UNIT II

COMPANY PERFORMANCE

A. READING

Starting point

How can you measure the performance of a company?

Put these in order from the most important (1) to the

least important (5)

- How much money the company makes.

- How green the company is.

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- Who it employs.
- How it treats its staff.
- How safe it is to work there

Company performance in socially responsible

world.

Every investor loves a company when it

achieves its sales targets, manages its costs, and
performs well on the stock market and, therefore,
makes money.

However, a company nowadays also need to

think about its reputation with the public and its own
staff. In other words, it has to be socially
responsible. For example, it is expected to improve
its environmental performance. In addition, it is
often judged these days on the diversity of its
workforce: the number of women, people from
ethnic minorities, and disabled people in all positions,
including senior management. This has become an
important factor in recruitment. Finally, a company
needs to have a good safety record, both in term of
its workers and the products it produces.

In a recent survey, 40% of workers said they

would work longer hours and 48% would work for
less pay with a socially responsible company.
Interestingly, 46% of employees believed they already
worked for a socially responsible company. Without
doubt, profits are no longer the only way to measure a
company’s success. Employees and customers expect
a lot more.

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 Reading comprehension

Exercise 1

Complete the sentences with words and phrases in

bold from the text.

1. If a company is open to both sexes and all races, it

believes in the…………………………..
2. A company which protects people and nature is
usually…………………..
3. If your company has good results, its shares
usually………………….
4. If people like or respect of the company, it has a
good………………
5. If the company doesn’t spend too much, it reduces
its ……………………………….
6. If there aren’t many accidents, the company has a
good ……………..
7. If the company sells what it plans, it
…………………………………………
8. If a company doesn’t pollute too much, it has a good
………………

B. VOCABULARY
Exercise 1
Complete the sentences with the words below

manager subordinates
coach

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chief executives (CEO) workers
staff
directors employee
launching target

1. The new…………. Improve morale in the

department.
2. The ………… praised his team upon reaching the
Cup Final.
3. Our board of …………... meets every three
months to discuss strategy.
4. The factory …………. Went on strike because of
low pay.
5. The share price went up when the new …………
was appointed.
6. I have to do the appraisals for the six…………
who report to me.
7. An aggressive management style led to an
increase in …………turnover.
8. Every ………………… in the company gets
health and safety training.
9. We’re going to…………… a new customer
profile.
10. The marketing department is …………. the new
campaign this spring.

Exercise 2

Complete the article with the words below

strategy planning process resources threats

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 markets strategic objectives competition
opportunities

Developing successful
…………………………. (1) is a vital part of the
…………………… (2) for all business
organizations. Analyzing where a business stands
in relation to its …………………..(3) and
………………………(4) enables it to identify
potential ………………..(5) for growth and
potential …………………………(6). It is the
possible to set ……………… (7) and to predict
the human and financial ………………………
(8) needed to achieve them.

C. STRUCTURE

Past Simple and Present Perfect

The Past simple has the following uses:

1) Finished action and events

She worked here for five years. (not now)
Did you meet her at the conference?

2) Definite or finished time period

I joined the company in 2003.
They launched the product two years ago.

Key words
Days, months, years, times, yesterday, ago, last
week/month/year

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 The Present Perfect has the following uses:

1) Changes that affect the present.

The remuneration committee has finished the report.
Have the shareholders been informed yet?

2) Show duration
He has been the chairman since 2002.
I haven’t been promoted for five years.

Key words
For, since, already, yet, just, ever, never, recently,
lately, in the last, today, this week/month/year

Exercise 1

Complete the following text with the appropriate

tense of the verbs, past simple or present perfect.

Cantor Fitzgerald (be)……… (1) ……….

th
tragically famous since September 11 2001, when it
(lose) ………. (2) ….…… 658 of its staff in the World
Trade Center. Recently, it (appear) ……… (3) ……….
back in the news in Britain because one of its staff
(take)……… (4) …….it to court for breach of contract.
Steven Honkulak (be)…… (5) ………. the managing
director of interest rates derivatives, which is a highly
stressful job but he (earn) ………. (6) ……… 400,000
plus bonuses. However, his boss, Lee Amaitis, who
(work)……… (7) ………with the company for many
years is a very tough and aggressive man. Mr. Honkulak

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claims that Mr. Amaitis, regularly (threaten)……… (8)
……to dismiss him and (cause)……… (9) …… him
so much stress that he (start)……… (10) …… to drink
and take medication. He finally (leave)……… (11)
……. the company and (ask)……… (12) ……… for 1
m compensation. The company defended itself by
saying Mr. Amaitis (contribute)……… (13) …… to
the success of this company with his vision and hard
work. Mr. Honkulak, however, (want)……… (14) ……
the rewards of the senior position but his weaknesses
made him unable to cope with the job. The judge
awarded Mr. Honkulak 1 m, saying that there are limits
beyond which no employer should go.

Exercise 2

Put the verb into the correct form

1. I …………………………… (lose) my key. I can’t

find it anywhere.
2. ……………………………. (you/see) the film on
television last night?
3. Jill…………………………… (buy) a new car two
weeks ago.
4. His hair is very short. He……………………………
(have) a haircut.
5. Last night I …………………………. (arrive) home
at half past twelve. I …………………………….
(have) a bath and then I
…………………………(go) to bed.

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6. ……………………………….. (you /visit) many
museums when you were in Paris?
7. My bicycle isn’t here anymore. Somebody
…………………………… (take) it.
8. When …………………………… (you/give) up
smoking?
9. I …………………………… (not/eat) anything
yesterday because I …………………(not/feel)
hungry.
10. Why ………………… (Jim/not/want) to play tennis
last Friday?

Exercise 3:
Read the situation and then write a sentence. Use the
verbs given in brackets.

1. I lost a lot of weight but now I am too heavy again.

(lose weight/put on weight) I ………. but now I
……….
2. She went to Australia but now she is back in Britain
again.
(go/come back) She ………. but now ………
3. Last year Kevin bought a car. Now it belongs to
someone else.
(buy/sell) ……….
4. The police arrested the man but now he is at home
again.
(arrest/release) ……….
5. Bill cut his hair. Now it is log again.
(cut/grow) ……….
6. The prisoner escaped from the prison. Now he is
back in prison.

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 (escape/be caught) ……….

D. LANGUAGE FUNCTION

A Company Visit

Could you give me direction to your office?

Just follow the signs.
Go past the station and take the first turning on
the left.
You’ll see the office on the right-hand side.
I’ve left my car in a reserved space.

I have an appointment with Hans Ekburg.

Take the lift to the fourth floor.
His office is the fifth on the right, along the
corridor.
Hello Hans, I’d like you to meet our marketing
Manager.
Please to meet you.

Tell me something about the company.

What does the company do?
We’re in the transport business.
We employ just under 5000 people worldwide.

The company was set up five years ago.

We’re the largest manufacturer in the country.
North America is our biggest market in terms of
sales by region.
We have an excellent reputation for service.
Business is booming.

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E. Dialogue

Dialogue 1

Directions to the office

A: Hi, Rosa. It’s June here. I’m in the Town center

outside the bus station. Could you tell me how to get
to your office from here?

B: Sure. Follow the signs for Frankfurt. After about

two kilometers, you’ll see a garage on your right.
Carry on for another 200 meters and then turn left.
Our office is on the left- hand side, just before a
railway bridge. When you arrive, park in one of the
visitors spaces just outside the main building.

A: Thanks, Rosa. See you soon.

Dialogue 2

Getting lost

A: Hi, Carla.

: Hello, Bob. Is everything all right?

A: Not really. I’m lost. I’m calling from a service

station on the E7 just south of place called Melton. I
don’t have a map with me, so could you direct me to
the factory?

B: Sure. Take the first left after the service station

and follow the road to Porlock. Pass the shopping

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center on your right and then take the first left. Carry
on for three kilometers and you will see the factory.

A: Thanks.

Dialogue 3

Arrival

A: Good morning, can I help you?

B: Yes, I have an appointment with Hans Ekburg.

Could you tell him I am here? I’ve left my car in a
reserved space.

A: That’s OK, I’ll take the car registration number.

Could you write your name here please and wear
this? Do you know the building?

B: I’m afraid I don’t.

A: OK, go up these stairs and take the lift to the third

floor. Mr. Ekburg’s office is the fifth on the right,
along the corridor.

B: Thanks.

Dialogue 4

Meeting

A: Hello John. Good to see you again.

B: And you.

: John, I’d like you to meet Lera Berman, Our

Marketing Manager.

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C: Hello, John. Please to meet you. Did you have a
good journey?

B: Yes, very good. The directions were very clear.

Dialogue 5

Introducing a company (1)

A: We’re in the label business. We produce all kinds

of labels- price labels, bottle labels, even postage
stamps. We have factories in France, Germany,
Malaysia, China and the UK.

B: How many people work for the company?

A: We employ just over 5000 people worldwide.

There are around 400 employees in this factory.

B: Is business going well?

A: Yes it is, and it’s growing all the time.

Dialogue 6

Introducing a company (2)

A: So, tell me more about your mailing business.

B: Sure. We provide a complete packaging and

mailing service for our customers. We now have
branches all over the south of the country and we
have plans to open new branches in the north.

A: What kind of company are you?

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 B: We’re private limited company. We’re not listed
on the Stock Exchange yet.

Dialogue 7

Company history

A: So, how long have you been on this site?

B: We moved here five years ago. Before that, we

were in a very small office building in the center of
town.

A: and when was they company set up?

B: Ten years ago- by Simon Donna who is still the

Managing Director. He started the company with just
two employees.

A: That’s very impressive.

Dialogue 8

A tour of the office

A: Let me show you around the office. Our sales

representatives work in this open plan area. The room
in the corner is Brit Gamlin’s office. She/s the Senior
Sales Manager here. Do you know her?

B: No, I don’t. Has she been here long?

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 : No, she joined the company two months ago. Come
with

me. I’ll introduce you to her.

A: Hello Brit. I’d like you to meet Oliver Blaireau from the

Paris office.
C: Pleased to meet you Oliver. How are things in Paris

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