1、Unit 3 CompaniesBe not afraid of growing slowly;be afraid only of standing still.-Chinese proverbBe everywhere,do everything,and Be everywhere,do everything,and never fail to astonish the customer.never fail to astonish the customer.-Anonymous -AnonymousStarting up-Family-owned-Public limited-Joint
2、venture-Multinational-Parent-Subsidiary-Branch-Holding Company Company Ltd./Inc./SA/AGCan you explain the these?Starting upAWhich of these companies would you like to work for?Why?Family businessMultinationalSelf-employed/freelancelawyerconsultantwriterdoctorStarting upBWhat business sectors would y
3、ou like to work in?Do you know these companies and their lines of business?Work Envi-ronmentMay be more friendly in a small family business.But some family-owed business are multinationals with thousands of employees,and the environment may not be that different to working in an ordinary multination
4、al.self-employed people working on their own sometimes complain about feeling isolated.You may feel more in control running your own company,but there again,if you have employees to look after,this can be a big responsibility.PaymentSmall family companies may or may not pay good wages and salaries.O
5、ne issue here is that when multinationals come to an area with low unemployment,they may make it more expensive for firms in the area to employ people in office or factory jobs.On the other hand,some multinationals are well known for paying very low wages to people in places such as fast-food outlet
6、s.The pay of self-employed people,of course,varies enormously.Promotion probabilitiesThere will be fewer opportunities for promotion in family companies,especially if family members are in key positions.Multinationals will probably offer more scope the fast-food worker may become a branch manager an
7、d possibly go even further,but examples of top managers who have risen all the way from shop floor level are rare.Job security/probability that you will keep the jobFamily companies may hesitate longer before laying people off out of a feeling of responsibility towards their employees.Multinationals
8、 have had different attitudes towards laying people off,but companies in general are probably quicker to lay people off than before.VocabularyDescribing companies1 The amount of money a company receives from sales in a particular period is called its _.2 The money a company makes after taking away i
9、ts costs is its _.3 A company which is more than 50%owned by a parent company is called a _.4 The employees in a particular country or business are called the _.5 The percentage of sales a company has in a particular market is its _.6 The main building or location of a large organization is its _.7
10、The cost of a companys shares is its _.share priceworkforceprofitsubsidiarymarket sharehead officeAturnoverVocabularyDescribing companiesBI am pleased to say the company has continued its excellent performance.We are changing,growing and doing well at a difficult time for the industry._ was 57.2 mil
11、lion,an increase of 15%on last year,and _ rose by 5%,to 6.4 million.We are a highly competitive business.We have increased our _ to 20%.Consequently our _ has risen and is now at an all-time high of 9.6.Increased production and strong demand have had a positive effect on our cash flow,so we are able
12、 to finance a number of new projects.We have successfully moved to our new _ in central London.We are now planning to start full production at the recently opened Spanish _ in October.Finally,thanks once again to our loyal and dedicated _.Our employees will always be our most valuable asset.FINANCIA
13、L PERFORMANCEComplete the following extract.Turnoverprofitmarket shareshare pricehead officesubsidiaryworkforceDiscussionDescribing companiesWhat information is important when describing companies?Business performance:Turnover/sales;profitCompetitiveness:Market share;share priceFinance:Cash flow;inv
14、estment in R&D;businessexpansion(new head office,subsidiary)Valuable asset:Loyal&dedicated workforceDescribing companiesCisco Systems,Inc.,founded in 1984 by a small group of computer scientists from Stanford University,is a multinational corporation with more than 66,000 employees and annual revenu
15、e of US$39 billion as of 2008.Headquartered in San Jose,California,it designs and sells networking and communications technology and servicesPeugeot is a major French car brand,part of PSA Peugeot Citron.It is the second largest automaker in Europe,behind Volkswagen.Peugeots roots go back to pepper,
16、salt and coffee mill manufacturing in 1842 and later bicycle manufacturing at the end of the 19th century.Its world headquarters are in Paris.Background informationBenetton Group S.p.A.is a global clothing brand,based in Treviso,Italy.The name comes from four members of the Benetton family who found
17、ed the company in 1965.Its core business is clothing.Their products include womens wear,mens wear,childrens wear and underwear and they have recently expanded into toiletries,perfumes,exclusive watches and items for the home such as kitchen accessories and baby products.Bacardi Limited is one of the
18、 largest spirits companies in the world with an enviable portfolio of premium brands.Founded in 1862 in Santiago de Cuba,Bacardi Limited has a presence in more than 100 markets worldwide including the United States,Spain,France,the United Kingdom,Mexico,Germany,Italy and Russia.Expansion has been pr
19、ioritized in the emerging markets of India,China and Brazil.Describing companiesBackground informationAmerican Express,sometimes known as AmEx or Amex,is a diversified global financial services company,headquartered in New York City.The company is best known for its credit card,charge card and trave
20、lers check businesses.Bayer AG is a German chemical and pharmaceutical company founded in Barmen,Germany in 1863.Today it is headquartered in Leverkusen,Germany.It is well-known for its original brand of aspirin.Maersk Line is one of the leading liner shipping companies in the world,serving customer
21、s all over the globe.Maersk Line is a division of the A.P.Moller-Maersk Group,headquartered in Copenhagen,Denmark.Describing companiesBackground informationCompany Main activityNationalityCisco SystemsInternet equipment supplierAmericanCar manufacturerBacardi MartiniSpanishTravel&financial services
22、providerAmerican Bayer GermanClothing manufacturerSonyElectronic goods makerMaerskDanishPeugeotFrenchDrinks supplierAmerican expressDrug&chemical makerBenettonItalianJapaneseContainership operatorVocabularyDescribing companiesCComplete the chart belowSpeaking practiceDescribing companiesChoose a com
23、pany you know well and introduce it.DListeningBackground information about IKEAIKEA is a privately held,international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds,chairs,desks,appliances and home accessories.The company is the worlds largest furniture retaile
24、r.Founded in Sweden in 1943 by 17-year-old Ingvar Kamprad,who later became one of the richest people in the world,the companys name is an acronym comprising the initials of the founders name(Ingvar Kamprad),the farm where he grew up(Elmtaryd),and his hometown(Agunnaryd,in South Sweden).The company i
25、s known for its modern architectural designs on various types of appliance and furniture,often associated with a simplified eco-friendly interior design.A successfulcompanyListeningA successfulcompanyAWork in small groups.Agree on the three most important factors form those listed below that can mak
26、e a company successful.Focusing on how to increase market shareHaving a strong company cultureHaving user-friendly packagingHaving good designers who also understand productionResponding to the needs of the workforceStarting with a simple business idea that is easy to understandBPeter Jelkeby,IKEAs
27、UK Deputy Country Manager,talks about four factors that make IKEA a successful company.Listen number the 4 factors in A in the order in which he mentions them.ListeningReasons for successBListen to Recording 2 and complete these notes.IKEA manages to stay ahead of the competition by:1._ the market a
28、nd the customer _2.understanding how the _ are acting3.being not only about products,but also about _ to peoples needsCListen to Recording 3 and decide which of the following was the interviewers question.A successfulcompany1.What new projects are you currently involved in?2.How can you keep up your
29、 performance at such a difficult time for the economy?3.What are the things a successful international business must do?4.Where are you planning to expand in the next five years?Understandingneedscompetitorsoffering solutionsReadingThe worlds most respected companiesWork in pairs.Ask each other ques
30、tions to complete the tables.Student A:Turn to page 137 Student B:Turn to page 143ABWork in Pairs.Student A:Read article 1.Student B:Read article 2.As you read,make a note of the key information about your company.CAfter reading,ask your partner what he or she has learn about Toyota,Microsoft and Co
31、ca-Cla.Could you add some other information?CompanyMicrosoft HeadquartersRedmond,Washington,USA Statusa US-based multinational computer technology corporation Area of operationWorldwide No.of employees 89,000 in 105 countries ProductsMicrosoft Windows,Microsoft Office,Microsoft Servers,Business soft
32、ware,games Annual sales$60.42 billion in 2008 Oral practiceTalk about Microsoft,using the information in the chart.The worlds most respected companiesPresent simple and present continuousLanguage review1 Permanent and temporary actionsThe Present Simple tense describes usual,repeated and permanent t
33、hings-for example,always,usually,often,sometimes,never.I work as an accountant.John doesnt know German.How often do you play tennis?We use the Present Continuous tense to speak about things which are happening now or things which are temporary.I am not working now.I am on holiday.Sally is listening
34、to a new CD.Who are you phoning?Present simple and present continuous2 The future actionsWe use the Present Simple in the time and conditional clauses after if,when,as soon as,until etc,and when we talk about timetable,schedules,itineraries etc.What will you do if you fail your exam?We will wait her
35、e until she comes back.My plane takes off at 9.00.The President arrives in Norway on 17 July.What time does your train leave?We use the Present Continuous Tense for plans and arrangements.What are you doing tonight?Im seeing an important client in my office at 4.We are going to the sea for our holid
36、ay.Where are you staying in Vienna?Language reviewPresent simple and present continuousNote:There are some verbs in English that are not normally used in the Continuous Tense.like dislike love hate preferforget remember believe understandmean seem want need knowbelong ownBut some few verbs can be us
37、ed in the Continuous Tense,depending on their meaning.I think you made a mistake.(believe)Im thinking about my mum now.(mental process)I have two cars.(possess,own)Im having my lunch.(eat)Im seeing my friend tomorrow.(meet)I see what you mean.(understand)Language reviewA Complete the sentences with
38、either PS or PC.1 We normally _(hold)our sales conference in Spain,but this year we _(hold)it in Poland.2 Although we _(use)our own sales rep at the moment,we generally _(use)agents in Japan.3 It normally _(take)us two years to develop a new product.4 We dont often _(raise)our prices more than 5%,bu
39、t this time we _(raise)them 10%.5 Usually our Sales Director _(deal)with important customers.6 We usually _(recruit)from within the company,but this time we _(advertise)externally.7 We _(rent)offices until our new headquarters are ready.8 The company _(want)to achieve record sales this year.holdare
40、holdingare usingusetakesraiseare raisingdealsrecruitare advertisingare rentingwantsLanguage reviewBComplete the following job advertisement.We _ one of the largest mobile phone retailers in Europe.We _ independent and impartial advice on mobile phones.We _ more than 800 stores in 10 countries,and we
41、 _ fast.We _ over 3,000 workers.Currently we _ _ the next stage in our development,and we _ for major growth outside Europe.We _ for people who are reliable,confident and enthusiastic.We _ experienced people who want to work for an expanding company.We _ a competitive salary and private health insur
42、ance.We are willing to reward staff with attractive performance-based bonuses.Sales ManagerRing 020 7946 0008 for an information pack.areofferhaveare growingemployareconsideringare preparingare lookingneedare offeringLanguage reviewSkillsPresenting your companyWhich of the following suggestions are
43、important for making an effective presentation?1 find out as much as possible about your audience2 introduce yourself(name,position,company)3 start with a joke4 outline the structure of your talk5 vary the tone of your voice6 refer to your notes as often as possible7 use clear visual aids8 summarize
44、 your main pointsTara FashionsWhere is the head office?Cordoba,SpainWhat does it sell?Who are its customers?Annual turnover?Annual net profits?Number of stores:in Spain?in other European cities?Strengths?Future plans?Clothes for men,woman260 million15Can bring out new designs very quickly Designs so
45、ld at right priceFashion-conscious men and women aged 20-3514(5 new stores next year)16 millionNew store in New York next yearSkillsPresenting your companyCASE STUDYCompany Valentino ChocolatesHeadquartersProductsNo.of employeesNo.of shopsAnnual salesProblemsReasonsCompany profileTurin,ItalyLuxury c
46、hocolates,biscuits&cakes3007590 millionSales growths have slowed down,costs have risen&profits have fallenPrices:too high Machines:too oldProducts:unpopularStaff:demotivatedCASE STUDYExpansionListen to this excerpt from a board meeting.Make notes under the four heading below.Reasons for falling prof
47、itsPricesHigher than competitors prices due to price-cuttingProductionDelay due to old machinery breaking downDemandFalling demand for new products(biscuits and cakes)and Classic BarStaff moraleSales team and production staff demotivatedCASE STUDYInvestment optionsCost Purpose Extend the factoryBuy
48、out a local competitorSet up a factory in the US500,0001.5 million1.3 millionInvest more in R&DLaunch a marketing campaignFinance a marketing trip to US200,000500,000100,000Invest in existing cafesSet up online sales500,000150,000Buy new machinery200,000Buy new cars500,000A 1.5-million investment pl
49、anExpanding businessThe futureMarketing Increasing salesImproving facilitiesMotivating staffCASE STUDYTaskSpeakingYou are directors of Valentino.Meet to discuss your investment plan.-Decide on the appropriate investment options and present your ideas in groups as to how to use the 1.5 million invest
50、ment-Try to reach an agreement on a final investment planCASE STUDYTaskWritingAs a director of Valentino Chocolates,write an investment plan to your CEO outlining your investment plan.Give reasons for your choices.You may begin like the example below.Investment Plan1.Objectives To solve our current
