Strategies for Cross-Culture Management

 

In order to successfully perform as a cross-culture manager, a number of strategies to dealing with issues that arise as a result of cultural differences should be employed. One of the most important strategies is adaptation. Ignoring cultural differences or not understanding their importance can be harmful. Instead, it’s imperative to acknowledge cultural gaps that may exist on the team and figure out ways to work around them. A manager needs to be able to think of creative solutions to cultural barriers. For example, if an employee is facing a language barrier, instead of requiring the employee to take formal language lessons, which can be costly and time-consuming, the manager may spend some time one-on-one with the employee to get him up to speed on specific business terms used every day in the office.

Another strategy some managers use is structural intervention. This enables them to reassign tasks or move employees around on the team in order to improve efficiency, increase learning opportunities and reduce confusion. To do this effectively, the manager must be in tune to each team member’s skills and experience, and understand their strengths and weaknesses. When trying to navigate a language barrier, it may seem like an obvious choice to pair employees together who speak the same language. While this may work in some cases, it may not be effective in the long run because it doesn’t tackle the core issue¹ of language fluency. Instead, the manager might pair the employee with the language barrier with another employee who excels in teaching and communication and has endless amounts of patience.

Some cross-culture leaders choose to use managerial intervention as a strategy to deal with culture-related barriers. This involves setting specific ground rules for the team and stepping in when an authoritative role is required. In the case of the language barrier, for example, the manager may ask that employee to see how much he can learn and communicate on his own. If that plan doesn’t work, the manager may assign someone on the team to review his work to ensure it meets company standards. Or, she may step in herself and review the employee’s work, going over specific communication-related issues in detail with him.

Depending on the severity² of the cultural barrier, a manager may choose to completely remove an employee from the team. This is a costly strategy, as the company invests a lot of money and time in hiring and training an employee. However, if the cultural differences are too drastic to overcome, removing the employee from the team may be the only solution. This is likely not the first strategy a manager will try. Instead, an effective cross-culture manager will first spend time figuring out other ways to solve the cultural issue without resorting to termination. In the case of the language barrier, if the employee either doesn’t want to put in the effort to improve his skills in the language of the business or simply doesn’t have the skills to learn the language, then removal from the team may be the only option to salvage the rest of the group. By removing the employee in question, the manager can then focus efforts and energy on the other team members and help them continue to meet organizational objectives, instead of spending a large amount of time trying to resolve a situation that may not have any quick fixes.

https://bizfluent.com/facts-6955562-cross-culture-management-definition.html

 

Vocabulary:

1. tackle the core issue – решить ключевой вопрос

2. severity – серьезность

 

Questions:

1. What are the “cultural gaps” that may exist on the team?

2. Why is structural intervention important for cross-culture management?

3. Is managerial intervention effective as a strategy to deal with culture-related barriers?

4. Which of the strategies is considered to be a costly one?

5. In what cases may removing the employee from the team be the only solution?

Writing

 

Choose one of the quotes to write an essay on the topic. Remember to use the information you’ve discussed in this Unit.

ü Language and culture are the frameworks through which humans experience, communicate, and understand reality. (L. Vygotsky)

ü If we are going to live with our deepest differences then we must learn about one another. (Deborah J. Levine)

ü Preservation of one's own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures. (Cesar Chavez)

 

Independent Study

 

1. Working, entertaining, negotiating and corresponding with colleagues from different cultures can be quite difficult. One misunderstanding could have a negative effect on months of work. Understanding intercultural differences can help communication with colleagues from other cultures. According to Professor Hofstede, if we compare the key factors in our own culture with those in another culture, we can predict possible difficulties. For example, some cultures, like Malaysia and Indonesia, are hierarchical with a caste or class system; and there is often a big difference in wealth between individuals. At work, employees respect authority, don't usually take responsibility and have a formal relationship with their manager. Other cultures, like Australia and Denmark, are more liberal and egalitarian. Managers give their employees responsibility and often socialize with them.

Using any sources find interesting and essential information on this topic. What are some other types of cultures? Give examples of countries and their attitude towards different aspects of life and business.

2. Make a presentation about one particular country or several countries conducting business abroad. Present some essential and interesting information for your groupmates to form an opinion.

 

Unit 14

ORGANISATION STRUCTURE

Lead-in

1. If you had such a chance, would you prefer to work for a big or small company? Why? What are the advantages of each?

2. Read the following statements and decide whether they are about the advantages of working in a big or small company. Give strong arguments to support your decision.

A. If you have problems with your colleagues you can always change departments.

B. You are often responsible for a variety of different tasks.

C. You can actually see the result of your contribution to the company.

D. You can be proud of working for a company with a national or international reputation.

E. You can become more specialized in your work.

F. You have a better possibility of realizing your potential.

G. The atmosphere is friendlier and you know everyone.

H. You are unlikely to be fired in a sudden reorganization or downsizing.

I. You’ll probably get a slightly higher salary.

J. You often get greater freedom, flexibility and openness to change.

Key Vocabulary

Study the following list of vocabulary. The words appear in the order you will meet them in the text.

1. unit n	подразделение, организационная единица
2. attain objectives	достигать целей
3. division of labour	разделение, распределение труда, функций
4. hierarchy of authority	иерархия власти
5. public organization	государственная, общественная организация
6. non-profit organization	некоммерческая организация
7. deliver/provide services	оказывать, предоставлять услуги
8. for the benefit of society	на благо, пользу общества
9. in return	взамен, в ответ
10. donor n	спонсор
11. fund n	фонд, финансирование
12. refer to	(зд.) касаться
13. facilitate v	содействовать, способствовать, облегчить
14. outline v	определить, описать, изложить
15. pattern n	структура, модель, образец
16. evolve v	развиваться, эволюционировать
17. mold v	формировать
18. primarily adv	главным образом, прежде всего, в основном
19. organization chart	органиграмма, организационная структура, схема
20. indicate v	указывать, показывать
21. designate v	обозначать, определять
22. outsider n	(зд.) посторонний
23. dimension n	измерение, аспект
24. extent n	степень, мера
25. chain of command	субординация, система подчинения
26. premise n	предпосылка, принцип, предположение
27. scale downward	снижаться, иметь тенденцию к снижению
28. unity of command	единоначалие, единство командования
29. confusion n	путаница, замешательство, неразбериха
30. contradiction n	противоречие, несоответствие
31. frustration n	разочарование, отчаяние
32. span of management	охват мер управления
33.supervise v	руководить, контролировать
34. concern n	проблема, обеспокоенность
35. production quotas	производственные нормы, нормы выработки
36. productive capacity	производственные мощности, возможности
37. lateral adj	горизонтальный
38. subdivision n	подразделение
39. specialty n	специализация, профиль
40. departmentalizing n	деление на отделы, подразделения
41. be contingent on	ставиться в зависимость от
42. confer v	возлагать
43. consistent adj	последовательный
44. emanate v	исходить, вытекать
45. diverse adj	различный, разнообразный, разный
46. implicitly adv	косвенно, неявно
47. impose v	навязывать
48. permit v	позволять
49. CEO (Chief Executive Officer)	генеральный директор, исполнительный директор
50. duplication n	дублирование, повторение
51. marketing expenditures	расходы на маркетинг
52. strain v	нагружать, напрягать
53. cumbersome adj	сложный, обременительный
54. lack n	отсутствие, нехватка, недостаток
55. dispersion of responsibility	дробление ответственности
56. explicitly adv	прямо, явно, напрямую
57. background n	(зд.) происхождение, образование
58. assets n	активы
59. sustain v	поддерживать, обеспечивать

Pre-reading Activities

1. Look through the list of Key Vocabulary. Make up possible collocations with the word “structure”. Consult a dictionary if necessary.

2. Make up 5 sentences with the verbs and 5 sentences with the nouns from Key Vocabulary. Try to connect your sentences with the topic of the Unit. Exchange your list of sentences with your partner and check them for possible mistakes.

3. Finish the following sentences with your own words. Share your ideas with the group.

A. In a business organization, the chain of command is critically important, because ….

B. The division of labour is a way of organizing work, so that ….

C. The unity of command plays a major role in ….

D. A non-profit organization is ….

E. An organization chart is a diagram which ….

Reading

 

1. Read the text and match the two parts of the sentence summaries. Order the sentences in the way they appear in the text. Take these sentence summaries as the basis for your comprehensive summary.

 

1. The evolution of the formal structure is influenced	a. toward the top of the pyramid having more authority and responsibility than those toward the bottom.
2. An organization chart has a pyramid form with individuals	b. formal and informal.
3. An organization is a coordinated unit	c. 3 types of organizations: private, public and non-profit.
4. People are the	d. which functions on a hierarchy of authority.
5. There are 2 basic types of structure:	e. products or services being offered, the territory being covered and customers being targeted.
6. Structure involves	f. by such forces as: forces in the manager, in the task, in the environment, in the subordinates.
7. The business environment involves	g. 2 dimensions: vertical and horizontal.
8. Departments are based on work functions,	h. most valuable assets in any company.

 

2. Compare your answers in Task 3 from Pre-reading Activities with the information from the text. Be ready to comment on the difference if there is any.

 

An organization can be described as a consciously coordinated unit created by groups in society to achieve specific purposes, common aims and objectives by means of planned and coordinated activities. Organizations are created by people who decide to work together in order to attain their specific objectives. They function through the division of labour and on a hierarchy of authority. People and business processes are structured to achieve organizational objectives.

There are 3 main types of organizations in the business environment: private, public and non-profit organizations. Private sector organizations are governed by the laws of the market. Their main aim is to make a private profit, and they have no governmental component in their structure. Public sector organizations are owned and controlled by the government. Their main aim is not to make a profit, but to deliver government services to citizens at national, regional and local levels. Non-profit organizations (NPOs) are the ones that provide goods and services for the benefit of society without seeking a private profit in return. Any profit that is made by a non-profit organization is kept in the organization for future use and not owned by any individual or a group. NPOs usually function with the help of donors and government funds.

In any organizing effort, managers must choose an appropriate structure. Structure refers to the relationships among resources of the management system. Its purpose is to facilitate the use of each resource, individually and collectively, as the management system attempts to attain its objectives.

 The two basic types of structure within management systems are formal and informal. A formal structure is defined as the relationships among organizational resources as outlined by management. In contrast, an informal structure is defined as the patterns of relationships that develop because of the informal activities of organization members. It evolves naturally and tends to be molded by individual norms, values and social relationships. Essentially, an organization’s informal structure is the system or network of interpersonal relationships that exists within, but is not usually identical to, an organization’s formal structure.

An organization structure is represented primarily by means of a graphic illustration called an organization chart. Traditionally, an organization chart is constructed in a pyramid form, with individuals toward the top of the pyramid having more authority and responsibility than those toward the bottom. The relative positioning of individuals within boxes on the chart indicates broad working relationships, and lines between boxes designate formal lines of communication between individuals. In addition to specifying formal relationships within the firm, an organization chart can also communicate to outsiders the complexity of the organization.

Structure involves two primary dimensions: the vertical dimension and the horizontal dimension.

The vertical dimensioning refers to the extent to which an organization uses vertical levels to separate job responsibilities. The vertical dimensioning is directly related to the chain of command. Every organization is built on the premise that the individual at the top possesses most of authority and that other individuals’ authority is scaled downward according to their relative position on the organization chart. The lower a person’s position on the organization chart is, the less authority a person possesses.

The chain of command is related to the unity of command. The unity of command is the management principle which recommends that an individual has only one boss. If too many bosses give orders, the result will probably be confusion, contradiction, and frustration – a sure recipe for ineffectiveness and inefficiency in an organization. Although the unity of command principle made its first appearance in management literature over 75 years ago, it is still discussed today as a critical ingredient of successful organizations.

 When examining the vertical dimensioning of an organization chart, it is

important for managers to consider the influence of the span of management – the number of individuals a manager supervises. The more individuals a manager supervises, the greater the span of management is. The span of management has a significant effect on how well managers carry out their responsibilities. The central concern of the span of management is to determine how many individuals a manager can supervise effectively. To use the organization’s human resources effectively, managers should supervise as many individuals as they can best guide toward production quotas. If they are supervising too few people, however, they are wasting a portion of their productive capacity. If they are supervising too many, they are losing part of their effectiveness.

 The horizontal dimensioning of an organization refers to the extent to which firms use lateral subdivisions or specialties within an organization. Overall, to build organizations horizontally, departments are established. A department is a unique

group of resources established by management to perform some organizational task.

Departmentalizing is the process of establishing departments within the management system. Typically, departments are based on, or contingent on, such situational factors as the work functions being performed, the product or service being offered, the territory being covered, and the customer being targeted.

Functional departmentalizing has both advantages and disadvantages. The primary advantage is the control conferred to the various functional heads. The Vice President of marketing for Sony, for example, is able to control and coordinate the marketing plan for all of the organization’s products, geographic regions, and customers. This structure allows for consistent marketing messages throughout the company.

At the same time, however, the marketing plan emanating from such a structure may not be differentiated enough to suit the needs of Sony’s diverse products, geographic regions, and customers. In other words, this structure may implicitly impose functional standardization that may not optimize the needs of the organization’s various products and services.

Organization structure based primarily on a product or servicedepartmentalizes resources according to the products or services being offered. As more and more products are offered by a company, it becomes increasingly difficult for management to coordinate activities across the organization. Organizing according to a product or service permits the logical grouping of resources necessary to produce and market each product or service.

Product or service departmentalizing also has both advantages and disadvantages.

One of the primary advantages is the ability to focus the organization’s efforts on each of the firm’s products or services. With this structure, for example, the Vice President of electronics for Sony has the power and authority to control all aspects of the electronics business. Moreover, this type of structure directly associates responsibility for each of the firm’s products. If the electronics division does not perform well, for example, it is relatively easy for Sony’s CEO to determine responsibility for the poor performance.

One of the primary disadvantages of this structure, though, is that different units may result in some duplication of efforts, which may lead to higher costs. Continuing the example of Sony, the managers of the electronics division and the music division may both request more capital for marketing expenditures. Moreover, they may both create marketing positions within their units to aid in the marketing efforts. Taken together, these types of requests may strain the organization’s resources.

 Structure based primarily on territory departmentalizes according to the places where the work is being done or the geographic markets on which the management system is focusing. Physical distances can range from quite short (between two points in the same city) to quite long (between two points in the same state, in different states, or even in different countries).  As market areas and work locations expand, physical distances between places can make the management task extremely cumbersome. To minimize this problem, resources can be departmentalized according to the territory.

Several advantages and disadvantages are associated with geographic departmentalizing.

 One of the primary advantages of this structure is that it helps the organization focus equally on the organization’s various geographic locations. For a company such as Sony, for example, the Vice President of North America is in charge of operations in North America, and the Vice President of Asia is in charge of operations in Asia. The organization defines clearly the individuals responsible for these various regions.

At the same time, however, this type of departmentalizing also has disadvantages. One of the main disadvantages, for example, is the lack of focus on products and services. In this example, the Vice President for North America is responsible for selling movies, electronics, and music in North America. At the same time, the Vice President of Asia is responsible for selling the same products in Asia; no single manager is responsible for the performance of movies, electronics, or music. Instead, the responsibility is shared among various divisional Vice Presidents; this dispersion of responsibility may produce coordination problems.

The structure based primarily on the customerestablishes departments in response to the organization’s major customers. This structure, of course, assumes that major customers can be identified and divided into logical categories.

Like the previously discussed organizational structures, customer departmentalization has both advantages and disadvantages.

One of the primary advantages of customer departmentalization is that the firm focuses explicitly on its customers. Sony, for example, could follow this structure and include a Vice President for each of its largest customers. This structure increases the likelihood that Sony will maintain its focus on its most important sources of sales.

 At the same time, however, this structure may also create some redundancies and increased costs. For example, the Vice Presidents may require their own marketing departments, which increases the likelihood for duplicated efforts.

The formal structure of a management system is continually evolving.  Four primary forces influence this evolution: forces in the manager, forces in the task, forces in the environment, and forces in the subordinates.  The evolution of a particular organization is actually the result of a complex and dynamic interaction among these forces.

Forces in the manager are the unique way in which a manager perceives organizational problems.  Naturally, background, knowledge, experience, and values influence the manager’s perception of what the organization’s formal structure should be or how it should be changed. In the same way, similar forces influence the employee and play a key role in how he or she views work.

Forces in the task include the degree of technology involved in performing the task and the task’s complexity. As task activities change, a force is created to change the existing organization.

Forces in the environment include the customers and suppliers of the management system, along with existing political and social structures.

Forces in the subordinates include the needs and skill levels of subordinates. Obviously, as the environment and subordinates change, forces are created simultaneously to change the organization.

Despite the structure of an organization, people are the most valuable assets. It’s the people that plan, design, implement, sustain and end an organization’s life. Any organization behaves the ways its employees behave, the ways its managers direct it. An organization without people is just a collection of buildings, car parks and furniture.

Comprehension Check

1. Explain in your words exactly what the following statements from Reading mean.

A. Organizations function on a hierarchy of authority.

B. If too many bosses give orders, there will be ineffectiveness and inefficiency in an organization.

C. If managers supervise too many people, they lose part of their effectiveness.

D. Different units may result in some duplication of efforts.

E. Despite the structure of an organization, people are the most valuable assets.

 

2. Correct the following statements with reference to Reading.

 

A. People and business processes are structured to manage time.

B. Private sector organizations are governed by pubic administration.

C. NPO stands for national product orientation.

D. An informal structure is defined as the patterns of relationships that develop according to the government’s needs and wants.

E. An organization structure is represented by means of a curve.

F. According to the chain of command, the lower a person’s position on the organization chart is, the more authority a person possesses.

G. In case of the vertical dimension of an organization chart, it’s important for managers to consider their employees’ mood.

H. To build organizations horizontally, new buildings are constructed.

I. Departments are based on such situational factors as the work functions being performed, the feedback being received, the territory being covered and the profit being targeted.

J. Background, knowledge, nepotism and salary influence the manager’s perception of what the organization’s formal structure should be or how it should be eliminated.

 

3. Imagine that after skimming the text, your groupmate wasn’t able to understand certain points. He/she asked you to clarify them. Basing on the text, explain, what the following means. You may work in pairs: one of you asks questions, the other one answers them.

A. formal/informal structure

B. organization chart

C. chain of command

D. unity of command

E. span of management

 

Vocabulary Focus

1. Complete the sentences with the adjectives made from the words in bold. Practice your translation skills. Discuss any controversial moments with your groupmates and teacher.

A. This portfolio of project activities was (diversity) in type and size.

B. The government should carry out (consistency) monitoring of urban activities and their link to environment and health objectives.

C. Preliminary results show that public administration processes are usually (cumbersomeness).

D. The commission met (government) representatives, accused of violations, including high-level officials.

E. Growth in European consumption of many (graph) paper grades exceeded GDP growth.

F. Desirable or not, a (significance) growth in nuclear power seems inevitable.

G. Unfortunately, inequality and discrimination remain (centre) obstacles in building a world fit for children.

H. WTO is considered to be the (uniqueness) forum for global trade rule-making and liberalization.

I. This measure would enhance economy-wide (production) potential, competitiveness and sustainability.

J. The e-learning gender course was noted as a particularly (value) initiative.

 

2. Find the odd one out and explain your choice.

A. sustain, maintain, support, signify

B. resources, assets, assessment, funds

C. education, experience, background, emotions

D. handsome, burdensome, cumbersome, bulky

E. president, CEO, managing director, accountant

F. require, enforce, enlarge, impose

G. control, contradiction, paradox, inconsistency

H. dimension, development, scale, size

I. describe, represent, outline, organize

J. mitigate, shape, mold, form

 

Watching

 

“Organizational Structure”

Pre-watching

1. Match the given schemes of organizational structure with the terms. Try to describe the main principles of each organizational structure basing on the images given. Mind the information from Reading.

1.	A. Hierarchy
2.	B. Matrix
3.	C. Team-based organization

2. Before watching the video make sure you know the following words and word combinations. Consult a dictionary if it is necessary. The words are given in the order you will meet them in the video.

 

1. professional settings

2. hierarchy n

3. chairman of the Board

4. CEO

5. employee n

6. busser n

7. bartender n

8. figure out

9. fit in

10. handful of people

11. cross-training

12. matrix n

13. grid n

14. be in charge of

15. overlap v

16. recruiting team

17. commonality n

18. HR

B. First Watching

Follow the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUd0UNHyy60 or find the video “Organizational Structure ” on YouTube and watch it to answer the following questions.

 

A. What’s the basic difference between hierarchy and a team-based organization?

B. What does cross-training mean? How does it work in a team-based organization?

C. What is peculiar about a matrix-style grid?

D. Why may matrix be a little bit confusing in the beginning?

E. What is the newest structure, according to the speaker’s opinion?

 

C. Second Watching

Basing on the video, fill in the following table.

Main Principles of Organizational Structures

Hierarchy	Team-based organization	Matrix

D. Follow-up Activity

1. Taking into account the table from C. Second Watching, discuss the basic advantages of each organizational structure with your partner. Which one do you find the most (least) advantageous? Report your findings to the group.

2. The video episode doesn’t give any information about possible disadvantages of each organizational structure. In small groups brainstorm the minuses of hierarchy, a team-based organization and matrix. Exchange your conclusions with the whole group.

Talking Points

1. Fill in the given words in the quotations to make them sound logical.

Successful; charts; efficiency; designed; interact

 

  A. Every company has two organizational structures: the formal one is written on the …; the other is the everyday relationship of the men and women in the organization. Harold Geneen

B. Organization and education, when they … with each other, they strengthen each other, they are mutually supportive. Noam Chomsky

C. An organization, no matter how well …, is only as good as the people who live and work in it. Dee Hock

D. Organization isn't about perfection; it's about …, reducing stress, saving time and money and improving your overall quality of life. Christina Scalise

E. In the … organization, no detail is too small to escape close attention. Lou Holtz

 

React to the quotations by explaining what they mean and showing their relevance and connection to modern times. Take into account the information from Reading.

2. Role-play the following situation.

You’ve got acquainted with the basics of organizational structures. Now, taking into account the information from both the text and the video, do the following.

ü Choose 3 people from your group. Each of them is an expert in a particular organizational structure: hierarchy, a team-based organization and matrix.

ü All the other students are journalists, managers, students of the School of Economics and Management, entrepreneurs, etc.You are welcome to add any other roles if you wish.

 Imagine that the three experts were invited to the conference “Organizational Structure: Truths and Myths”. So, they are to answer the audience’s questions protecting their points of view.

Experts should try to be as convincing as they can and the audience should try to ask sound, well-grounded questions.

At the end of the event the audience are to vote for the best orator and explain their choice. 

 

Summary Points

 

Read the text, give its summary and be ready to answer the questions on its contents.

When the company known as 3M (Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company) began in 1902, the goal of the firm was to mine¹ a heavy abrasive for   technical purposes. However, it discovered that the mine in Minnesota simply wasn’t going to provide the firm with the necessary materials. After over a decade, 3M did however finally succeed in producing sandpaper² for the rapidly growing auto industry. By 1925, 3M was on its way to diversification.

Today 3M operates in more than 65 countries, and the product offerings of 3M include widely held retail consumer items as well as other less popular products.

Its products cover consumers from manufacturing to drive-through³ restaurant

technologies.

To make all this happen, 3M has about 75,000 employees throughout the world – fewer than half that number are in the United States. Additionally, of those 75,000 employees, almost 7,000 are in the roles of researchers. This keeps 3M at the forefront of new product development. According to George W. Buckley, CEO of 3M, the company has strategically positioned itself in a very difficult economy.

“3M,” he said, “is a much stronger and more innovative enterprise than it was even a year ago.” Innovation is the cornerstone of 3M’s success. To ensure 3M remains above the competition when it comes to new product development, it has invested heavily in research and development. Buckley stated that in 2009, 3M “maintained investments of more than a billion dollars in R&D at a time when many companies

were forced to dramatically cut back.”

So how does a multibillion dollar, international company that is heavily diversified organize its businesses? Keeping in mind that operations are geographically dispersed and 35 companies exist under the 3M umbrella, it might appear to be a daunting task. However, 3M has taken a straightforward product departmentalization approach to the company. All 35 business units are grouped together in six larger business segments based on the kinds of products manufactured.

By grouping similar types of businesses by the products they manufacture, 3M is attempting to utilize resources carefully and strategically. In other words, researchers in the industrial and transportation business segment at 3M can focus their efforts on those innovations related to abrasives and filtration systems without having their attention diverted⁴ by developing products that are more consumer- focused. With this approach, concentrated research and development can take place within each of the six business segments.

For Buckley, appropriate departmentalization is important, but he realizes that it is just one aspect of 3M’s strategy. The company must also foster innovation while maintaining profits. As Buckley pointed out, “There is no question that we at 3M are optimistic about our creative capabilities, confident in our operational strength, and reassured by our strong balance sheet⁵.”

 

Vocabulary:

1. mine v – добывать

2. sandpaper n – наждачная бумага

3. drive-through n – забегаловка

4. divert v – отвлечь

5. balance sheet – баланс, балансовая ведомость

 

Questions:

1. What is the background of 3M?

2. What is the total number of 3M’s employees and how many researchers are among them?

3. What approach has 3M taken?

4. What is the total strategy of 3M?

 

Writing

Write a short summary of your opinions regarding organization structures, explaining which one you would prefer to work for. Give several reasons and mention various counter-arguments. You are recommended to use the following conjunctions and connectors.

Furthermore	Moreover	In other words	That is	Because of
Consequently	Due to	Therefore	Owing to	Thus
Though	Although	However	Nevertheless	On the contrary
	Conversely	On the other hand

Independent Study

1. Using the Internet resources find information on the organizational structure of any well-known company (local or international). Prepare a report or presentation on your research. Present it to your group. Be ready to answer your groupmates’ questions on the topic.

 

2. Follow the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcTtQ0hiHbE or find the video “Steve Jobs - Organizational Structure ” on YouTube and watch it to speak about peculiarities of Apple’s organizational structure. Look for some additional information about this company and report your findings to the group.

 

 

References