organization
Action
Note to the agenda
1 Review of workload fom departmental m0. sales, fnance, production and

administration
Each department head should present thei vew of workloads sice the
reorganization.
2 Work organization
Te Taining Manager wl talk about some initiatives which could be taken
to reduce workloads.
3 Action
Te meeting w decide i any action needs to be taken.
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Case Study 24
Continued . . .
ROLES
General Manager (Chair)
The reorganization was initiated by head offce and you are not surprised by the problems it has
created. You feel that many of your staf are at breaking point. You have arranged this meeting so
that you can hear fom 8 the department heads. Your Taining Manager has come prepared to
make some suggestions.
Taining Manager
You feel the situation could be improved by various training initiatives:
time management courses which would help managers to prioritize better
stress management courses to help managers to be more at ease at work
strategy and organzation courses for senor managers, to improve goal-setting, work allocation
and performance assessment.
Finance Manager
Your department has been cut fom 25 to just 15 sta . Some of the accounting work has been
taken over by head offce but the departmental workload has not decreased that much. You hope
that the introduction of new accounting sofware w help. In the meantime management accounts
w ceranly be delayed, and there may be problems with cash fow resulting fom slower
invoicing than usual.
Sales Manager
Your sales force has not been reduced but the administratve support has been cut fom fou to two
people. Last week one of these two sales assistants was of sick, certainly due to overwork. P a
result monthly sales reports are being delayed, and the company can expect this problem to get
worse over the coming months.
Production Manager
Your stahave been reduced by 25 per cent. This is maiy in the area of maintenance, where the
work has been outsourced. The maintenance team also used to support the production team when
they were short stafed. P a result of the reductions, lead times on order processing have
increased by one or two days.

You stahave been decreased fom 10 to just 4. Your department is responsible for all the
administration support systems, desktop computers, photocopyng, post, prnting and typing. You
used to employ four tyists. You now have none and managers have to do all their own tying. The
remaining fou staff are working extremely hard and you feel that it is only a question of time
before they start to take time of for illness.

Fm ae..--e,|.-w--a-,.by Jermy Comfor ad .:ta--,-: or--,e.-au1 98 PH OT 0 C 0 P l6 L E 85
STAFF COMMITTEE MEETI NG 1
You are a member of a staf committee which meets regularly Your task is to consider the items and
then to make recommendations to the board of directors.

AGENDA
1 Parking
Z Bad weather
d Smoking
4 Ofice planni ng
b Racial abuse on the shop-floor
b Early retirement scheme
Procedure
Aer you have read through the 'Notes to the agenda', prepare for the meeting (see p. 1):
M
1 Choose a chaperson for each item. This person w be responsible for
introducing the item and chairing the discussion.
2 Decide on the timing for the meetig.
3 Decide on the output of the meeting (minutes, action plan, etc.).
F8mrErbMp!myCNd8ncoHgBHIW8
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'

Staf Committee Meeti ng 1
Continued . . .
NOTES TO THE AGENDA
/ Parking
The company car park is not large enough. The management have a section of the car park
resered for them. This is ofen half full as a lot of managers are awav from the offce. Employees
who can't fnd a place have to park qwte a long way rrom tne corpa.y and sometimes have to pay
for pakng. Some stahave suggested the whole car park should be available to all employees on
a 'frst come, frst sered' basis. Some managers argue that their jobs are less 9 to 5 and they need
to have a place reserved for them.
3 Bad weather
This winter there has been some very severe weather. Sometimes it has been diffcult and
dangerous to get to work. Some staff have suggested that the company should allow employees
to stay at home on such days, with no loss of pay. Does such as system need to be formalized or
should the unwritten rule be 'If you can possibly get to work, do so! '?
3 Smoking
The company banned smoking fom 8 offces one year ago. Smokers now go out of the building to
smoke. These smokers go to the font entrance. They often need several minutes to get there and
then the same to return to their offces. Should smoking be banned around the building as well?
Provdng smoking areas in the company will be expensive and go against the policy introduced
one year ago.
4 Offce planning
A few years ago the company moved fom closed offces to an open-plan workspace. Most staff have
adapted to this change but some (about 15 per cent) have found it very diffcult to work in this
envonment. They complain that they cannot concentrate and their work has suffered. One
solution would be to section of one part of the workspace as a 'quiet area'. Aternatively, some
closed offces could be reconstructed.
5 Racial abuse on the shop-foor
The factory workforce is composed of black and white workers. Recently there have been
complaints fom a few black workers of racial abuse from one of the factory foremen. The
Production Manager has investigated the complaints. The workers say they have been called
names. The foreman denies it. The Production lIanager reckons that the foreman is racist and
would not be surprised if he had racially abused the other workers.
0 Early retirement scheme
The company introduced an early retirement scheme for people over 55 last year. Many workers
have now left the company using this scheme. Ironically, many new temporary workers have been
employed often in their late ffties or early sixties. The staff feel the company has used the scheme
to change the workforce from permanent full-time staff to temporary, part-time staff. Business has
picked up since the scheme was introduced and there has been a need to recruit more staff.
Management arges that they had to lose staff one year ago and the early retirement scheme was
the best way of doing so .
From Business English Merings by Jermy Comfon and Nick Bregc OPenguin Boks 1 998 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I A|E 6T
You are a member of a staf commitee which meets regularly Your task is to consider the items and
AGENDA
1 Illness
Z Age barrier
d Client lunches
4 Secretarial work
b Charity sponsorship
b Communit work
Procedure
Mer you have read through the 'Notes to the agenda', prepare for the meeting (see p. 1):
1 Choose a chaiperson for each item. Tis person w be responsible for
introducing the item and chairing the dscussion.
2 Decide on the timing for the meeting.
3 Decide on the output of the meetig (minutes, action plan, etc.).
88 M8mEMg!mmyCooad Nck8moOHga 8H IW8
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Staf Commitee Meeti ng 2
Continued . . .
NOTES TO THE AGENDA
/ Illness
Levels of absenteeism have increased in the company. This has been mainly caused by an increase
i sick leave. In winter many more people have been taking time of work because of illness. Some
people believe absenteeism is increasing because of stress at work, others because employees are
less loya to the company. The committee needs to come up with some suggestions for solvng this
problem.
2 Age barrier
New managerial jobs and promotions in general are being given to young employees or recruits
in their 30s. There are fewer opportunities for men and women in their late 40s and 50s. The age
structure of the company is gradually being changed. Is this a problem? Don't we need to
encourage and motivate older employees?
3 Client lunches
Vsiting customers and other contacts used to be taken to the company's canteen for lunch. Now
they are taken to an expensive restauant in town. Their hosts say that the food in the canteen is
not good enough and that the atmosphere is better in the restaurant for talking business. Wat
does the committee thik about this development?

/
4 Secretarial work
/
The number of secretaries has been cut in the company. Pa of the justifcation was that
managers should do more of their ow word-processing on their computers. Some managers
continue to request reports and other documents to be typed by overworked secretaries. The
secretaries complain that is diffcult to say 'no', because the managers are more senior.
5 Charit sponsorship
The company has given a lot of money to a local charity which works with homeless young people.
/ The Marketing Manager, who orignally proposed this charity, is married to the woman who runs
the local homeless shelter. The company's charity contributions mean the shelter can employ this
woman full-time. Some people feel that other charities should be supported, but, if the suppor to
the homeless charity is reduced, the shelter might have to close.
0 Community work
Employees of the company are encouaged to get involved in community projects and the company
allows them time off work to help in the community. A recent project has involved renovating some
old farm buildings to provide a social centre for local inhabitants. The local council has now asked
for a drainage pipe to be removed fom the land. This pipe drains waste water from the company's
production process and movng it would cost O, . If the council forces the company to move the
pipe, the board might consider stopping this sort of community work.
Frm Business English Meetings by Jermy Comfon ad Nick Briege Penguin Boks 1998 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I A | E 6

+
AGENDA
1 Social club: equal opporunities
Z Christmas pary
d Company car policy
4 I nternet use
b Perk or corruption
b Perormance appraisal
Procedure
Aer you have read though the 'Notes t the agenda', prepae for the meetng (see p. 1):
1 Choose a chairperson for each item. Ts person w be responsible for
intoducing the item and chairing the discussion.
2 Decide on the timing for the meetig.
3 Decide on the output of the meeting (minutes, action pla, etc.).
W F8m&HyCNB OHgBW
@ @
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@@@j @g@
Continued . . .
NOTES TO THE AGENDA
1 Social club: equal opportunities
Many female employees are not at ease in the company social club. It is dominated by men; they
play pool, C, smoke and have a good time. Women sit in a dark corner away from everybody
else. There are now more female employees than male employees in the company. Men who use the
social club are very happy with it. Should it be changed? so, how?
2 Christmas party
The company always holds a Christmas party for the children of all the employees. It is very
expensive, with presents, entertainment and a big lunch for the children and the parents. It has
been suggested that the money spent on the party could be given to a local orphanage where the
children have very little. The company cannot aford to do both.
3 Company car policy
Your company has always bought domestically produced company cars. This year the purchasing
department is considering buyng cars fom other countries. They have been ofered a good deal
and want to get the best deal for the company, wthout letting national sentiment get in the way.
'
4 Interet use
P employees with desktop computers now have access to the Interet. It was expected that the
compays phone bills would drop as fa was used less and e-mail more. In fact, telephone bills
have icreased by 30 per cent as employees spend long periods searching on the Internet. Should
the Internet access be stopped? Wo should have access to the Internet?
5 Perk or corruption
One of the perks (benefts) of some jobs are the gis received fom suppliers. At Christmas, the
purchasing department receive all sorts of gifs ranging fom pens to bottles of wine. Occasionally,
they receive gits such as short breaks in hotels, free dinners and entertainment. Should the
purchasing department share these gis around the company or keep them to themselves? Should
the gifts go to better causes, for example a local charity? Should suppliers be discouraged from
sending gifts?
0 Performance appraisal
For two years the company has operated a system of performance appraisal. Each employee is
appraised by his or her boss, and training, promotion opportunity and salary rises are ageed. It
has been suggested that the company should also operate 'upward appraisal' where the bosses are
appraised by their subordinates. Does the committee think this is a good idea? If so, how would I
be implemented?
Frm Business English Meetings by Jeremy Comfon and Nick Brieger DPenguin Books 1998 P H 0 1 0 C 0 P I A 6 L E |

AGENDA
1 Nuclear industr administration
Z Employment dilemma
d Racial harassment
4 Sponsorship
b Pilfering
b A question of drink
Procedure
Aer you have read through the 'Notes t the agenda', prepare for the meeting (see p. 1):
1 Choose a chairperson for each item. Tis person w be responsible for
introducing the item and chag the discussion.
2 Decide on the timing for the meetg.
92 F8mEMImyCdNt8gOP8HW8
@@@@@j @g@
Continued . . .
NOTES TO THE AGENDA
1 Nuclear industr administration
Your company has always had an image of environmental fiendliness. A major nuclear
reprocessing company is coming to your town. Many of the small local companies are launching a
campaign to prevent them fom setting up. The relocation would bring new jobs and increase your
business. You seek the committee's views on whether you should join the campaign against the
relocation.
2 Employment dilemma
A government scheme is offering fnancial subsidies to encourage companies to employ recently
released convcts. Your company would pay O per cent of the wage and the government would
match this. You would like the committee's vews on the principle of employing ex-convcts, the
practical aspects of identifing suitable job areas, the efect on other employees, and steps to
integate them smoothly into the company.
3 Racial harassment
Some of the production workers belong to ethnic miorities. They are hard workers, keep
themselves to themselves, and in some cases, hardy speak any of the local language (English) .
Yesterday, one of them complained because she was asked to do boring jobs. In addition, she said
that there had been verbal abuse fom other workers.
4 Sponsorship
Your company has always had a good relationship with the local community. You contribute to a
number of charitable organizations and local cultural events. You have been approached by the
festival committee to contribute towards the annual fa. This usually takes the form of singing,
dancing and other cultural events. It is a local holday and most of the residents come to watch the
celebrations. The advance programme shows an event to commemorate Theodore Poster. He was a
charismatic local fgure who kept the local population ethnically pure. Nothing was ever proved
against him, but you are very concered. You would like the committee's vews on whether you
should continue to support the festival.
5 Pilfering
Over the years many items of minor value have gone missing from the company's premises, often
no more than stationery. Now there is the reglar dsappearance of photocopy paper, pens, pencils
and other items. Last week one of the staff told you that her handbag had been stolen. The police
were informed, wrote down the details, but took no further action.
0 A question of drink
Abert Brown has been with the company for Zyears. He has worked his way up from an offce
cleaner to a supervsor on the shop- foor responsible for ZO workers. Tvo weeks ago, you called
Abert into your offce for a meeting, and you clearly smelt alcohol on his breath. At that time you
didn't say anyhing. Yesterday, you heard that he had come to work drunk and had hit another
worker. You have heard from another shop-foor worker that Albert's wife left him some months
ago.
From Business English lcctings by Jermy Comfor ad Nick Breger O Penguin Boks 1 998 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I A 6 LE J
then to make recommendations to the Board of Directors.

AGENDA
1 A question of lateness
Z Sexual harassment
d Keeping fit
4 Job titles
b Time-keeping
b The photocopier
Pocedure
Aer you have read though the 'Notes t the agenda', prepae for the meeting (see p. 1):
1 Choose a chaiperson for each item. Tis person w be responsible for
introducg the item and chang the discussion.
2 Decide on the timng for the meetg.
3 Decide on the output of the meeting (minutes, action plan, et.).
W F8mEMImyCNd8mOBW fM
@@@@
f
j@g@
. . . :
.
Continued . . .
NOTES TO THE AGENDA
1 A question of lateness
Susan Marham is an excellent personal assistant. She is very competent in the offce and manages
her own workload, as well as yours, very effciently. However, she is always late in the mornings,
when you need someone to answer the phone as there ae regula calls fom abroad. You have
talked to her many times about this and she always promises to be at the offce on time, but
doesn't do so. La
s
t week you lost a major contract because a client couldn't get through to you or
your secretary. You know that Susan is a single mother and has two young children aged 3 and 5.
2 Sexual harassment
Maggie Brown takes great cae over her appearance and clearly spends a lot of money on
expensive clothes. In a goup she enjoys getting the attention of her male colleagues, especially the
Managing Director. Yesterday, she complained to you that the boss had sexually harassed her by
suggesting that they spend the nght together. You were very surprised because you thought that
Magge could handle a little joke, but she was clearly upset.
3 Keeping ft
Last yea one of your competitors introduced a morg keep ft class for all company employees.
Athough there was a lot of scepticism at frst, the session, ofered to all workers for 30 minutes
before the morg sh, is now ver popular. Unfortunately, there have been a number of minor
casualties fom overenthusiastic participants. You ae wondering whether to introduce a similar
programme and would like the committee's views about the advantages and disadvantages.
4 Job titles
Your company has always been proud of its fat company organization and polcy of open
communcation. However, as it has gone interational, many of the new foreign clents have been
surprised that stado not have clear job titles. a result, some senior managerial titles have
been created in order to avoid confusion among clients. You have now heard that some of the
subordinate staf would like to have clea job titles, too.
5 Tme-keeping
You offce has always been fairly free and easy about time. long as the work gets done, you
trusted people to manage their own time. Now you've noticed that people are beginning to arrive
late and go home early, not only in your offce, but in other offces, too. You would like the
committee's vews on the importance of timekeeping and what steps, if any, should be taken.
0 The photocopier
The photocopier is an essential resource in your offce and you get valuable service from it.
^ However, you are always horrifed to see how many copies are wasted and how much paper is
thrown away. Is there really unnecessary usage and what steps, if any, can be taken to use it less
wastefully?
From Busi ness English leetings by Jermy Comfon and Nick Breger Penguin Boks 1 998 PH 0 T 0 C 0 P I A LE 95
STAFF COMMITEE MEETI NG 6
You are a member of a staf commitee which meets regulary Your task is to consider the items and
AGENDA
1 Reference for i ncompetent employee
Z A new personal assistant
d Libel
4 Firing
b The argumentative couple
b Ofice temperature
Pocedure
Aer you have read through the 'Notes to the agenda', prepare for the meeting (see p. 1):
1 Choose a chairperson for each item. Tis person wbe responsible for
introducing the item and chairg the discussion.
2 Decide on the timing for the meetng.
3 Decide on the output of the meeting (minutes, action plan, et.).
F8mwMImCdNdB&B lW fM
@@@@
f
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Continued . . .
NOTES TO THE AGENDA
1 Reference for incompetent employee
You were ver relieved when Roger Dixon fnaly left the company some 3 months ago. His work as
qualit supersor had been poor and he had made some expensive mistakes. As you had been his
boss, you had agreed to act as referee for him. You have now been asked to write a reference on
Roger, who has applied to be quality manager for one of your suppliers.
2 A new personal assistant
You recently advertised in the local press for a personal assistant. The best application for the post
was fom a candidate in her late twenties. She came for an interview and impressed you with her
administrative and secretarial skills. You are concered that, as she's engaged to be married, she
may want to leave and start a family before long. You therefore wonder whether you should
appoint your second choice.
3 Libel
At a recent Chamber of Commerce lunch, one of your subordnates, who had had too much to
d, started making ofensive and insensitive remarks about the company and its senior
management. Natually, some of the listeners were amused; others were disgusted by his
behavou. You wonder what action should be taken, i 8_ and by whom.
4 Firing
You have recently been appointed as a junior manager and are keen to do the job well. To of
the stathat you have inherited have failed to meet your expectations and you have no other
alterative but to fe them.
5 The argumentative couple
To members of your sta , both of who are i line for promotion, are constantly havng rows and
scoring points off each other. It has become an offce joke, but you don't think it's good for thei
work nor for the offce atmosphere.
0 Offce temperature
The statutor minimum temperature for offces is 20C. However, when some of the offce staff
complained they were cold, you increased it to 22C. Now you are getting complaints that the
offces are too hot. P you are housed in a modern offce block, the offce temperature is regulated
centrally and the windows can't be opened.
Frm Business English Meetings by Jermy Comfon and Nick Breger Penguin Boks 1 998 PH 0 T 0 C 0 P I A 5 L E 97

AGENDA
1 Rumours
Z Non-contributor manager
d Woman's role
4 Enteraining clients
b Ofice paries
b Freelancing
Pocedure
Aer you have read through the 'Notes to the agenda', prepae for the meeting (see p. 1):
1 Choose a chaierson for each item. Ts person w be responsible for
intoducing the item and chag the dscussion.
98 F8mE&MrbyImyCdNO8ncoOPg8H W f
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Continued . . .
NOTES TO THE AGENDA
Rumours
You have heard one of your subordinates discussing confdential boardlevel information with other
junior managers. The discussion centred around speculation about the company's fture, especially
a takeover by a competitor. You would like the committee's views on whether you should take action
to tr to prevent hamfl rumours being spread. Ad i so, what action would be appropriate?
3 Non-contributor manager
You work as marketing manager, responsible for a team of regional sales managers. In your
regular weekly sales meetings with the regional managers, there is one manager who never says
anything. His sales results are good and you have no concern about his performance. However, you
ae worried that he doesn't contribute to the meetgs.
3 Woman's role
You are the only woman in a goup of middle managers, and at the regular meetigs it is expected
that you will take notes or minutes. Recently, you have been asked to make a cup of tea or cofee
for the meeting participants. You feel that it is wrong for the other middle managers to
automaticaly expect you to do these tasks just because you are a woman.
4 Entertaining clients
P marketing manager, you have to entertain clients several times a week. You ofen take them
out for lunch to a rather expensive restaurant. You usually take a threecourse meal with wine,
which gves both of you an opportunity to discuss areas of business wthout rushing. You generally
end the meeting feeling satisfed with the results. On the other hand, work is impossible
aferwards and this makes you feel bad. You would like the committee's guidelines on how t
achieve the same business results, but without the overindulgence.
5 Offce parties
P offce manager, you have noted the increasing time and money spent on offce parties. Tese
celebrate company successes, national holidays, and employees' birthdays. They are clearly good
for the morale of the company and are often cited jokingly by employees as a reason for the
company's success. You would like the committee's gidelines on what events should be celebrated.
0 Freelancing
You are responsible for personnel at a management training consultancy. For the training courses
you offer, you often use the serices of outside consultants. As these consultants also work for your
competitors, you are worried that they will pass on sensitive information about your organization
and about your clients.
From Business-Eglih (eetings by Jeremy Comfort and. Nick Breger DPenguin Boks | 998 PH 0 30 C 0 P I A L E

.
AGENDA
1 Financial serices
Z Chemical leak
d Sex and drugs
4 Compensation
b Anti-ageing cream
b Workload
Procedure
Aer you have read through the 'Notes to the agenda', prepae for the meeting (see p. 1):
1 Choose a chairperson for each item. Tperson wlbe responsible for
introducing the item and chaing the dscussion.
3 Decide on the output of the meeting (minutes, acton plan, etc.).
I0 F8mEgM byImyCNd8ncop8HW8
@@@@@j@g@
Continued . . .
NOTES TO THE AGENDA
Financial services
You are a smal, successfl producer of envonmentaly-fiendly products. You have been
approached by EthFin, a fnancial serces company, which ofers a range of fnancial services, all
supposedly 'ethical'. At present you ae looking for a loan in order to expand. EthFin's terms for
the loan are less attractive than those ofered by your existing bank. However, you feel that using
EthFin could help reinforce your image in the market-place.
2 Chemical leak
Your production department has told you that there was a minor leak of dangerous chemicals into
the local river last week. Last year, when a similar mistake happened, the local environentalists
found out. They told the press and, aer a high profe court case, your company was fned and
told to improve procedures. You ageed to spend a large sum of money on waste treatment. Some
of the new equipment has been installed. The present leak, though much smaller than last year, is
likely to cause mior damage to wid life.
Sex and drugs

Your famboyant Managing Director has ofen been at the centre of controversy. He is very popular
with shareholders, and the value of the company's shares has risen dramatically since he took
over.
Now there is a rumour that a reporer fom the tabloid newspaper Famous Secrets found him at
a 'Sex and Drugs' party last week. You are worried that this could have devastating efects on the
company's image.
4 Compensation
Recently a keyboard operator won 1m compensation fom her employer for the occupational nerve
disease of repetitive strain ijury (SI. The case was followed by a government report
highlghting the risks and recommending guidelines for maximum daily hours to be spent working
on a keyboard. You have now received a letter fom the doctor of one of your employees suggesting
that she is sufering fom RSI. Her supervisor tells you that the number of hours she spends
working on the keyboard are within the government guidelines.
5 Anti-ageing cream
Your company is a leading producer of anti-ageing cream. In a sector which is surrounded by a lot
of hype, your products are well respected in the market-place. You launched 'YoungSkin' about 6
months ago. It was an immediate success. Te instructions for use warn of the possibility of
iritation, but there have been, as always, a small number of consumer complaints. These have
now been thoroughly investigated by you R & D department. They have reported that the risk
of 'oungSkin' causing serious irritation is 0. 1 per cent.
0 Workload
One of your best sales managers told you yesterday that he might leave. He cited family and
claimed that because of the long hours and frequent absences, his wife and children rarely
saw him. He also told you that his job was important for his fnancial security and for hs
sel-fulflment. Naturally, you are very reluctant to let him go.
Frm Business English Meings by Jery Comfon ad Nick Breger OPenguin Boks I998 Fm0 T 0 C 0 P I A B L E
| 0|
SPECI ALI ST AGENDA 1
Management
I SSUE
GIM, or the Global Institute of Management, plays an infuential role in the world of business
management. With members in over countries, it regulary:
organizes interational conferences
produces more than Zbpublications
aranges local workshops
examines candidates for the GIM Diploma (an internationaly
recognized management qualfication).
On the eve of the milennium, one of the main chalenges facing GIM is to brng together the main
views and experiences of its many members throughout the world. In fact, tough advances in
technology have brought managers closer together views on management stil seem to be ver
far apar.
In an efor to find an acceptable defnition of management, GIM has invied 'expers' frm a number of
key local GIM ofces to a meetng (the frt trly global meeting of the association) to decide on a
wording to be used in GIM's logo afer the year Z. The wording should reflect te key concers of
management in the nex centur
AGENDA
1 Management: knowledge or skills?
2 Can management b taught?
A definition of management for GIM
Notes to the agenda
102
1 Management: knowledge or skills?
Is management based on knowledge of principles or on the application of skls?
Each manager presents their vews.
2 Can management be taught?
Can this knowledge or these skills be taught?
Each manager presents their vews.
3 A defnition of management for GIM
Te participants agee a wording for the GI logo.
F8wmEwMmImyCNid8ngHgB UW
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Speci al i st Agenda 1
Continued . . .
ROLES
Manager l
Your vews on management follow Henri Fayol, the founder of the classical management school.
You have spent many years in production management and believe that the key to successfl
management is forecasting, planning, organizing, commanding, co-ordinating and controlling.
Manager 2
You believe that, above all, a manager needs to have specialist technical knowledge fom hs or her
feld. Specialists know their jobs thoroughly and ca make decisions accordingly. Your strength,
you believe, is the in-depth knowledge that you have gained in fnancial management fom many
years of work in the area.
Manager 3
In today's business world, no manager can carry out 8 the tasks without the support of an able
team. Team-working is the key to success. And for team-working to be efective, any manager
needs to be able to delegate tasks. You believe that you have developed the skills to be a good
delegator and this has enabled you to work efectively as a manager in a number of industries.
Manager 4
You believe that management is about attitudes. Uyou have the right attitude, then you can
achieve success. Your views follow Tom Peters' and you believe that effective managers get their
organizational direction fom 'soud common sense, pride in the organization and enthusiasm for
its works'.
Manager S
You believe that the best managers have well-balanced personalities. You believe that the optimal
mix should include ambition, commitment, energ and physical and psychological stabiity.
Manager 0
You believe that the most important skill for managers is to be able to motivate their colleages.
No manager can accomplish everything alone. He or she needs a team. To gain the commitment of
the team and achieve the organization's goals, the manager needs to be able to motivate them.
From Business Engl ish Meting by Jermy Comfor :d :id: nccr D Penguin Books |998 P H 0 T 0 C 0 PI A 6 L E 1 03
Qual it
I SSUE
It has been a bad year for fairgrounds. They have been under increasing pressure from other leisure
industr providers. As a result, fairground operators have been forced to cut costs, especialy on the
maintenance of the rides. In addition, the 'big dipper' and the 'freefa/1', two of the most popular rdes,
have come in for criticism afer to high profie accidents earlier this year. No one was serously
injured, but these accidents are always headlne news. They also have the efect of giving all funfairs a
bad name. As a result of this and the trend towards other leisure pursuits, atendances at funfair have
been slowly dropping of throughout the countr
In an atempt to reverse the faling numbers, a special qualit group has been set up. The group
consists of the representtives from the main fairgrund operators. Your task is to create a new qualt
statement for fairgrounds.
In this first meeting, the aim is to consider the key aspects of qualit These wilthen be drafed in
a document which wil be released to the press and the media. The objective of this first stage is to
reassure the general public of the intentions of the fairground operator to clean up their act. The
second stage, for a subsequent meeting, is to establish a code of conduct for all member of the
fairground opertor' association. In this way a set of standards will be introduced for the firt tme into
tis sector of the leisure industr in order to provide 'objectiely measurable safet crtera for al of our
customer'.
Your task for te meetng is to agree on a statement which defines a qualit standard for fairground
operators.
AGENDA
1 The problems of the industr
2 The imporance of quality
The scope of quality
4 A definition of qualit for the fairground industr
Notes to the agenda
1 Te problems of the industr
Each operator outlines their view of the problems.
2 Te importance of quality
Each operator presents their view of the importance of qualty for the industry.
3 Te scope of quality
Each operator explains what aspects qualt needs to cover.
4 A defnition of quality for the fairground industr
The participants agee a wording for the quality statement.
IM ..
F8mmEM gbyImCdNuB O&B IW8
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Continued . . .
ROLES
Operator
You believe that customers have become more concered about quality. This includes, particularly,
the quality of the staf, the quality of the equipment, the quality of the maintenance and the
quality of the safety standards. You think that the quality statement should prominently display
the goups concer with these quality issues. You favour a statements such as 'Quality is number
.'
Operator 2
Fairground operators, like yoursel, have been under a lot of fnancial pressure recently. The
business has become more competitive. Equipment and personnel have both become more
expensive. It is true that some operators have tried to cut corners by saving money, wherever
possible. You believe that the qualit statement needs to put the customer centre-stage. You favour
a statement such as 'Customers are our focus.'
Operator 3
You believe that, in the customers' minds, fairground are above all about fn. Like other leisure
sector provders, you need to attract clients by giving them what they want. You believe that this
is a quality serice in a leisure context. You favou a statement such as 'Quality is our most
imporant serce. '
Operator 4
The increasing costs of equipment and maintenance is making it more diffcult to make a proft.
One response has been to cut rng costs by rationalizing the number of fairground workers.
The
.
result has been fewer workers and longer hours. This has created a bad image and, in you
md led to some accidents. You believe that the industry needs to raise its standards by investing
more i people. You believe that this w help to raise the industry's profle. You favour a
statement such as 'Quality is employee involvement.'
Operator 5
The fairground is becoming more sophisticated, and customers are becoming more demanding. The
newer rides make use of the latest technology and computer control systems. The younger
customers are no longer satisfed with the traditional 'rides'. You are sure that new equipment will
bring the customers back. In any case, the newer equipment is now much safer. If you can show
the customer that you are replacing old equipment, they will be reassured about quality standards.
You favour a statement such as 'Our mission is to constantly improve our serces to meet
customer needs. '
Operator 0
In your experience quality is not a cost. It doesn't come from investing in expensive equipment or
highly-qualifed workers. Quality comes from developing the right attitudes. With these right
attitudes come improved standards of working. You favour a statement such as 'Quality is fee.'
From Busi ness English 1eetings by Jermy Comfor and Nick Brieger DPenguin Books 1 98 P H 0 0 C 0 P I A 6 L E 1 05
Human resources (1 )
I SSUE
Management practices develop in response to the changing demands of the organizations that they
sere. One key example is human resources, which has grown far beyond its original concerns for the
welare of employees. In the process, it has forsaken its concers for the workforce, and is today seen
as more concered for the company's botom line.
So, what are the legitimate concers for the human resources professional? In an atempt to fnd an
answer to this queston, a meeting of human resources specialsts has been convened to define the
scope of human resources. The paricipants have been chosen because of their wide-ranging and
diferent views on human resources.
AGENDA
1 The demands of today's organization
2 The scope of human resources management
d A definition of human resources management
Notes to the agenda
1 Te demands of today' organization
Each specialist presents their view on what drves todays orgaations.
2 Te scope of human resources manaement
Each speciaist presents thei view of human resouces management
(see 'Roles').
3 A defnition of human resources management
The participants agree a wording for the scope of human resources
management.
0 _ F8m EMImCNm8mOWBIW8
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Continued . . .
ROLES
Specialist
You believe that the main fnction of human resouces is to support the company's employees.
With the current trends towads rationalization and downsizing, many employees are in danger
of losing their basic rights.
Specialist 2
In your opinion, human resources has a wide function. It exists to formulate the 'values' of the
organization: to set out the type of employer that it intends to be and to defne the management
style.
Specialist 3
Organizations exst, above 8 , to make a proft for their shareholders. Central to this objective is
having the right people. You believe that the scope of human resources management is to quanti
the manpower needs of the organization in order to maximize and optimize its operations.
Specialist 4
Every organization needs people. And both the organization and its people need to 'gow' - the
organzation in size, and the people in terms of personal and professional development. In you
opinion, the role of human resources management is to develop the company's employees, which
wthen be translated into icreased profts, servce quality and organizational stability.
Specialist
today's business envionment, every organization requires teamwork. The most successfl
/
companies are those whch provide a supportive climate for thei people. You believe that the
cental role for human resouces specialists is to support managers thoughout the organization
so that they can be more efective people managers.

Specialist 0
The demands of the workplace are changing more quicky than at any time in history. This means
that today's employees regularly need new knowledge and skls. The job of the Human Resouces
Manager is to ensure that the workforce is competent, up-to-date, motivated and fully developed.
From Business English Metngs by Jermy Comfor ad Nick Brege DPenguin Bok 1998 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I A 6 L E 107
Promotion
I SSUE
Promoting a new product or serice can be a ver costly exercise, as Slmmers' Health Club are just
finding out. Afer a successful launch months ago, the number of regular user has stared to drop
of. The three directors are getting woried.
Located in the centre of Newtown's commercial distrct, the club should be wel placed to pick up
business from busy executives, in need of a workout - either during their lunch break or afer work. In
fact, the club has gone to great lengths to provide the right facities for this market and a fexible
membership scheme. The main competition comes from two other wel-established health centres, but
their customers have complained that the equipment is ofen over-subscribed and the exercise areas
too ful. A new club would be wel placed to pick up the overcpacit However it is clear that more
needs to be done to bring in the customers - or perhaps to look for other customers.
Therefore, a team of three adverising consultants have been invited to advise on the diferent tpes of
promotional strategies that you could adopt within your budget of 3, 000.
AGENDA
1 The problems of Slimmers' Health Club
Z The role of promotion
d The opporunities provided by promotional tools
4 Action plan for Sl i mmers' Health Cl ub
Notes to the agenda
I0&
1 Te problems of Slimmers' Health Club
The directors present the problems facing the club.
2 Te role of promotion
The consultants present the role ad benefts of promotion.
3 Te opportunities provided by promotional tools
Each participant presents their favoured approach.
4 Action plan for Slimmers' Health Club
The participants agee on an action plan.
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Continued . . .
ROLES
Director , Slimmers' Health Club
You believe that the main problem facing the club is that not enough people know of its existence.
You feel sure that promotion will help to raise awareness in the community. To achieve that, you
favour investing in the sponsorship of a local sports or ftness event at a cost of 1,000.
Director 2
,
Slimmers' Health Club
The core of your present business comes fom a small number of regular users. They have
subscribed as members. addition, you have a number of casual users who exercise once or twce
a month, preferrng to pay a high hourly rate rather than joinng the club. You believe that you
need to increase membership by persuadng the casual users to become members. You think the
best way to do this is through a special ofer of reduced membership rates. You estimate that this
would cost you 1, 000.
Director 3
,
Slimmers' Health Club
The business community is where your customers come from. Therefore, you believe that you must
have more contact with them. You favour a special personal sellng campaign to local companies
which might be interested in corporate membership. The campaig would cost in the region of
1,000.
Advertising consultant 1
You have helped many small businesses in the local communty before, although health clubs ae a
new area for you. You have tried many promotional tools and you have found direct maing to
potential customers to be the most successfl. You could provide a well-targeted mailing for 1, 500.
You are a keen sports person and a member of one of the competing clubs. You feel that the name
'Slmmers' Health Club' will put a lot of potential customers off. The focus should be on exercise
and its benefts, not on the weight problems of the users. You advsed a competitor club during its
setup and found that point-of-sale advertising at shops which sell sports wear was a ver
successfl promotional tool. 30u could provide a similar service to Slimmers' Health Club for
1,000.
You believe that the key to success lies in reaching a wider audience interested in sports and
ftness. These audiences can be reached by advertising at events which attract large numbers
of people. You have in mind the local football matches and other sporting activities. Perimeter
advertising for a season would cost about 1, 000 per location.
Frm Business English Meetngs by Jeremy Comfor ad Nick Brieger Penguin Books |998 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I ALE I 0
The trai ning di lemma
I SSUE
'We need more training. '
The Training Manager at a large multinational oil company was delghted to hear the Human Resources
Director make this pronouncement at a recent meeting. But, he went on to say the whole training
deparment should be made redundant and then outsourced, because full-time, in-house triner are
ineficient. The Human Resources Director then identified the tpes of training that he felt were the
key to the company's successful future:
specialist technical ski s training for marketing, finance, production, etc.
generc management training for team-building, leadership and project management
inforation technology skils training for handlng the new equipment and sofare
communication ski s training in areas such as presentations, meetings and repor
writing.
In order to resolve the issues, a meeting has been caled to look at the training function and the options.
AGENDA
1 The purpose of training: presented by the Human Resources Director and
outside consultant
Z The types of courses currently ofered: presented by the Trai ning Manager
The deliverers of training: presented by the trainers and the Trai ni ng Manager
4 Review of policy and action: all members
Notes to the agenda
1 Te purpose of training
The Human Resources Director and the outside consultant present their views
of the purpose of training.
2 Te types of courses currently offered
The Taining Manager presents the types of training curently on ofer.
3 Te deliverers of training
The trainers and the Taining Manager describe the present situation for
training delivery.
4 Review of policy and action
P the participants revew the present policy and decide whether a change of
policy is required.
5 Action
The participants decide on any acton required t implement any changes i
policy.
I I0 F8urmrEgrbMImyCmNd8gOPg8HW8
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^
Continued . . .
ROLES
Human Resources Director (Chair)
You made your vews clear at the meeting last month. Ptraining should be outsourced. This is
the only way to maintain your company's present position as a world-class player. The current
training practices are expensive, inefcient and prevent the company fom achieving its goals.
Your opinions of in-house trainers are:
1 To use them efectively, they need to spend 70 per cent of their time in the
classroom; this leads to quick burnout.
2 They are dif cult to manage; they are a quirky goup of individuals, rather
than team players.
3 Most of them are not interested in, or do not understand the business; they
quickly become inward-looking and fail to respond to organizational needs.
Outside Consultant
There is a need for a small goup of trainers to be kept withn the organization. Many of the
generic courses, such as management development, communication skills training and information
technolog can be outsourced. However, there is valuable knowledge buit up by trainers working
within areas such as marketing, fnance and production. It would be difcult to fnd this tye of
trainer outside the company.
Taining Manager
You have worked hard to put the present traing team together. You have ageed a wide range
of contracts, rangng fom fll-time U houly paid, so you don't think that the criticism of expense
is justifed. Tainers also work on valuable areas such as resource development. You have a good
team, able to deliver excellent courses throughout the company. The feedback fom course
participants usually ranges fom good to excellent. Finally, you know that with outsourcing, your
job might be cut, as the training management fnctions could be carried out by an administrative
assistant.
Taining Cordinator
You reject the Human Resources Diector's comment that the in-house trainers are simply a group
of individuals. Of course, there are some interesting characters among them, but that is in the
nature of training. You have worked on training development, so that you have a reliable,
professional, committed trainng team.
Tainer (I)
You have been employed by the company for 10 years and have seen your training hours rise from
10 a week to more than 20 a week now. This is an exhausting workload. You appreciate the
security of full-time employment, but believe that you could continue to work inside the company
on a feelance basis. Your knowledge and skills will be needed in the future; and you would beneft
from fewer hours and higher pay.
Tainer (2)
You have recently joined the in-house team, bringing with you a high degree of energy and
enthusiasm. You are worried about the potential outsourcing of the training, as you thin it would
be dfcult to fnd another job quickly. In any case, you lke the team working and the
opportunities for professional exchange with other trainers .
. -
Frm Business Eglish Metngs by Jermy Comfor ad Nick Breger OPenguin Boks |998 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I A 6 L E
1 1 1
SPECI ALIST AGENDA 6
Sales and marketi ng
I SSUE
You al work in the marketing deparment of a large international company which manufactures securit
systems. Recently your company launched a new product caled The Max'. It is a sophisticated alar
system which also photographs any intruders. To launch the product you used a adverising
campaign loosely based on a film caled Mad Max. There has been apublic outcr with pars of the
media arguing that the fim seeks to terif people into buying alar systems. The meeting has been
called to discuss the campaign.
AGENDA
1 The Max campaign
Z Sales repor
d Public relations repor
Notes to the agenda
1 Te Macampaign
The Marketing Manager w report on the concepts behnd the campaign and its
results
2 Sales report
The Sales Manager w report on sales since the launch.
3 Public relations report
The Public Relations Manager wreport on press relations and other PR
1ssues.
The meeting will decide whether any action needs to be taken.
I I2 F8mEb Meg by Jey CNd8ngOHg8W8
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.
Continued . . .
ROLES
Marketing Manager (Chair)
You were responsible for gvng the advertising agency the go-ahead to flm the 'Mad Ma'
commercial. Personally you think it is a fantastic ad and rather damatically sells the featres of
the Max Alarm system. You also feel that the bad publicity w not harm the company i the end.
It certainly w increase sales.
Sales Manager
You are delighted with the impact of the ad. Sales of the Max system have doubled in the last two
months and the main problem is producing enough to meet demand. You can see that the ad might
ofend some people but there have been no complaints about the product and that is the important
thing.
Public Relations Manager
You feel you should have been consulted about the ad. It has been a disaster for the compay. Your
phone has not stopped ringng with local and national press askng for the company's position.
Most of the press have criticized the ad. They say it is designed to fighten people and they feel
elderly
p
eople in particular might confse the flm wth reality. You think the ad should be
withdrawn and that the company should publicly apologize for causing ofence.
Promotions Asistant
You ddn't lie the ad. You thought it was over-dramatic. It painted a picture of a very fightening
world. You agree with the Public Relations Manager that it was a mistake.
Customer Service Manager
You can't see what all the trouble is about. You foud the ad very efective. The customers you
have talked to don't seem to be ofended. You think it is just the media blowing it up out of
proportion.
Frm Business English Meetngs by Jermy Comfon and Nick Brcg OPenguin Boks |998 P H 0 1 0 C 0 P I A 5 L E 1 1 3
Fi nance
I SSUE
You work for a limited company employing b workers. The company's main business is printing but it
also has its own design studio. This month's regular finance committee meeting has a number of items
on the agenda. For each item, use your own knowledge and the information under 'Roles'.
AGENDA
T Valuing goodwi l l
Z Reductions i n overhead costs
d More transparent management accounts
4 Bank charges
Notes to the agenda
I I4
1 Valuing goodwill
Over the last two or three years, there have been one or two approaches fom
other bigger prnting companies interested in buying you company. The
Managing Diector would lie an approxmate valuation of goodwill.
2 Reductions in overhead costs
Suggestions for cutting overheads frther woud be welcome.
3 More transparent management accounts
Some of the management have difculty uderstanding the management
accounts. How can they be made easier to read and interret?
4 Bank charges
You annual tuover is 3. 1 million. You pay 7, 500 in bank charges ever year.
This covers all your costs of banking. Ae there any ways to reduce these
charges?
F8m EgrbMImyCmBncgOHg8W8
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Continued . . .
ROLES
Finance Manager (Chair)
Valuing goodwill: This is very dffcult to do. The easiest way is to take a percentage of the last fve
years' turnover.
Reductions in overhead costs: You are hoping that your staf will have analyzed the proft and loss
account and come up wth some suggestions.
More transparent . management accounts: These are too complex. In your opinion, items should be
gouped together for ease of uderstanding.
Bank charges: Your bank has ofered to reduce thei annual charge bill by 10 per cent. You feel you
could get a better deal by changing to a new bank. This would have administrative costs etc.
Chief Accountant
Valuing goodwill: There are formulae which can calculate goodwll. You ofer to prepare some
fges for the next meeting.
Reductions in overhead costs: Overheads have been steadly rising - paricularly in the use of
telephone and stationer. There needs to be more rigorous control in these areas.
More transparent management accounts: The best way is to just present sales, direct costs and
overheads. people requie frther detail, they can ask for it.
Bank charges: You don't want to change banks as this can cause problems with customers,
supplers etc. You think you present bank should ofer a better deal.
Chief Bookkeeper
Valuing goodwill: You don't have an opinion about this item.
Reductions in overhead costs: Aalysis of itemized telephone bills shows that a lot of personal calls
ae made fom the ofce. Telephone bills have risen by more than 10 per cent a year for the last
thee years, although charges have actualy falen.
More transparent manaement accounts: Managers are always comig to ask you for printouts of
df erent nominal accounts. They should be trained to use the accounts sofware, on their own
computers.
Bank charges: You have to deal with the bank every day. It is a dsgrace that they charge so much
money. They are very slow, inefcient and often unhelpful. You defnitely think you should change
banks.
Financial Controller
Valuing goodwill: The company's goodwill value is really what the market will pay for the company
over and above the asset value of the company. So you don't see why you should spend time trng
to calculate it.
Reductions in overhead costs: Telephone costs have risen tremendously. Bills show that this is
mainly due to more long-distance and international calls. The staf need to be made more aware of
telephone charges and also the alternatives of fax and e-mail.
More transparent management accounts: All the managers should know more about the fnancial
state of the company. Taining u this area would be helpful.
Bank charges: Changing to a new bank in order to reduce charges might be a big mistake. Bans
offer very attractive deals to persuade you to change and then slowly increase the charges over the
following years. If the present service is not good enough, then that is a good reason to change.
.
Frm Business English Meetngs by Jermy Comfor :d Nick Breger OPenguin Boks 1998 pH 0 I 0 C 0 P I A 6 L E 1 1 5
Legal afai rs
I SSUE
You work for a large international company The legal deparment is mainly involved in drawing up
contracts and advising on contractual and commercia/ law The deparment meets evel month to
discuss curent issues. Use your own knowledge and the points under 'Roles' to paricipate in the
meeting
AGENDA
T Contract negotiations
Z Regional special ists
d Insurance claims
Notes to the agenda
1 16 :
1 Contract negotiations
Your company is involved i fequent interational negotiations for large
contracts overseas. The company's policy is for these negotiatons to be ca1red
out by someone fom sales, a Technical Advsor and sometimes one of the
Fiancial Managers. Members of the legal department are not present, although
their advice is ofen needed.
2 Regional specialists
Te legal department is increasingly asked to deal with questions of law
concering specifc parts of the world. Should the department employ more
regonal specialists or arrange co-operation with local legal frms?
3 Insurance claims
The department is spending a lot of time processing trvial insurance claims, for
example, for delayed travel, small thefts when travelling etc. Should the legal
department be responsible for these claims?
F8mEMmImCN8ngOHgB W8
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Continued . . .
ROLES
Legal Afairs Manager (Chair)
Contract negotiations: One of your team should be present at ner"tiations, certainly for the fnal
^
stages when the contracts are being dscussed.
Regional specialists: The department cannot a ord to hire permanent regional specialists but
could try to establish links with local law frms.

Insurance claims: The legal department has to contiue to process insurance claims. Too many
mistakes are made otherwise and this just creates even more work.
Legal Consultant I
|
Contract negotiations: One of your team should be present throughout the negotiations. This could
save a lot of time later when the contracts are drawn up.
l Regional specialists: The company is doing a lot of business in South Aerica and should employ
someone who can speak Spanish, with a good knowledge of the law in that part of the world.
^
Insurance claims: The legal department should not have to deal with all these small claims. It is
very time consuming and does not require legal expertise.
Legal Consultant 2
Contract negotiations: It would be a waste of time for a lawyer to be present during these
' negotiations. Most of the time they are discussing terms and conditions i.e. price, delivery etc. ;
contracts are standard and can be prepared aer the negotiation.
Regional specialists: The company should send lega staon specialist legal training, for example
contract law in South Aerica. This would greatly improve the quality of advce.
Insurance claims: The legal department should not have to deal with all these small claims. It is
very time consuming and does not require legal expertise.
Legal Consultant
Contract negotiations: It would be helpfl for a lawer to be present at the end of the negotiations
^
to dra the contract.
Regional specialists: The company should recruit from key areas in the world where the company
!
is doig a lot of business.
Insurance claims: You have to deal with all the queries fom insurance companies and this takes a
lot of time. The department could assig this work to a clerk, rather than a fully qualifed lawyer.
Frm Business English Meetings by Jemy Comfon :d Nick Breger OPenguin Boks lW8 P H 0 I 0 C 0 P I A 6 L E 1 1 7
Human resources {2)
I SSUE
You work for a large- to medium-sized company employing around ,4bpeople. Five people work in
the human resources deparment. You meet regularly to discuss imporant issues. Use the inforation
under 'Roles' and your own knowledge and experience to discuss the items below
AGENDA
T Jobsharing
2 Equal opporunities
d Christmas par
Notes to the agnda
l l8
1 Jobsharing
There are two or three members of staf who would like to jobshare. Some
managers are very against it, thng that it wl be more difcult U manage
and could lead to inefciency.
2 Equal Opportunities
Despite the best eforts of the human resources department, there is ony one
woman who has reached a senior management position in the compay. Shoud
the company introduce positive discriminaton when promoting staf in order to
achieve a fairer balance?
3 Christmas party
The Chistmas party every year is held on the last aferooneveng of work
before Christmas. Some members of staf think that families of employees
should also be invited to this party.
Fm8urinrEIirb Mnr by!cnmyCmdNm8ncuOPnginB k IW8
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.
Continued . . .
ROLES
Human Resources Manager (Chair)
Jobsharing: This can only work where two members of stawork in the same department and
kow the work well. In your experience people who jobshare do more than half a job. In this way,
it is true that jobsharing is not very effcient.
Equal opportunities: You are not in favour of positive discrimination. You feel more women should
be encouraged to a'pply for senior management positions.
Christmas party: You are not i favour of asking families to the Christmas party. For you the
Christmas party is an opportunity just for colleagues to celebrate the end of the year.
Personnel Offcer I
Jobsharing: This is a good idea, especially for parents who have children at home. You think the
company should support this arrangement for members of staff who would like to work this way
Equal opportunities: You are not in favour of positive discrimination for women. However, you feel
mae managers should be encouraged to appoint women to more senior positions.
Christmas party: You are i favour of asking famiies to the Christmas party. It would be a good
opportunity for staand famiies to meet each other.
Peronnel Offcer 2
Jobsharing: Ts is not a good idea. It would lead to duplication of work and that it would be
df cult for other members of staff to have to communcate with two people rather than one
person.
Equal opportunities: You are not in favour of positive discrimination for w<men. However, you feel
mae managers should be encouraged to appoint women to more senior positions.
Christmas party: You are not in favour of asking families to the Christmas party. It is the only
occasion in the year when colleagues get together iormally. It would be a mistake to include
parners and children.
Personnel Offcer 3
Jobsharing: This is a good idea. It would lead to more fexbility at work and probably more
dynamism fom two people rather than one.
Equal opportunities: You are not in favour of positive discrimination for women. However, you
think the company should do some training in this area to encourage women to be more assertive.
Christmas party: you are in favour of asking families to the Christmas party. It is the only occasion
in the year when colleagues get together informally. It would be nice to invte family as well.
Personnel Offcer 4
Jobsharing: This is a good idea. It would lead to more fexbility at work and it would help those
members of staff who don't want to or can't work full-time.
guOO]]Orlu0///88. The only way to increase the number of women in top management jobs is to
discriminate in favour of them. Mter all, that is what has happened for men for the last 100 years.
Christmas party: You are in favour of asking families to the Christmas party. It is the only
occasion in the year when colleagues get together informally. It would be nice to invite family
as well.
Frm Business English Meetings by Jeremy Comfor anJNick Breger Pengui n Boks | 998 PH 0 I 0 C 0 P|ALE l |
SPECI ALI ST AGENDA 1 0
Production
I SSUE
Your company employs about 1000 people mainly involved in the production of electronic components.
In the production deparment, there are four managers/superisor who meet regularly to discuss
problems and issues. Use your own experience and knowledge, plus the 'Roles', to discuss the
items below.
AGENDA
T Rest times
Z Apprentices
d Safety training
Notes to the agenda
D0
1 Rest-times
The factory used to have three breaks a sh: two 15-minute and one 30-minute
break.
Production planning would be easier if there were two 30-minute breaks in an
8 hour shift. Many production workers are uappy about this suggested change.
2 Apprentices
You have reduced the number of young apprentices that you employ each year.
P a result, there is a much faster turnover of workers in the factor; they don't
stay for so long. Employing apprentices is one way U ensure expertise stays in
the company in the long term.
3 Safety training
Safety training is carried out regularly for factor workers. The company
would like to encourage more workers to become 'frst-aiders' (qualed to give
frst aid in an emergency). The meeting needs to decide whether it w fnance
people to attend the necessary course.
F8m EidM!mCNd8muBW
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Speci al ist Agenda 1 0
Continued . . .
ROLES
Production Manager (Chair)
Rest times: To breaks a sh is far easier to plan in terms of staffng the machines. A total of
60 minutes break tme a shif is ver generous and the workers have no reason for complaining.
Apprentices: You would le to hire more apprentices but the company policy is not to give long
term contracts. You feel this is shor-sighted and would lke to persuade the board to change their
minds.
Safety training: You feel the company should pay for workers to attend the frst-aid evening
classes.
Shift superisor I
Rest times: The workers would be happier with three 15-minute breaks rather than two 30-minute
breaks. This would save 15 minutes in rest time. The work is monotonous and you need reglar
breaks.
Aprentices: The solution to the rapid employee tunover is to provide more training and
promotion opportunties for the production lne workers. You don't think hiring more apprentices is
the answer.
Safety training: The company should pay for workers to attend the fst-aid evening classes and
also provide a sala incentive for getting the qualcation.
Shif superisor 2
Rest times: The exting break system is best. Workers need 30 minutes in the midde of the shi
to have something to eat, and 15-minute breaks to have a cofee, go to the rest rooms, etc.
Apprentices: You lke the idea of hirng more apprentices. It would help the youth unemployment
problem in the loca community. Aso, it would be good to have some young people in the factory.
Safety training: The company should pay for workers to attend the frst-aid evening classes.
Shif superisor d
Rest times: The suggested new system w be fne. Nobody likes change but it is just a question of
getting used to it.
Apprentices: You don't thnk young people are interested in becoming apprentices any more. Staf
turnover would be improved i the salaries became more competitive.
Safety training: You feel the company should pay for workers to attend the frst-aid evening
classes.
lJ |
SPECI ALI ST AGENDA 1 0
Production
I SSUE
Your company employs about people mainly involved in the production of electronic components.
In the production deparment, there are four managers/superisors who meet regularly to discuss
problems and issues. Use your own experience and knowledge, plus the 'Roles', to discuss the
items below.
AGENDA
T Rest times
2 Apprentices
d Safety traini ng
Notes to the agenda
I20
1 Rest-times
Te factor used t have thee breaks a sh: two 15-m.ute ad one 30-minute
break.
Production planning would be easier i there were two 30-minute breaks in an
8 hour sh. Many production workers ae unhappy about this suggested change.
2 Apprentices
You have reduced the number of young apprentices that you employ each year.
P a result, there is a much faster tover of workers i the factor they don't
stay for so long. Employing apprentices is one way to ensue exertise stays in
the company in the long term.
3 Safety training
Safet trainig is cared out regularly for factor workers. The company
woud lke to encourage more workers to become 'frst-aders' (qualied to give
frst aid in an emergency). The meeting needs to decide whether it w fnance
people to attend the necessary couse.
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Deci si on-maki ng 1
Continued . . .
ROLES
Managing Director (Chair)
You are not yet convinced of the sense of subcontractig information technology. You have a cerain
amount of loyalty to the in-house team and they have done a good job. However, your frst
responsibility is to ensure the proftabilty of the business and the IT budget seems to have got out
of control.
The Computer Manager
You are fghting for your team's survival. You need to talk about the plus points:
1 You know the company
2 You are permanently on-site
3 Your team presents no security hazard
4 Information technology know-how is 8 area of expertise which the company
needs to have
as well as the risks of outsourcing:
1 Delays in support
2 Security risks
3 Losing the expertise.
Finance Manager
You feel there is no option but to outsource this work. The present budget of nearly half a million
is much too high, given that this is not central to your business.
Computer Project Manager
You are currently working on a project to upgrade 9 the desktop computers. You thi it would
create chaos i this te of work was suddenly taken over by 8 outside contractor. You know the
staf, you know their problems, you can ft round their jobs, etc.
Customer Service Manager
You use the IT services extensively. You are ver happy with the work they do. It is absolutely
vital. On the other hand, you were shocked to hear about their total annual budget. Can't they
make some cuts?
Sales Manager
Your salesmen use the IT system a lot. You also feel the IT department does a very diffcult job
well. You don't like the idea of outside contractors having access to potentially very confdential
information.
Frm Business English Meetings by Jermy Comfor and Nick Breg D Penguin Boks 1998 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I A 6 L E
1 23
DECI SI ON-MAKI NG 1
Outsourcing or not?
ISSUE
Your company has had a deparment looking afer its inforation technology needs for Zyears. It
was caled the computer deparment, then EDP (electronic data processing) and now IT (inforation
technology) but basicaly it has done the same job: making sure that the IT serices rn smoothly
throughout the company The company employs six people:
Secretry
AnwPmgmmer
The annual investment budget for IT is around zb, . Te maintenance budget which cover
repairs, spare pars and replacements is zZ,. The total payroll bil for the deparment is zbb, .
Terefore the total IT budget is z4Zb, .
You have received three tender to take over the IT serices. They all will cost considerably Jess,
ranging from , to zd, . They are al reputable IT suppor companies.
AGENDA
1 Information Technology Manager: the argument against outsourcing.
Z Finance Manager: the argument i n favour.
Discussion and decision.
I2 F8m EwMmImCoNdBP8W
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Continued . . .
CANDI DATES
Terr Brown
Personal: Age: 35, married with two children. Interests: rock music and squash
Pofessional: MBA, Member of ITD.
Personnel Offcer: Court Holdings
Taining Manager: Cou Holdings
Management Development Co-ordinator: Sovereign PLC
Very personable, easy-going. Perhaps lacks dynamism. Good training professional but
rather limited experience. Good team player, maybe not leader.
Diane Sonley
Personal:Age: 29, single. Interests: mountaineering, theatre
Pofessional: BA History, Diploma in Personnel Management
Taining Offcer: BAT Industries
Taining Manager: Scottish Life Insurance
Taining Manager: Amersham International
Quite serious. Conscientious. Very professional. Ambitious. Would push training hard but might
clash with some other managers.
Linda McEwan
Personal:Age: 39, divorced, three children. Interests: reading, politics, a
Pofessional: BA English and Philosophy, PhD Phiosophy
Research Assistant: Edinburgh University
Lectuer: Ednbugh University
Taining and Development Manager: Stirling College
Taining Manager: Amoco North Sea Operations
Tang Manager: Unicor Oil, Aberdeen
Ver interesting canddate. Has worked in training for 5 years. Peviously an academic. Very well
informed, intelligent. Perhaps too bright for the job. Would she stay?
Donald Brennan
Personal:Age: 41, married, no children. Interests: achaeolog, travel
Pofessional: Certifcate in Teaching, N in Education
Teacher: Norwich Secondary School
Head of Arts Dept: Norwich Secondary School
Deputy Head: Norwich Secondary School
Taining Advsor: Norfolk County Council
Taining Manager: Norley Institute
He was made redundant from Norwich Secondary School four years ago. Since then he has been
working in training. r very good teacher, excellent wth people. No real management experience
but probably quick to learn.
From Busin.ss Enlish
leetings by Jermy Comfon and Nick Brger Penguin Boks I998 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I A 6 L E | 2>
DECI SI ON-MAKI NG 3
The budget
I SSUE
It is half way through your financial year Sales are running about bper cent below target and as a
result, overheads have to be cut. Te Financial Manager has caled this meeting to agree budget cuts
with five deparment heads.
0epomeot ,eortodotespeod|o badet oooao|badet wsedbadet
Marketing $ l 45,OOO l 4J,OOO 29O,OOO 26O,OOO
Administrtion $J4O,000 J5O,OO0 700,0O0 625,000
Personnel $ l O5,OOO l OO,OOO 2OO,OOO l 8O,OO0
Training $85,0O0 82,0O0 | 64,0O0 l ,000
IT Suppor $ l 95,0O0 l 50,0O0 300,000 250,000
oWs l ,4,000 l ,4,000
AGENDA
1 Need for budget cuts
2 Response of deparment heads to proposed cut
d Revised budget allocation
Notes to the agenda
I26
1 Need for Budget cuts
The Finance Manager wpresent the reasons for the cuts.
2 Response of department head to proposed cuts
The department heads wpresent the responses to the cuts. Discussion of each
case.
3 Revised budget allocation
Final decision about how to make 8 overall 10 per cent cut.
Fm8wEMrbyImyCmdNdBmgOHgBHIW8
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Continued . . .
ROLES
Finance Manager
Your job is to make sure that the budget has been cut by 10 per cent overall at the end of the
meeting. You know that there wbe a lot of resistance fom all the department heads.
Marketing Maager
the proposed budget cut of $30,000 goes through, you will have to cancel at least three market
ing projects. P current projects are designed to support sales and boost the image of the company.
You could reduce your budget by maybe $15,000 by cancelling a project planned for the last
quarter. This sales promotion event could be postponed to the following year.
The proposed $75,000 cut in your budget would be dsastrous. Al your budget has been allocated
to stafsalaries, administrative systems etc. The only possible cut could be in the area of
refrbishment. You are half way though redecorating and refshing the offces. You could
stop this process and save around $50,000. It would mean some people have nice new ofces and
others don't.
Personnel Manager
Like the Admiistration Manager you have no special projects you can cut. You whole budget has
been allocated to staf costs and personnel support. The only way you can reduce by $20,000 is by
losing one, maybe two members of staf .
Taining Manager
The proposed $24,000 cut in you budget would be very bad for the company. It would mean
cancellg several training progammes planned for the second half of the year. This would be
bad for morale and personnel development. The only cut you could make is to run two courses
in-house, rather than in a hotel; this would reduce the costs by $8, 000.
IT Support
The proposed $50, 000 budget cut seems totally wrong to you. It is considerably more than 10 per
cent and IT is essential to the company. This sor of cut could only be achieved by losing at least
two members of staff. You could reduce the budget by about 20, 000 i you delay the introduction
of some new desktop systems.
Frm Business English Meetings by J.nmy Comfor and Nick Brieger OPenguin Books 1998 P H 0 I 0 C 0 P I A 6 L E 1 27
PROBLEM-SOLVI NG 1
Ti me management
I SSUE
You recently crred out a surey of how managers in your company spend their time. Here are the
results:
Trvelling:
Meetings:
Writing:
Thi nking:
Reding:
Taking:
l O per cent
35 per cent
l O per cent
5 per cent
l O per cent
3O per cent
Al of the managers felt they spent too much time in meetings, not enough time managing people and
wor on a day to day basis.
Your task is to reduce time in meetings.
AGENDA
1 What are we doing in metings?
Z How can we make meetings shorer?
d How can we reduce the number of meetings?
4 Action plan
nBmEMbyImyCNd8mupB UIW
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Problem-solvi ng 1
Continued
ROLES
Manager I
You hate meetings. You think they should be cut dastically. You think that the answer is to use
electronic mail to keep people inormed and only have meetings for decisions.
Manager 2
You don't like meetings. However you feel they are a necessay evil to keep people working as a
tea. You think most meetings could be better chaed.
Manager d
You thk the meetings are fne as they are. You feel they are efective in keeping everbody up
to date and involved.
Manager 4
You thnk the meetings could be improved. Better chaiing, tighter time-keeping and restriction
of the agenda to essential items.
ADDITI ONAL ROLES: USE PERSONAL OPI NI ONS.
Frm Business English M.etings by Jermy Comon ad Nick Breger OPenguin Boks 198 PH 0 T 0 C 0 PI AS L E
I Z
PROBLEM-SOLVI NG 2
Staf morale
I SSUE
You have carried out a surey at work and found that staf morale is low:
I enjoy coming to work 27per cent
I don't mind comi ng to work 26 per cent
I would prefer to sty at home 24per cent
I hate coming to work 2J per cent
Reasons I don,t get job satisfaction
Pay is too low
Job i s too routi ne
Atmosphere is not friendly
Job is too difcult
Hours are too l ong
1 0 per cent
J5 per cent
25 per cent
l 5 per cent
1 5 per cent
Your task is to improve staf morale. Below are some suggestions to star the discussion.
AGENDA
Beter job descriptions
Introduce a perormance appraisal system
Star a staf social club
Star a programme of team-buiding coures
Introduce profit sharing
1 Surey results
Z Improving staf morale
d Action plan
Notes to the agenda
1 Survey results
Brief dscussion of results ad reasons
2 Improving staff morale
Brainstorming on df erent ways U improve morae
3 Action plan
Decisions about what action to take.
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Problem-solvi ng 2
Continue W W
ROLES
Manager
You th staf morale is low because everybody is overworked. The answer is to recruit more
people and reduce working hours.
Manager 2
You th sta
n
.orae is low because some of the managers are too authoritarian. You feel the
atmosphere woud be improved at work i team spirit was bettter.
Manager
You th staf morale is low because staf have been in their jobs too long, They need to have a
chage. You th j ob rotation could be the answer.
Manager 4
You th staf morale is low because many of the jobs are repetitive. You .think yu need to create
better social facilities to compensate for this.
Manager
You th staf more is low because of low pay. The only answer is to substantially increase
salaes.
Frm Busines Egli;h Megs by Jermy Comor dNick Breger O Penguin Boks I 998 PH 0 T 0 C 0 P I A 6 L E
l Jl
PROBLEM-SOLVI NG 3
Personal it clash
ISSUE
Peter Mathews, a technical representative, joined your company 3 years ago. He is ver good at the
technical par of his job. Unforunately he is not at all easy to work with. He tends to be rather distant
and even arogant He doesn't mix with his coleagues and can be rude on occsions. He has already
been moved twice to diferent deparments. His coleagues are complaining that they cannot work with
him. What can you do about him?
Your task is to come up with some concrete suggestions.
AGENDA
T The problem
Z Possible sol utions
d Action
Notes to the agenda
1 Te problem
Clarif exactly what the problem i.
2 Possible solutions
Brainstorm possible solutions (e.g. training, transfer, promotion, demotion, etc.).
3 Action
Decide on a course of action.
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I
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Problem-solvi ng 3
Continued . . .
ROLES
Monoger !
You thi the only answer is to get rid of Peter. You feel he is never going to ft in.
Monoger 3
You thin the company should be able to accommodate diferent tyes. You think some traing i
iterersonal skills should help Peter.
Monoger
You thin Peter should be transferred to another part of the company where he can work on his
ow.
Monoger 4
You thi Peter should be ofered more traiing and, i this doesn't succeed, fred.
Monoger 5
You th Peter should be moved to another department.
Frm Busine English Metngs by Jermy Comfor ad Nick Breger OPenguin Bok 198 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I A . L E
I JJ
PROBLEM-SOLVI NG 4
Worki ng time and l unch-time
I SSUE
You operate a 35-hour working week for al white colar workers. As no specific time has been set aside
for lunch and there is no canteen, the staf have traditionaly taken around 60 minutes some time
between 12. 30 and 14. 00. During this time they have usualy gone out to take a break from the ofce.
You have recently noticed that more and more of the staf are not taking a lunch break and are eating
their lunch in the ofice over their computers. In addition, you have noticed that there have been a
number of.spilages of drinks over the computers in the last few months. Tis has cused some
inconvenience as keyboards have had to be cleaned, and on one occasion a computer's hard disk had
to be replaced. However you are aware that the clercal staf are ofen under pressure to fnish wor,
especialy at the end of the week, so that al the data has been input in time for te end-of-week
processing.
Your tsk is to decide a polcy:

AGENDA
for lunch break
for the consumption of food and drnk near the computers.
T Presentation of the problem
Z Is a lunch break necessar and if so, how long?
d Policy on eating/dri nking:
- in the ofice
- near computers
4 How to communicate this to the staf
b Action plan
Notes to the agenda
IM
1 Te problem
Clarif exactly what the problem is.
Brainstorm alternatives and make a decision on the most appropriate one.
3 Policy on eating /drinking near computers
Brainstorm alternatives and make a decision on the most appropriate one.
4 Action plan
Decide on a course of action.
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"
.
Problem-solvi ng 4
Continued . . .
ROLES
Managing Director
You believe that staf should take a 60-minute break for lunch and should, idealy, leave their
offces for a change of envionment.
You believe that the policy should be fexble. When there is a lot of work to do, the staf need to
put in extra hours. Rather than having them stay late in the evenings, it is better for them to work
at lunch time.
Marketing Manager
B you ae ofen out with clients in the mornings and the afernoons, the lunch break is the only
ti.me when you can get into the ofce. You fnd it useful that the admin (adminstration) staf are
at their desks, becuse you can ask them to type up proposals for you.
Finance Manager
The recent bils for equipment repas have worried you. You would like to see a ban on all food
and d i the ofces.
Staff Representative
You believe that the curent practice of shorter lunch breaks is good for morale. Your staff can get
home earlier and this suits them. It also suits the company that work can be completed more
quickly.
Inforation Technolog Manager
It is an ageed rule among computer users that no food or dn should be kept near machines. It
is dangerous for the users and potentially damaging to the equipment.
Frm Business Eglish Meetngs by Jermy Comfor dNick Breger O Pengin Books l W8 P H 0 30 C 0 P I A 5 L E 1 35
PROBLEM-SOLVI NG 5
Use of the I nternet
I SSUE
Your staf in your company's research deparment regulary use te Interet to search for business
leads, who are then e-mailed to ofer your serices. However you have noted a steady increase in the
telecommunications bil. This is not unexpected with the use of the Interet. However you have seen
that some of the staf are suring the Internet for teir own peronal use - to find inforation about
cheap ofers, especially holdays, and even to do their shopping. On the one hand, this is not par of
their job; on the other it shows their interest in the Interet as a marketing tool and has thrown up
some useful business leads for the company
Up to now it has been your company's unwrten polcy to alow staf to make locl cals from their
phones, as these have usualy been shor calls to famiy or to make arangements for appointments to
the doctor dentist, etc. Your Interet provider has a local number so al cals are charged at local rates.
Your task is to decide on a polcy on Interet use and the method to implement it.
AGENDA
1 Presentation of the problem
2 Review of the policy on the use of the phone for personal calls
Pol ley on the use of the Internet for personal purposes
4 How to i mplement policy decisions
b Action plan
Notes to the agenda
I36
1 Te problem
Clari exactly what the problem is.
Brainstorm possible solutions.
3 Action plan
Decide on a couse of action.
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Probl em-solvi ng 5
Continued . . .
ROLES
Managing Director
You are not very technologically minded. Wen asked whether the staf could use the Interet for
local cals you ageed. You think it is a small gesture to the staff for their hard work.
Finance Manager
At the begng, the use of the Internet was limited and the phone bills small. In recent months
/ the bilhas grown. You believe that it could become a major cost i something isn't done now to
stop private use.
Marketing Manager
You have been impressed by the quality of the research done by the Interet group. In fact, they
often fnd useful business contacts on their own initiative. These have led to new business that you
hadn't expected. Therefore, you would like to encouage them to make more use of the Interet.
It's good for company business.
Internet is an enjoyable tool to work with. It is certay more fun than reading through trade
magazines to fnd possible contacts. You are very pleased that the company is using the new
technolog. If they alowed private calls before, you can't see why there is such a fuss now.
You feel that the use of Interet for personal shopping is a passing phase. Soon the attraction w
wear of and the staw retun to their normal use of the phone for private purposes.
Information Technolog Manager
You have access to the Interet sites that the staf visit. You know that they not only surf the net
to fnd bargains but they also visit some of the chat line and sex line sites. You feel that personal
shopping is justifed, but visiting other sites should not be at the company's expense.
From Busines. Engl.sh
.
Mtgs by Jermy Comfor ad Nick Breger Penguin Book 1 98 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I A 6 L E 1 37
PROBLEM-SOLVI NG 6
Poachi ng
I SSUE
Friendly rivalr between you and Manson Industries has been going on for years. However last year
when your Finance Director was poached by Manson, you felt that your competitor had acted in an
underand manner Te subsequent financial restrcturng of Manson showed that the new recrit had
also provided Manson with sensitive fnancial inforation.
Your own polcy was 'business as usual' and you subsequently flled the vacant post by an interal
promotion from the fnance deparment. You are now seeking to appoint or recrit a Marketing and
Sales Director and the best candidate suppled to you by the head-hunting agency is at present
employed by Manson Industres. If he is the best candidate, you would cerainly want to appoint him. In
addition, it would be ver tempting to get market information from him in order to compete more
efectively with Manson.
Your task is to decide on an approprate policy in general and what to do in this paricular situation.
AGENDA
2 Outline of the available options
Decision on action to be taken
4 Action plan
Notes to the agenda
1 Te problem
Brainstorm alternative courses of action and make a decision on the most
appropriate one.
3 Polic decision
Decide on 8 appropriate policy for the company.
4 Action plan
Decide on a course of action t implement the decisions.
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Problem-solvi ng 6
Continued . . .
ROLES
One of your roles as Human Resources Director is to fll company posts with the best canddates.
Therefore, you would like to appoint the candidate fom Manson Industries.
Managing Director
You have steered the company through a number of diffcult years. Although Manson is a
competitor, you have learned fom experience that I8 better to avoid possible scandals. And,
more importantly, to keep issues like poaching out of the news.
Marketing Manager
You have been promoted to Managing Director at one of the company's subsidiaries. You are keen
to see an able replacement, with good local and product knowledge. The Manson candidate has
exactly the right profe. He would also bring with hm market information about Manson which
could be very useful throughout the company.
Finance Director
Wen the previous Finance Director was poached by Manson, you were promoted interally
to your present position. In fact, you were gratefl to Manson for gvng you such a good
opportunity. On the other hand, you know that you predecessor gave sensitive fnancial
information to Manson. This has caused a number of problems in your job.
Legal Manager
Poachig causes more problems than it is worth. Athough there are no technical reasons why you
should not take on the Manson candidate, you beleve that it would set a good example to other
companies i you behaved ethically and gave the job to another candidate.
Sales Manager
You know the prospective candidate and don't like hm. He has an impressive track record, but is
ruthless and self-cented. You would not like to work under him. In fact, i he was appointed you
would probably leave.
From BusineEg
.
lish Metings by Jeremy Comfor ad Nick Brege OPnguin Bok 1 98 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I A 6 L E 1 39
PROBLEM-SOLVI NG 7
Delegation
I SSUE
You have recently been appointed as Junior Manager and are keen to do the job well. Last week you
delegated a routine task (preparing and sending out some marketng literature with a coverng leter) to
a subordinate, whom you felt sure could manage the job. You have now received some feedback from
clients who have said that:
the materal was sent to the wrong person in the organization
the coverng letter contained inaccurate inforation
product names were misspelt.
As a result, you now feel ver bad about delegating the task.
Your task is to prepare guidelnes for delegation.
AGENDA
1 What can be delegated?
Z When can tasks be delegated?
How should delegation be handled and monitord?
4 Action plan
Notes to the agenda
1 Te problem
Brainstorm parameters for efective delegation.
3 Action plan
Draw up recommendations for effective delegation wthin the company.
I4 Mm8mEgrbMmg!mCNd8ngOBg8IW
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Problem-solvi ng 7
Continued . . .
ROLES
Managing Director
You believe that delegation is one of the key skills that every manager must have. You must know
what to delegate and how to delegate.
Human Resoures Director
Delegation is a very important skill. Unfortunately, most managers don't know how to delegate.
They simply give tasks to subordinates without explaining exactly what is requied. Then they are
surprised when things go wrong.
Junior Manager
You thought you had done everyhng correctly. You believed you had chosen the right person and
talked through what you wanted.
Sales Manager
You work with a team of 20 sales representatives. You know that building a team requires efort,
patience and a lot of dedication. It's the same with delegation. One must gain people's trust before
one can delegate efectively.
Finance Manager
Teamwork is overrated. Uyou want something doing, either you do it yourself or you give someone
you trust very specic orders. Uit goes wrong, you tell the person to do it again, until they get it
right.
You feel that the company is D of managers who ae looking for subordinates to do their jobs
for them. Delegation is simply a way of handing round the work so that others have to take
responsibility when things go wrong.
Frm Business English teetings by Jermy Comfor and Nick Brieger DPenguin Books 1998 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I A LE
| 4|
PROBLEM-SOLVI NG 8
Open-plan
I SSUE
As Facilties Manager you have been given the responsibiit of colecting ideas for the redesign of
your company's head ofice. The curent restrcturing means that you wineed to accommodate 250
staf in a building which currently provides ofice space for 150. The present arangement consists of
individual ofices, occupied either by one person or a smal team. The preliminar results of your surey
show:
the present arrangement is uneconomic in ters of space utilzation
many managers are against the idea of open-plan ofices
some of the company's managers work on outside contrcts, and, as a result individual ofices are
ofen empt for days or even weeks.
Your task is to decide on the redesign of the work space. Some alternatives are:
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AGENDA
1 Presentation of the problem and preliminar results
2 Discussion of alternatives
d Decision on next step
4 Action plan
Notes to the agenda
142 . :
1 Te problem
Clarif exactly what the problem is and the results of the surey.
Brainstorm possible alteratives.
3 Decision
Decide on the best alteratives.
4 Action plan
Decide on a course of action to implement the decisions.
nBmmEiM ImCdNdBgOPgBobtw
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Probl em-solvi ng 8
Continued . . .
ROLES
Facilities Manager (Chair)
You recently joined the company and this is your frst opportunity to work on a major project. You
would lke to impress your colleagues with your radcal plan to change how and where the
company works. You would lke to see the work space wth open-plan and shared desks.
Managing Director
You are fve years away fom retirement. P the company is i a fair fnancial state, you don't
want a major change to current working practices. This could lead to the departure of the some of
the directors. You would, therefore, like minimum disruption.
You like the idea of open-plan working. It would make it easier for you to have contact with the
administrative staf. This would improve team working and, in turn, efciency.
Marketing Director
You can see the reasons for sharing desks, but you can't see how it would work i practice. In
any case, you sales team would be very unhappy to lose their own desks. It could also lead to
problems of security, i others had access to information.
Finance Manager
You would like to see a cost-efective solution. The buildings are i need of major renovation. It
would, therefore, make sense to use the opportunty to upgrade the facilities to accommodate the
exra numbers.
You are concered about the extra staff working i the same building. The present building is
aleady quite fll. Another 100 people would make it very diffcult to work. P there is an empty
buldng less than 250 metres away, you think that the company should acquire that and operate
fom two sites.
Frm Business English Mtngs by Jermy Comfor ad Nick Breger OPenguin Books 198 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I A 5 L E 1-B
PROBLEM-SOLVI NG 9
Trai ni ng course vs. on-the-job trai ni ng
I SSUE
Your company has recently appointed a new training manager who has introduced a new programme
of leaderhip and training activities for executives. Some of these are in-house programmes and some
out-house, involving paricipation with other companies.
You were recently peruaded to join an encounter weekend training programme for executives. The
programme was organized for 12 paricipants from dif erent local companies. Te weekend was
organized .by an external company made up of ex-army peronnel It tured out to be a nightmare of
chalenging tasks in dificult conditons, ostensibly to teach leadership and team skls. Afer the coure
you were totaly exhausted and needed a week to recover As a result you feel tat the same skils
could have been leared:
through a less painful experience
together wih people from the same organization
in a less threatening situation.
The company now proposes to send to more young managers on a leaderhip cure. Your task is to
decide whether this tpe of training programme is approprate for your company's needs.
AGENDA
1 What are leadership skills?
2 What tasks develop leadership skills?
d What tpes of training programmes can develop these skills?
9 What programmes are suitable for diferent grades of manager/di rectors?
b Action plan
Notes to the agenda
1 Te problem
Clarexactly what the problem i .
2 Leadership and how to develop it
Brainstorm:
- what is leadership
- how to develop it.
3 Leadership in the company
Discuss alternative methods to develop leadership skls within the company.
4 Action plan
I4 .
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Problem-solvi ng 9
Continued . . .
ROLES
Finance Manager and forer trainee
You see the benefts of leadership traig and feel that the company needs more of it. However,
the leadership weekend was a pa exerience and you feel that the results did not justif the
means.
Managing Direc
_
tor
You are an ex-army ofcer. You believe that a lttle hardship is good for today's managers. It helps
them to develop and this is good for the company.
You reluctantly ageed to send the Finance Manager on the leadership training course. You
believed he was the wong person for this type of progamme. These tyes of training programme
are only usefl with the right individual. you send the wong person, it can leave lasting
damage.
You beleve that the company does not ofer enough trainig. At annual meetings, the Taig
Manager always promises more trag, but when you ask for progammes, you are always told U
wait. You support the Taining Manager's action because it was at least a new initative.
Sales Manager
You beleve that on-the-job training is the ony way to develop the right sklls. You have traed a
you salesmen youself and they are doing an excellent job.
Taining Manager
You believe the company needs new training ideas - both on-the-job and off-the-job. You thought
that the course was rght for the Finance Manager. In any case, he said he wanted a challenge.
Frm Business English Metings by Jermy Comfor dN|ckBreger OPenguin Boks |998 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I A 5 L E I4J
PROBLEM-SOLVI NG 1 0
Employment of disabled people
I SSUE
A goverment scheme has recently been introduced to encourage companies to employ disabled
people. The encouragement comes in the for of fnancial subsidies for each disabled peron taken
on. Your company would pay 50 per cent of the wage and the goverment would match this.
Your company employs 150 people in the manufacture of circuit boards. Much of the production itsel
requires specialst ski s, though the packaging and loading does not.
Your task is to decide whether it is appropriate to employ disabled people.
AGENDA
1 The principle of employing disabled people
2 The practical aspects of identifying suitable jobs
d The efect on other employes
4 Steps to integrate disabled people smoothly i nto the company
b Action plan
Notes to the agenda
1 Te issue
Clarif exactly what the issue is.
Brainstorm alterative courses of action and make a decision on the most
appropriate one.
3 Policy decision
Decide on the appropriate policy for the company.
4 Action plan
Decide on a course of action to implement the decision(s).
I4 nBmEgMImCNdBmHgB IW
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Problem-solvi ng 1 0
Continued . . .
ROLES
Production Director
The production of cicuit board requres specialist skills. Therefore, you feel it would be diffcult to
fnd suitable jobs for disabled people. You think it would be a false economy.
Marketing Director
Employing dsabled people would be good for the profle of company. It would show you as a 'caring
employer'.
You used to work in a company which employed dsabled people. They needed a lot of extra
attention. You are aleady stretched in your job. you had to look after the needs of more people,
it would make your job more diffcult.
Employng disabled people would be good for lins with the community. This is an initiative you
are keen to develop.
Finance Manager
The fnancial equation is clear. Employing disabled people would keep costs down. It would also
allow the company to expand without a major increase in the payroll.
You believe it would reduce jobs for exsting staand could lead to layofs and redundancies. You
need to protect the interests of your colleagues. Therefore, you are against it.
Frm Business English Metngs by Jermy Comfor and Nick Brieger OPenguin Boks 1 998 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I A B L E 147
Recycl i ng
I SSUE
As an environmentaly conscious company you regularly recycle paper, glass and tins. The ofices al
have separate bins for diferent tpes of garage and the ofice cleaners make sure that the rubbish is
put into separate container for colection by a private garage collection and recycling company which
you have to pay for On the other hand, the local rbbish collection serice, which you don't use,
because it doesn't recycle waste, is already paid for out of your business taes.
The private colection company have recently informed you that due to a glut of garage and the high
cost of recycling, they wihave to increase their prices by 25 per cent nex year
Your task is to decide what to do with the rubbish.
AGENDA
2 Discussion of alternatives
Decision on nex step
4 Action plan
Notes to the agenda
I4&
1 Te problem
Brainstorm alterative courses of action and make a decision on the most
appropriate one.
3 Policy decision
Decide on an appropriate polcy for the company.
4 Action plan
Decide on a course of action t implement the decisions.
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Probl em-solvi ng 1 1
Continued . . .
ROLES
Facilities Manager
You introduced the ageement with the private company At that time you had the support of the
management team. Now that support is wavering. The main reason is that the private company is
involved in recycling nuclear waste.
Administration Ianager
You favour extending the agreement with the present private company. You believe that the
envronmental benefts justi the higher price.
Marketing Manager
Te environment is a good marketing issue at the moment. The messages which show that you are
an environmentally-fiendly company help to boost sales. You believe that you should continue
wth the private company.
Finance Manager
Wen there was only a small price dif erential between the local rubbish service and the private
servce, you agreed to hire the private company. Now they are much more expensive. You ca't see
the beneft in paying extra money for the same service.
Te company has become more environmentally-conscious in recent years. You have done a lot to
introduce envionmental issues into the agenda. These include separate bins for rubbish, switching
of the lights when not in use and more vegetarian food on the canteen menu. You beleve that
these itiatives are good for the company and give the staf a set of values in a very consumerist
world. You think that the continued use of the private company is a good investment.
Managing Director
You thnk that the increased environmental awareness of the stais taking their minds of the
main purpose, which is to make money for the shareholders.
Frm Business English Meetings by Jermy Comfon and Nick Breger DPenguin Boks I 998 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I A B L E |4
An atractive remuneration package
I SSUE
As the state pays less and less in old age pension, it is becoming increasingly imporant for those who
want to enjoy their 'golden years' to have their own private pension arangements. In order to satisf
the growing need for private pension arangements, you and your coleagues have recently set up your
own company to ofer a range of financial serices and products. Your target maret is smal- and
medium-sized companies, in which the directors have not made suficient arangements for their own
pensions.
The serices that you wil ofer are:
pension audit (to identif the pension required)
pension advice (to look at present pension provision and identif possible alterative providers)
pension products (to sel pension schemes).
As you and your coleagues spend a great deal of your time out of the ofice with clients, you need an
assistant to manage the ofice in your absence. You envisage that this wil be a key position (more than
simply an administrative job), as the person recrited wil have a Jot of customer cntact, ofen giving
advice and even selng products.
You need to agree on a remuneration package that wil atract the rght person.
AGENDA
Z Discussion of alternatives
d Decision on next step
4 Action plan
Notes to the agenda
1 Te problem
Clarif exactly what the problem is.
Brainstorm alternative courses of action and make a decision on the most
appropriate one.
3 Policy decision
Decide on an appropriate policy for the company.
4 Action plan
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Problem-solvi ng 1 2
Continued . . .
ROLES
Partner
You can't aford to pay a high salary at the moment. So, you favour a scheme which gives the
person recruited a small share in the company's profts.
Partner 2
You believe you shoud ofer an attractive salary in order to get the right person. You know it wil
be diffcult to cover the costs, but you believe it will pay for itself once the right person is installed.
Partner 3
You kow there are a lot of people lookng for jobs. liany of them, especially women returning to
work afer bringing up a family, are well qualifed and not ver expensive. You think that the key
is to recruit someone who has been out of the work market for some years, and train him or her.
That would keep costs down.
Partner 4
You believe that the right work envronment is more important than money. This means
opportunties for personal and professional development.
Partner
You believe that a pay package linked to the success of the company will attract the right person.
You favour an annua bonus based on the company's profts.
Partner 0
You believe that it is important to recruit for the long term. If you pay a low rate, then the person
may leave when he or she fnds a better job. You need someone who will stay with the company,
and money is an important factor in getting long-term commitment.
Frm Busintss English !ftetings by Jermy Comfo" ad Nick Brieger DPenguin Books 1998 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I A 6 L E | |
STRATEGY MEETI NG 1
Mi ssion statement
I SSUE
A mission statement is a statement of the aims, purposes and future activities of an organization.
The objective of the mission statement is to define for the company's stakeholders - its company's
employees, customers and shareholders - what kind of organization it is, what it beleves in and in
which direction it wants to go.
Here is an example of the mission statement of an interational pharaceutical company:
We aim to be the preferred supplier of pharmaceutical product in the United Sttes and
selected international market, achieving te long-term growh and fnancial perormance
of a market leader
The criticl fctor that drive our success are:
customer focus
wide prduct rnge
continuous prcess and prduct improvement
shor lead times from development to market
reduced prducion cost
totl qualit environment
high stndards of i ntegrit and etical conduc
Now wre a mission statement for a real or imaginar serice company Firt choose or invent te
company and its serice sector Then write the tex for the statement.
AGENDA
1 The aims of the mission statement
2 The content of the mission statement
The wording of the mission statement
Notes to the agenda
152
1 Each director will present their vews on the three items on the agenda.
2 Each director will use the relevant section fom 'oles and Contributions' U play
their part i the discussion which will then agee a tex for the fal document.
3 The team W draft the fnal document.
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Strategy Meeti ng 1
Continued . . .
ROLES AND CONTRI BUTI ONS
Managing Director
You believe that the mission statement should include wording about the higher ideals of the
company. You know that, in the business world, there are many directors who misuse thei
positions and status. You beleve that the stakeholders need to see that your company behaves
ethically.
Marketing Director
You are concerned with products and the markets for your products. You believe that the
stakeholders need to see that your company is successful in those areas. Therefore, you think that
the mission statement should include wording about the customer focus and your wde product
range.
Aer a perod of streamlning and downsizing, your company is now leaner and slimmer. There
have been many redundancies. It is now time to show the employees and the local community that
you care about your workers. Therefore, you think that the mission statement should include
wording about the importance of the employees.
R&D Director
The company has invested heavy in research. The resuts have been very good. You beleve that
the staeholders should see that the company is investing for tomorrow's products. You think that
the mission statement should include wording about product improvement.
Finance Director
You have kept a tight rein on the company fnances. You are proud that the company is fnancially
sound and that there have been no scandals. You think that the mission statement should include
wording about the fnancial security of the company.
Production Director
You are concered wth the organization of production. Ths includes time and cost factors. You
^ believe that the mission statement should mention the short lead times from development to
market and the reduced production costs.
Frm Business En,lish Meetngs by Jermy Comfor :d Nick Brieger Penguin Boks 1998 PH 0 T 0 C 0 P I A 6 L E 153
STRATEGY MEETI NG 2
Job adverisement
I SSUE
Job adverising aims to find the most suitable candidate to fia post. While the term 'recruiting' ofen
brings to mind employment agencies and classified ads, curent employees are ofen the largest source
of recruits through newsletter and buletin boards. External adverising includes local and national
newspapers which have diferent readerships and are appropriate for diferent kinds of jobs. Finaly
there are diferent kinds of agencies which specialze in finding suitable candidates.
As the personnel team, your task is:
to find suitable candidates for the following posts
to decide how you wirecrit them
to design job adverisements for the posts.
The posts to be fi ed are:
an executive secretar for the Marketing Manager
three production lne workers
a superisor for the packaging area.
AGENDA
1 Review the posts to be filled
Z Channels of recruitment
d The wording of the adverisement
Notes to the agenda
1 Te Marketing Manager wpresent the profle of the executive secretary.
2 Te Production Manager wpresent the profle of the production line workers.
3 Te Factory Manager wl present the profle of the supervsor.
4 Te meeting participants w discuss the possible channels of recruitment.
5 Te participants wl work i pairs to da the advertisements or requirements
for the three jobs.
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Strategy Meeti ng 2
Continued . . .
Marketing Manager
The secretary should be wellorganized, competent, and hardworking. He or she should be able to
take initiatives and produce results with the minimum of supervision. He or she w need to be
able to work together with others. He or she should have at least 10 years' experience and have
held a similar position. Kowledge of Ofce Softwae is a must.
Production Manager
The production line workers need to be hard workng and reliable. They will be trained on the job,
but should have had previous experience of working on a production line. You would like to employ
women, as you have found that they are better suited to the demands of the job. On the other
hand, with their home commitments, they are less fexble when it comes to overtime working.
Factor Manager
The supervisor will, above all, need to be able to hande people. The ideal candidate w have had
at least 5 years' experience of working in a supervisory position in a manufacturing company. The
job wll involve shif working.
Personnel Manager
You favou using the internal bulletin boards. These have always proved a usefl starting point
and give a quick response at a low cost. If there is no response, then you would consider other
channels.
Employee Relations Manager
You favour using the local newspaper. It reaches a wide readershp and can be used for 8 non
specialist positions. this case you believe that 8 the posts could be successfully flled by
recruiting fom the local community.
Recruitment and Selection Manager
You have had a lot of experience of working with Smith and Bell, who specialize in the recr
u
itment
of executive secretaries. You believe that they should be given the task of fnding suitable
candidates. You believe the other posts could be flled either by using the bulletin boards or the
company newsletter.
Frm Business English Meetings by Jermy Comfor :nd Nick Brieger Penguin Boks 1 998 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I A 6 L E 1 55
STRATEGY MEETI NG 3
Market research questi onnaire
Uc
Market research aims to find about consumers' needs so that manufacturers and producers can
develop and price products more Eppropriately It is now common practice for market research
companies to sel the results of sureys to companies.
You are members of a team responsible for market research questionnaire design. You have been
asked to design a questionnaire which wil be maied to a large number of households. In order to
encourage a response, your clients are making the folowing free ofers:
money-saving coupons for the clents' products
cash prizes to respondents
special ofers to selected respondents.

Your clents operate in a number of diferent sectors. Their aim is to get information about the profe of
existing and potential users of their products and serices. The sector are:
mobile phones
holiday trvel
fast food restaurants
tobacco
bankng
First discuss the main categories for your questionnaire, then design a questionnaire to be sent to
households.
AGENDA
T Review objective of exercise
Z The main categories and sections of the questionnaire
d The design of the questionnaire
Notes to the agenda
1 The Team Leader wl present the objectives of the exercise and agree the
results to be achieved.
2 The participants wl agee on the main categories of the questionnaire and
decide on the sections.
3 The participants W work i pais to da the questions for specifc sections of

the questionnaire.
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Strategy Meeti ng 3
Continued . . .
Participant
You are responsible for the client in the mobile phone sector. Your client w want to know about
the profle of existig and potential mobile users. addition, the client w want to know what
types of services they require and what they are prepared to pay for these serces.
Participant 2
You are responsible for the client in the holiday travel sector. Your client w want to know how
many holidays are taken a year, what destinations are visited and how much people are prepared
to spend on their holiday, as well as duing their holiday.
Participant
You are responsible for the client in the fast food sector. Your client wll want to know about
attitudes to fast food and to fast food restaurants. addition, they w want details of the types
of fast food eaten, the fequency of visits, and the amount spent per person per visit.
Participant 9
You are responsible for the client in the tobacco sector. You client w want to know about
attitudes to smokg. In addition, they w want details of cigarettes in terms of brands smoked
and consumption. Tey would also like to know whether people are suf ciently warned about the
risks of smoking.
Participant
You are responsible for the client in the banking sector. Your client will want to know about the
profe of exsting ad potential clients. In addition, the client w want to know what types of
serices they reque and what they are prepared to pay for these services.
Team Leader
You need to ensure that the questionnaie covers the main sections above. In addition, it should
include some general information about the household, including number of people, age group,
professional status and income bracket.
From Busines English ctings by Jermy Comfon ad Nick Breger Penguin Books 1998 PH 0 T 0 C 0 PI A 6 L E 1 57
STRATEGY MEETI NG 4
Early reti rement document
I SSUE
ITCorp is being taken over by MegaCorp. As a result of the acquisition, it is expected that some of
ITCorp's supervisory and middle managers will need to go. In order to avoid making some 50 members
of staf redundant, it is proposed to ofer them an early retirement package. The financial terms are
reasonably attractive and it is expected that most of them will take up the ofer
Your task is to draft a letter to highlight the opporunities that early retirement ofers.
First discuss the opporunities that early retirement ofers, then write the document to be sent to
designated 50 members of staff.
AGENDA
1 Review objective of exercise
2 The opportunities of early retirement
3 Drafti ng the Jetter
Notes to the agenda
1 The Team Leader will present the objectives of the exercise and agree on the
working procedures.
2 The participants will discuss the opportunities of early retirement i order to
produce a check-list of points to be covered in the letter.
3 The participants will work on a da of the early retirement letter.
158 FromBusiness English Megs by Jeremy Comfon ad Nick Briege< Pengn Bok I 998 P H 0 T 0 C 0 PI A 6 L E
Strategy Meeti ng 4
Continued . . .
Participant I
You believe that the opportunities for leisue activities w be attractive to the retirers. Their
secue fnancial position w enable them to pursue, within reason, a range of diferent activities.
You think the letter should outline the attractive possibiities.
Participant 2
This is a unique opportunity for further personal development. You know that some of the
managers would le to extend their interests. Their work in the company has kept them very
busy during the acquisition. Now is the ideal moment for them to expand their horizons. You think
the letter should outline the attractive possibilities.
Participant 3
-
There is a workig life aer early retirement. P some of the managers are still quite young, they
should feel that they can still contrbute to the business envionment. You feel that they should
realize the potential for using their knowledge and expertise in new areas. Consultancy ofers
many opportunities. You think the letter should outline the attractive possibilities.
Participant 4
You believe that the main attraction of early retement is that the managers can now enjoy a
fexble lifestle. No longer tied to the 'corporate treadl ', they w be able to make their own
decisions about how they want to spend thei days. You think the letter should outline the
attractive possibilites of a more fexble liestyle.
Participant
The early retiement fnancial package w provde secuty for the managers. In these uncertain
times, you feel that the letter should emphasize ths poit and outline the attractive possibiities.
Team Leader
You need to ensure that the letter covers the relevant main points, including the reasons for
reducing the management headcount. In addition, it should be written in an appropriate tone,
which values the past contributions and emphasizes the positive aspects of early retirement.
From Busins English Meetings by Jermy Comfor ad Nick Breger OPenguin Boks 1998 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I A 6 L E
159
BRAI NSTORMI NG 1
Managing your ti me
Efective time management is a key concer for every manager With growing pressure on managers to
complete more and more tasks, time is becoming an extremely precious commodit - to be saved and
spent carefully. While many managers now have electronic agendas to keep their appointments in
order, there are still many ways in which they could improve their time management skills.
You have been set up as a project team to investigate the efective use of management time. Your
tasks are to:
identif the main causes of time-wasting among managers
suggest steps to reduce the time-wasting
design a reminder for managers about the imporance of the efective use of time.

REMER 1.
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From Busine$S English Meetings by Jeremy Comfon ad Nick Breger ( Penguin Books 198 P H 0 " 0 C 0 PI A 6 L E
BRAI NSTORMI NG 2
Management tools
In is broadest sense, management is the skil which enables companies to thrive. In some senses,
management folows trends in fashion. Eary models of management were concered with maximizing
outut by measurng the precise requirements of the job. Subsequent theores of management have
reognized the human element and added motivation as one of the keys to successful management.
In addition to management theores, tnere have been management tools which have helped managers
achieve their objectives. These have included:
efective team-building
efective project management
efective delegation
efective time management.
Your task is to devise a new set of management tools. Your staring point should be to identif an area
in which manager need help or assistance. Your next step is to create a tool which wilhelp managers
peror this task more eficiently
Frm Business English Meetings by Jermy Comon ad Nick Breger OPenguin Bok 1998 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I A 6 LE
1 61
BRAI NSTORMI NG 3
What's i n a name?
Your company manufactures bicycles. It is about to launch a new adult bike: a cross between a
mountain bike and a tourer (a so-caled hybrid). The bike wil be priced for the top end of the market
and hopes to attract buyers in the AB social economic class.
As with al such products, the name is crucial. It needs to be a name which can be used across the
world as you hope to sel it into both the domestic and expor markets.
The agenda below is designed to suppor the brainstorming process.
AGENDA
T Presentation of the product
Z Presentation of a tpical customer
d Brai nstormi ng on the name
4 Decision
JVotes to the agenda
I Z
Presentation of the product
The Product Ianager wpresent the new bike.
Z Presentation of a typical customer
The Marketing Manager wtalk about the target customer.
3 Brainstorming on the name
Te meeting W brainstorm the name.
4 Decision
A decision wlbe made.
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Brai nstormi ng 3
Continued . . .
ROLES
Product Manager
Your task is to present the bike. If possible fnd a pictue of a bie.
Main features:
lightweight alloy fame
twist-operated gear change
six gears
comfortable seat and sitting position
solid but attractive desig
dark green fame
Marketing Manager
You main task is to present the target customer:
Age: 3050
Sex: male
Married wth young children
Lives i detached house
Anual Income: 25,000 plus
Sport-oriented
Wuuse bike at weekends with family, mainly on local trips
Note: Expand on the description as you like.
Other roles ( 4 participants)
Your man task is to brainstorm the name.
Frm Busine English Meetings by Jcrmy Comfor ad Nick Breger OPenguin Boks 1998 P H 0 T 0 C 0 P I A 5 L E
163
.
BRAI NSTORMI NG 4
A new l ogo
You own an information technology (IT) consultancy company called 'Computer Solutions'. You started
the company 10 years ago ofering IT support to local companies: advising about hardware and
software and also maintaining customer systems. Your company has expanded considerably over the
last five years and now operates throughout the continent. Its image remains rather domestic and even
provincial:
c
O
t P U T
S O L U T I ON S
You have decided to give the company a stronger brand image by changing the logo.
To star the process you have collected together some design ideas. Discuss these ideas.
CoMPUTE R
SOLUTI ONS
C O M P U T E R
S O L U T I O N S
Computer
S o l u t i o n s
C O MP U T E R
o m
r
u t e r
o l u t i o n
1 6 FromBusineS$ English Meetings by Jen:my Comfon :nd Nick Breger C Penguin Books 198 P H 0 T 0 C 0 PI A 6 L E
Brai nstormi ng 4
Continued . . .
ROLES
You ae partners/owners of the company called 'Computer Solutions'. Some initial positions are
outlned below.
Iorrner
You thk the logo should be in simple colours and based around the letters C and S.
Iorrner 3
You thk the global nature of the business should be emphasized with a globe as part of the logo.
Iorrner
You think the activty itself (computer support) should be visualized in the logo.
Porrner4
You think the concept of a solution should be visualized in some way.
Iorrner
You le the exsting logo. You can't understand why you need to change it.
Iorrner0
You think the new logo must look similar to the existing logo, otherwise customers will not identi
with it.
Iorrner
You thik the new logo must look dynamic - some movement in the design is important.
IoHner
You think the name 'Computer Solutions' is more imporant than the logo design.
Frm Busins English Metngs by Jermy Comfon ad Nick Breger OPenguin Bok lW8 PH 0 T 0 C 0 PI A 5 L E 165
:.
BRAI NSTORMI NG 5
The company excursi on
Ever year your company takes al the employees (125 people) on an excursion. Te trp usualy
consists of some kind of enterainment in the evening, plus lunch and maybe a tour durng the day The
objective is to do something al together
Your task is to brainstorm what kind of trip should be organized for this year Some alternatives are
lsted below:
A castle
A public garden
A l eisure complex
A funfir
A walk in the country
A cit tour
A city show/play
Di nner in a cit resurnt
Dinner i n a country resturnt
Spectti ng at a spor event (grnd prix, tennis tourament)
Participating i n a sport event (horse riding, archery, etc.)
Outdoor pursuit (orienteering, rock climbing, canoeing, white water rfing)
Open-roof bus tour
Other ideas . . .
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Business

Case study agendas

1Z Managing the project

17 Pay versus benefts

Staf committee meetings

Staf committee meeting Z

Staf committee meeting

Staf committee meeting 7

J Human resources (1)

This case deals with the tensions between members of a

Z Ask your students to read through the issue.

3 Mae sure they all fully understand the case.

Assign roles (not only fnctonal roles, but also a secre

This type of case lends itself to written follow-up in the

and improve efciency. This case deals with the out

serices of an exteral cleaning company. The dilemma

address all these questions.

(See also 'Stages of the activity - standad procedures' ,

Ask you stdent how may employers they expect to have

durng a lifetme. Do they expect a continual rise in salary

Z Ask you students to read through the issue.

3 Mae sure they M flly understand the case.

viously. Tis may be partly due to a cult of hard work,

Discuss what hours your students work. How do they

they thin it is efcient to work long hours?

J Make sure they all fully understand the case.

4 Assig roles (not ony functional roles, but also a secre

The minutes of the meetg should record any action plan.

Z Assign or ask for volunteers for the following roles for

obsere the meeting in ters of its efectiveness).

4 Allow a frter l minutes to prepae for the meeting.

Tis tpe of meetng provides a rage of agend items with

for each item):

ions on the other items.

back ar each item or wait till the end.

rmour - to spread a rmour

This Qof meetng provides a range of agenda items with

to express teir own views on the issues.

Ask your students:

how these human concers can best be handled.

l Afer the lead-in discussion, look at the case itelf.

their role and own experience in the professional aea. It

see. Do they ever cause ofence? If so, for what reason?

(See also 'Stages of the activity - stdad procedures' ,

tar to take mnutes).

language (see pp. vil-ix).

8 Give the students language and communication feed

(tme and people) and also a key production issue -safety.

problems does it face today?

tary to tae mnutes).

language (see pp. viii-ix).

8 Give the students language and communcation feed

2 Ask your students to read through the issue.

Ask your stdents how much job satisfaction they get.

Assign roles (chairman, secretary).

more control to prevent private access at the company's

little briefing required. It should encourage a creative

meeting in which everbody is encouraged to give opin-

This problem centres on the role of training in an organi

2 Ask your students to read through te issue.