STARTING U P

a Which of these statements do you agree with? Which do you disagree with?
Why?
1 There are no new ideas.
2 Most of the best ideas are discovered by accident.

3 Research and development is the key to great business ideas.

4 There is nothing wrong with copying and improving the ideas of others.

5 The best way to kill an idea is to take it to a meeting.

llJ Discuss these questions.

1 What do you think are some of the best ideas in the last 20 years?
2 What is the best idea you have ever had?

3 Which creative person do you most admire? Why?

4 What should companies do to encourage new ideas?

VOCABUl!ARY
a Match the word partnerships (1-6) to their definitions (a-f).
Verb and noun 1 to take advantage of an a) to offer a larger variety of goods
combinations opportunity
b) to do or provide something that is necessary
2 to raise some body's status
c) to do something when you get the chance to do it
3 to enter a market
d) to make an important discovery or change
4 to extend a product range
e) to start selling goods or services in a new area
5 to meet a need
f) to make somebody look or feel more important
6 to make a breakthrough
36
 UNIT 4 H GREAT IDEAS

D Read this extract from a talk by the head of a research and development
department. Then complete the gaps (1-6) with the correct form of a word
partnership from Exercise A.

Great ideas are generated in d i fferent ways. Sometimes a n idea may s i m p ly be when a

! � .� 9.":'�.�t�9-�.?f �':t.?P.P.?.r.�t:0.i:t/ to . . . . . . . . . . . .
compa ny � -�� 2, to offer more choice to
existing customers. Or a great idea could allow a company to . . . ......... 3 which was closed
to it before.

Companies which are prepared to spend a lot on R & D may ............ 4 by having an original
idea for a product which others later copy, for example Sony and the Wal k m a n .

On t h e other h a n d , some products a r e developed i n response to customer research. They

come from customer ideas. These products are made to ............ 5, to satisfy consumer
demand. Or the product does something similar to another p ro d u ct, but faster, so it saves
time. Some people will buy new products because the product ............ 6- gives t h e m a
new, more u p m a rket image.

II �>» CD1.37 Listen and check your answers to Exercise B.

m �>» CD1.38 Listen carefully to the last part of the talk and complete the gaps to
form word partnerships with the words in italics.

Other people will buy a n y 'green' product which ............ 1 waste o r ............ 2 the
environment, even if it is more expensive. If an idea is really good and the product
. 4 . .
. . . . . . . . . . . .3 a gap •m t h e m a r k et, 1t may even
.... .. ....
. . an award fo r 1 n n ovat 1 o n .

II Work in pairs. Exercise B refers to the Sony Walkman. Can you think of any
other examples of products which:
1 were completely original and later copied?
2 are green?

3 won an award?
See the OVO-ROM � 4 were developed from customer ideas?
for the i-G/ossory. W
Compare your ideas in small groups.

rJ Dr Kate Pitts is a researcher at the e-Research Centre, University of Oxford.

Great business She was asked the question: In your opinion, what were the best business
ideas ideas of the last 15 years? Predict what she will say. Think of prod ucts and
services.

D �») CD1.39 Listen to the first part of the interview. What products and services
does Kate mention? Why does she think they were excellent ideas?

B �>» CD1.40 Listen to the second part and answer these questions.
1 What types of company spend a lot of time and money on research and development?
2 Which company spends nearly 25% of the cost of sale on research and development?

Dr Kate Pitts

37
UNIT 4 .... GREAT IDEAS

m �») (01.40 Listen to the second part again and complete the gaps i n the
audio script.
I strongly believe that most companies can benefit from using 1 and 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

within their own company to actually develop new 3 and services. My definition
. . . . . . . . . . . .

of • is to look at what everybody else sees, and see something

. . . . . . . . . . . . 5• . . . . . . . . . . . .

Watch the
interview on
So that might mean looking at what you already do, and looking at where you can do it
slightly differently to 6 your product range, or
. . . . . . . . . . . . 7 your products into new
. . . . . . . . . . . .
the DVD-ROM.
markets. This can save . 8 and money.
.. . . . . . . . . .

D Discuss these questions.

1 What will be the best business idea in the next 1 5 years?
2 What would you like someone to invent?

IJ What makes a business idea a really great idea? Brainstorm as many points
Three great as you can.
ideas EXAMPLE: It re>vlt> it) at) il)crea)e it) >ale> al)d profit

IIJ Work i n groups of three. Make quick notes i n answer to the questions below
about your article.
Student A: Read Article 1 on the opposite page.
Student B: Read Article 2 on the opposite page.
Student C: Read Article 3 on the opposite page.

Who needs Safer Going for

Questions
translators? cycling gold
1 What is the great/unusual idea?

2 What problem does this idea solve?

3 Which markets are mentioned in

relation to this idea?

4 In terms of time, at what stage of

development is the idea?

B Ask your partners the four questions in Exercise B and make notes on
what they say.

I:J Discuss these questions in pairs.

1 Which of the ideas do you find the most interesting? Why?
2 Which idea do you think will be the most profitable?
3 Which idea will reach the most markets?
4 Can you think of any problems any of the ideas might have?

38
 UNIT 4 .... GREAT IDEAS
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� [+ Article 1 cI (
.._ ____ Q)
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WHO N EEDS TRANSLATORS?

Google is developing software for the first phone capable of
translating foreign languages almost instantly. By building on
..><:
::l existing tecl1nologies in voice recognition and automatic translation,
ci
u Google hopes to have a basic system ready within a couple of
(])
c years . If it works, it could eventually transform communication
c
0
among speakers of the world's 6,000-plus languages.
Vl
(])
E The company has already created an automatic system for translating text on computers,
which is being honed by scanning millions of multilingual websites and documents. So far, it
covers 52 languages. Google also has a voice-recognition system that enables phone users to
conduct web searches by speaking commands into their phones rather than typing them in.

Now it is working on combining the two technologies to produce software capable of understanding
a caller's voice and translating it into a synthetic equivalent in a foreign language. Like a professional
human interpreter, the phone would analyse "packages" of speech, listening to the speaker
until it understands the full meaning of words and phrases, before attempting translation.

w�v r-�7-,� � --
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Ea I+ Article 2 cI )
Q·

SAFER
The invention was presented today in Stockholm. It w i l l go on sale in Sweden
early next year for about £50. The designers have spent six years developing it.
Terese Alstin. one of the inventors, said. "The protection should include keeping
CYCLING the sense of freedom and not ruining your hairstyle."

The device has been improved by recreating

Swedish designers have
..><: hundreds of' accidents using crash-test
::l created a cycling "collar"
0
dummies and real riders. "We have
u that is worn around the
c
developed a unique. patented, mathematical
0
neck with an airbag hidden
-o
merhod to distinguish these movement
c inside. When sensors in patterns," say the inventors. A small helium­
.2
Vl the device determine a gas cylinder in Oates the airbag in 0 . 1 seconds
Vl
.c
crash has happened, an and is designed to let cyclists see at all times .
i� airbag instantly inflates
The airbag stays inf-lated for several seconds.
�
around the cyclist's head It is powered by a rechargablc battery. Co­
E to form a helmet.
0
inventor Anna Haupt said. "The shell of' the
J:::: collar is removable and available in many
-o
(]) di fferent styles and fabrics, and will be
0..
ro launched in new fashion collections."
-o
ro

c l (
Apart from be i ng go ld-p lated - a n d the fact that they are
bu l letproof - they seem much l i ke any other v e n d i n g mach i n e .
But i n stead of choco late bars , a n etwork of " g o ld -to-go" machines
d i s pe n ses 24- ca rat bul l i o n i n a smart pres e ntati o n box .

Originally designed as a marketing Since the first machine was

device for an online gold-trading installed in May, in the lobby of
business, the machines have Abu Dhabi's E m i rates Palace hotel,
become such a success that their 20 gold-to-go machines have
inventor plans to build a global appeared across E u rope. Germany
network, installing them everywhere a l ready has eight. Next month,
from fitness centres to cruise ships. the first machines will open i n
the United States - i n Las Vegas
Thomas Geissler, the German
and Florida.
businessman behind the machines,
said their unexpected success was The company claims its gold is
the result of a recent interest i n cheaper than that available from
gold. " O u r customers are those who the banks, largely because its
are catching on to the idea that overheads are lower, and that
gold is a safe investment at a time unlike at a bank, the machine
of financial instability," he said. gold is available i m m ediately.

39
UNIT 4 �� GREAT IDEAS

LANGUAGE REVIE�] Study these examples.

Past sim ple and a) Yesterday afternoon, the CEO was meeting the research team in Dublin.
(past continuous)
past continuous
b) We were having a successful negotiation when suddenly they made new demands.
(past continuous) (past simple)
c) The advertising agency started in 1982, and Wieden came up with the 'lust Do It' slogan
for Nike in 1988. (past simple) (past simple)

Now read through these rules.

• We use the past continuous to talk about something that was going on around a
particular time in the past, as in example a).
• We often use the past continuous to describe an action which was already in progress
when something else happened, as in example b).
• We use the past simple to talk about actions or events that we see as completed,
as in example c).

Grammar reference page 144

Et Read the Laszlo Biro story and choose the correct form of the verbs.
People wrote �1 with quills, pens and pencils long before Laszlo Biro invented I
was inventinl his biro in 1938. While he worked /was workinl as a journalist in Hungary,
he noticed /was noticing4 that the ink used in newspaper printing dried quickly. But this
ink would not flow into the tip of a fountain pen. In 1938, he developed /was developinl
a new tip using a ball that was free to turn in its socket. He died /was dying 6 in Buenos
Aires in 1985.
laszlo Biro

IJ I n pairs, take it in turns to tell your partner that you saw them doing these
things at work. Your partner has to think of a good reason why they were
doing it.
EXAMPLE:

Student A: WJ,e" I )a IN yovJ yov Were pvtti"9 a pack of paper i" yovr ba9.
Student B: OJ,J my boH as-ked me to pri"t ovt a lo"9 report at home to"i9J,t

When I saw you, you were:

• looking at Facebook during office hours.
• studying Japanese instead of working.
• talking with friends in the staff restaurant.
• playing games on your mobile phone.
• reading a book.
• collecting money from your colleagues.

SKI LLS Which of these statements do you agree with? Why?

S u ccessful 1 The best number for a meeting is six people or fewer.
meetings
2 Never have food or drink during a meeting.
3 Always start and finish a meeting on time.

4 You should sit round a table when you have a meeting.

5 A meeting must always have a leader.

6 At a formal meeting, each person should speak in turn.

40
 UNIT 4 H GREAT IDEAS

ll ��) CD1.41 DC Dynamics is an electronics company based in Boston, USA.

The marketing department held a meeting to discuss their new smartphone.
Listen to the meeting, then answer these questions.
1 What were the main aims of the meeting?
2 Which month did they choose for the launch?

II �>» CD1.41 Listen again and tick the expressions which the chairperson uses.
1 OK, everyone, let's begin, shalt we? 0
2 Our main purpose is to decide the date of the launch. 0
3 Mei, what do you think? 0
4 Cheng, can you give us your opinion about this? 0
5 Any thoughts on that? 0
6 Let's get back to the point. 0
7 Now, I'd like to move on to sates outlets. 0

m �)» CD1.41 Listen to the meeting again and complete these extracts.
Mei: Personalty, I'm . i n fqYf? l.!r 1 of June. Let's get into the market early and surprise
. . .

2
our . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Wan: Yeah, June's too early. I think September's the best time. We can promote the
smartphone strongly then, with a multimedia . . . . . . . ?. . . . .

Lincoln: What about the recommended retail price for the phone? Any thoughts on that?

Mei: . . . . . . . . . . . .4 a minute. I thought we were talking about the . . . . . . . . . .5 date, not

. .

the price.

Lincoln: OK, Mei, maybe we are moving a little too fast. Let's get back to the . .
. . . . . . . . . .6•

Lincoln: Good. We need to be sharp on pricing. Now, what sates outlets do you think
we should . . . . . . . . . . 7 , Wan? . .

Wan: No problem there. We could start with the specialist mobile-phone stores and
big . . . . . . . . . . . .8 stores. After that, we could took at other distribution . . . . . . . . . . . .9•

IJ Work i n groups of four. GLP of Buenos Aires has developed a new wallet,
code-named 'The Hipster'. It will be launched in the US. The marketing
department holds a meeting to discuss a strategy for selling it.
Student A: Turn to page 134. Student C: Turn to page 132.
Student B: Turn to page 138. Student 0 : Turn to page 136.

Read your role card, then hold the meeting.

U S E F U L LANGUAGE " ::·_,-�:];,.;t�·

CHAIRPERSON/LEAD PARTIC I PANTS
Beginning the meeting Changing the subject Giving opinions Disagreeing
Can we start, please? Let's move on now to ... I think we should ... I don't know about that.
Right, let's begin. The next thing to discuss is ... I'm in favour of ... (I'm afraid) I don't agree.
Stating the aim Clarifying Making suggestions Interrupting
The main aim/purpose of this What do you mean by ... ? Perhaps we should ... Hold on (a moment).
meeting is to ... Sorry, I don't quite understand. We could ... Can I just say something?
Asking for comments Summarising Agreeing
What do you think? OK, let's summarise. I think you're right.
How do you feet about this? Right, let's recap. I (totally) agree.

41
The new
attraction
A n i nterna t i o n a l c o m petition will encourage
great i d eas for a new visitor attract i o n

�> CD1.42 Listen to a conversation between

Dilip Singh i s a very rich man. H e gives money Dilip and his personal assistant, Jane
generously to charities att over the world and Ferguson. Note down the three key points
provides finance for projects which wilt help that Dilip makes about the new attraction.
local communities.

He has recently organised an international

competition for people wanting to create a new
attraction in their country. The winner(s) wilt receive
$20 million to finance and develop their project.
 UNIT 4 .... GREAT IDEAS
Here are three attractions that have impressed Dilip because they are unusual and exciting.
He has put them on the website as examples to stimulate the imaginations of competitors.
Which one would you like to visit? Why?

Have you visited any attraction which greatly impressed you? If so, tall< about it with your colleagues.

attractions
\
2
3
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre The Vulcan Tourism and Trek The Sunken Ship Museum -
- London, England Station - Alberta, Canada Yangjiang, South China
Opened in 1997, this modern building is a The town of Vulcan is in Alberta, Canada, Opened in 2010, the museum is located
reconstruction of the original Globe Theatre, and its name has helped it to become a underwater. The main exhibit is an BOO-year­
which was built in 1599. It was an open-air tourist attraction. It has built a tourist station old ship which is 24 metres below the surface
playhouse where Shakespeare's plays were based on the theme of the famous Star Trek of the sea. Visitors can see the ship from
performed. An exhibition and tour show what television and feature-film series. It shows underwater corridors. In addition, they can
life was really like in Shakespeare's time. many objects from the series, and there is view the precious objects which have been
The Globe Theatre is a popular London a replica nearby of the starship Enterprise taken from the ship. MORE
attraction. MORE from Star Trek V. MORE

� Work in small groups.

�
L3--
1

2
Brainstorm ideas for a new attraction in your area/country.
Choose the best idea. Then discuss your concept, using these q uestions as a guide.
Choose someone to lead your discussion.
1 What are the strong points of your great idea? 4 How can you attract tourists?

2 What kind of experience will your attraction offer 5 What are your plans for marketing and promoting
visitors? the attraction?

3 How will it make money for the local community? 6 What corporate sponsorships will you try to obtain?

3 Describe your ideas to the other groups. Answer their questions.

4 Meet as one group. Choose someone to lead the meeting. Discuss all the projects and decide which one
should be presented to Dilip Singh's committee. If you cannot agree, take a vote.
j
Watch the Case study commentary on the DVD-ROM. G NEW AITRACTION - RECOMMENDATION FOR WINNING ENTRY
Introduction
Writing This report outlines the key features of the new

You are a member of the committee which helps Dilip attraction that we feel should win the competition. It

to judge the projects. H e has asked you to write a short gives reasons why the project was selected and explains
why the new attraction should be a comm e rci al su ccess.
report on the project you think should win, with your
reasons for recommending it.

Outline the key features of the project and say why it =:J Writin g file page 1 2 9
would be a commercial success. 43
 STARTING U P
a Add the verbs from the box to the phrases below to create some common
stressful situations.
being finding geffig having making moving shopping travelling
taking waiting

1 . 9 �in 9 to the dentist

.. 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . house

2 . . . . . . . . . . . . in a long queue 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . an interview

3 . . .. . . . . . . . . stuck in a traffic jam 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . a speech

4 . . . . . . . . . . . . a parking space 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . by a ir

5 . . . . . . . . . . . . with your partner /family 10 . . . . . . .. . . . . an exam or test

Which of the above situations is the most stressful for you? Can you add
any others to the list?

1!1 What do you do to relax? Which of these activities are the most effective
for you, and why? In what other ways do you relax?
• playing a sport • reading • eating/drinking • having a bath • walking
• gardening • massage • shopping • listening to music • watching TV
• meditating • browsing online • blogging • using Facebook/YouTube

44
 UNIT 5 H STRESS

II Rank these situations from 1 (most stressful) to 10 (least stressful).

Then discuss your choices.
• making a presentation to senior • meeting important visitors from abroad
executives for the first time
• leading a formal meeting • asking your boss for a pay rise
• telephoning in English • dealing with a customer who has a
major complaint
• writing a report with a tight deadline
• covering for a colleague who is away
• negotiating a very valuable contract
• taking part in a conference call

VOCABULARY EJ Match the words (1-8) to their definitions (a-h).

Stress in the 1 lifestyle a) a system where employees choose the time they start
workplace 2 workaholic
and finish work each day
b) a time or date by which you have to do something
3 workload
c) how personally satisfied you are with the way you
4 deadline
live and work
5 flexitime
d) someone who cannot stop working and has no time
6 work-life balance for anything else
7 quality of life e) the ability to give a good amount of time to your work
and to outside interests, e.g. family
8 working environment
f) the amount of work a person is expected to do
g) the people, things and atmosphere around you at work
h) the way people choose to organise their lives

I] Complete each sentence with an appropriate word or phrase from Exercise A.

1 I worked until 1 1 o'clock at night to meet the . . . . . . . . . . . . for presenting the report.
2 I work six days a week and never have a holiday. My girlfriend says I'm a . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3 Karl has a heavy . . . . . . . . . . . . at the moment because several colleagues are off sick.
4 She gave up a highly paid job to join a meditation group in India. She's completely
changed her . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5 A . . . . . . . . . . . . system can help to reduce stress levels of employees by giving them more
control over their working hours.
6 If you have children, working from home may help im prove your . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7 Many people argue that technology has greatly improved our . . . . . . . . . . . . and the way
we feel about work. Others disagree, arguing it actually increases stress.
8 A clean, quiet, comfortable and friendly . . . . . . . . . . . . can actively reduce levels of stress.

II Mal<e sentences using some of the vocabulary items from Exercise A to

describe your own situation.

I!J Discuss where to put the jobs i n the box i n the stress league on the next
page. Rating is from 10 to 0: the higher the rating, the greater the pressure.
Then turn to page 132 and check your answers.

Advertising executive Architect Banker Diplomat

Hairdresser Firefighter Sales assistant

45
UNIT 5 .... STRESS
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Institute of Science and
Doctor 6. 5.4
-+- . - Technology (UK)

II Choose three jobs from the stress league i n Exercise D. What do you think
makes these particular jobs stressful? Compare your ideas.

D Is your own job (or one you intend to do) included in the stress league?
Do you think it is in the right place? What about the other jobs in the
league? If your job is not included, where would you place it?

m Discuss these questions.

1 Do you like working under pressure? Why? I Why not?
2 What deadlines do you have to meet in your daily life? Which are the most difficult to meet?

See the DVD-ROM � 3 Why do people become workaholics?

for the i-G/ossary. W 4 How important is the working environment in reducing stress?

What are the main causes of stress at work?

Dealing with
stress [I ,.>)) C01.43 jessica Colling is Director of Marketing at Vielife, a Consultancy
that advises businesses on health at work. Listen to the first part of the
i nterview and answer these questions.
1 What three examples are given of things that make people feel under pressure at work?
2 What is resilience to stress?

II ,.>» C01.44 Listen to the second part. What can happen if you have to manage
stress for a long time without a break?

jessica Colling
m
...
..>» (01.44 Listen again and complete this extract.

... ... ....

It's difficult to say really what's a . _ . . . . 1 level of stress for somebody to feel at work.
The problem with that is that what one person finds really . . . . . .2 and it excites them to

. . ..
be able to do their job well, somebody else might find really, really . . . . . . ?. What we do
see is that actually a high level of continued . . . . . -'• can actually sometimes spill over
into feelings of stress.

IJ ,.>)) C01.45 Listen to the third part. What two examples are given of companies
being flexible in how they expect staff to work?
Watch the
interview on
the DVD-ROM. D ,.>» C01.46 Listen to the final part. What two reasons are given for why women
report higher levels of stress than men?

m Discuss these q uestions.

1 What is a good work-life balance for you? Is it easier for men than women to be a manager?
2 Is it important to have a certain level of stress in the workplace?
46
 UNIT 5 �� STRESS

READING I n pairs, rank these countries according to those where you think business
Business leaders feel the most stress (1 = most stress, 9 = least stress).
owners feeling • Australia • China • Denmark • Finland • Greece
• Mexico • Sweden • Turkey • Vietnam
stressed

I] Read the first two paragraphs of this article. Then check your answers to
Exercise A.

Over half of business owners feeling increasing! y stressed

More than half the leaders of privately owners i n mainland C h i n a , Vietnam, Not surprisingly, the most common
held busi nesses globally feel t h e i r 25 Mexico, India and Turkey arc all high cause during 2009 was the economic
s t ress levels have i n c reased over on the stress league table and are c l i m ate, w i t h 38% of respondents
the last year. The research from working i n environments where high so globally saying t h i s was one of their
5 the Grant Thornton I n te rn a t i o n a l growth is expected. But it's not just i n major causes o f stress. This was
Business Report ( I B R ) 2 0 I 0 covers countries expecting high growth that fo l l o wed by pressure on cashflow
the opinions of over 7.400 business 30 tress levels are high - at the opposite (26%), competitor activities ( 2 1 %)
o w n e r s a c r o s s 36 e c o n o m i e s . end of the growth scale, Ireland, Spain and heavy workload ( 1 9% ) . A l e x
M a i n l and China tops the league for and Greece arc all high on the league ss MacBeath comments, "The causes of
10 the most stressed leaders. with 76% table. Said Alex MacBcath, Global workplace stress can be put into three
of b u s i ne s s owners s a y i n g t h e i r Leader - Markets at Grant Thornton distinct group - economic, business
stress levels have increased over the 35 International, "We have busi nesses at and personal. An employee may place
last year. both ends of the GOP growth scale more i mportance on personal clements
Other economics that were high i n experiencing h i g h stress for very ro s u c h as t h e i r work-l i fe balance.
15 t h e stress league table were Mexico d i fferent reason . I n mainland China. The business owner has additional
(74%), Turkey (72%), Vietnam (72%) the pressure i s on to keep up with the pressures to consider."
and Greece (68%). At the opposite end 40 speed of expansion, while in Ireland, T h e survey a l so found a l i n k
of the scale, business owners in Sweden for example, the economy is shrinking, between stress levels and the number
(23%), Denmark (25%), Finland and business owners arc worried about 65 o f clays taken off by an individual in a
20 (33%) and Australia (35%) have the how they will keep their year. Countries at the top of the stress
lowest stress levels in the world. busi ness alive.'' league are those where business
There appears to be a l i n k between 45 Business owners were asked about owners . o n average, take fewer
stress l e v e l s a n d GOP. B u s i n e s s the major causes of workplace stress. holidays each year.

adapted from http:/ /www.grantthorntonibos.com

II Read the whole article and answer these questions.

1 What is the difference between these groups of countries in terms of reasons
for high-level stress?

a) China, Vietnam, Mexico, India and Turkey

b) Ireland, Spain and G reece

2 According to Alex MacBeath, how do business leaders experience stress
differently in China and Ireland?

3 What are the four major causes of workplace stress?

4 According to Alex MacBeath, what three types of pressure are there?

llJ Look at this list of countries.

Vietnam Sweden Denmark Mexico China Finland

In which countries do business owners take:

1 fewer holidays?
2 more holidays?
(You will need information from paragraphs 1, 2 and 5.)

IJ I n pairs, discuss these questions.

1 What are the additional pressures that business owners might have?
2 Should companies do more to reduce stress at work? What could they do?
3 How many days' holiday per year do you think people should get?
47
UNIT 5 .... STRESS

LANGUAGE REVIEW Answer the q uestions in brackets about the sentences in italics.
Past simple and 1 She has worked in Paris for five years. (Does she work in Paris now?)
present perfect 2 She worked in Hong Kong for three years. (Does she work in Hong Kong now?)
Which sentence above (1 or 2) uses the past simple? Which uses the present perfect?
We use the past simple to:
• talk about completed actions that happened in the past.
Larry Page and Sergey Brin created Google in January 1996.
• refer to a definite moment or period in the past.
I spoke to her on Tuesday.
The present perfect connects the past and the present. We use the present perfect to:
• talk about past actions that affect us now.
The boss has just given her a pay rise, and she's very pleased.
• talk about life experiences.
I've worked with many companies where stress was a problem.
• announce recent news.
Coca·Cola has just confirmed it has dropped Wayne Rooney.

C) Grammar reference page 145

l3 Cross out the incorrect sentence in each pair.

1 a) Stress levels have increased in recent years.
b) St
ressl
e vesi
l RereasediRreeeRty
·ear
s.

2 a) The finance sector changed dramatically over the past five years.
b) The finance sector has changed dramatically over the past five years.
3 a) The risk factors for stress have risen significantly since 2009.
b) The risk factors for stress rose significantly since 2009.
4 a) I resigned three months ago.
b) I have resigned three months ago.
5 a) Have you ever been to a stress counsellor before?
b) Did you ever go to a stress counsellor before?

1!1 Write the time expressions from the box in the correct column of this chart.
Past simple Present perfect
two year� a9o �o far

se-faf ho
·eye arsag e ever in 2009 yet just yesterday for the past two weeks
already never last Friday during the 1990s in the last few days since 2005
when I was at university

Now talk about your life using the time expressions.

B The present perfect is often followed by more detailed information in the

past simple. Work in pairs. Ask and answer questions about these subjects.
• attend a conference • travel abroad on business
• be late for an important meeting • make a presentation
• make a telephone call in English • go on a training course

EXAMPLE:

A Have yov ever travelled abroad Ofl bv�ifle��? B: Ye�1 I haVe.

A Where did yov 90? B: Fra"kfvrt I Wefltthere three year� a9o1 Ofl a �ale� trip.
48
 UNIT 5 .... STRESS

fJ You are going to hear three members of the human resources department of
Participating in a transportation company discussing ways of improving the staff's health
discussions and fitness. What ways do you think they will mention?

m �l)) (01.47 Listen to the conversation and check your answers.

B �ll) CD1.47 The speakers use several expressions to make suggestions.

Listen to the conversation again and complete the gaps in these sentences.
1 Well, I think . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . carry out a survey, find out why the staff are so stressed .. .
2 I have another idea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . we encourage staff to keep fit? . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . paying their subscription to a gym?

3 We . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . more staff for them, give them an assistant.

4 Well, it might be a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . to set up a counselling service .. .

5 . . . . . . . . . . . . meet tomorrow, same time, and try to come up with a plan ...

liJ �ll) CD1.48 At the next meeting, the team discusses plans for staff to attend
a local sports centre. Listen and tiel< the expressions they use in their
conversation. Then write 'A' if the expression shows agreement or '0' if it shows
disagreement.
1 Mm, I don't know.

2 I t would be popular, but it could be expensive.

3 I think I agree with you.
4 OK, but we can solve it. The sports centre has great facilities .. .

5 Exactly. It would really help staff to be more healthy ...

6 I'm not in agreement, Danielle. It isn't a great idea.

7 I still think it's a good idea. It's well worth trying.

IJ Work in pairs. You work in the human resources department of a large

company. Discuss how you would deal with these problems. Use
expressions from the Useful language box below to help you.
1 More and more staff are taking medicine, e.g. anti-depressants, because they feel highly
stressed at work. They are often sick, or pretend they are sick, and take days off work.
2 Many employees feel uncertain about their jobs and careers in the company.
They worry about the future. They are constantly anxious and don't sleep well.
3 Some staff are stressed because they feel they have no control over their work and
they don't participate in decisions. They say they feel 'worthless' and are not valued
by management.

U S E F U L LANGUAGE

MAKING SUGGESTIONS GIVING OPINIONS AGREEING DISAGREEING

I think we should carry out a We've got to do something I suppose we could do that. Mmm, I don't know.
survey. about it. I think I agree with you. I can't agree with you there.
Why don't we encourage staff I think we should definitely Yeah, you're right. I'm not sure it's a good idea.
to keep fit? pay staff's subscriptions.
Exactly. I still think it's a good idea.
How about paying for their It would be popular, but it
Good. I Excellent idea. I I'm afraid that's out of the
subscription to a gym? could be expensive.
Great. question because ...
It might be a good idea to set It'd cost a lot, and attendance
I completely agree.
up a counselling service. would be difficult to monitor.

49
Background
Davies-Miller is a large advertising agency on Madison Avenue in New York. It has
expanded rapidly in recent years and has a number of famous companies as its clients.

There is very strong competition in the US advertising industry. Agencies compete to

win new contracts or take clients away from their rivals. Advertising staff are well paid,
but they work long hours. They worry about job security and become anxious if their
company loses an important client.

Recently, Davies-Miller lost two of its major accounts. This had a significant effect o n
the employees. The agency decided t o carry out a survey o f the staff's opinions about
their working conditions. It showed that 65% of staff felt 'highly stressed' in their jobs.

Discuss how the high levels of stress could affect the performance of the agency.

Listen to I read on page 51 about four incidents at Davies-Miller which involved

stress. In each case, note down briefly the key points of each incident.
 2
UNIT 5 �� STRESS

1 Birgitte,
jam es, Sch edule Coo rdin
ator
Account Executive S��mary of an interv
iew with
,.ll) CD1.49 Jessi ca Brrgrtte by a member
of staff (HR)
Parker, a junio r Birgitte regul ates the
flow of
acco unt executive, work, coord inates sche
duling
calls Shei la Murray in and prepa res cost
estim ates
the huma n resources Acco rding to he r, she
t is stres� e d
depa rtme nt from Rio de Janei ro, Braz il, abou beca use she is often
ating interrupt ed
her boss , Jame s. They are curre ntly negoti at work by visits
. from othe r
an i m po rt an t contr act with a clien t there memb ers of staff.
She beli eves
there is too much .
gossip ing in the office .
doing her work. , whrch stops her from
She says that her super
visor favo urs c : rtam
.
and does not want to memb ers o f staff

3
J uliana, Art Director send h er on trarn.
. mg courses .
She lrves a long way
from work . Be cause .
Extract from an e-mail hom e very late and of thrs, she gets back
has no t 'rme to relax.
sent to Head of H R

I have no time
I've never been under such pressure in my work since I joined the agency.
all my time trying to meet impossible
to listen to the problems of my colleagues. I spend
for the Account Executives . We're competing for too many
deadlines to produce designs
the problem. I just don't understan d the policy of the agency. It w?n't help
contracts, that's
me. Somet1mes I
to hire more staff. Most of the creative ideas in the agency come from
worried because the
wonder if they want me to leave and bring in someone younger. I'm
I can't seem to relax when I get back home.
situation's beginning to affect my health.

4
Jolant a, Assistant to Art Director
Part of an informal conversation between )olanta and a membe
r of the HR depart ment
"I'll be looking for anothe r job soon. I feel really stresse d out.
Juliana never tells
me anythin g. She never asks for my opinion . It's incredib le. I 've
got a Master's in
advert isi n g but it doesn't seem to impress her. She only gives me
,
boring jobs and
shouts at me if I make a mistake . I t h ink she'll have a nervous breakdo
wn soon. She
never praises anythin g I d o it really upsets me. I was hoping to
-
have a career here.
No chance of that."

1 You are members of the H R department. Work in small groups and discuss these q uestions.
1 What are the main reasons why the staff mentioned above are highly stressed or demotivated?
2 What action(s) should the HR department take i n each case?

2 Compare the results of your discussion with other groups.

3 Meet as one group. Make suggestions for practical ways of reducing the stress levels of staff
in the agency.

Watch the Case study commentary on the OVD-ROM.

0
Writing
Rccommendat ions
As Head of Human Resources, write the The management team met on July 5 to discuss
recommendations section of a report to ways or dealing with stress in the company.
Davies-Miller's CEO. Outline your practical The fol l owing recommendations were made: C) Writing file page 129
suggestions for reducing stress in the
company, both in the short and long term.
51
 STARTING U Jj
EJ Imagine you have to entertain a group of foreign businesspeople.
Which of these activities would you choose? What would you add?
• historic site(s) • an opera I a concert • motor racing • tennis
• a bar I a nightclub • wine tasting • a game of golf • a restaurant
• the theatre • horse racing • a football match • an art gallery

llJ Many companies are spending less on corporate entertaining. Do you think
this is a good idea? Why? I Why not?

EJ Work with a partner. Which adjectives in the box form partnerships with the
words below {1-6)?
convenient cosy efficient exciting local/regional reasonable �
1 atmosphere 3 location 5 service
2 food 4 prices 6 entertainment

You plan to take a foreign visitor out for d i nner. How important are the above
factors for you when entertaining guests? Discuss your ideas in pairs.

52
 UNIT 6 "" ENTERTAINING

[J Match the words in the box to the correct food categories below (1-4).

beef broccoli cabbage chicken crab cucumber duck lamb

lobster mushroom onion pork prawns/shrimp salmon
spinach tuna turkey veal venison

1 meat beef
2 poultry

3 fish/seafood

4 vegetables/salad

D Combine the words in the box with the headings below (1-3) to create word
partnerships related to drinks.

alcohol-free bottled draught dfy house medium mineral red

rose sparkling still sweet tap vintage white

1 wine dry Wil)e, ...

2 beer

3 water

liJ Think of a typical or unusual dish from your country. How would you
describe it to a foreign visitor? Use these phrases to help you.
It's a meat/fish/rice/vegetarian dish.

It's a kind of seafood/vegetable/dessert, etc.

It's quite spicy /rich/hot/ sweet/ salty /bitter I sour.
It's called . . . . . . . . . . . . and tastes a bit like chicken/cabbage, etc.
It comes with I We usually eat it with ...
People often have a glass of . . . . . . . . . . . . with it.

It's got an unusual taste.

It's served with rice I pasta I a salad I a side dish, etc.
It's quite healthy/fattening/unusual, etc.

IJ Put these stages into a logical order for entertaining in a restaurant.

a) Look at the menu. D
b) Ask for the bill (Br[) I check (Am[). D
c) Book a table (Br[). I Make a reservation (Am[). [I]
d) Leave a tip. D
e) Have the main course. D
f) Have a dessert. D
g) Order a starter (Br[) I appetizer (Am[). D
h) Have an aperitif. D

D ,.>l) CDl.SO Listen to the dialogues and check your answer to Exercise E.

Imagine a small group of foreign visitors is coming to your city.

1 Decide where you would take them for dinner. Choose a menu and a location
to give them a 'taste' of your city/region/country.
See the DVD-ROM
for the i-Giossary.
A
W 2 Explain your choices to a partner.
3 join up with another pair and compare your ideas.
53
UNIT 6 .... ENTERTAINING

LISTEN I NG EJ ,.>» CD1.51 Dr Chris Bruton is Chief Executive of the Cavendish Consultancy, a
Corporate corporate entertainment company. Listen to the first part of the interview
and answer these questions.
events
1 Which sports are popular?
2 Which sport is not popular? Why?
3 What was the most popular musical at the time of the interview?

1!1 ,.>» co1.s2 Listen to the second part. What is surprising about how the
financial sector has reacted to the latest recession?

B ,.>» CD1.53 Listen to the third part. What makes a corporate event successful?
Complete these notes.
Dr Chris Bruton

1 lde11tify your . . . . . . . . . . . .

Z Plalllli119: l-.avi119 . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 e.g. umbrellar

) Cateri11g: 1-.igl-. rta 11dard of . . . . . . . . . . . . a 11 d . . . . . . . . .

. . .

lf 5taff: ............1 ..•..••••..• a11d briefi119

S AI�.-Vayr . . . . . . . . . . . . up afteri.Wardr

m ,.>» CD1.54 Listen to the final part and answer these questions.
1 Which two events were offered together on the same day?
Watch the
interview on 2 How did people travel from London to the first event?
the DVD-ROM.
3 How did people travel from London to the second event?

II I n groups, discuss these questions.

1 What event would you most like to be invited to? Why?

2 How does entertaining affect a company's image?

3 When can corporate entertainment become bribery?

Discuss these questions.

Corporate 1 How important is corporate entertaining in your a) country? b) company/organisation?
entertainment 2 What corporate-hospitality event would you like to be invited to?

The corporate-hospitality club asked three entertainment experts some

questions. In pairs, read the article on the opposite page and put four of
these questions in the appropriate places.
a) What is the most effective way of measuring corporate hospitality?
b) What are the key elements required to produce successful corporate hospitality?
c) If you had an unlimited budget, what would be included in your dream
corporate-hospitality package?
d) What is the best corporate-hospitality programme you have witnessed that wasn't
your own?
e) What are the biggest challenges in creating corporate hospitality?
f) How have corporate-hospitality offerings changed in the past decade?

54
 UNIT 6 .. ENTERTAINING

I Question . . . . . . 3 Question . . . . . .
Kate Kassar (Director, Beyond Events) Kate
Listen to the client's aspirations and needs. Success then Six Nations rugby hospitality in a brewery next to Murrayfield
depends on the creation of a dynamic event, which matches Stadium. It captured the spirit of the rugby audience. Whereas
and reflects the company culture and the tastes of guests. other facilities offered the usual fine dining, this one boasted
30 draught beer, wooden benches, wintery food, rugby celebrities
5 Andrew Hodgkins ( P re m i e r S e r v i c e D i rector, mingling and a party spirit, all on a lower budget.
Keith Prowse)
What makes corporate hospitality so successful is being able Andrew
to offer tickets or packages for events that are sold out or The packages at the Emirates, Arsenal's home ground, are
extremely popular. spectacular. and we wish we could have been involved in the
35 Ryder Cup Europe packages.
10 Alex Hewitt (Managing Director, AOK Events)
Invite your guests to something they genuinely want to attend Alex
and ensure you get the right clients attending. Make sure the A few years ago, my sister invited me to a private sponsor's
event is memorable. This way the event lives forever and makes concert in a tiny London venue in the middle of the Wimbledon
your marketing budget go further. fortnight, which featured John McEnroe and Pat Cash on guitar,
-lO Nick Mason on drums and Chrissie Hynde on vocals. Fantastic
food and an unlimited bar made it the perfect event.
2 Question . . . . . .
15 Kate
Creating an event with universal appeal to a potentially highly
4 Question . . . . . .
diverse audience. Finding the balance between limitless client Kate
aspirations and the boundaries of logistics and cost. A one-off interactive experience that money can't buy. An
event that gives its audience a real feel of the host brand,
Andrew 45 combining the adrenaline of sport with the feel-good factor of
20 The biggest challenge is to make corporate hospitality entertainment and the glamour of the Monaco F I Grand Prix.
accessible to everyone - no matter what their budget is.
Andrew
Alex If we had an unlimited budget, we'd love to offer sporting
Getting the pricing right and making it easy for people to packages with a twist. For example, offering high-profile former
attend. Few of us want to be entertained on a Sunday night at so sportsmen and women to give clients a coaching session in
25 a venue with poor transport links. their chosen sport before the event.

Alex
Morning golf at Wentworth with Tiger Woods and Sean
Connery, followed by a helicopter ride to Le Manoir, where
55 Raymond Blanc would oversee a spectacular lunch.

adapted from www.eventmagazine.co.uk

II Work in pairs. Overall, who do you think gave the most interesting
answers, and why?

liJ I n pairs, answer this question.

If you had an u nlimited budget, what would be included in your dream corporate­
hospitality package?
55
UNIT 6 H ENTERTAINING

A multiword verb is a verb and one or two particles (prepositions or adverbs).

Multiword • It is sometimes possible to guess the meaning from the context.
verbs August is too early for our conference. Let's put it off until October.
( to delay, to arrange to do something at a later date)
=

• However, sometimes the meaning is difficult or impossible to guess.

I turned down their offer. ( to refuse)
=

� Grammar reference page 146

a Match the multiword verbs in bold (1-8) with their definitions (a-h).
1 Who's going to look after our guests tonight? a) see the sights

2 We have two hou rs to look around the city. b) arrive/appear /come

3 We're really looking forward to the Tokyo trip. c) get involved in

4 Let's take the clients out to a Chinese restaurant. d) give attention to I protect I
take care of
5 Seventy staff took part in our fundraising events.
e) accept (an offer)
6 The CEO would like to take up your kind offer.
f) await with pleasure
7 We were delighted that so many sponsors turned
up at the event. g) entertain

8 As we had another engagement, we had to turn h) refuse/decline

down their invitation.

I] Choose the correct options to complete this e-mail extract.

Just a quick e-mail to say thank you for organising the have to take care of I turn down I turn up • your kind offer
Monaco Grand Prix hospitality event. Everyone who took of free tickets for the film premiere as I have another
care of I part in I up 1 the event thoroughly enjoyed looking engagement that night. However, we would like to take
around I forward to I after2 the city and the Grand Prix up I turn up I turn down 5 your offer of organising our
itself. Our clients were looked around I forward to I after3 corporate events next year. We are all really looking
very well by your events team. I am afraid I am going to forward to I around I after6 discussing your proposals.

II I n pairs, take turns to ask and answer these questions.

1 What are you looking forward to most th is m on th ?
2 Have you ever turned down an important invitation?

3 What is the best team event you have taken part i n ?

4 Which famous person would you most like to look after for a day?

What do you say to a business contact when you:

Socialising:
1 introduce yourself? 2 introduce another person? 3 a re introduced to another person?
greetings and
small talk I What topics can/do you talk about?

II �>» CD1.55-1.59 Listen to five conversations at a conference. Match the speakers in

each one, then decide whether they know each other or not.

Speaker 1 Speake r 2 Do they know each other?

1 Liz a) Linda Eriksson
2 b) JOrgen
3 c) Lisa
4 d) Jane
5 Carla e) Sam Clarke
56
 UNIT 6 .,. ENTERTAINING

II ,.>» CD1.56, 1.58 Try to complete the gaps i n Conversations 2 and 4. Then listen
again and check your answers.
Conversation 2
A: James, . . . l:P.V.� . . . you . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Sam Clarke?

B: No. Hello, Sam . . . . . . . . . . . . . to meet . . . . . . . . . . .2• I think we both . . . . . . . . . ? Mike Upton.

. . .

We . . . . . . . . . . . .'' together in Turkey.

C: Oh, yes ... Mike. He's in China now.
B: Really? I didn't know that. . . . . . . . . . . . . him my . . . . . . . . . . .5 next time you see him.
.

C: Yes, I will.

Conversation 4
A: Hi, I'm John.
B: Hello, John . . . . . . . . . . . .6 to meet you. I'm Lisa, from the Amsterdam office.
.

A: O h , Amsterdam. I've never been, but I . . . . . . . . . . . .7 it's a . . . . . . . . . . .8 city, very lively.

.

B : Yes, it is. It's great. You should come. The conference is going to be there next year.

A: I'd . . . . . . . . .9 to. I'll look . . . . . . . . . . .10 to it.

. . . .

I!J Read these expressions (1-10). Decide whether each one is said by the
host (H) or the guest (G).
1 Can I get you a drink? H 6 Yes, please. I'll have a white wine.
2 Yes, it's just down there on the left. 7 Can I give you a lift to the airport?

3 It all looks good. What do you 8 Yes, I'd love to see some of the sights.
recommend?
9 Could you tell me where the toilet is,
4 Would you like me to show you round? please?

5 Help yourself to some food. 10 Thanks, but my taxi's coming.

D Put the sentences from Exercise D i n logical pairs.

EXAMPLES: 1+" Cat) I 9etyou a dritlk? Yes-} pleas-e. rll have a White Wifle.

II Work i n pairs. Role-play the conversation.

Student A: Turn to page 134. Student B: Turn to page 139.

U S E F U L LANGUAGE ;··. --:�· ,. . .' ��.: �

INTRODUCING PEOPLE MAKING SMALL TALK OFFERS
Jurgen, this is Lisa. How's business? Would you like to have dinner with
Anita, do you know lan? We're having a great year. us tomorrow night?
Have you met Mauro? Have you heard about ... ? How about coming to the Cabaret
Club with us?
How are things?
ACCEPTING
REFUSING POLITELY
Yes, I 'd love to. REQUESTS
I'm really sorry, but I'm meeting a
Thank you. That would be very nice. Could I use your printer, please?
client then.
Do you mind if I take a map?
Thank you very much for asking, but
RESPONDING I'm afraid I can't make it tomorrow.
Pleased/Nice to meet you. CLARIFYING
Good to see you again. Sorry, I didn't catch your name. THAN KING
I'm afraid I missed the name of your Thank you for the meal. It was
company. really good.
Thank you for a lovely evening.
I had a great time.
57
 Bamboo Conference Centre, Macau
(south-east China)
Seagreen Hotel, Miami, Florida {US)
• location: city centre
location: seafront, close to beach
· Access: 40 minutes from the airport, shuttle service,
•

• Access: half an hour from airport, no shuttle service

taxis, buses
Conference facilities: one conference room (capacity 200),
· Conference facilities: conference room (capacity 300),
•

two meeting rooms, a large lounge (capacity 60 people) ­

eight meeting rooms (extra reservation charge $100 per
could be used for workshops if necessary room per hour)
• Bedrooms: small, all with sea views, well-designed with • Bedrooms: spacious, luxurious, satellite television, free
modern furniture/facilities mini bar
• leisure: Olympic-size swimming pool, gift shop, art gallery, • Leisure: casinos, night clubs, shopping mall (five minutes
small fitness centre (not much equipment)
from hotel)
Price: $2,200 per participant, including meals and
•
• Price: $3,100 per participant, including meals and two
all entertainment
guided tours
• Restaurant: spacious (capacity 250), mainly Spanish and • Restaurant: private dining hall (capacity 1 50), chef james
Mexican dishes, famous Hispanic chef. lee offers Cantonese cuisine, many unique dishes
• Entertainment: local musicians and singers, lively and • Entertainment: wide range available in the area
noisy at night
• Guest reviews: beautifully furnished rooms, reception
• Guest reviews: excellent service, business centre - limited
desk slow to respond to service calls
hours
 You are members of GFDC's marketing department.
1 Work in small groups. Discuss the advantages and
disadvantages of each hotel as the venue for the conference.

2 Rank the hotels 1-4 (1 = the most suitable hotel for the
conference, 4 = the least suitable).

3 Meet as one group and listen to each other's ideas.

Make your final choice. Take a vote if necessary.

As Chief Executive of GFDC, write a n e-mail inviting the overseas sales

managers to attend this year's conference. Inform them of the dates, the
purpose of the conference and the details of the location.

Hotel Steffanberg, rural area (Sweden)

Hotel Porte Ouverte, Monte Carlo
• Location: a modernised castle, 200 kilometres from Stockholm
(Monaco) Airport

· Location: on a hill overlooking city, 10 minutes to the • Access: regular hotel bus service from the airport to the castle
Palace and beach (three-hour journey)

· Access: at least 45 minutes from Nice airport, longer if • Conf�rence facilities: conference room (1 SO capacity), five
traffic jams, no shuttle service meet1ng rooms, all rooms large and bright

· Conference facilities: conference room (capacity 500), • Bedrooms: bright and comfortable, antique furniture, well
many meeting rooms, with up-to-date equipment equipped, no mini bar

• Bedrooms: award-winning designs, well equipped, some • Leisure: nine-hole golf course near the castle, extra charge
have balconies/sea views for pool and sauna, excellent spa

• Leisure: outdoor swimming pool, spa and fitness centre, · Price: $3,600 per person
free trips to old town of Nice • Restaurant: dining hall for 200 people, two other smaller
• $4,000 per participant
Price: dining rooms, Swedish dishes, other dishes if requested

• Restaurant: capacity for 250 di ners, international cuisine • Entert ainment: �vening entertainment by young Swedish
. .
mUSICians, class1cal music at lunch
· Entertainment: pianist plays every night in the hotel lounge
• G� est reviews: beautiful views of castle grounds; owners
· Guest reviews: service OK, but not outstanding; bars very
fne�dly/helpful, but staff need more training on customer
busy at night, expensive drinks
serv1ce
 2 Doing business internationally
0 A meeting in Morocco
What do you know about Morocco? In pairs, do this quiz. Decide whether each statement is
true (T) or false (F). If the statement is false, correct it. Check your answers on page 134.

1 Morocco, a country in North Africa, has a border with Egypt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2 Religion plays a big role in Morocco's day-to-day life and business culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3 Moroccans always use Arabic when they do business internationally.

4 It is good to ask Moroccans about their family and work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5 Friday is a good day to do business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6 Networking is very important in Moroccan business culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7 Moroccans value greatly the reputation of their business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8 In Moroccan business, who you know is more important than what you know. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9 Meetings often go on longer than scheduled. Moroccans do not like time pressure when doing
business . .. . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . ....................................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10 Moroccans are usually looking t o build long-term business relationships. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1 ,.l)) co1.61 Andrew Morgan is not very familiar with Moroccan business
culture. H e is meeting an Arab businessman, Karim Mansour in Rabat,
who has been recommended by a colleague at head office. Listen and
answer these questions.
1 Why is Andrew Morgan visiting Morocco?
2 How does Morgan's company plan to distribute its products in Morocco?
3 What contacts does Morgan want to get during the visit?

2 ,.l)) co1.61 Listen again and note down the cultural errors And rew Morgan
makes. If necessary, refer to the audio script of the conversation on
page 159. Compare your answers with those on page 135.
 WORKING ACROSS CULTURES H DOING BUSINESS INTERNATIONALLY

0 A posting to Mexico
joanna Simmons works for a large food company based in Dallas, Texas. She has been posted
to the company's subsidiary in Monterrey, Mexico. Unfortunately, she is having difficulties
adjusting to the local business culture. joanna sends some e-m ails to her friend, Samantha,
who works at head office. Work in groups of three. Each of you reads one e-mail. Summarise it
briefly to the others in your group. Then do Task 2 below.

1 2 3

1 1 March 4 May 1 3 June

Hi Samantha! You know, the Mexican way of I 've noticed a few things about the

You wanted to know how I ' m getting on doing business is so different. I business culture here. Mexicans

here. Not too well, I'm afraid. I'm having have to go to business breakfasts don't seem to like mucl1 eye

problems adapting to the business culture. every week, usually from 8 to 11. contact. Maybe they think it isn't
I'm not used to that. And business polite. And they've got strange
My knowledge of Spanish is not as
lunches are very important ideas about personal space. They
good as I thought. I sometimes get invited
here. They go on for hours, and stand very close to you and they
to dinner at colleagues' homes. My hosts
business is discussed only at often touch your shoulder or arm.
ask me a lot of questions about serious
the end of t11e meal. Also, no But if I step back to get a bit more
topics back home, but it's really difficult for
one seems very interested in my space, they're not happy.
me to have a conversation in Spanish with
marketing ideas. I feel my Mexican
them. So I ' m taking Spanish classes at the
colleagues are watching me and
weekend to improve my language skills.
trying to decide if they like me.
Actually, I 've been trying to make things
easier for myself by asking questions about
Mexican culture. T11at way, my hosts do
most of the talking!

I n small groups, discuss these questions.

1 What features of Mexico's business culture is joanna having difficulties dealing with?
2 Has she done anything to overcome her difficulties? If so, what has she done?
3 What advice would you give her to help her adapt to the local business culture?
4 Is she the right person for a posting to Mexico? Why? I Why not?
5 Do you think you would have any problems working in a situation like this? If so, why?

G Doing business in 1 o4>» CD1.62 - 1.65 Listen and make notes about the key points
South Korea in each extract. Listen again if necessary.
In a radio programme 2 Write a list of dos and don'ts for someone visiting Korea.
called Business Today,
four people talked about EXAMPLES:

their experiences of doing Do

business in South Korea.
Get irJormation abovt people yov are 9oin9 to do bv>ineH with.
Don 1t
For9et tJ.,attJ.,e olde>t per)on i> often the mo>t>enior in a grovp
of f(.orea n executive).

Q Work in groups. Consider the business cultures of the three

countries featured in this section: Morocco, Mexico and South
Korea.
1 If you could have a one-year posting to one of these countries, what would
be your order of preference? Discuss your ranking with other members of
your group and give reasons.
2 Choose one of the three countries. How does the business culture in your
own country differ from the country you have chosen? In what ways is it
similar?
3 Choose a country that interests you. Do some research into its business
culture, then present what you've learned to your colleagues. 61
 VOCABU LARY Complete the text below with the words in the box.
I enter extend fill made meet protect reduce take

Company news
The Research and Development team have recently . . . . . . . . 1 a . .. .

breakthrough that w i l l allow us to significantly reduce the size of our

5 ,000-watt generator. We plan to . . . . . . . . . .2 advantage of this opportunity . .

to . . . . . . . . . . . ? a gap in the market by introducing a product that is not

only powerfu l , but also very compact. This w i l l . . . . . . . . . . . .4 the needs o f

c ustomers who need t o l imit the size and weight of the i r equipment

because of the restrictions of their working environment. On the

production side , makjng a smaller product w i l l help us 5

. . . . . . . . . . . . waste

and energy use in the manufacturing process. This w i l l demonstrate

that we are keeping our commitment to . . . . . . . . . . . .6 the environment. We

aren't planning to stop making our larger generators; we w i l l . . . . . . . . . . . 7

our generator product range to incl ude the new ' m icro-generator'

l ine . We ' re hoping to . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 the highly competitive North American

market with the new product next year.

PAST S I M f!LE Complete this text with either the past simple or the past continuous form
AND PAS1i of the verbs in brackets.
CONTINUOUS

While Trevor Baylis . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 (listen) to a radio programme about

v i l l ages in rural Africa, he 2
. . . . . . . . . . . . ( lz a ve) a great idea. According
to the programme, most v i l l ages . . . . . . .....? (not have) electricity, so
communication with the outside world . . . . . . . . . 4 (be) a problem. W h i l e . .

people i n cities . . . . . . . . . .5 (receive) the latest health information , people

. .

in the countryside . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 (not get) enough i nformation and education.

B ay l i s .. . ........? (go) to his workshop and . . . . . . . . . . . .8 (begin) experimenting.
He soon . . . . . . . . . ..? (make) a working radio with no batteries - wind-up
radio. While he . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 (try), without luck, to sell his idea to
companies, he . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 (have) a lucky break. H i s radio . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 .

(appear) on a B B C TV programme, and someone who had money to

invest in the project . . . . . . . . . 13 (1Vatch.) . As a resul t , the Freeplay radio
. . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . 14 (become) a huge success.

62
 UNIT B H REVISION

SKILLS'i Put this conversation into the correct order.

J
a) Ben: I think we should hire Jenny Wong. [I
b) Lisa: I totally agree with Ben. Jenny's the strongest candidate. [ I
c) Lisa: Yes, OK. I think everyone's here. lJ
d) Lisa: I mean that she has a lot of experience. rI
e) Anna: Yes, she's experienced. But I think we should consider Klaus Lehman, too. I
f) Tom: Can we start, please? �
LI
g) Tom: The main aim of t�e meeting is to decide who to hire as the new office
assistant. Ben, what do you think?
h) Anna: Sorry, I don't quite understand. What do you mean by 'strongest'? D
5 Stress

VOCABULARY Complete the sentences below with the words i n the box.

deadline flexitime lifestyle quality of life work-life balance

workaholic working environment workload

1 A firefighter's . . . . . . . . . . . . can be extremely dangerous. Lars had special training to

deal with emergency situations.
2 Ahmed loves the . . . . . . . . . . . . associated with his job as an international airline pilot.
He travels the world and he's paid very well.
3 Construction workers sometimes have to work hard to meet a . . . . . . . . . . . . . Building
work must be done to a strict schedule.

4 Lois, a n accountant, likes to start work very early i n the morning, so working . . . . . . . . . . . .
allows her to start at 7.30 and finish at 4.30.

5 Su-Lee's . . . . . . . . . . . . as an actor is very good. She is well paid and she loves what
she does.
6 Pietro is a nursery nurse. His young children attend the nursery, so he can see
them during the day. This gives him a good . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7 Steve's . . . . . . . . . . . . as a social worker can be a real challenge for him. Sometimes
he has to visit 10 or 1 2 families in one day.
8 To succeed as an advertising executive, Joanna has to be a . . . . . . . . . . . . . She works
12-hour days, six days a week.

SKI LLS Match the halves of these expressions.

1 How about a) a good idea.

2 I can't agree b) further thought.

3 I still think it's c) encourage staff to work flexitime?

4 I think d) buy new laptops for them.

5 I think I e) about it.

6 I think this needs f) paying for the cost of car parking?

7 It might be a good idea g) we should do more research.
8 We could h) with you there.
9 We've got to do something i) agree with you.
10 Why don't we j) to set up a childcare service.

63
U N IT B .... REVISION

WRITING Read these notes, then write an e-mail (70-100 words) to your boss, Mike.

Points for update e-mail to Mike:

• Had a project meeting this morning.

• Project going wel l - on time because everyone working hard.

• Everyone loves work, but feeling very stressed.

• We work late, but must start next day at 8.30.

• Consider f\exitime system - reduce stress and overwork?

VOCABU��
Choose the best options to complete this text.
For business dinners, I usually go to Peking House, a Chinese restaurant. It has a
regional I convenient' location about five minutes from the office, and the atmosphere is
cosy I reasonable2, so we can talk quietly and comfortably. It's also very important for a
business meal to have local I efficient 3 service, and the staff at Peking House are the best.
Chinese food is good because they have something for everyone. Peking House is famous
for its seafood, especially the dishes with prawns I vea/ 4 • They also serve a wonderful
lamb I cabbage5 soup that's very popular with vegetarians. It isn't the cheapest Chinese
restaurant in the area, but the prices are very exciting I reasonable 6, especially when you
consider that the service and atmosphere are both excellent. Chinese restaurants don't
always have a wide selection of drinks, but Peking House has a wonderful choice of good
wines I poultry ' and beers, including several mineral I non-a/coho/ic 8 ones for people
who don't like alcohol.

M U LTIWORD VE]iD Complete the text below with the words in the box.
I after around down out part to up up

1 Leya n and Rupert took . . . . . . . . . . . . in a charity marathon.

2 Beatta turned . . . . . . . . . . . . the invitation to go out for a meal after work because
she was very tired.
3 We always take visitors . . . . . . . . . . . . for an expensive meal.
4 I'd like to take . . . . . . . . . . . . your kind offer to organise the after-work entertainment
for next week's meeting.
5 Did you have a chance to look . . . . . . . . . . . . Barcelona when you were there?
6 How many people turned . . . . . . . . . . . . for your presentation?
7 Marcus is really looking forward . . . . . . . . . . . . his visit to Moscow.
8 Alberto's going to look . . . . . . . . . . . . the team from the Beijing office.

Match each statement (1-8) to a response (a-h).

1 Would you like to have lunch with us? a) We're having a great year.

2 Piet, this is Alfonso. b) Yes, that's right. Warsaw.

3 How's business? c) Sure. No problem.

4 Sorry, I didn't catch your name. d) Thank you. That would be very nice.

5 Sorry, did you say you're from Poland? e) No, I haven't. What is it?

6 Ingrid, do you know Dugald? f) Yes, we met last year. Good to see
you again.
7 Could I use your pen, please?
g) It's John. John Hicks.
8 Have you heard Liam's news?
h) Pleased to meet you.

64
 UNIT B H REVISION

Cultures 2: Doing business internationally

Com plete the tips below on doing business internationally with the words
in the box.

business breakfasts and business lunches business card

business culture eye contact food local language personal space
red tape the oldest person trust and respect

Seniority
• Pay attention to who's who. In a group of Korean executives, . . . . . . . . . 1 is often . ..

the most senior. In Mexico, you may need to take the time to socialise with other
businesspeople so you can earn their . . . . . . . . .2• . ..

Communication
• In most cases, your . . . . . . . . ? should be translated into the local language where
. . .

you're doing business. This helps people understand who they're dealing with.

• I f you need to socialise in the . . . . . . . . . . . . work as hard as you can to improve your
'' ,

ability to speak it.

Business culture
• I n Mexico, you can expect long . . . . . . .. .. .. 5, but you might not talk about business
until the very end of the meal.
• Wherever you go, try to learn as much as you can about the . . . . . . . . . . . .6 before your
visit. The more you know, the easier it is to do business. For example, in some
countries, there can be a lot of . . . 7• You'll need a lot of official documents
.. .. . . . . .

before you can go ahead with a project. You need to be patient.

Politeness and personal space

• Accept . . . . . . . . . . .8 when someone offers it. It's better to accept it and leave some
.

of it on your plate, rather than say 'no' to the offer.

• In some cultures, looking directly into someone's eyes shows honesty. But in other
cultures, too much . . . . . . . . ? may be impolite.
. . .

• Different cultures also have very different ideas about . . . 10• In Mexico, people . . . . . . . . .

may stand very close to you and they often touch your shoulder or arm.

65