WORK-LIFE BALANCE

6.1. Complete the article with appropriate forms of «stress» from A opposite.

1) stress

2) stress-related

3) stressful

4) stressed

5) stressful

6.2. Which two of the causes of stress in B opposite are specifically mentioned
in the article above?

1) heavy workloads: because she worked 66-hours a week

2) lack of management support: managers do not provide the necessary help

6.3. Match the statements ( 1-4) to the findings in the survey in C.

1–d

2–a

3–b

4–c

Over to you

In my view, working 66-hours a week is always stressful, but there are some
people, who find themselves repeatedly working these extra-long hours. As a result,
they may feel overworked, which can have detrimental effect on their health, both
mentally and physically.

I would like to recommend workaholic to take breaks, spend more time with
family or friends and enjoy the moments.

MANAGING TALENT
7.1. Look at the article in A opposite and say if these statements are true or
false.
1) True

2) True
3) False

4) False

5) False

6) True

7) True

7.2. Complete the sentences with expressions from A opposite.

1) critical

2) expertise

3) human performance

4) intellectual property

5) talent, attracting, retaining

6) core competent

7.3. Look at B opposite. In a film project, are each of the following people
‘creatives’ or ‘suits’?

1) creatives

2) suits

3) creatives

4) suits

5) creatives

6) creatives

WHY INTERNATIONAL MERGERS OFTEN FAIL

Reading

A) Understanding the main point

1) True

2) True

3) False
4) False

5) True

6) False

7) True

8) True

9) True

B) Understanding details

1) To cut costs, increase profits, benefit from another company’s knowledge and
experience.

2) 91 per cent of mergers are not completely successful in achieving their aims.

3) That it is not business as usual, there are tight timeframes, and the people
making the decisions are biased in a particular direction.

4) The hardest kind of deal is the « best-of-breed» merger with a competitor, which
means bringing together two powerful management teams.

5) It gives the advice, that setting clear targets is crucial, and emphasises the
importance of managing a tight process as well as taking important decisions
quickly.

6) Scitex’s company is telling that they are totally alien to their culture.

7) The morale will sink and people will leave the acquired organisation.

8) HP had already established in its acquisition of another firm, and partly it was
due to the hands-off approach HP took towards Scitex.

9) Cultural differences can even add value.

10) It has to be remembered that a merger often happens when at least one party is
already doing badly.

THE ART OF JOINING DIFFERENT CULTURES

Vocabulary
A) Word search
 Find words or phrases in the article which fit these meanings.

1) Expertise

2) Timeframes

3) Provide

4) Biased

5) Cutting costs

6) Successful

7) Aligning

8) Under-estimate

9) Agile

10) Alien

11) Morale

12) Hands-off

13) Trickiest

B) Word partnerships

Find verbs in the article which go with these nouns.

1) To cut costs

2) Increase profits

3) Fulfill objectives

4) Conduct a study

5) Maintain targets

6) Take decisions

7) Take over organisation

8) Establish goodwill

9) Add value
 10) Done deal

C) Vocabulary development

Make new word partnerships with the same meanings as those in Exercise B
by combining these verbs with nouns from Exercise B.

1) Carry out a study

2) Make a decision

3) Reduce costs

4) Meet objectives

5) Create goodwill

6) Fix targets

7) Conclude deal

8) Improve value

9) Raise profits

10) Acquire organisation

D) Sentence completion

Use word partnerships from Exercise B and C in the correct form to complete
these sentences.

1) Studies, carried out/conducted

2) Improve value

3) Cutting costs

4) Raise profits

5) Doing deal

6) Create goodwill

7) Meet objectives

8) Fix targets

9) Take decisions
10) Acquire organisations