1、In this unit,you are expected to learna.some specific aspects of corporate culture;b.how the SQ3R reading strategies can help you become an active reader;c.how to compare companies in terms of corporate culture.UNIT 2Warming UpWarming UpPart Two1 Searching the issueFind some background information a
2、bout corporate culture.The information will help you have a better understanding of the topic.You should do the task before class.Activity 1 Read the following text on corporate culture and its importance.Then try to answer the questions that follow.What is corporate culture?At its most basic,its de
3、scribed as the personality of an organization,or simply as“how things are done around here.”“Here”refers to an organization.It guides how employees think,act,and feel.Corporate culture is a broad term used to define the unique personality or character of a particular company or organization,and incl
4、udes such elements as core values and beliefs,corporate ethics,and rules of behavior.Corporate culture can be expressed in the companys mission statement and other communications,in the architectural style or interior decor of offices,by what people wear to work,by how people address each other,and
5、in the titles given to various employees.UNIT 2Warming UpWarming UpPart Two The surface layer of corporate culture often includes visible things such as offices,furnishings,visible rewards and recognition,the way employees dress and how they interact.The next level deals with professed culture of th
6、e organization.Slogans,mission statements and other operational creeds,as well as local and personal values,are usually found at this level.At the third and deepest level,however,are the unseen elements identified in everyday interactions between employees.Questions to think1.What is the importance
7、of corporate culture for an organization?2.What elements are included in corporate culture?3.Do you know the corporate culture of any company?If so,can you say something about it?UNIT 2Warming UpWarming UpPart TwoActivity Go to the library or surf the Internet to find more information about corporat
8、e culture.List how a corporate culture is demonstrated with examples.Focus your research on three aspects of corporate culture:advertising slogans,company statements and examples of unethical business practice.Examples are given in the following table.Please add your own.ElementsExamplesadvertising
9、sloganCitibank:The Citi never sleeps._company statementsMicrosoft:a technology and software development company_examples of unethical business practiceResorting to dishonesty,trickery or deception Creation of false documents to show increased profits_UNIT 2Warming UpWarming UpPart TwoPresenting your
10、 understandingIn this task you are going to learn something about management styles,which is one of the most important aspects of corporate culture.Activity 1 Culture frequently echoes the prevailing management style.Since managers tend to hire people just like themselves,the established organizatio
11、nal culture is reinforced by new hires.So different management styles reflect different corporate cultures.Study the following three management styles and match the styles with the descriptions.UNIT 2Warming UpWarming UpPart TwoStylesDescriptionsA.Consultative ManagementB.Democratic ManagementC.Auto
12、cratic Management1.A manager delegates authority to his/her staff,giving them responsibility to complete tasks assigned to them(also known as empowerment).Staff will complete the tasks,using their own work methods.Employees are motivated and involved in decision making,having a sense of belonging.2.
13、Managers like to control the situation.Decisions are quickly made because staff are not consulted and work is usually completed on time.However,this type of management style can decrease motivation and increase staff turnover because staff are not consulted and do not feel valued.3.This management s
14、tyle can be viewed as a combination of the other two.The managers will ask views and opinions from their staff,allowing them to feel involved but will ultimately make the final decision.UNIT 2Warming UpWarming UpPart TwoActivity 2 Ask at least five of your classmates which management style they like
15、 and why.Then write one short report on peoples opinions on different management styles.Do not forget to add your own opinion as well.However,they have different opinions on.This report has been written because.The main findings are that.The significance of the result is.The main conclusion that can
16、 be drawn is that.Initializing the ProjectInitializing the ProjectUNIT 2Part Two3 Sharing informationExchange the information you have got about the corporate cultures of different companies.Activity 1 Work in groups of 3 or 4.Discuss corporate culture and answer the following questions.1.How does t
17、he advertising slogan reflect a companys corporate culture?2.How does the mission statement reflect the companys corporate culture?3.What activities are considered as unethical business practices?Initializing the ProjectInitializing the ProjectUNIT 2Part TwoActivity 2 Ethical business practices resu
18、lt from a corporate culture.Give your opinions on the following situations.Work in pairs and tell each other whether you think they conform to business ethics.A restaurant purchasing manager recently purchased 20 cases of wine from a new beverage supplier.Without the managers advance knowledge,the s
19、upplier delivered a free case for his personal use since the free case did not influence his purchase of the 20 cases for the restaurant.2.A bar manager contracts with a company to monitor the bartenders to determine whether they are preparing drinks according to the standard recipe and whether they
20、 are charging customers properly for all drinks served.3.As one firms business grew,it hired more employees.Unfortunately,demand for its product had declined recently,and its owner laid off 20 employees that were hired over the last two years.4.One airline company advertised an attractive fare from
21、London to New York and sold about 8 percent of the seats at the advertised price.Initializing the ProjectInitializing the ProjectUNIT 2Part Two4 Watching a videoWatch a video clip on Toyota recalling its faulty cars and complete the following activities.Activity 1 Read the questions below carefully.
22、Then watch the video clip and answer the questions.Initializing the ProjectInitializing the ProjectUNIT 2Part Two1.What is the video about?_2.What is the problem at Toyota?_3.What is the Japanese management consultancy supposed to teach the managers?_The corporate culture of Japan and the need to ch
23、ange it.Toyota cars cause death and injuries in the U.S.and the Toyota company is not addressing it.How to deal with scandal/corporate crisis.Initializing the ProjectInitializing the ProjectUNIT 2Part TwoActivity 2 Watch the video clip again.Pay attention to the different corporate cultures in Japan
24、 and America mentioned in the video clip.While you are watching,write down the words you have heard to describe corporate Japan and corporate America.Corporate JapanCorporate Americatoo much secrecy,hide,lie,close uptransparent,consumer-driven,open upInitializing the ProjectInitializing the ProjectU
25、NIT 2Part TwoActivity 3 Watch the video clip for the third time.Then write a summary of what you have got from the video clip.It was widely accepted that.the issue is a management problem rather than an engineering problem.A rapid change in.Given such differences in corporate culture between Japan a
26、nd the U.S.,it is.To summarize the facts,.Initializing the ProjectInitializing the ProjectUNIT 2Part Two5 Talking it overWork in small groups of 3 or 4.Choose one of the three sets(A,B or C)of questions below to discuss.How does a companys culture affect its employees?What is your management philoso
27、phy and how would you motivate others if you had your own business?What do you know about the corporate culture of some world-famous companies?(e.g.Nestle,Google,Apple)Why is social responsibility very important to a corporation?What are the factors affecting business ethics?What does“honesty is the
28、 best policy”mean?How do you expose a coworker who pretends to know his job but copies from you?Initializing the ProjectInitializing the ProjectUNIT 2Part TwoDo you think it is important to know how decisions are made in a company and how those decisions are communicated to the staff,before acceptin
29、g a job?Should the organization emphasize working in teams?Should a company provide its employees with established career paths?How effectively does the company communicate to its employees?More post listening exercises:Go to page 15 in your WorkbookExploring the FieldExploring the FieldUNIT 2Part T
30、wo6Trying your hand Read the following quotes from some successful business leaders.They have concerns on different issues in their daily work and you may find different management styles,which are taken as one part of corporate culture.Read each statement carefully,then write your immediate reactio
31、n to it.Do not write more than 25 words for each statement.1.We have found that by reaching for what appears to be the impossible,we often actually do the impossible;and even when we dont quite make it,we inevitably wind up doing much better than we would have done.Jack Welch,former CEO of GE_2.The
32、number one role of a leader is to communicate.And the number one role of a CEO is to be the chief communicator,to make sure that the people inside the organization know what is important,as well as our partner community and our customers and our shareholders.Jonathan Schwartz,former CEO of Sun Micro
33、systems_Exploring the FieldExploring the FieldUNIT 2Part Two3.A corporation is a living organism;it has to continue to shed its skin.Methods have to change.Focus has to change.Values have to change.The sum total of those changes is transformation.Andrew Grove,former CEO of Intel_4.People are definit
34、ely a companys greatest asset.It doesnt make any difference whether the product is cars or cosmetics.A company is only as good as the people it keeps.Mary Kay Ash,founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics_5.We can believe that we know where the world should go.But unless were in touch with our customers,our mod
35、el of the world can diverge from reality.Theres no substitute for innovation,of course,but innovation is no substitute for being in touch,either.Steve Ballmer,CEO of Microsoft Corporation_Exploring the FieldExploring the FieldUNIT 2Part Two7 Reading carefully Now you are going to read the passage Wh
36、y Does Corporate Culture Matter?As you are reading,keep thinking about what is important to lead a company to success.Try to think of the following questions before reading the passage.1.What are the factors leading to a companys success?2.How important is technological innovation in a companys succ
37、ess?Please give examples to illustrate your idea.3.It is said that corporate culture is the driving force behind every aspect of the companys performance.Do you agree or not?4.How do you think a corporate culture is established?5.Is a corporate culture often changed?Why?Exploring the FieldExploring
38、the FieldUNIT 2Part Two Why Does Corporate Culture Matter?Its Not a Technology Failure Its a Failure of Understanding the Culture.Bill Brendler Until a company tries to change and seeks help,much of the reality of what goes on remains hidden.It is unfortunate,but often the case,that managers and emp
39、loyees spend a lot of energy concealing whats really going on in a company.It is when the company leaders,often in peril,seek help that the dynamic is set-up for finding out whats really going on.People cant understand an organization until they try to change it.How does one find out about the under
40、belly of the organization where the culture issues truly reside?Lets look at an example that illustrates the consequences of changing technology without analyzing the constraints of culture.A large insurance company decided to increase its competitiveness by rapidly evolving to a new CRM product.To
41、accomplish this change,they hired a talented IT manager who had a proven track record.He was given the tough task of converting the clerical staff to the new CRM system in six months.Training modules were created to teach employees how to use the new system effectively.But the IT manager was not awa
42、re that other executives,at the same time,were telling their employees to squeeze in whatever training they could but finish their normal work first.The result was the training was done in off hours and half-heartedly,and worse,the IT Exploring the FieldExploring the FieldUNIT 2Part TwoActivity 1Sca
43、n the passage and try to answer the following questions.1.What change does the insurance company want?_2.What is the training about?_3.What problems arise due to the failure of the training?_4.What is the cause of the failure of the training?_5.What is important for understanding the corporate cultu
44、re?_The increase of its competitiveness by rapidly evolving to a new CRM product.Teaching employees to use the new system in six months.Some serious problems with the customers and dropped productivity.No recognition to the deeper realities of the corporate culture.To understand what is going on at
45、the deeper level.Exploring the FieldExploring the FieldUNIT 2Part TwoActivity 2 Choose the best answer for the following questions based on what youve read in the passage.1.Which statement is true about a corporate culture?A)It determines a companys collective behavior.B)It determines technology and
46、 production failure.C)It is what a company is trying to change.D)It is what a company finds weak and poor.2.What are the trained employees supposed to do when customers ask them questions?A)Refer to some previous cases.B)Refer to the new CRM system.C)Write down the questions in their folders.D)Seek
47、help from the IT manager.Exploring the FieldExploring the FieldUNIT 2Part Two3.If a company values teamwork,_.A)it encourages competitiveness B)it rewards the best one in the team C)it focuses on the work of a team D)reward systems are individual-oriented4.What do the executives and employees of thi
48、s company believe?A)The training should be done during working hours.B)The new CRM system changes the corporate culture.C)Training is secondary to finishing normal work.D)Innovation is the top priority in the company.5.What can be inferred from the passage?A)A corporate culture is subject to change.
49、B)Change relates to a corporate culture.C)The important part of a corporate culture is taught.D)Employees and managers ignore their corporate culture.Exploring the FieldExploring the FieldUNIT 2Part TwoActivity 3 Read the passage again and analyze its structure.The following questions may help you d
50、o the activity.1.What is the organization of this passage?Part 1:_ Part 2:_ Part 3:_ Part 4:_2.What topic is introduced in paragraph 1?3.What is the purpose of the anecdote?4.What is the conclusion of this passage?Introduction of a topicIllustration by an example/anecdoteFurther discussion on the to
