Слова и выражения:
afford – позволять (себе)
assistance – помощь, поддержка
branch – ветвь, филиал, представительство
chemical – химикат
clothing – одежда
design – разрабатывать, планировать
foothold – плацдарм
joint – совместный
machinery – оборудование, машины
motor – двигатель, автомобиль; моторизованный
petroleum – нефть
pool – «сливать» (средства)
responsibility – ответственность
retailer – розничный торговец
share – делить, разделять
vehicle – наземное транспортное средство
venture – предприятие, рискованное предприятие
wholesaler – оптовый торговец
control over product – контроль над продуктом
sound products – звукозаписывающие устройства (товары)
go international – выходить на международный рынок
in this case – в этом случае
export/import merchant – экспортно-импортный посредник
take the selling risks – брать на себя риски, связанные
с продажей
sales office – офис продаж
know-how – «ноу-хау»
in return – взамен, в ответ
red tape – бюрократияExercise 4
Answer the questions:
1. What do companies do if they want greater control over their product?
2. Who takes all the selling risks if companies sell their products to an export/import merchant?
3. Who in the foreign countries do export/import agents sell the product to?
4. What do exporters sometimes set up in foreign countries?
5. How much petroleum did the USA sell abroad in 2001 (in $ million)?
6. What is a joint venture?
7. What do companies that set up a joint venture pool?
8. What does a foreign company provide?
9. What does it get in return?
10. What is the home company responsible for?The International Corporate Boat Race
An American automobile company and a Japanese auto company decided to have a competitive boat race on the Detroit River. Both teams practiced hard and long to reach their peak performance. On the big day, they were as ready as they could be.
The Japanese team won by a mile.
Afterwards, the American team became discouraged by the loss and their morale sagged. Corporate management decided that the reason for the crushing defeat had to be found. A Continuous Measurable Improvement Team of «Executives» was set up to investigate the problem and to recommend appropriate corrective action.
Their conclusion: The problem was that the Japanese team had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering, whereas the American team had 1 person rowing and 8 people steering. The American Corporate Steering Committee immediately hired a consulting firm to do a study on the management structure.
After some time and billions of dollars, the consulting firm concluded that «too many people were steering and not enough rowing.» To prevent losing to the Japanese again next year, the management structure was changed to «4 Steering Managers, 3 Area Steering Managers, and 1 Staff Steering Manager» and a new performance system for the person rowing the boat to give more incentive to work harder and become a superb performer. «We must give him empowerment and enrichment.» That ought to do it.
The next year the Japanese team won by two miles.
The American Corporation laid off the rower for poor performance, sold all of the paddles, cancelled all capital investments for new equipment, halted development of a new canoe, awarded high performance awards to the consulting firm, and distributed the money saved as bonuses to the senior executives.
Слова и выражения:
afterwards – после, впоследствии
appropriate – соответствующий
award – награда; награждать
boat – лодка
bonus – поощрение, бонус
canoe – каное
competitive – соревновательный, состязательный
corrective – коррекционные
defeat – поражение
empowerment – полномочия
enrichment – обогащение
halt – останавливать
investigate – исследовать
morale – моральное состояние
paddle – весло
peak – пик; пиковая, высшая
race – гонки
row – грести ( веслами на лодке )
rower – гребец
sag – оседать, провисать
steer – рулить, управлять с помощью руля
superb – превосходный, непревзойденный
whereas – в то время как
by a mile – на милю
crushing defeat – сокрушительное поражение
A Continuous Measurable Improvement Team of Executives – Постоянный Совет Директоров по Обеспечению Измеримых Улучшений
The American Corporate Steering Committee – Американский Корпоративный Совет Рулевого Управления
prevent losing – предотвратить поражение, проигрыш
Steering Manager – Менеджер Рулевого Управления
Area Steering Manager – Зональный Менеджер Рулевого Управления
Staff Steering Manager – Менеджер Персонала Рулевого Управления
performance system – система исполнения
That ought to do it. – Этого должно хватить.
lay off – увольнять
senior executives – старшие управляющиеExercise 5
Answer the questions:
1. What did the two companies decide to have?
2. What did the teams do to perform at their best?
3. Who won and by how far?
4. What happened to the American team\'s morale after the defeat?
5. What was made to investigate the problem?
6. What was the conclusion?
7. Who did the Americans hire to perform a study of the managerial structure?
8. How much money could it actually take to make the conclusion which the consulting firm had made?
9. What structural improvements were made in the American team?
10. Who of the Americans profited mostly from the whole thing?Japanese Management Lecture
Four corporate presidents, one English, one French, one Japanese and one American, were on their way to an international business conference when they were kidnapped by terrorists and taken to a secret hideout.
«You, your companies, and your countries are enemies of the Revolution,» screamed the terrorist leader, «and you\'re going to be executed! Do you have any last requests?»
The Englishman spoke first.
«Before I die, I want to honour my country and protest this barbaric act by singing \'God Save the Queen\' to all you men.»
«That can be arranged,» said the terrorist.
The Frenchman said, «And I want to honour my country before I die by singing \'The Marseilles\' to your men.»
The Japanese said, «Before I die, I wish to honour my country by giving the lecture I was going to present on the Japanese style of industrial management.»
The terrorist turned finally to the American.
«What is your last request?»
The American replied, «I want you to kill me right now so I don\'t have to listen to another lecture on the Japanese style of industrial management!»
Слова и выражения:
barbaric – варварский
enemy – враг; вражеский
execute – казнить
hideout – укрытие
honour – отдавать честь, прославлять
kidnap – похищать ( людей )
reply – ответ; отвечать
request – требование; требовать
terrorist – террорист
on their way – по пути (куда-либо)
" God Save the Queen" – «Боже, спаси Королеву» (Государственный Гимн Соединенного Королевства Великобритании и Северной Ирландии)
" The Marseilles" – «Марсельеза» (Государственный Гимн Французской Республики)
Japanese style of industrial management – японский стиль управления промышленностью
Exercise 6
Answer the questions:
1. Where were the presidents heading when they were kidnapped?
2. Why did the terrorists decide to kill them?
3. What was the last request of the English corporate president?
4. What did the French ask as the last wish?
5. Why did the American prefer to die rather than listen to the Japanese president?Regulations of International Business
Some governments impose various regulations on businesses in their countries. Sometimes these regulations discourage foreign companies from entering home markets. In some countries all international businesses must have local partners. In other countries a foreign firm must have at least one native in the top management of a branch or a subsidiary. Some governments, for example in Mexico, insist that the local partners have the controlling interest. However, big firms like IBM refuse to do business on these grounds and usually manage to find the way out.
Government regulations limit what a company may do. For example, some countries demand that the company should file a plan indicating what it is going to produce, how many local workers it is going to hire and how much it will pay the workers. This plan must also fit into the government economic master plan. If the country changes its master plan, the foreign firm must change its plans, too.
Governments can prohibit the import or export of certain products for military, sanitary, moral or political reasons. A military embargo prevents weapons going to a certain country. The United States prohibit the import of certain birds and animals for sanitary reasons. Moral reasons are the grounds for embargoing cocaine, heroin and other drugs. Sometimes governments prevent the export for political reasons. For example, the United Nations set embargo on sales to, and purchases from, Rhodesia before it became Zimbabwe.